On Sunday, Tesla Chief Elon Musk replied to @DirtyTesLa’s X post that asked him about the automaker’s schedule in equipping the Full Self-Driving (FSD) software into new models with Hardware 4 (HW4).
CEO Musk’s response revealed that Tesla would need at least six months to offer the FSD tech to HW4 owners.
As the Tesla boss indicated, the automaker is currently prioritizing the refinement of FSD Beta for HW3-equipped models and guaranteeing the project’s successful launch in the global market.
Tesla’s HW3 and HW4
Tesla initially started retrofitting HW3 on all of its EV models sometime around April / May 2019, InsideEVs reported. It is required for customers to access their cars’ FSD features.
This update offered improvements from the HW2.5, including the following visualizations:
- traffic cones
- traffic lights
- garbage cans
- painted turn arrows on the roadway
Basically, the HW3 focuses on the FSD Computer’s computing capacity.
Meanwhile, Tesla’s HW4 is the newest Autopilot suite consisting of autonomous driving sensors and a new FSD computer.
It features a new radar and cameras throughout the EV that the company already included in most of its offerings.
Below are the differences between the HW3 and HW4:
| HW3 (& FSD Computer 1) | HW4 (& FSD Computer 2) |
| Samsung Exynos-IP Based | Samsung Exynos-IP Based |
| 12 CPU Cores | 20 CPU Cores |
| CPU Frequency: 2.2 Ghz | CPU Frequency: 2.35 Ghz |
| 2 Neural Network (NN) Processors | 3 Neural Network (NN) Processors |
| NN Processor Frequency: 2.0 Ghz | NN Processor Frequency: 2.2 Ghz |
| 14 nm Process | Estimated TSMC’s 7nm or N4 (4nm class) |
| 36 TOPS | 50 TOPS |
| 1.2MP cameras around the car | 5MP cameras around the car |
| Radar previously used was Continental’s ARS410 with a range of 160 meters. Discontinued in 2021. | Speculated to be the Arbe Phoenix radar unit with greater detail and a 300 meter range. |
Implications
The 6-month delay (or less) for HW4 indicates that EVs equipped with this FSD computer will not yet benefit from advanced self-driving technologies that would initially become available for HW3 models.
As mentioned, this move demonstrates the Musk-led company’s strong commitment to perfecting and launching FSD features on HW3 before introducing them to the newest hardware.
Pre-paid FSD Beta concerns
Tesla Chief’s confirmation of the delay for HW4 owners raised concerns among customers.
Tesla owners who already pre-paid or subscribed for FSD Beta access have started inquiring about refund and credit details.
Many of them apparently asked for refunds and credit details for people who had already pre-paid for the technology. These reactions are unsurprising, considering that they would not be able to benefit from their investment for at least half a year.
For context, FSD Beta costs $15,000. However, customers can also acquire it through a subscription model for $200/month.
Tesla plans to license FSD software to rivals
Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously disclosed that Tesla has been negotiating with rival automakers about licensing the FSD technology.
This potential collaboration between the EV industry players and Tesla demonstrates its high confidence in FSD’s capabilities.
It can undoubtedly aid in faster and wider technological advancement for electric vehicles. It will also aid other automakers to offer additional selling points to attract more customers into buying their EV models.
See Also:
- Tesla delivers hardware 4 computers (FSD2)-equipped vehicles
- Tesla Hardware 4.0 self-driving computer leaks
- Tesla secures European approval to launch its latest FSD Hardware 4.0
- Tesla to equip Cybertruck with a new self-driving system that might be incompatible with other EVs
- Tesla FSD Beta saw a 475% YoY growth, 78% since Q3 2022
Tesla has yet to reveal new specific features of the HW4. Nonetheless, the Tesla boss stated that it will arrive soon with “three times better” capabilities than HW3.
“Hardware 3 will not be as good as Hardware 4. But I’m confident that Hardware 3 will so far exceed the average safety of the average human. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, if Hardware 3 can be 200% or 300% safer than human, Hardware 4 might be 500% or 600%. It will be Hardware 5 beyond that.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk
All that said, it would indeed be exciting to see how HW4 would improve Tesla’s FSD technology.
