Tesla is preparing to roll out a new Full Self-Driving (FSD) update, version 12.6, for owners of Hardware 3 (HW3) vehicles before the end of 2024.

Tesla has officially registered the Cybertruck for sale in China, indicating plans for a global expansion following its initial U.S. launch.

The Cybertruck will be manufactured by Tesla (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., and is expected to include a Foundation Series offering similar to that in Canada.

The upcoming Holiday Update will introduce new features, including audio data collection capabilities to enhance the vehicle's ability to recognize emergency vehicles.

Currently, FSD version 13, including the latest 13.2.1, is available only to AI4 vehicles, leaving HW3 users without access to its enhancements.

Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s head of self-driving, confirmed the upcoming holiday software update for AI4 customers, which is expected to be released within a week.

This update also includes an Apple Watch app, allowing users to perform basic functions such as unlocking the car and trunk.

Elluswamy concluded his announcement with a festive message, wishing everyone a 'Merry Christmas' as the updates are rolled out.

Despite the majority of Tesla's fleet being HW3 vehicles, approximately 2 million HW4 cars have been produced in the last two years, leaving many HW4 owners awaiting the Holiday Update.

To address compatibility issues, Musk has mentioned plans for hardware upgrades for HW3 vehicles, potentially developing an intermediate solution referred to as AI3.5.

Musk has indicated that future FSD updates may not be feasible for HW3 hardware, raising concerns about long-term compatibility for these vehicles.

FSD version 12.6 is expected to enhance lane change decisions and driving smoothness, but it will not include some features from version 13, such as automatic reversing.