Tesla has announced plans to support Hardware 3 (HW3) vehicle owners who purchased Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability, addressing growing concerns within its customer base. During the company’s third quarter earnings call, CEO Elon Musk acknowledged potential limitations of Hardware 3 systems and outlined Tesla’s commitment to customer satisfaction.
As Tesla’s FSD technology continues to advance, recent updates have highlighted performance differences between Hardware 3 and Hardware 4 vehicles, with newer features initially rolling out to HW4-equipped cars before reaching HW3 vehicles. This pattern has raised questions about the long-term viability of HW3 for advanced autonomous driving features.
Addressing these concerns directly, Musk explained that Hardware 4 significantly outperforms its predecessor: “Hardware 4 has really several times the capability of Hardware 3. It’s easier to get things to work with then it takes a lot of effort to sort of squeeze that functionality into Hardware 3.”
Importantly, Musk revealed that if Hardware 3 proves unable to achieve the necessary safety standards for Unsupervised FSD, Tesla will provide free upgrades to Hardware 4 for affected customers. “We have designed the system to be upgradeable, so it’s really just sort of switch out the computer thing— the cameras are capable,” Musk explained during the earnings call.
While this announcement has been well-received by the Tesla community, some members have expressed concerns about potential service network strain from widespread hardware retrofits. Responding to these discussions on X, Musk reinforced Tesla’s commitment, stating it was simply “the right thing to do” for customers.
The company has not provided specific timelines for potential upgrades, as they are still evaluating Hardware 3’s capabilities for future FSD features. However, this commitment demonstrates Tesla’s dedication to supporting customers who have invested in their autonomous driving technology.
