Elon Musk admits full self-driving likely won't be possible on older Tesla vehicles

Oct 27, 2024

Elon Musk states full self-driving may not work on older Teslas.

Elon Musk admits full self-driving likely won't be possible on older Tesla vehicles

: Elon Musk admits older Tesla vehicles may not reach full self-driving capability due to hardware limitations. While he suggested free upgrades for those with HW3 systems, retrofitting older models with HW4's advanced components could be costly and complex. Tesla faces regulatory and safety challenges, with investigations into its FSD systems. Despite 500,000 activations, FSD doesn't equate to full autonomy and requires driver supervision.

Elon Musk recently acknowledged that older Tesla models probably can't achieve full self-driving capability due to hardware constraints. The HW4, Tesla's latest self-driving hardware, significantly outperforms the HW3, and Musk isn't sure if the latter can meet the required safety standards for autonomous functionality.

To appease customers, Musk considered free upgrades for HW3 owners, but retrofitting these models to HW4 specifications presents challenges. Different power and camera configurations make the upgrades complex and costly. Meanwhile, Tesla is under scrutiny from the NHTSA following fatal crashes tied to visibility problems.

Despite 500,000 Tesla vehicles having the FSD feature activated, the system still commands constant driver vigilance, as it's not yet fully autonomous. Tesla employs a monitoring system to enforce driver attention, pulling access if necessary. As regulatory, technical, and safety issues persist, questions about FSD's future remain unresolved.