Tesla HW3 Owners: No Unsupervised FSD, But Upgrades and a Distilled V14 Are Coming
Tesla Hardware 3 (HW3) owners, it looks like you've been waiting years for unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD), but Elon Musk has finally confirmed: it's not happening on HW3. The hardware simply doesn't have the capability, primarily due to having only 1/8th the memory bandwidth of Hardware 4 (HW4). Memory bandwidth is a critical choke point for the advanced AI needed for unsupervised FSD.
This news hits hard for owners of 2019-2023/2024 Teslas equipped with HW3. But Tesla isn't leaving you high and dry—there's a plan in place. Here's what we know:
A Distilled FSD V14 for HW3 by End of June
Tesla's VP of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, announced a distilled version of FSD V14 tailored for HW3 cars, arriving by the end of June. You'll get nearly all the features of V14 on HW4, starting your drive from a parked state. It's not unsupervised FSD, but it's a solid update that keeps your Tesla current.
"People will be able to start their drives from a park state and basically have all of the features that version 14 Hardware 4 has."
Upgrade Paths and Trade-Ins
Elon outlined options for FSD-purchasing HW3 owners:
- Discounted trade-in for HW4-equipped cars (likely meaning a discount on a new HW4 Tesla when trading in your HW3).
- Hardware upgrades: Tesla plans to set up microfactories in metro areas to upgrade computers and cameras. Over time, they aim to convert all HW3 cars to HW4.
"For customers that have bought full self-driving on Hardware 3, we're offering a discounted trade-in for cars that have AI4 hardware and also offering the ability to upgrade the cars' computers and cameras. We're going to have to set up microfactories in metro areas and I do think over time it will make sense for us to convert all Hardware 3 cars to Hardware 4."
No specifics yet on timelines, discounts, or costs—but it's better than nothing. Compare this to the recent FSD transfer program, which many preferred. Used Tesla values are also rising; one owner saw a $3,500 bump recently.
Advice for Buyers and Sellers
- Buying used? Skip HW3 Teslas if unsupervised FSD is your goal. Go for HW4 (2023+ models, depending on the vehicle).
- Selling your EV? Check out Plug for top-dollar offers—up to $6K more than others. Get a quote in 15 minutes, sell in 2 days, and same-day cash wire in LA.
Listen to Elon's full clip here for the exact words.
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What do you think? Trade-in, upgrade, or hold out? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Subscribe for more Tesla updates!
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