EAP was never intended to read stop signs and such- FSD is.
But, we can agree that EAP should recognize speed limit signs right? Or at the very least it's database of speed limit signs should be significantly improved. In my experience the navigation system has a really bad database of speed limits, and it's constantly wrong.
We're pretty far along in the development of HW2/HW2.5, and they still don't have speed limit sign recognition. But, it's been claimed that Tesla has working sign recognition with NN's running on HW3.
So it seems doubtful to me that we'll see any kind of speed sign recognition with HW 2.X, and instead Tesla will try to get sign recognition within HW3 as quickly as possible. That way it can be released to fleet of HW3 vehicles (once they start making them) where it can also be used to improve Tesla's database of speed limit signs to improve the situation for people with HW 2.X.
EAP and FSD being separate code bases doesn't support the approach Tesla is taking to FSD. Despite how they sold them they're taking an incremental approach.
In my own experience with NN's it's pretty painless to have separate ones depending on the needs of it, and the capability of the hardware that's running the neural network. It's not like having separate code bases for an application.
I see no reason at all to have a separate codebase for FSD. Instead it's simply going to be growing the EAP code base, and HW 2.x cars will just get left behind. Maybe a neutered version of it.
So I see
Simplified NN on HW2.X that will largely be in maintenance mode.
Advanced NN on HW3 that will be under active development
The disappearance of any kind of separation between EAP/FSD from within the codebase on a HW3 vehicle. Now I'm not saying that Tesla won't monetize some kind of FSD feature like limited L3 driving on the freeway. But, it's only going to be a SW enable flag.
It's also going to disappear because FSD has always been a false promise. This pie in the sky thing that the car is simply not capable of doing. So it makes way more sense to me to abandon that approach entirely, and to leverage the fleet of vehicles to improve the entire Autopilot frame work gradually.
Go to a single codebase with HW3
Improve NoA (an EAP feature) to where it's basically L3 capable, but only allow L3 to people who pay specifically for it (like FSD owners today). Try to get it within 2019 so we're not beat by other car companies.
Add rear radar with the Model Y (to augment the cameras)
Add more and more things to the database of stuff the car can recognize.