Tesla Confirms HW3 Computers Must Be Replaced for Full Self-Driving Buyers

Elon Musk acknowledges the need for hardware upgrades to support FSD, a process he describes as difficult but necessary.

Elon Musk stated during Tesla's earnings call that HW3 computers in vehicles with purchased Full Self-Driving (FSD) will need to be replaced to achieve unsupervised autonomy.
The replacement will be provided at no cost to customers who bought the FSD package, which has ranged in price from $2,000 to $15,000 over the years.
Tesla previously claimed all vehicles produced since 2016 were capable of Full Self-Driving, but the hardware limitations of HW3 have now been acknowledged.
The newer HW4, introduced in 2023, has significantly greater capabilities but is not retrofittable to HW3-equipped vehicles, requiring Tesla to develop a new solution.
The upgrade effort is expected to be logistically challenging and costly, adding to Tesla's growing operational expenses.