Tesla shares rise premarket as Elon Musk’s automaker pushes an FSD upgrade to older vehicles

Tesla shares were higher in premarket trading on June 29 after the company indicated that a newer Full Self-Driving feature update is starting to reach a wider group of vehicles, including many older cars. The move appears tied to a software rollout that Tesla describes as a major improvement to its advanced driver-assistance system, often referred to as FSD.

In comments reported by Yahoo Finance, Tesla’s AI chief, Ashok Elluswamy, said a specific FSD software build is beginning to roll out to “AI3 early-access customers.” He also indicated the release would expand “over the next few weeks” as Tesla evaluates performance based on user feedback. Elluswamy’s remarks suggest the company is using an incremental deployment approach rather than a single broad release.

Full Self-Driving is Tesla’s software package that combines driver-assistance features aimed at automating parts of the driving task. Tesla uses repeated software iterations to improve how the car interprets road conditions and executes maneuvers, and it typically rolls those changes out first to limited groups before widening access. In this case, Tesla’s language points to early-access participants tied to its hardware and software stack, which can include vehicles that are not the newest models.

The development matters because it indicates continued support for a large installed base. When Tesla updates FSD capability, it can extend the practical value of cars already on the road without requiring owners to buy new vehicles. The Yahoo Finance report characterizes the upgrade as a “major FSD boost” that will reach millions of older cars, based on Tesla’s plan to broaden deployment beyond the initial early-access cohort.

Tesla operates FSD as a software-driven system rather than a one-time hardware purchase. As a result, market attention often focuses on the cadence of releases, the breadth of the rollout, and whether Tesla frames the update as meaningfully improving real-world driving behavior. Elluswamy’s note that expansion is expected over the next few weeks suggests Tesla intends to accelerate access after early testing rather than waiting months.

What is not clear from the reported remarks is the exact scope of eligibility. The company did not spell out, in the information available here, which specific model years or geographic regions will receive the build first, nor did it provide measurable performance benchmarks, defect rates, or safety statistics tied to this rollout. It also did not specify whether this is tied to a particular release version number, training cycle, or any regulatory milestone beyond the staged rollout and feedback process.

For investors and car owners, the key question now is how quickly Tesla expands beyond “AI3 early-access customers” and whether feedback indicates improvements that hold up in a wider set of driving conditions. Over the coming weeks, the market will likely watch for additional disclosures about rollout breadth and for owner reports that indicate whether the update changes driving behavior in noticeable ways. Any clarification from Tesla on who will be included next could also influence expectations for future FSD capability across the existing fleet.