Tesla has announced a staggering 10-fold increase in model parameters for its latest offering. The FSD V14, which mirrors the software powering Tesla's Robotaxis in Austin and San Francisco, is now being deployed on Tesla's HW 4.0 mass-produced vehicles.

So, what new features and enhancements does FSD V14 bring, and how does it fare in terms of functionality and user experience? This article synthesizes and evaluates various video materials from international media to provide an in-depth look at Tesla FSD V14, culminating in a comprehensive assessment.

New Features and Enhancements in FSD V14

The most notable update in the FSD V14 iteration 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 Choices: Drivers can now customize parking preferences at the destination:

• Park Curbside.
• Parking Lot.
• Charger Spot/Parking Garage: FSD can autonomously navigate to a charging station and expertly reverse into the spot for charging.

International media videos showcase FSD V14's exceptional navigation prowess in parking lots. It can smoothly exit parking spots, navigate through the parking area, wait at the gate for parking ticket processing, and exit effortlessly. It almost seems as if FSD V14 can interpret parking lot signage and locate exits and entrances with ease.

Drive Initiation and Control: New Initiation Method: Self-driving functionality can now be activated with a single tap on the screen ("Start Self-Driving"), eliminating the previous requirement for a double-tap on the control lever. FSD can now commence directly from the P (Park) gear and drive away from curbsides, parking spots, etc.

Parking Quality: FSD V14.1's parking function is hailed as a 'game changer,' executing 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: Adheres strictly to speed limits without exceeding them, e.g., driving at the exact speed limit in restricted zones.
• Chill: Permits slight speeding.
• Standard: Standard driving mode.
• Hurry: Pursues rapid driving with a higher propensity to exceed speed limits (e.g., driving at 36 mph in a 30 mph zone).

Removed Functionality: V14.1 eliminates the ability to adjust FSD speed offset using the scroll wheel. Now, the scroll wheel and left/right toggles are exclusively for switching driving modes.

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

Other Alerts and Perception (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 herald the advent of Tesla's driver attention mechanism required for SAE Level 3 autonomous driving systems.

Camera Reminder: The camera cleanliness alert (Camera Visibility Limit) now appears during driving, rather than only at the end.

Additionally, special vehicle recognition and response for police cars and ambulances have been incorporated. However, a video shared by a blogger reveals that when an oncoming police car approached, Tesla FSD V14 unnecessarily pulled over to the side, indicating an overreaction.

Performance and Driving Behavior of FSD V14

Based on videos shared by various international media bloggers, V14.1 exhibits greater confidence and smoothness in daily driving. However, new 'inconsistencies' and issues have surfaced in complex interactions and low-speed maneuvers.

Braking and Driving Smoothness: Unnecessary Sudden Braking: The FSD V14.1 version frequently experiences random, severe sudden braking or 'phantom braking.' This is deemed a significant safety hazard, hindering widespread public release.

Roughness in Steering and Acceleration: The vehicle's acceleration or turning maneuvers feel 'more precise' but are accompanied by slight 'jerkiness' or 'bumps.'

New Driving Personality: Some commentators believe the car has a 'new personality,' feeling as if 'another driver' is operating it.

Low-Speed and Intersection Performance

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-on-red, the vehicle sometimes waits for the green light instead of executing the right turn, considered a functional change or limitation.

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 Changing and Navigation

More Conservative Lane Changing: On highways, FSD's lane-changing behavior is more cautious than before, requiring larger spaces. It frequently toggles the turn signal on and off during lane changes, indicating uncertainty.

Non-Utilization of HOV Lanes: Even for electric vehicles eligible to use High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes (HOV refers to North American expressways where vehicles with two or more occupants can enter, typically on the far left side of the highway), FSD still cannot actively use or remain in HOV lanes.

Dynamic Route Adjustment: The vehicle demonstrates improved logic and handling when encountering closed roads or incorrect navigation routes, able to detect closed gates or barriers and reroute or find nearby alternative parking spots.

Based on the above image, 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 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 enter and exit 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 begun rolling out, Tesla is still diligently working to enhance many aspects of FSD V14. The ultimate goal is V14.3, and Tesla is actively pushing forward with improvements for V14.2 and V14.3.

How Good is FSD V14?

Currently, most FSD V14 clips circulating online are overwhelmingly positive. However, delving deeper into additional videos reveals issues like phantom braking and system automatic exits in parking lots due to inability to handle situations, as mentioned earlier.

Nevertheless, these flaws do not overshadow the overall performance. FSD V14 remains impressive. While domestic systems have also implemented so-called point-to-point and parking spot-to-parking spot functionalities, their general performance cannot match Tesla's. They are primarily scene-specific, handcrafted features 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 follows a complete general artificial intelligence (AGI) path. FSD V14 likely incorporates AGI models similar to VLM or world models, showcasing technological architectural superiority that domestic competitors may not match temporarily.

However, from a product perspective, Huawei's meticulous product operation and construction methods also provide Chinese users with an excellent user experience, comparable to Tesla's. Finally, the initial release version is FSD V14.1, marking just the beginning. Let's continue to observe and wait.