At a cursory glance, Openpilot 0.9.9 may not look like the most interesting release, but it’s quietly laying the groundwork for a smarter, more versatile self-driving future. Not only that, but Tesla support is now official and there are significant under-the-hood improvements to the vision model and OS stack. And while Rivian updates aren’t part of the 0.9.9 release itself, there’s still a lot of exciting — and important — progress happening for our Gen 1 vehicles. Here’s what’s new, and what Rivian drivers need to watch for.
What’s New in Openpilot 0.9.9
The biggest user-facing addition in 0.9.9 is long-awaited official Tesla support. Openpilot now works out of the box with Model 3s (2019–2025) and Model Ys (2020–2024), providing full lateral and longitudinal control while keeping Tesla’s built-in AEB and lane keeping. It’s a major milestone that finally brings Tesla into the supported vehicle lineup — no more relying on community forks or side branches.
Behind the scenes, Openpilot now runs on the new “Filet-o-Fish” vision model, trained at 5 frames per second to align with Comma’s upcoming machine learning simulator. The model still runs at 20FPS in your car for real-time performance, but the new training setup improves consistency and robustness across various driving scenarios. While most users may not notice an immediate difference, this is a foundational step in Comma’s future roadmap.
Another quiet-but-critical addition is lagd, a new background process that learns your car’s lateral delay — how long it takes for the steering system to respond to commands. The delay varies between makes and even individual cars, and accurately measuring it helps the model and torque controller deliver smoother, more precise behavior. lagd is running in shadow mode for now, but it could go live in a future release.
Other notable updates include a switch to the lightweight Raylib UI framework (faster and easier to build), improved performance via AGNOS 12, and the introduction of external GPU support via USB-C — which isn’t being used yet, but sets the stage for future model complexity. Comma has also started open-sourcing its internal model evaluation reports, giving devs and enthusiasts a rare peek into how models perform in challenging scenarios like cones, merges, and lane splits.
Not Part of 0.9.9 — But Critical for Rivian Users
Although none of the following are part of the 0.9.9 release, they’re top-of-mind for Rivian Openpilot users and worth calling out.
First, if you want full Openpilot Longitudinal control (i.e., acceleration and braking) on your Rivian, Lukas Loetkolben’s Longitudinal Upgrade Kit is now available via xnor.store. This hardware upgrade plugs into your Comma harness and unlocks features like scroll wheel speed control, blind spot monitoring, and steering wheel button integration. It’s a simple, clean mod that delivers a much more seamless experience — and it lays the groundwork for even more capability as new CAN signals are identified.
Support for this upgrade kit has been merged into the master fork of Sunnypilot (sunnypilot/staging-c3-new), a popular community-maintained version of Openpilot with additional features. Sunnypilot now autodetects Lukas’ kit, making setup much easier — no more editing config files or running custom UI branches. While the official Openpilot repo hasn’t adopted this hardware yet, the Sunnypilot path is fast becoming the default for Rivian users looking for advanced features.
If you’re not ready to install hardware, Lukas’ older UI forks are still available. These branches allowed Rivian users to control speed via buttons on the Comma 3X screen — a clever workaround that gave access to longitudinal features without physical mods. However, these UI branches are no longer being updated, and they’re likely to fade out as the hardware kit becomes the standard.
The Rivian Power Issue
Finally, an issue that has been persistently affecting Rivian Comma users: power stability.
Many people powering their Comma 3X directly from the AXM have experienced problems ranging from intermittent Openpilot disengagement to full shutdowns of the Comma or AXM itself. The root of the issue appears to be the AXM’s sensitivity to voltage fluctuations, which becomes problematic when it shares power with the Comma 3X.
The recommended solution:
- Use an independent power source, such as the OBD-II port or a fusetap connected to one of Rivian’s two fuse boxes.
- Disconnect the Comma harness’s power wires so the device is completely isolated from AXM power.
Making this change drastically improves system stability and prevents hours of troubleshooting. It’s not part of any software update — but it might be the single most important thing you do for reliability.
Wrapping Up
Openpilot 0.9.9 might not come with a brand-new UI or futuristic features, but it’s a strong, forward-looking release. Tesla support is now first-class. The vision model is smarter, leaner, and trained for a simulator-first future. And Openpilot’s software stack is becoming lighter, faster, and more modular.
At the same time, the community around Openpilot — especially Rivian users — continues to push the envelope. With new hardware mods, smarter forks like Sunnypilot, and practical fixes to known issues like power instability, the DIY driver-assist space is evolving fast. And that’s good news for everyone behind the wheel.