Words: Autocar
Published 26 June 2026
Tesla has begun rolling out the latest version of its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software to New Zealand, the biggest update to the system since it launched here last year.
The new build, v14.3.3, arrives as part of vehicle software update 2026.16.6. The first compatible cars began receiving it on Friday 19 June, with Tesla confirming the launch in New Zealand and Australia simultaneously. It is the first time local cars have moved off the v13 software they have run for the past nine months.
The update is limited to vehicles fitted with Hardware 4, which covers the current Model Y and the Model 3 Highland. Owners of older Hardware 3 cars miss out for now. Tesla is developing a slimmed-down “v14 Lite” build for that hardware but has not given a date for right-hand-drive HW3 vehicles.
Tesla says v14 reacts about 20 percent faster than the previous version, the result of an upgraded neural network that reads traffic signs more accurately. The company claims smoother behaviour through roundabouts, fewer unnecessary lane changes, and improved handling of complex intersections and roadworks. Response to emergency vehicles is said to improve, along with the system’s ability to detect small animals.
The update adds a new Speed Profile called Sloth, which drives more slowly and selects lanes more conservatively than the existing Chill, Standard and Hurry modes. Tesla says the differences between the profiles are now more pronounced. The FSD app also displays the driver’s longest period without intervention, and the in-cabin camera better reads drivers wearing sunglasses or in poor light. Navigate on Autopilot has been renamed Navigate on Autosteer.
The six-seat Model Y L, which arrived in New Zealand earlier this year, is excluded from the rollout despite using the same Hardware 4 package. Tesla says no market has run v14 on that model before, so it requires further validation before activation. The company says affected owners will receive the update automatically once testing is complete.
The local release also differs slightly from the version launched in the United States. It omits a higher top speed for Smart Summon and the unification of the Summon, FSD and Robotaxi models, both of which feature in the North American build.
Pricing is unchanged, though the purchase option has closed. Tesla ended outright sales of FSD (Supervised) on 31 March, and the system is now available on subscription only, at $159 a month in New Zealand.
The rollout follows the confirmation of two Tesla Cybercabs in New Zealand for cold-weather testing, as we reported last week.
