Tesla Tests FSD V12.5 for HW3 Vehicles, But Won't Change HW3 Obsolescence

Tesla began shipping vehicles with Autopilot Hardware 4 computers and sensors in January 2023 with the refreshed Model S/X. In May, the new components were also installed on the Model Y. However, it took Tesla another three months before FSD software could run on Hardware-4 vehicles. All this time, people who bought new Teslas with Hardware 4 were disappointed that they couldn’t use FSD even though they paid for it. This isn’t much different than the Cybertruck, which still can’t use FSD nine months after launch.

When everyone thought things were going great, Tesla announced that its focus would soon shift from HW3 to HW4, its most capable self-driving platform. No one cared, especially since Elon Musk and his fans had assured Tesla owners that Hardware 3 hadn’t reached its full potential yet. However, when HW3 vehicles were left in the dark with FSD updates this summer, even die-hard Tesla fans expressed their anger.

You see, the vast majority of Tesla EVs are equipped with HW3 computers. This means that Tesla now has a lot of disgruntled customers who have been unable to get their FSD fix for weeks at a time. When asked about this in late July, Musk explained that optimizing the software to run on Hardware 3 requires “considerable effort.” He also said that HW3 vehicles will likely receive FSD V12.5 in “about 10 days.” However, three weeks later, FSD V12.5 is still not available for HW3 vehicles.

FSD V12.5 is a major milestone for Tesla, as it is expected to not only house new autonomous driving features, but also support for the Cybertruck. It was also announced that the highway and city driving stacks would be merging. However, while several FSD V12.5 builds have been tested, none have been available on the Cybertruck and are still dual-stacked. This could change soon, however, as Tesla is reportedly testing an FSD V12.5 build on Hardware 3 employee vehicles.

We don’t yet know what will change with the 2024.26.15 update, but Not a Tesla App expects it to finally include FSD V12.5 support for HW3 vehicles. Hopefully Cybertruck owners will get the update for their trucks as well. It’s even harder for them, considering the Cybertruck doesn’t yet have a working driver assistance system. Even if the latest FSD builds finally make it to HW3 vehicles, that doesn’t mean they’ll get timely updates going forward.

Elon Musk has hinted that Tesla will prioritize HW4 and is already eyeing a launch of AI5 hardware by the end of 2024. Looking at the heated online debates among Tesla fans, it’s clear that the narrative is changing. Not long ago, Tesla and Elon Musk insisted that HW3 vehicles have all the hardware needed to drive autonomously and even become robotaxis with a future software update. Now, reports in Musk’s close fan base say he never promised that and are urging owners to upgrade to an HW4 vehicle.

This clearly shows that not even Musk believes this is possible yet. After all, if Tesla is already having difficulties optimizing FSD V12.5 for HW3, it will be impossible to run even more advanced software on the same outdated hardware. The only way out would be for Tesla to offer a HW4 retrofit, which is unlikely. Musk has previously stated that a HW4 retrofit would not be “financially sustainable.” However, Tesla could face a class action lawsuit if it leaves HW3 owners to fend for themselves.