Blog Report: Tesla Swapping Nvidia Chips For Intel To Power Infotainment System

Tesla is reportedly swapping the chip used for its infotainment system from Nvidia to Intel.

The report from Bloomberg quotes people familiar with the plans saying Tesla’s Model 3 and all other new vehicles will receive the Intel modules. Nvidia, Intel and Tesla declined comment to Bloomberg.

An interesting note regarding the potential partnership is that Intel completed a deal last month to acquire Mobileye, Tesla’s former supplier of the camera vision system used in its Autopilot self-driving efforts. The Tesla and Mobileye split was a bit messy, with an executive at the Mobileye accusing the automaker of “pushing the envelope in terms of safety.” But, it seems Tesla may be willing to look past its bad blood with Mobileye to leverage Intel chips.

Nvidia’s chips currently power Tesla’s Autopilot 2 system, however there has been some speculation that Tesla is working on a chip of its own design that could potentially be manufactured by another vendor.

 

[drewg123]

Tesla’s Model 3 and all other new vehicles will receive the Intel modules

Does that mean that Model S and X produced after a certain VIN will have Intel based MCUs? Or does it just mean that future models (Y, semi, etc) will have Intel based MCUs?

I hope that this means the web browser will work better...

 

[CarbonFree]

Given the shortage of key fobs, one might hope an X and S minor update, including both an updated MCU and new key system, will be arriving sooner rather than later.

 

[chillaban]

I also wonder what the retrofitting potential will be, if the MCU will have similar connectors to the old one or not....

 

[J1mbo]

Old news... Intel Gordon Peak was confirmed at the beginning of September by @verygreen

 

[lunitiks]

FWIW today I noticed that Tesla has erased the info that the car has an Instrument Cluster in their Model S "specs" page (tesla.com/models). Using wayback machine, you can see that this happened sometime around October 2016. Might be nothing, might be a hint

 

[AnxietyRanger]

IMO it means a dash upgrade of some sort for Model S/X is coming, likely in Q4. Could be just the computer, maybe more substantial (like a new dash design, perhaps with HUD).

This, of course, has been rumoured and speculated for a long time and would not be a surprise at all.

There is of course the facelift Model X code found in the Tesla app recently too... and all the other rumors pointing at Model 3 advances being distributed to Model S/X soon...

 

[verygreen]

Old news... Intel Gordon Peak was confirmed at the beginning of September by @verygreen

Hints actually came much earlier: Speculation about EAP and FSD codelines

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Yep.

And really, the biggest hint of them all came a long, long time ago in the form of Model 3. Model 3 is the next version, the next generation Tesla.

Everything you see there is likely headed to Model S/X soon. Whether or not there is an intermediary step of the big screen being replaced before a dash upgrade is a question mark... and whether or not instrument cluster gets replaced by a large HUD then, later or never...

But overall, this has been a long time coming. The Tegra 2 is of course very long in the tooth...

That also means soon the current system won't be, for the first time in Model S/X history, on sale in new cars soon. Historically that fact has had a detrimental effect on software updates to such components... we shall see.

 

[verygreen]

Reportedly Tesla removed parts manual from the service site. not even authorized bodyshops can access it.
You think they want to guard some upcoming changes from leaking too soon?

 

[lunitiks]

It's up again

 

[verygreen]

It's up again

ha, that was fast

 

[roscoe]

Yep.

And really, the biggest hint of them all came a long, long time ago in the form of Model 3. Model 3 is the next version, the next generation Tesla.

Everything you see there is likely headed to Model S/X soon. Whether or not there is an intermediary step of the big screen being replaced before a dash upgrade is a question mark... and whether or not instrument cluster gets replaced by a large HUD then, later or never...

But overall, this has been a long time coming. The Tegra 2 is of course very long in the tooth...

That also means soon the current system won't be, for the first time in Model S/X history, on sale in new cars soon. Historically that fact has had a detrimental effect on software updates to such components... we shall see.

Agreed. I hope this is an improvement for all Tesla vehicles, current and future.

 

[bcsteeve]

You think when Mercedes switched from NKK to Delphi switches for their window washer controller arm switches, that it generated this kind of speculation and interest?

Going from Nvidia to Intel is about contracts, not capabilities. There's nothing that Intel offers in the custom automotive space that Nvidia can't match. If a browser gets faster, for example, its because of changes to design and/or specifications, not what company supplies it.

 

[drewg123]

Going from Nvidia to Intel is about contracts, not capabilities. There's nothing that Intel offers in the custom automotive space that Nvidia can't match. If a browser gets faster, for example, its because of changes to design and/or specifications, not what company supplies it.

It is a different architecture (x86 vs arm, binaries for the one do not run on the other), and it sounds like it is a more modern CPU. If the MCU is really still running a Tegra 3, then almost anything more recent will be a major upgrade. This is roughly the same chip that was in android devices in 2012.

Does anybody know what CPU Gordon Peak actually uses?

 

[bcsteeve]

You quoted me, but I'm not sure why. You make a true point (mostly - we don't know what architecture it is, whether or not it will be an upgrade - but presumably so), but completely irrelevant to what I said? (ie. I agree with you... but it still has nothing to do with which company is providing the new updated tech)

 

[J1mbo]

There is of course the facelift Model X code found in the Tesla app recently too...

Have you got a link to that?

 

[NCAviator]

Tesla is making a BIG bet to be the single "Systems Integrator" for its computer solutions in its cars and keep a closed architecture. All other car companies are moving from that model to joining the Android Operating System in Automobiles. See here: Audi and Volvo will use Android as the operating system in upcoming cars

Tesla is committing significant resources to the task and it is clear they are struggling. There are only so many programmer resources available.

Elon has call his cars "Computers on Wheels".

Their strategy allows them complete control. The downside is they have no ecosystem that is working with them to bring APPs or features to the platform. There product only moves forward at the pace of their development.

It was like Apple and Microsoft in the PC wars. Microsoft won the platform battle because they did not keep it closed to Third Parties, but loss the war of the consumer to Apple and Google.

I personally would like to see Tesla open up the INFOTAINMENT part of their platform to third party solutions or at least allow other content to be presented on their screens.

Tesla's strategy of software upgrades to the fleet is a competitive advantage today, but will not remain that way for long. The rest of the companies are moving in that direction.

It will be interesting how the market plays out. What capabilities and features will win the market place. It will be interesting which company brings the car to car network features first. When every car can talk to each other; it will be interesting how that drives innovation.

INTEL, AMD, NVIDA, etc. Not the most important thing. What is important is the platform and how it is delivered to the consumer and how it is upgraded. The days of having to buy a new car every year to get a new feature are over.

 

[RobertF]

Question: Since Intel owns Mobileye do you think this opens the door for Tesla getting back in bed with Mobileye? Autopilot seemed to work well under Mobileye but not much progress since divorce from Tesla.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

My guess that this move away from Nvidia to Intel is about infotainment systems only at this stage. The AP computers are a separate story probably...