Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated the corporate will “most likely” start upgrading older electrical automobiles with its new customized chip later this yr — a lofty job that can contain retrofitting tons of of 1000’s of Model S, X and 3s.
Musk tweeted Sunday evening that the upgrades will start almost definitely on the finish of the fourth quarter.
Musk didn’t present different particulars. He has beforehand stated the improve could be free for homeowners who bought the complete self-driving characteristic, a software program package deal that prices $6,000.
Tesla gives two completely different superior driver help packages to clients: Autopilot and Full Self-Driving or FSD. Autopilot is ADAS that provides a mix of adaptive cruise management and lane steering and is now a typical characteristic on new vehicles. FSD contains Summon in addition to Navigate on Autopilot, an lively steerage system that navigates a automotive from a freeway on-ramp to off-ramp, together with interchanges and making lane adjustments.
While Tesla expenses for the FSD software program package deal, the automobiles will not be totally autonomous. Musk has promised that the superior driver help capabilities on Tesla automobiles will proceed to enhance till finally reaching that full automation high-water mark.
The customized chip unveiled in April has been couched as a obligatory {hardware} improve to achieve that purpose. Since March, new Model X and S automobiles have come outfitted with the chip. The Model three adopted a month later.
The customized chip was a milestone for the corporate. However, it nonetheless faces the appreciable problem of upgrading 1000’s of so-called “Hardware 2” automobiles, to not point out the continual growth of the software program.
Tesla began producing electrical automobiles with a extra strong suite of sensors, radar, and cameras — known as Hardware 2— in October 2016 underneath the premise and the promise that it had the {hardware} wanted to finally drive autonomously with out human intervention. At that point, the corporate additionally started promoting the upgraded full self-driving package deal that Musk stated would finally attain that formidable goal.
