Tesla Still Has No Real Plan for Hardware 3 Owners It Promised FSD
The company has not clarified how it will handle vehicles equipped with its older self-driving hardware despite years of promises.
Tesla has yet to present a clear roadmap for owners of vehicles equipped with Hardware 3, the company's older self-driving computer, despite years of promising those customers access to Full Self-Driving capabilities.
What Happened
Hardware 3 was introduced as Tesla's in-house neural net compute platform designed to run its FSD software. The company told owners who purchased or upgraded to Hardware 3 that they would receive ongoing FSD feature updates and improvements. However, on a recent earnings call, CEO Elon Musk did not provide specifics about how the company plans to handle this customer base going forward, leaving questions unanswered about future software support for their vehicles.
Why It Matters
For owners who paid for FSD capability on Hardware 3-equipped vehicles, the uncertainty creates significant concern. These customers made purchasing decisions based on Tesla's explicit and implicit promises of future self-driving features. Without clarity on whether Hardware 3 will continue receiving FSD updates—or if they must purchase new hardware to access upcoming capabilities—they face potential financial losses and diminished vehicle value.
The Bottom Line
Tesla has not outlined a concrete plan for supporting its Hardware 3 fleet, leaving owners without clear expectations for the future of their vehicles' autonomous capabilities.
