Tesla Rolls Out Full Self-Driving Beta Version, With A 'Slow' And 'Cautious' Approach

Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk said that the automaker is rolling out the beta version of its full self-driving software, starting Tuesday night.

What Happened: Musk tweeted that the rollout of the software will be “extremely slow [and] cautious, as it should.” 

The autopilot beta release would be “limited to a small number of people who are expert [and] careful drivers,” Musk said, earlier in the month. 

The billionaire entrepreneur had said on Twitter in August that the improvement in the FSD feature will be a “quantum leap,” and promised the beta launch would happen in six to 10 weeks.

“I drive the bleeding edge alpha build in my car personally. Almost at zero interventions between home [and] work,” Musk said.

Why It Matters: The software’s final version should be ready for public release by December, as revealed by Musk in September.

At the company’s battery day event in September, the release of a rewritten version of FSD was promised and the beta version’s release meets the one-month timeline promised at the event.

In April, Tesla vehicles gained the capability of recognizing traffic lights and stop signs.

Price Action: Tesla shares closed nearly 2% lower at $421.94 and gained 0.63% in the after-hours session.