Potentially massive Tesla Full Self-Driving rollout scheduled for next week with 'beta request' button

Tesla's Full Self-Driving beta, a Level 2 driver-assist technology, continues to roll out to more drivers, but it may soon reach anyone who paid to access the features. On Friday, CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter FSD beta 10.1 will launch next week and come with the long-awaited "beta request" button. The change should, theoretically, allow anyone who paid for the promised FSD features to finally trial the system.

I say "theoretically" because "beta request" doesn't translate to "beta access." Who knows how many owners will actually gain the functions when tapping the on-screen prompt next week. It could be tens of thousands, or a couple thousand. We don't know and Tesla does not operate a public relations department to field requests for comment. Still, it will hopefully let owners, who've spent anywhere between $6,000 and $10,000 on the system, sample what they paid for.

Musk did follow up on Twitter when another user asked precisely how many folks would become part of the beta with FSD 10.1, confirming that pushing the button merely requests access. From there, Tesla will request permission to "assess driving behavior using [the] Tesla Insurance calculator." 

"If driving behavior is good for seven days, beta access will be granted," he added.

We've seen owners show off the good and the bad sides of the Full Self-Driving feature, which does not turn a Tesla into a self-driving car in the slightest, but it's clear the system still has a long way to go until reaching Musk's goal of "feature-complete." The CEO's goal is for FSD to be able to take drivers from point A to B with zero issues unless the car has to hand controls back over to the human driver.

Watch this: A reality check on Tesla Full Self-Driving: What it is and how to get it

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