Autobayng News Team
- A sleuth Tesla detective found hidden geofenced areas in Tesla’s latest software update.
- These areas are rumored to be where Tesla could first launch its unsupervised FSD service within a few months.
- Or, it could be Tesla’s continued implementation of Robotaxi code improvements in customer cars.
If Tesla deploys unsupervised Full Self-Driving, is this where it could go first?
Hidden deep within Tesla’s latest vehicle update is a number of geofenced regions in California. No explanation, no patch notes—just a cryptic breadcrumb meant to be hidden from the public (at least for now.) But if you dig a little bit deeper, some hints suggest these areas might be the first places where Tesla’s unsupervised Full Self-Driving is available to drivers in the near future.
Discovered by sharp-eyed sleuth and well-known Tesla hacker GreenTheOnly, these geofenced zones made their way into the latest software release for regular customer cars. Where things get particularly interesting is that some of the geospatial regions spelled out in the new software release match up with Tesla’s robotaxi operating areas and are labeled “Bay Unsupervised CA DMV.”
Green’s digging shows that large portions of San Francisco (plus the surrounding Bay Area), Palo Alto and a cluster of random parking lots are included in the geofenced area. Largely, this mirrors the footprint of Tesla’s Robotaxi deployment area in California.
It is important because Tesla has historically kept its robotaxi and customer-facing branches separate.
CEO Elon Musk has said that it plans to merge these branches in the near future, calling the changes a “step change improvement” to the was FSD operates. However, when announced earlier this year, those changes were originally stapled to the cars in Austin, Texas—the service has since expanded to other cities, including California, where these geofenced areas are placed.
This could mark the first example of folding the software branches together, or (as I’m sure many California Tesla owners hope) it could be the areas where Tesla will first permit unsupervised FSD.
Musk has also touted that its cars will be able to drive without a meat-based backup behind the wheel before the end of 2025. We’ve heard that one before, but he also continues to double down by noting that Tesla is considering allowing “texting and driving” with FSD engaged within “a month or two.”
Granted, that’s also buried beneath a number of regulatory hurdles, but worth noting that the timeline is coming up quickly—and this could be the first real look at where drivers might first gain access to these more advanced driver assistance features. Yet there really are a lot of unknowns at play.
“Unsupervised” implies a major leap in autonomy, “DMV” implies a regulatory handshake, plus, both “Bay” and “CA” imply a localized implementation of the two, especially given that the California DMV is the agency that issues driverless permits in the state.
Right now, Tesla only holds a permit to test with a driver in California. We’ve reached out to the California DMV to learn if there are any recent requests or developments around this permitting or deployment.
If this really is the scaffolding for unsupervised FSD, Tesla is quietly building its skeleton right under the public’s nose. Map first (following the robotaxi service areas as planned). Or maybe—in true Tesla fashion—this is something else entirely. More Tesla FSD News We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Insideevs.com? – The InsideEVs team
