News and rumors have been heating up about Tesla's upcoming FSD hardware 4.0. Now, thanks to @GreenTheOnly, we have our first look at Tesla's latest FSD hardware, version 4.0.
The new hardware will not only include a faster computer and higher resolution cameras but it will include HD radar, additional cameras and new camera placements.
Cameras
It's been rumored for a while now that Tesla will use upgraded camera sensors with increased resolution. We reported last year that these new cameras are also expected to have LED flicker mitigration that will aid in reading digital signs.
Tesla's current cameras produce 1.2 megapixels, and while we don't know for a fact what the updated resolution will be, numerous rumors have pointed at them having 5 megapixel sensors.
One of our sources says that while the increased resolution will be useful in certain scenarios, it won't be 'critical' because the higher resolution also comes with some downsides, such as more noise and will require additional processing power.
However, we expect that it will be useful in certain scenarios and Tesla may even be selective about when the increased resolution is used. The new cameras will also provide a better picture and will benefit non-FSD features such as Sentry Mode.
However, the increased resolution of the new cameras is only a small part of the upcoming camera changes.
Camera Placement
Tesla's hardware 4.0 features 12 camera connectors
@GreenTheOnly/Twitter
Tesla's hardware 4.0 has 12 camera connectors on board, with one being labeled spare. All current Teslas feature nine cameras in total. Three of them are forward-facing cameras and located underneath the windshield, two are on the fenders, two on the B-pillars, one in the rear and one for the cabin camera.
A leak last month revealed that Tesla plans to reduce the number of front-facing cameras to two, down from three. This is likely due to the higher-resolution cameras, making the third telephoto lens unnecessary.
That means there may be up to three additional cameras in hardware 4.0, or possibly four if you count the spare. According to Green, these three cameras appear to be destined for the vehicle's front bumper, although it's not clear in which direction they'll be aimed.
There have been various documented issues where Tesla has a blindspot when the vehicle is coming out of a secondary road that is obstructed by buildings or other objects. Having a camera that could look to the sides near the front of the vehicle would solve these situations, by giving it better than human vision since they'd be placed near the front of the vehicle.
FSD struggles with obstructed views like these
Cyber Owners/YouTube
According to the camera port names, it appears that Tesla may also be repositioning some of its cameras. The B-pillar cameras, which look forward, may be moved onto the vehicle's fenders to presumably help provide a better view as well.
Another leak last month revealed that Tesla is added a heater element to cameras in the B-pillar of the vehicle, which will help with fog build-up underneath the glass.
Processing Power
Hardware 4.0 was previously rumored to be about 2-4x faster than hardware 3.0. Some of this power will undoubtedly go toward processing the new camera feeds and additional pixels the new cameras are providing. However, the additional power is crucial given that hardware 3.0 is nearing its processing limit.
Green provided the specs from the new hardware's chips, revealing it contains 20 cores, up from 12, and it maxes out at 2.35 GHz. Green also talked about the number of TRIP cores increasing from two to three and maxing out at 2.2 GHz.
While the number of cores and its frequency don't reveal how powerful this new hardware may be, Green says that the new hardware has 'a lot less improvement than many hoped for.'
It's not clear how much faster hardware 4.0 will be compared to hardware 3, but it sounds like the improvement may be toward the lower limit of the 2-4x speed bump we were expecting.
The hardware specs provided are per node, with the board having two nodes, which are expected to be used for redundancy.
Redundancy
Tesla's FSD hardware 4.0 is uncovered
@GreenTheOnly/Twitter
When Tesla introduced hardware 3.0, they also built it for redundancy in case of emergencies. Each board was built with two identical nodes. Both nodes could compute the same data and compare the outputs, letting the vehicle know if there was an issue. If one node failed, the vehicle could also continue driving itself long enough to pull over safely.
However, as Tesla's processing requirements increased, redundancy was removed on hardware 3.0 so that Tesla could leverage the processing power of both nodes.
With hardware 4.0, Tesla has once again added redundancy into their hardware, not only in terms of chips and processing but power redundancy as well.
However, given this look at Tesla's latest FSD hardware, it all but confirms that Tesla has no plans to offer any sort of retrofit.
Hardware 4.0 is also much more than just a faster computer. The power draw is much higher on hardware 4.0 than on hardware 3. The form factor is also completely different and will not fit in a previous model without modifications.
Tesla's previous FSD hardware upgrades were either camera upgrades or a computer upgrade, both of which were easily swappable. However, the hardware 4.0 suite now includes additional cameras, new camera placements, a new computer form factor, and an HD radar, making a retrofit unrealistic in every way.
There may be hobbyists that will dedicate their time and money to retrofitting their vehicles, but that's as far as we expect retrofits to go. The time and money Tesla would spend on retrofitting a vehicle would not make 'economical sense.'
Radar
Tesla's hardware 4.0 package augments vision with an HD radar.
Tesla started removing radar from their vehicles in 2021 with the Model 3 and Model Y. They later removed radar from their Model S and Model X vehicles as well in favor of a vision-only system.
However, with hardware 4.0, Tesla is reintroduced radar with a high-definition radar named Phoenix. HD radar is a step up from traditional radar, letting Tesla more accurately create an image with radar alone.
With hardware 4.0 Tesla is also going the extra distance with protecting its sensors. Not only will some of the cameras contain heaters to prevent weather-related issues, but Tesla will include a heater for the radar as well.
The radar heater will prevent snow and ice from accumulating on the front of the vehicle and blocking the radar signals.
Power Consumption
Since hardware 4's chips are more powerful it isn't a big surprise that they also require additional power.
According to Green, hardware 3 consumed about 100 watts max, which is about the same as hardware 2.5. Hardware 3 was created with the same power restrictions as hardware 2.5 since it needed to be easily retrofitted.
However, since hardware 4.0 isn't going to be retrofitted, it didn't come with the same design restrictions. We don't know what hardware 4's max processing power is based on the information disclosed, but it will apparently idle at 80 watts, which is about double the idle power of hardware 3.
Which Models Will Have Hardware 4.0
Green believes that Tesla is producing Model S and Model X vehicles with hardware 4.0 now. However, Tesla is hanging on to them and they're not being delivered yet.
Tesla has their upcoming March 1st event titled Investor Day, where they may reveal hardware 4.0 to everyone. Possibly with a surprise announcement that all current vehicles contain hardware 4.0.
It's not clear whether the Model 3 and Model Y are currently being manufactured with the new hardware, the Model 3 and Y lines in China are currently paused for retooling which could be related to hardware 4.
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While Tesla’s exciting holiday update is now behind us, it left us with amazing new features, such as weather radar, Apple Watch support, mobile Dashcam viewer, SiriusXM, and so many other great features that some of us now use every day.
However, it doesn’t end there. Tesla always includes other smaller changes that don’t make it into the release notes, and the holiday update was a big one in terms of undocumented changes.
We’ll go through all the new features that are now available in your vehicle that Tesla didn’t show in their release notes.
Precipitation Map
Not a Tesla App
While this feature did make it to the release notes, some users may still not be aware that the Precipitation Map (weather radar) is now available on all Teslas with the Intel infotainment unit (except for legacy Model S/X). This feature was requested so long ago that, honestly, we didn’t think it’d ever be released. All Model 3, Model Y and 2021+ Model S and X vehicles now have access to the weather radar map overlay.
Fart on Sit
Not a Tesla App
For the Emissions Testing Mode easter egg, you can now have your vehicle fart when someone sits down in their seat.
The sound will come from the direction of their seat. For example, a fart sound will sound from the front-right speaker when someone sits in the front passenger seat. It will play the sound selected in the fart selection box, or play a random fart if you choose "I'm so random."
This option defaults to off after every drive.
Voice Assistant
Not a Tesla App
You can now say 'Hi' or 'Hello' to your vehicle through the voice command prompt, and the vehicle will respond with "Hello!"
If you use Tesla's voice commands, there are a few changes. When you press the voice command button on the steering wheel, you may now not get audible feedback that the button has been pressed. This will depend on whether there’s music playing or other circumstances.
When sending a text message through a voice command, you may now have to press the steering wheel button again to start dictation after choosing a recipient. It’s not clear what’s causing this change, as sometimes it goes straight into dictation mode, while other times it ask you to press the button to start dictation.
Equalizer
Not a Tesla App
You can now reset the equalizer settings with the touch of a button by tapping the new circular arrow to the right of the equalizer. This will bring all settings back down to 0.
Performance Improvements
Not a Tesla App
Intel users are seeing performance improvements while using the Tesla interface, especially in more demanding areas like Tesla Theater. Videos on YouTube now stutter less and Tesla Theater can be minimized more smoothly than before.
The media controls can now control YouTube videos and other web video content as well, even after the vehicle is put into drive.
Service Mode Updates
Not a Tesla App
Several screens in Service Mode have been updated to show larger visualizations, such as the Airbags and Seats menu.
Tesla has also introduced several new visualizations to vehicles with the Intel infotainment unit, that were previously only available on AMD-based vehicles. Some of these includes Coolant and HVAC options.
The only new feature in Service Mode is for the Cybertruck under Service Mode Plus, which includes:
Connector Reference (Service Mode Plus): A new Connector Reference panel is available to help find connectors and highlight harnesses on the vehicle. Rotate the 3D model to explore or type in the search bar to find a specific connector.
Rearranged Menus
Not a Tesla App
With the addition of the Seats menu to settings, Tesla has now rearranged the menu options so that the more used options are now more easily accessible.
The Software menu has been moved up, while other options like Navigation and Trips have been moved down to be close to WiFi, Bluetooth and Upgrades.
Selected Custom Lock Sound
Not a Tesla App
The currently selected custom lock sound is now shown underneath the Lock Confirmation Sound option in the Controls > Locks menu.
Ambient Lighting Easter Eggs
Not a Tesla App
The Rainbow Road and Santa Mode easter eggs have been updated on vehicles that include the ambient lighting feature.
There are new options in these easter eggs that let you enable or disable the ambient lighting while the easter egg is active.
If enabled, the light strips will cycle through colors of the rainbow when the Rainbow Road easter egg is enabled. For Santa Mode, the interior lights will cycle between red, green and white.
Updated Energy App
Not a Tesla App
The Consumption tab in the Energy app has been updated with several changes, including:
The last 200 miles are now shown, instead of a user-selectable, 5, 15 or 30 miles.
Instant Range / Average Range has been removed to simplify the interface.
The average range as moved to the top left and now shows the offset from the vehicle's EPA-rated Wh/mi
Total energy consumption is now displayed at the bottom left.
The colors now have different meanings. Before this update, yellow meant the vehicle was using energy, while green meant the vehicle was generating energy through Regenerative Braking. However, now, yellow means that the vehicle consumed more than the EPA average, and green means that the vehicle consumed less than the EPA average and doesn’t necessarily mean it generated energy.
Toll Roads
Not a Tesla App
When navigating to a destination, the alternative routes menu that is displayed when you first enter a destination will now show you which routes include tolls by displaying a dollar sign icon next to the travel time.
Limiting Explicit Content
Not a Tesla App
The Exlicit Content toggle under Audio Settings now applies to YouTube Music as well. This now supports LiveOne, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and TIDAL.
Charging Icons
Not a Tesla App
Tesla has redesigned the charging pins that appear on the map. Supercharger and third-party charger pins are now oval-shaped instead of circular.
Instead of just having the number of charging stalls available, Tesla has added the charging icon to make it more obvious these are charging stations.
Adjust Dashcam Viewer Speed
Not a Tesla App
You can now adjust the Dashcam Viewer's playback speed. Users can pick from 0.5x, 1x or 2x playback speeds by tapping the playback speed button.
Tire Pressure Indicator
Not a Tesla App
Tapping the tire pressure indicator will now open the tire pressure card on the left side of the screen instead of opening the Service menu under Controls > Service.
If you ever spot a change that isn’t listed in Tesla’s release notes, we’d love to hear about it!
With the Q4 2024 earnings call completed, it's time to look forward to Q1 2025 - and that also means new discounts and deals from Tesla. If you’re in the market for a Tesla, now may be a great time to order one.
Tariffs
Whether you’re in North America, Europe, or the Asian-Pacific, tariffs are the line item in financial news lately. As such, if you’re planning to get a new vehicle, it may be best to buy it soon, as tariffs could have a heavy impact on Tesla’s prices, even within the United States.
Like most large manufacturers, Tesla sources parts for its vehicles from several countries. This means that its vehicles will be impacted by tariffs targeting Canada, Mexico, and potentially other countries. While the tariffs for Mexico have been paused for a month, it seems like all of this could change at a moment’s notice.
Tesla sources ~15-25% of its vehicle parts from Mexico and likely an equivalent but undisclosed amount from Canada for its entire vehicle line-up, which means it will be impacted by tariffs.
We expect Tesla and other manufacturers to increase vehicle prices, potentially globally.
Discounts
Tesla is offering several new discounts to take advantage of, which you can use before the tariffs begin impacting prices by Tuesday, February 5th.
Lower Lease Prices
Tesla has reduced lease pricing for several vehicles in its lineup. Tesla also recently introduced the ability to buy out the lease in the future, giving you added flexibility. These leasing deals are only available in the United States.
Cybertruck AWD: $749/mo (down from $899/mo)
Model 3 LR RWD: $249/mo (down from $299/mo)
Model 3 LR AWD: $349/mo (down from $399/mo)
Referrals
Tesla is now offering buyers in the United States only a $2,500 USD discount on all versions of the Model 3 when using a referral code. This only applies to the new Model 3, which is one of Tesla’s best vehicles. Other vehicle discounts when using a referral code remain at $1,000 off.
The referrer bonus remains at $500, regardless of which vehicle the buyer orders.
Free Wrap for Cybertrucks
Tesla has opened up a lot of demo unit Cybertrucks - mostly the Foundation Series. All these vehicles are being provided with a $1,000 to $2,000 discount and are also eligible for a free wrap with XPEL Vinyl - of your choice - in both Canada and the United States. The XPEL wrap offer is available until March 31st, 2025.
This is likely one of the last chances to get into a Foundation-Series Cybertruck, so now is your opportunity if you’re interested in getting a fully loaded vehicle. While Lifetime Supercharging is gone, the XPEL wrap may be an even better deal if you don’t plan on traveling much with your Cybertruck.
It looks like Tesla is starting off 2025 the way they ended 2024, with a ton of attractive promos. If you’re interested in the Cybertruck or the new Model 3, these offers may be hard to beat.
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