Tesla FSD Hardware Update

Tesla says cars with its older Hardware 3 computer will not get unsupervised Full Self-Driving without new hardware, ending the software-only path for millions of owners. (techcrunch.com) On Tesla’s April 22, 2026 earnings call, Elon Musk said Hardware 3 vehicles will need upgraded computers and cameras, and said Tesla may use “micro-factories” to do the retrofits at scale. Tesla’s investor site lists that Q1 2026 webcast on April 22. (insideevs.com) (ir.tesla.com) Musk also said Tesla is targeting unsupervised Full Self-Driving for customer cars in the fourth quarter of 2026, while Hardware 3 owners would get either retrofit options or discounted trade-ins into newer Hardware 4 vehicles. (electrek.co) (benzinga.com) Full Self-Driving today is still a driver-assistance system, not a self-driving one. Tesla’s own FSD page says the currently enabled features require active driver supervision and “do not make the vehicle autonomous.” (tesla.com) That distinction matters because Tesla has sold Full Self-Driving for years on the premise that existing cars could improve through over-the-air software updates. Musk’s new position turns part of that promise into a hardware replacement program. (tesla.com) (techcrunch.com) The gap is between supervised automation and unsupervised automation. In plain terms, supervised FSD is a driver-assist feature that still needs a person watching the road, while unsupervised FSD would have to handle the full driving task on its own in approved conditions. (nhtsa.gov) (tesla.com) U.S. regulators still treat Tesla’s current system as Level 2 partial automation, which means the human driver remains responsible at all times. NHTSA opened a 2025 investigation into whether FSD could carry out maneuvers that violate traffic-safety rules. (static.nhtsa.gov 1) (static.nhtsa.gov 2) Tesla’s own Q1 2026 shareholder update focused on FSD (Supervised), not consumer unsupervised driving, even as it said the company launched unsupervised Robotaxi rides in Dallas and Houston in April. That leaves Tesla trying to run two tracks at once: a supervised product for owners and a separate unsupervised service in limited markets. (assets-ir.tesla.com) The practical issue for owners is cost and logistics. Tesla has not published a broad retail retrofit program on its support pages yet, and outside reports say the company is still deciding whether more customers should swap hardware, trade in their cars, or both. (insideevs.com) (businessinsider.com) For Tesla, the next deadline is now concrete: fourth quarter of 2026 for consumer unsupervised driving, with Hardware 3 no longer on the original path. For Hardware 3 owners, the update is simpler and harsher: software will not be enough. (electrek.co) (theverge.com)