Tesla drivers now have the ability to request access to the Full Self-Driving Beta software.
Tesla will then grant FSD access to drivers who have passed five safety tests.
An American safety regulator said that Tesla's use "self-driving", as a term, is misleading.
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Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, announced Saturday a highly anticipated software upgrade that allows customers to access its Full Self-Driving beta software. This despite being disapproved by safety advocates and regulators.
This is the first time Tesla customers have been able to request an upgrade of its FSD beta software.
Customers have paid $10,000 upfront to secure the final FSD version, which would allow the cars to drive on their own.
The FSD beta is an incomplete upgrade. Tesla's driver assistance systems do not make cars fully autonomous.
Musk announced in March that users would be able to download the FSD beta feature as soon as their car is connected to Wi-Fi. Tesla now offers a calculator that can determine if a driver is able to use the software.
Tesla released a safety score guide that details the criteria for grading drivers. The guide states that drivers will be graded from 0 to 100 and most drivers will receive 80 or more.
Safety score measures driving behavior using five metrics. Tesla
According to the guide, drivers will be graded on five factors: forward-collision warnings every 1,000 miles, hard brake, aggressive turning and forced autopilot disengagement.
Tesla stated that these factors are used to calculate the probability of your driving causing a collision in the future. Safety scores can only be achieved if vehicles are connected to Wi-Fi networks. Users should also have installed the software update 2021.32.22.
Only users who have maintained a safe driving record for at least one week will be allowed access to FSD Beta software.
Drivers can now access an "autosteer in city streets" feature. While it is not yet perfect, the software update lets them navigate streets alongside other vehicles, cyclists, or people.
Drivers are reminded to be alert and ready to assume control of the driving when asked.
Safety advocates and the US' top safety regulator have been harshly critical of Tesla's FSD software.
Jennifer Homendy, new head of The National Transportation Safety Board, stated to The Wall Street Journal that self-driving was being used by the EV-maker "misleadingly and irresponsibly."
Homendy stated that "basic safety issues must be addressed before they expand it to other cities streets or other areas."
This claim and Tesla's Autopilot feature have been criticised by regulators. They claimed that the names of the cars make drivers believe they are autonomous, when in fact they are not.
Homendy said, "It clearly misled many people to misuse or abuse technology."
Musk stated last month that FSD's software was "actually not good" and drivers should be cautious when using it.
