Noob(ish) 2015 model S 70D update/upgrade Q’s

[TapHabit]

hey guys, bare with me as its my first post on this treasure trove of a forum you’ve all created. I’ve dug around with some searches and there’s just so much (useful) info and options here that it’s hard to decipher at times for a newbie like me. If anyone cares to take a moment to help answer a few simple questions I’d greatly appreciate it. I’m very excited to be purchasing my first Tesla soon, and believe i found a great deal on a somewhat local one at what appears to be a good price. (70D, AP1(i think), air suspension, 21”wheels, pano sun roof, premium sound, premium heated seats. 55k mi for 44k)

Anyway, my questions are related to the software updates and potential hardware options that are available for this year/model. For example, I’ve noticed the touchscreen is significantly more responsive in the newer models which seems like a hardware upgrade, is that right? I understand the ongoing software updates we all receive are available for all these cars, but can i install the newer touchscreen in this 2015 model? Or are these incompatible? I’d have no problem replacing or upgrading any of the components necessary to keep this car up to par with some of the (lower end ) newer models.

Also, as far as autopilot goes, would this 2015 70D model be capable of using the latest autopilot options that are being released, or are there hardware limitations that would inhibit me from using the latest software features i’m Very interested in.

Thirdly, with 55k miles on the car, am i looking at an imminent battery replacement within the next few years? If so, can i put, lets say, a 90D in it or am i limited to only replacing the same size battery it came with in 2015.


Anyway, for anyone who took the time to read this I appreciate if you could provide even a simple response (or link) that may be helpful for a potential new owner such as myself. Test driving the one I’m eyeing tomorrow and I’m quite excited, however, i don’t want to get pigeonholed into a model that will become irrelevant if I’m unable to adapt specific things that have become important features of the newer models.

Thanks again for your time, i look forward to contributing my experience with my purchase with others on this very active, useful forum.

Cheers

 

[TapHabit]

Excuse me for the premature bump, but i’m not sure if i was clear enough with the questions I was hoping to be answered:

1- is a 2015 model S 70D capable of receiving/upgrading any hardware features to be able to use the latest autopilot or performance upgrades that are available in the newer cars?

2- is there any software updates that i can obtain that would make the current (2015) hardware perform on par or close to par of the new versions of this model or similar models? (Eg AP2.5, etc)

3- with 55k mileage on the car already, is it reasonable to think i’d Have to replace the battery within a 5 year period of time? If so, can i upgrade the battery i would purchase to have installed?

Thanks again, and I apologize if this is in the wrong section of the forum and would love any feedback at all from someone who knows better than me (everyone).

 

[cellphonechris]

1. Yes. But upgrading AP hardware would likely be prohibitively expensive.

2. No. Software updates will provide things like UI tweaks, but will not give you certain features that are hardware-dependent.

3. No reason to believe you'd need to replace the battery any time soon. Your battery will also be covered under warranty until 2023. Upgrading the battery size is possible, but also likely to be cost-prohibitive.

Your best bet in the future would be to upgrade to a newer car instead of trying to retrofit hardware.

 

[TapHabit]

1. Yes. But upgrading AP hardware would likely be prohibitively expensive.

2. No. Software updates will provide things like UI tweaks, but will not give you certain features that are hardware-dependent.

3. No reason to believe you'd need to replace the battery any time soon. Your battery will also be covered under warranty until 2023. Upgrading the battery size is possible, but also likely to be cost-prohibitive.

Your best bet in the future would be to upgrade to a newer car instead of trying to retrofit hardware.

Thanks for your reply, i appreciate it. I found this nifty list that may be helpful for others who may come across this thread explaining the timeline of features and when they were added to specific models:
Model S - Options by Year - Tesla Motors Club Wiki

I guess the noticeable big difference with the UI screen in the 2015 is its very slow and laggy. Is it possible to just upgrade the screen to a newer version that’s much more responsive? Meaning, maybe i can’t retrofit all the hardware required to be able to use the latest autopilot in a financial manner that seems worth it, but replacing the screen itself shouldn’t be too expensive, right? Looks as tho it’d be the cost of a new high end iPad pro or something.

 

[ucmndd]

Tesla has claimed that at some point older cars will be able to be retrofitted with the new "MCU 2" units that started shipping earlier this year.

That said, Tesla has said a lot of things. I wouldn't hold my breath on them doing this any time soon, and it may be quite cost prohibitive when/if they do (take your high end iPad pro estimate and ~triple it).

Finally, the new version 9 software makes some improvements in MCU responsiveness on old MCU1 units. You may find it acceptable with the new software.

 

[TapHabit]

An additional question (regarding this 2015 70D), which may seem like an iPhone 6 user asking iphoneX users about his dated phone, but is the MCU1 and original AP totally usable and most users would be fine with it? The iPhone 6 has an 7mp camera while the X has 12mp, obviously the 12mp takes better pictures, but for most people a 7mp camera works just fine. Is that a similar comparison in that regard? OR, are the upgrades fromMCU1>MCU2 and AP>AP2.5 a major overhaul that make the previous versions almost absolete?

 

[AnthonyR0]

I've got a 2015 S85D with the AP1 hardware and MCU1. While I agree that the interface is a bit slow (comparable to the iPhone 6 in your analogy), IMO there's not much benefit to paying lots of $$$ to upgrade to a new MCU2 *IF* that's ever an available option. However, if the current MCU1 fails and they offer an MCU2 replacement (Tesla doesn't yet, because of wiring and some hardware dependencies), well, that would be just nifty! #WishfulThinking

However, I do believe our AP1 is maxed out in terms of future functionality (due to hardware limitations) apart from slight refinements, having AP2, AP2.5 or newer functionality would be nice-- They question would then become "would I be interested in trading in and buying a newer car and pre-paying or post-paying for full FSD support". I've thought about that for the future-- if AP/FSD would become a must-have item, perhaps trading my S in the future for a Model 3 or similar with the desired features may come up. But to be honest, I'm quite happy with the features the current 2015 model has, and don't feel the need to upgrade or change things any time soon

 

[David_Cary]

The difference is not Iphone 6 and Iphone X except in responsiveness. There is still nothing particularly better about more advanced Autopilot. The latest version has some separation but I haven't heard reports that there is any real difference in the way they work - but you do get a dashcam now with AP 2.5.

I have a 2015 70D. It has been super reliable and I have not been tempted to replace. It currently probably costs $500 a month in opportunity cost and depreciation and a new one is more like $1000. Do I think there is $500 a month in value with new? - no I do not.