Tesla Vehicles With Hardware 3 Won't Get Unsupervised Full Self-Driving, Elon Musk Announces
Key Takeaways
- Approximately 4 million Tesla vehicles with Hardware 3 will not receive unsupervised Full Self-Driving
- The limitation is due to the hardware's inability to support the feature
- Tesla customers who paid for FSD may need to upgrade their vehicle or hardware to access the feature
- The announcement may impact Tesla's relationships with its customers and competitiveness in the autonomous vehicle market
Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed a significant development regarding the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology during the Q1 2026 earnings call on Wednesday. Musk stated that Tesla vehicles equipped with the company's Hardware 3 (HW3) computer will not be receiving unsupervised FSD, a feature that has been highly anticipated and hyped by Musk over the years.
Approximately 4 million Tesla vehicles currently operate on the HW3 platform, which means a substantial number of Tesla owners, including those who paid for the FSD feature when purchasing their vehicles, will be unable to use unsupervised FSD unless they upgrade their car or its hardware.
Musk expressed his disappointment with the situation, stating, "I wish it were otherwise, but Hardware 3 simply does not have the capability to achieve unsupervised FSD." This announcement is likely to affect a significant chunk of Tesla's customer base, particularly those who had been looking forward to utilizing the FSD feature.
Background and Implications
Tesla's FSD technology has been a major focus for the company, with Musk previously emphasizing its potential to revolutionize the automotive industry. However, the limitations of the HW3 platform have raised concerns about the company's ability to deliver on its promises.
The news may also have implications for Tesla's relationships with its customers, some of whom may feel that they have been misled about the capabilities of their vehicles. Additionally, the announcement could impact the company's competitiveness in the emerging autonomous vehicle market, where other manufacturers are also developing and deploying similar technologies.
Musk's statement suggests that Tesla is aware of the limitations of its current hardware and is working to develop more advanced solutions. However, the fact that millions of vehicles will not be able to receive unsupervised FSD may raise questions about the company's strategy and its ability to deliver on its promises.