Tesla is preparing a significant update for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system that will greatly improve the parking process. CEO Elon Musk announced that future versions of FSD will remember the driver's parking preferences, making parking more automatic and convenient.
Smarter parking through machine learning
Previously, with FSD, the driver often had to intervene manually to approach the desired parking spot or adjust the parking position. With the new feature, the system will learn which parking spots the driver prefers—for example, whether they prefer reverse or forward parking, whether they prefer wider gaps, or avoid certain areas of a parking lot.
According to Musk, the system will store these preferences and apply them automatically, so the driver has to intervene even less frequently. This is another step towards fully autonomous driving, where the human only acts as a passenger.
Impact on the European market
In Europe, FSD is not yet officially approved, but Tesla is working with authorities such as the Dutch RDW on approval. Learn more about the safety confirmation by the RDW. The parking update could be particularly attractive for European cities with narrow parking spaces and complex parking situations.
A comparison of hardware versions shows that the new feature is expected to run on both systems:
Integration into existing FSD functionality
The update is intended to integrate seamlessly into existing FSD features such as "Smart Summon" and "Autopark." Previously, parking was often the last step that still required manual intervention. With the new feature, many drivers could delegate parking entirely to the vehicle.
Another advantage: The system could also learn to navigate to specific no-parking zones or charging stations. Thus, after a trip, the car could autonomously drive to a charging station—an important step for robotaxi integration, as envisaged by the Tesla Cybercab.
Future prospects
Musk hinted that this update is part of a larger wave of improvements for FSD that also optimizes navigation and behavior in city traffic. The challenges of navigation are a central topic for FSD.
Exactly when the update will be rolled out is still unclear. Typically, Tesla tests new features first in the US before they gradually appear in other markets. For Europe, full FSD approval is still pending.