MCU2 - Retrofit

[Snowstorm]

I just want to get an official, no BS answer on what's going on with the no-retrofit and why. Whether there will be divergent feature set that will only work on MCU 2, and whether effort will still be spend on optimizing existing and building new features for MCU 1 (not like AP1 which got left behind).

1 - Practical but just don't want to do it to incentiveze new car purchase
2 - Practical to do but SC capacity doesn't allow now, maybe later
3 - Difficult, requires lots of work and hardware, will be perceived as poor value by most
4 - Nearly impossible, almost no one would want to pay for it

This is subjective, but I would place the ball park of total parts and labor cost as follows:
practical < $3k
difficult ~ $4-7k
nearly impossible > $8k

 

[MXWing]

I just want to get an official, no BS answer on what's going on with the no-retrofit and why. Whether there will be divergent feature set that will only work on MCU 2, and whether effort will still be spend on optimizing existing and building new features for MCU 1 (not like AP1 which got left behind).

1 - Practical but just don't want to do it to incentiveze new car purchase
2 - Practical to do but SC capacity doesn't allow now, maybe later
3 - Difficult, requires lots of work and hardware, will be perceived as poor value by most
4 - Nearly impossible, almost no one would want to pay for it

This is subjective, but I would place the ball park of total parts and labor cost as follows:
practical < $3k
difficult ~ $4-7k
nearly impossible > $8k

Throw out reason #1. They uncorked my car and others for free, for no reason other than courtesy.

 

[Snowstorm]

Throw out reason #1. They uncorked my car and others for free, for no reason other than courtesy.

I do agree with that, but do want to put that there for completeness. I am thinking that if Tesla can do it easily, they would, I just want to know why it is so hard. Is this a not now, or never thing?

 

[Yoonoo]

I think every time Tesla introduces a hardware change/upgrade emotions run high, especially for people who recently took delivery and missed the upgrade by a few days/weeks. It is especially painful in this case because the slow MCU had been a source of constant grief among owners given how old the technology was (IMHO this upgrade is about three years too late).

I'm personally content with the performance of the old MCU, sometimes I wish it were faster but it doesn't affect the overall vehicle experience much. My biggest concern at this point is the promise of future software updates. One of the major deciding factors in buying a Tesla, is the promise of future OTA software updates, however now that we have a new MCU architecture, it's only a matter of time before Tesla decides to stop updating older MCUs (kind of what happened to AP1 after AP2 was introduced).

I think MCU1 and MCU2 will be at feature parity for the foreseeable future, but make no mistake that the day MCU2 starts getting features not available in the older MCU, you won't be complaining about how slow the browser is

 

[rnortman]

I think it is reasonable for Tesla to charge for upgrade however I think they should set different rate for Tesla which purchased at different time. It's a little bit unfair if they charge the same amount for someone who just got delivery last week and someone who got the car 2 years ago.

Businesses do not make decisions on the basis of fairness.

 

[Snowstorm]

I think this touched a particular nerve for me because it strikes at the very heart of what make Tesla different. This isn’t just a mechanical machine like a grandfather clock, but a piece of personal technology like a laptop. One where you expect to improve it with big fixes, upgrades etc...

I would not expect to upgrade major mechanical parts like the battery or motor, but things like computer have a different expectation, possibly because of us getting used to upgrading other computer parts.

 

[CarbonFree]

Businesses do not make decisions on the basis of fairness.

Maybe not, but buyers do.

 

[rnortman]

Maybe not, but buyers do.

And to the extent that a significant number buyers will make different choices based on the PR consequences of a business's choices, the business will (attempt to, often imperfectly) factor that into their decision making.

I think this touched a particular nerve for me because it strikes at the very heart of what make Tesla different. This isn’t just a mechanical machine like a grandfather clock, but a piece of personal technology like a laptop. One where you expect to improve it with big fixes, upgrades etc...

I would not expect to upgrade major mechanical parts like the battery or motor, but things like computer have a different expectation, possibly because of us getting used to upgrading other computer parts.

I remember back in the day when if you knew what you were doing your could expect to piecemeal upgrade your desktop PC. You bought the best motherboard you could so that you could have the longest-lasting compatibility with newer components. Even when you had to replace the motherboard, probably your power supply, case, and hard drives could stay.

That is mostly a thing of the past. People have vastly different expectations of personal technology now. Nobody expects phones to last more than 3 years, and they don't expect them to be current for more than a few months. It's almost as bad with laptops.

Anyway, older Teslas do continue to get software updates and functionality upgrades, far longer than phones do for example. People with pre-AP1 cars are still getting software updates. Tesla does way better than most companies. But you can't expect them to make every component of the car upgradable to the latest and greatest all the time. It's just not going to happen.

 

[lunitiks]

But you can't expect them to make every component of the car upgradable to the latest and greatest all the time. It's just not going to happen.

I have so many comments and objections to this, it would take a whole day to finish it

 

[Spidy]

Throw out reason #1. They uncorked my car and others for free, for no reason other than courtesy.

Those were recent purchases though. Most people were probably not going to get a new Tesla for 3-4 years anyway.

 

[outie]

Time to remind everyone this... don’t say EM didn’t warn you about the imminent upgrade. MCU2 came out just right within that range.

 

[MXWing]

Those were recent purchases though. Most people were probably not going to get a new Tesla for 3-4 years anyway.

Even AP1 Model X's I heard were uncorked which is much older.

I'm on deck for some Model 3s. I have no idea how many problems/what problems might come with them but I do feel Tesla will take care of me based on what they did for me with the X.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Tesla has a history of upgrading their existing fleet when it is practicle. They do frequent OTA firmware enhancements adding features like inproving autopilot, adding auto adjusting headlights, auto adjusting windshield wipers, torque sleep, etc. They usually do not charge for these enhancements. The uncorking of so many 75s for free, even including providing free loaners for the day or sending out rangers to owners homes is a good example that they do what they can, when they can.

If Tesla says that currently they are not able to upgrade current vehicles to the faster CPU, then maybe we should take them at face value.
Perhaps, in the future, they may be able to accomplish that, but at the present time it is something they they are not able to offer.

 

[GatorGuy]

Time to remind everyone this... don’t say EM didn’t warn you about the imminent upgrade. MCU2 came out just right within that range.

View attachment 287400

It isn't about innovation, it is about their communication.

 

[MXWing]

It isn't about innovation, it is about their communication.

What can they communicate? Hey.. starting in June 1st, all new S and X have a HUD option.

I'm dumping all shares and shorting the hell out of Tesla the moment they pull that stunt off.

Osborne effect - Wikipedia

 

[GatorGuy]

What can they communicate? Hey.. starting in June 1st, all new S and X have a HUD option.

I'm dumping all shares and shorting the hell out of Tesla the moment they pull that stunt off.

Osborne effect - Wikipedia

Despite your example, every car company manages to do it, every year and not go out of business. They even manage to sell cars in the current year!

Read your own link:

The Osborne effect is a term referring to the unintended consequences of a company announcing a future product, unaware of the risks involved or when the timing is misjudged

I'm not asking for a year or even six months notice. Ideally, if it could atleast match the lead time with custom car orders. However, even if they made it available the day they started implementing changes in production, you would have zero chance of the dreaded Osborne effect. It obviously only really important for large/significant changes and ones that can't be retrofitted.

 

[MXWing]

Despite your example, every car company manages to do it, every year and not go out of business. They even manage to sell cars in the current year!

I'm not asking for a year or even six months notice. Ideally, if it could atleast match the lead time with custom car orders. However, even if they made it available the day they started implementing changes in production, you would have zero chance of the dreaded Osborne effect. It obviously only really important for large/significant changes and ones that can't be retrofitted.

Tesla is not doing a 5-6 year cycle without significant changes. They also blow out the final year of deep discounting of a past generation when the new generation arrives. They can take the blow for the deep discounting because they reused the same parts for five years. It's comparing apples and hamburgers.

The Tesla you receive today will not be as good as a Tesla that is ordered the same day you received your car.

Though I believe we will be in Tesla's "longest cycle" to date in regards to AP hardware because of the Model 3 introduction. Can't easily change up an install base of soon to be half a million cars.

Regarding Osborne effect: You are cherry picking one sentence out of that link. The big picture is cash flow. They announce a HUD on all cars starting production on June 1st. Think about all the effects of anyone who is in the queue to receive or produce a car between now and then.

Think about anyone who took delivery in 2018 even.

Tesla does not have time for retrofits. Unless somehow magically Tesla is way ahead of their Model 3 production ramp and have technicians twiddling their thumbs..

Really, Tesla ownership is not for everyone but Alfred Lord Tennyson said it best:

“‘tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all”

 

[CK_Stuggi]

Time to remind everyone this... don’t say EM didn’t warn you about the imminent upgrade. MCU2 came out just right within that range.

View attachment 287400

AP2 with all the additional cameras, different radar etc. would be a disproportionate amount of work. My take for MCU (omitting 5GHz and BT writing/antennae) replacement would not be higher than the modem upgrade from 3G to LTE they DID offer.

 

[HankLloydRight]

My take for MCU (omitting 5GHz and BT writing/antennae) replacement would not be higher than the modem upgrade from 3G to LTE they DID offer.

You're talking MCU1->MCU2 retrofit? Not even close.

I've said it a few times already... for the foreseeable future, no MCU2 retrofit will even be possible due to the number of changes to the car's internals (IC, wiring harnesses, etc). Maybe a few years down the road Tesla might develop a drop-in MCU upgrade for MCU1 cars, but that is way off. And even when that happens, it's not going to be a $500 upgrade like the LTE radio which was just a daughterboard swap on the MCU.

 

[thegruf]

I would love an upgrade to MCU2. I would happily pay for it.

I don't expect Tesla to offer this because

1. they dont have the SC capacity (4-6 week wait for a service as it is)
2. It sets a precedent for demand major (not basic stuff like an LTE module) updates and in turn frustration if they are not made available
3. Upgrading existing cars dilutes the demand for all important new sales

Everyone who bought their car got (at least in this respect) what they expected and paid for. The fact specs have improved is just one of those things. Tesla make no secret of not having Model Years and instead a policy of continuous updates, so no owner having done even a modicum of research can claim they were misled or claim some sort of entitlement.

And no all our cars have not dropped by $1000's overnight; they haven't done with all the many previous updates, all that has happened is that savvy used purchasers will look out for the upgrade and prefer such vehicles slightly over those without, but mileage,spec and condition will outweigh this change on its own.

For me the more important thing is that whether MCU1 owners get to see the upcoming features such as 360 view and recording that Elon touted, or is this in fact going to be MCU2 only. If this transpires to be the case, yup - I'll be as fruustrated as the next person with Tesla for misleading expecations.