Summary:
- Elon Musk confirms Tesla’s Hardware 3 vehicles (2019-2023) require computer upgrades to achieve full self-driving capabilities, reversing earlier claims.
- Tesla’s 2016 assertion that all cars had hardware for full autonomy is contradicted, marking the third hardware revision since initial promises.
- A June 2025 pilot program in Austin aims to test unsupervised FSD on newer Hardware 4 vehicles, positioning 2025 as pivotal for Tesla’s autonomy goals.
- Regulatory scrutiny intensifies amid ongoing NHTSA investigations and a 2022 court ruling deeming Tesla’s autonomy claims “false advertising.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk acknowledged this week that older vehicles equipped with the company’s Hardware 3 technology will require computer upgrades to achieve fully autonomous capabilities, marking another setback in the automaker’s nine-year pursuit of self-driving technology. The admission came during Wednesday’s earnings call as Musk revealed the need for retrofits in cars sold between 2019-2023 that currently run Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) driver assistance software.
Key developments:
- Tesla will upgrade Hardware 3 computers at no cost to owners who purchased the $12,000 FSD package
- The announcement contradicts Tesla’s 2016 claim that all vehicles contained sufficient hardware for full autonomy
- This marks the third hardware revision since the original 2016 “Hardware 2.0” systems proved inadequate
The company faces renewed scrutiny over its autonomous driving claims following a 2022 small claims court ruling that deemed Tesla’s original promises “false advertising.” Musk remained defiant during the call, stating “we’ll get it done” regarding the upgrades while announcing plans for an unsupervised FSD pilot program launching in Austin this June.
Historical context:
- Tesla deleted its 2016 blog post claiming existing hardware could support full autonomy
- Previous hardware iterations (2.0, 2.5, and 3.0) all required eventual upgrades
- Current Hardware 4 vehicles remain unproven for unsupervised operation
Musk positioned 2025 as potentially “the most important year in Tesla’s history,” citing plans to demonstrate robotaxi capabilities competitive with Waymo’s commercial services. The announcement comes as Tesla faces increased regulatory scrutiny over its Autopilot and FSD branding amid ongoing NHTSA investigations into system-related crashes.
Source: Tech Crunch
