Tesla asserts that the FSD V14 boasts parameters 10 times those of the current model, mirroring the software deployed on Tesla's Robotaxi in Austin and San Francisco. This advanced system has now commenced its rollout on Tesla's HW 4.0 mass-produced vehicles.

So, what are the novel features and modifications introduced in FSD V14, and how does it fare in terms of performance and user experience? This article synthesizes and comments on various foreign media video materials, offering insights into Tesla FSD V14 and culminating in a comprehensive evaluation.

New and Enhanced Features in FSD V14

The most notable feature update in FSD V14 is the introduction of point-to-point driving capability, enabling FSD to manage complete "door-to-door" or "point-to-point" journeys seamlessly.

Destination and Parking Options:

• New Destination Selection: Drivers can now specify parking preferences at their destination:
• Park Curbside (roadside parking).
• Parking Lot (parking within a designated lot).
• Charger Spot / Parking Garage (parking at a charging station or underground parking lot): FSD can autonomously navigate to a charging station and confidently reverse into the designated spot for charging.

Foreign media videos highlight FSD V14's exceptional navigation prowess in parking lots. It adeptly exits parking spots, navigates through the lot, waits at the gate for ticket input, and departs smoothly. It almost seems as if FSD V14 can interpret parking lot signs and locate exits and entrances effortlessly.

Driving Initiation and Control:

• New Initiation Method: Autonomous driving can now be initiated by tapping a button on the screen ("Start Self-Driving"), eliminating the need for a double-tap on the control stalk as before. FSD can now commence directly from Park (P gear) and drive out from curbside, parking spots, etc.

Parking Quality: FSD V14.1's parking function is hailed as a "game changer," executing parking maneuvers with remarkable confidence and precision.

New Driving Modes: Tesla FSD V14 introduces four distinct driving modes, allowing users to tailor the vehicle's speed and driving style:

• Sloth (slow): Strictly adheres to speed limits, avoiding any speeding, e.g., driving at the exact speed limit in restricted zones.
• Chill (relaxed): Permits slight speeding.
• Standard (standard): The default driving mode.
• Hurry (accelerate): Pursues fast driving with a higher propensity to speed (e.g., driving at 36 mph in a 30 mph zone).

Removed Features: V14.1 eliminates the ability to adjust FSD speed offset using the scroll wheel. Now, the scroll wheel and side-to-side flick are exclusively used to switch driving modes.

Streamlined System: In vehicle settings, Autopilot, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, and Auto Steer options are disabled or removed. Now, the only driving assistance option available is FSD.

Other Alerts and Perception:

• "Increased Attention Required" Alert: A new alert, "Increased attention required, keep your eyes on the road," has been introduced. Some commentators speculate this may be the precursor to Tesla's driver attention mechanism required for SAE Level 3 autonomous driving systems.
• Camera Alert: The camera cleanliness alert (Camera Visibility Limit) now appears during driving, rather than only at the end.

Additionally, special vehicle recognition and response capabilities for police cars and ambulances have been incorporated. However, a video posted by a blogger reveals that when an oncoming police car approaches, Tesla FSD V14 actually pulls over, which is deemed unnecessary and an overreaction.

Performance and Driving Behavior of FSD V14:

Through videos posted by various foreign media bloggers, it is evident that V14.1's overall driving is more confident and smoother in daily scenarios. However, new "inconsistencies" and issues have emerged in complex interactions and low-speed maneuvers.

Braking and Driving Smoothness:

• Unnecessary Abrupt Braking: The FSD V14.1 version frequently exhibits random and violent abrupt braking or "phantom braking" phenomena. This is considered a significant safety hazard, preventing the widespread public release of this version.
• Roughness in Steering and Acceleration: The vehicle's movements during acceleration or turning feel "more precise" but are accompanied by slight "jerkiness" or "bumps."
• New Driving Personality: Some commentators believe the car has a "new personality," feeling like "another driver" is operating it.

Low-Speed and Intersections:

• Creeping and Stopping Behavior: At intersections and stop signs, the vehicle's creeping and stopping behavior sometimes appears jerky or disjointed (crept-stopped-crept-stopped), less smooth than V13.2.9.
• Right-on-Red: When encountering a legal right turn on red, the vehicle sometimes waits completely for the green light instead of executing the right turn, considered a functional change or restriction.
• Map Data Conflict: In some cases, FSD seems to have an "internal conflict" between following map navigation (Map Data) and vehicle sensor data, leading to hesitation or abrupt braking when turning or merging into traffic.

Lane Changes and Navigation:

• More Conservative Lane Changes: On highways, FSD's lane change behavior is more conservative than before, requiring larger spaces. It frequently turns the turn signal on and off during lane changes, indicating uncertainty.
• No HOV Lane Usage: Even for electric vehicles allowed to use High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes (HOV refers to North American expressways where vehicles with 2 or more occupants can drive, typically in the far left lane of highways), FSD still cannot actively use or stay in HOV lanes.
• Dynamic Route Adjustment: The vehicle demonstrates better logic and handling when encountering closed roads or incorrect navigation routes, able to see closed gates or barriers and replan routes or find nearby alternative parking spots.

According to the image above, Tesla FSD V14 likely incorporates VLM functionality, recognizing construction zones and reading "Road Closed" signs.

Obstacle and Road Surface Perception:

• Improved Obstacle Avoidance: The vehicle can successfully avoid obstacles on the road, such as dodging potholes, packages or bags placed in the middle of the road, and braking to avoid small animals like squirrels, raccoons, or rabbits.
• Handling Unpaved Roads: V14.1 demonstrates greater confidence on dirt or gravel roads, able to drive onto and off these surfaces, a capability not present in previous versions.

Overall, this version's performance seems to have regressed somewhat. However, Musk stated on X that although the V14.1 version has commenced its rollout, Tesla is still diligently working to enhance many aspects of FSD V14. The ultimate goal is V14.3, with Tesla actively pushing improvements for V14.2 and V14.3.

How Does FSD V14 Really Perform?

Currently, most FSD V14 clips circulating online are overwhelmingly positive. However, upon closer inspection of additional videos, issues such as the aforementioned phantom braking and system automatic exits in parking lots due to inability to handle situations become apparent.

Nevertheless, these flaws do not overshadow the overall performance. FSD V14 remains impressive. While domestic systems have also achieved so-called point-to-point and parking spot-to-parking spot functionality, with similar user experiences and flows, their generalization performance cannot match Tesla's. They are basically scene-specific, manually crafted functions with poor generalization.

Additionally, Tesla's unified algorithm for driving and parking, enabling functions like U-turns and reversing, is virtually unmatched domestically.

Tesla's approach adheres to a complete general artificial intelligence (AGI) path. FSD V14 likely incorporates AGI models similar to VLM or world models. From a foundational technological architecture standpoint, domestic systems currently cannot compare.

However, from a product perspective, Huawei's meticulous product operations and construction methods also provide Chinese users with a very good user experience, not inferior to Tesla's. Finally, the initial release version is FSD V14.1, which should be considered just the beginning. We continue to wait and see.

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