Tesla infotainment system upgradeable from MCU1 to MCU2

[cbutters]

Tesla could make this a profit center. I can't imagine the parts of an MCU (intel atom and LCD screen) are more than $500 and labor to install couldn't be more than $500 as well. I'm sure plenty here would pay ~3K for the upgrade. I'd bet they could have 300 million dollars in revenue and 200 million in pure profit if they made this available and 100,000 cars took them up on it.

 

[drklain]

I think you grossly underestimate the costs of doing this. Costs are not just parts and labor to install...the engineering necessary, testing, etc. all roll into it from a financial perspective. There is also the opportunity cost of having people do this who are then NOT doing something else.

Last, you estimate $500 for labor. At a conservative rate of $99/hour that's 5 man-hours. I suspect doing this would be more than that (but it depends on how the design the replacement...more money/time doing that in an optimal way would reduce the install time, but many Tesla design features don't consider this (for example, replacing the GPS antenna requires pulling/replacing the rear hatch glass...there is no way to get to it/replace it from inside the car, and don't get me started on what is involved if you need to REPLACE the rear liftgate...)

 

[HankLloydRight]

made this available and 100,000 cars took them up on it.

And not even 5% of that number would upgrade.

 

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

And not even 5% of that number would upgrade.

I'd pay $100 just to know I could upgrade. What's the math on that?

 

[croman]

I'd pay $100 just to know I could upgrade. What's the math on that?

Maybe just you.

 

[whitex]

Tesla could make this a profit center. I can't imagine the parts of an MCU (intel atom and LCD screen) are more than $500 and labor to install couldn't be more than $500 as well. I'm sure plenty here would pay ~3K for the upgrade. I'd bet they could have 300 million dollars in revenue and 200 million in pure profit if they made this available and 100,000 cars took them up on it.

So many incorrect assumptions with this reasoning:

1. MCU2 is not a drop in replacement for MCU1. Designing one would consume engineering resources and time to design, test, certify, and setup manufacturing of such MCU1.9.
2. Custom MCU1.9 upgrade would add yet another configuration to software testing and maintenance training materials, now there would be 3 MCU's to support, MCU1, MCU2 and MCU1.9. This cost is a lot more than #1 above, as it lingers for a decade or more.
3. Most people will not shell out $3K to upgrade their MCU for old cars. $3K option is not a no-brainer at purchase time, where it just adds a few dollars to the monthly payment, but after that, it takes much more to get people to part with $3K. There is a reason why plenty of people buy $500,000+ homes but cannot afford $5K to install an air conditioner after the fact. Many people stretch their budgets to get into a Tesla, they don't have loose $3K to speed up their car computer. If you want an actual Tesla upgrade example, consider how small number of people paid for ludicrous upgrade for their P85D's. They spent over $100K on a car, yet most P85D's were never upgraded to ludicrous, even though it was "only" $5K and offered a significant performance increase (which you'd think someone who paid $25K extra to get P85D vs. 85D would care, right?).

 

[S100D]

So many incorrect assumptions with this reasoning:

1. Most people will not shell out $3K to upgrade their MCU for old cars. $3K option is not a no-brainer at purchase time, where it just adds a few dollars to the monthly payment, but after that, it takes much more to get people to part with $3K. There is a reason why plenty of people buy $500,000+ homes but cannot afford $5K to install an air conditioner after the fact. Many people stretch their budgets to get into a Tesla, they don't have loose $3K to speed up their car computer. If you want an actual Tesla upgrade example, consider how small number of people paid for ludicrous upgrade for their P85D's. They spent over $100K on a car, yet most P85D's were never upgraded to ludicrous, even though it was "only" $5K and offered a significant performance increase (which you'd think someone who paid $25K extra to get P85D vs. 85D would care, right?).

I paid over $46,000 to trade in my S85D and purchase a S90D with AP2/MCU1. Paying $3,000 is is a no brainer and a lot cheaper than spending another $40,000+ to get a MCU2.

 

[whitex]

I paid over $46,000 to trade in my S85D and purchase a S90D with AP2/MCU1. Paying $3,000 is is a no brainer and a lot cheaper than spending another $40,000+ to get a MCU2.

The point is not that nobody will pay, it's that not many people will. I paid for ludicrous upgrade for P85D as well, the point is that not a lot of people did. And yes, $5K for to turn P85D to P95DL was way cheaper than $80K to trade P85D to P90DL at that time - still, not a no-brainer to many people, hence most P85D's out there don't have ludicrous.

Edit: Anyone out there can collect $1,000 deposits from 100,000 people willing to upgrade at $3K, let me know. I know how to get the right people to design a replacement which will cost $2,000 and produce 100,000 of them. I will take the $100M as down payment, $100M on delivery of 100K units, you get to make $100M for nothing but finding customers and installing a drop-in replacement.

 

[chillaban]

The point is not that nobody will pay, it's that not many people will. I paid for ludicrous upgrade for P85D as well, the point is that not a lot of people did. And yes, $5K for to turn P85D to P95DL was way cheaper than $80K to trade P85D to P90DL at that time - still, not a no-brainer to many people, hence most P85D's out there don't have ludicrous.

Edit: Anyone out there can collect $1,000 deposits from 100,000 people willing to upgrade at $3K, let me know. I know how to get the right people to design a replacement which will cost $2,000 and produce 100,000 of them. I will take the $100M as down payment, $100M on delivery of 100K units, you get to make $100M for nothing but finding customers and installing a drop-in replacement.

Hah! Remember when the Internet told GM they wanted a small displacement turbodiesel manual transmission 50+mpg sedan and they produced the Chevy Cruze diesel and sold almost none of them?

Unfortunately the internet is bad at placing verbal deposits in the comment section. With that said, sign me up for a $2000 MCU2 retrofit.

 

[whitex]

Hah! Remember when the Internet told GM they wanted a small displacement turbodiesel manual transmission 50+mpg sedan and they produced the Chevy Cruze diesel and sold almost none of them?

Unfortunately the internet is bad at placing verbal deposits in the comment section. With that said, sign me up for a $2000 MCU2 retrofit.

You misunderstood me. I am not looking for verbal deposits. Those (like @cbutters) who claim there are 100,000 people willing to spend $3K per upgrade will need to collect $1000 per upgrade in deposits first (kickstarter?), and then talk to me. We'll do it properly with legal agreements, $100M down, $1K per unit at delivery up to 100,000 units, $2K after that (negotiable if we get there). For that much money I am willing to start a company to do this, and I know the right people to hire to do this (including some ex-Tesla engineers). With $100M seed money and $100M more in orders, I can make them offers they won't refuse.

 

[cduzz]

Hah! Remember when the Internet told GM they wanted a small displacement turbodiesel manual transmission 50+mpg sedan and they produced the Chevy Cruze diesel and sold almost none of them?

Unfortunately the internet is bad at placing verbal deposits in the comment section. With that said, sign me up for a $2000 MCU2 retrofit.

You weren't listening carefully enough. We asked for

• brown, yellow, or orange (like the fridge growing up)
• Manual transmission (4 or 6 spd, not a bougie 5 spd)
• RWD with tires worn to the belts or AWD
• Wagon with rear facing seats.
• Sunroof that doesn't close all the way, or open all the way, or work at all.
• 8 track player for my CCR tapes

The only thing the chebby could manage was a rebadged Daewoo penalty box with a faulty ignition switch.

 

[am_dmd]

I would consider the upgrade if it adds the features like MCU2 has (highest priority: browser and UI speed). I don't see it worth if upgrade does not provide any improvents. Also I wish there was an option to delete games, farts and fireplace. Other day I tried fireplace and it just froze the whole UI.

 

[f205v]

Shower idea: IF tesla is going to make an MCU3 sooner or later, let's hope they design it to be backward compatible with both MCU1 and MCU2 cars. This way they could offer it as a retrofit (at a fair price!) for both MCU1 old early adopters, and for MCU2 large base.

 

[Evee]

I paid 2,500 for the heated steering wheel retrofit. I will 1000% pay for this when it’s available. They need to do it ASAP I’m basically gonna die if I can’t play cuphead in my car.

 

[thenaimis]

Hey, I wouldn't worry, Tesla is thinking about friends and family who can't watch videos, sing karaoke and play videogames with their car. So that means they're going to give us an upgrade.

Or it means we aren't friends or family, one or the other.

 

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

You misunderstood me. I am not looking for verbal deposits. Those (like @cbutters) who claim there are 100,000 people willing to spend $3K per upgrade will need to collect $1000 per upgrade in deposits first (kickstarter?), and then talk to me. We'll do it properly with legal agreements, $100M down, $1K per unit at delivery up to 100,000 units, $2K after that (negotiable if we get there). For that much money I am willing to start a company to do this, and I know the right people to hire to do this (including some ex-Tesla engineers). With $100M seed money and $100M more in orders, I can make them offers they won't refuse.

Count me in.

 

[StarLog]

I will give $1k right now as the first contributor.

 

[HankLloydRight]

MCU2 is not a drop in replacement for MCU1. Designing one would consume engineering resources and time to design, test, certify, and setup manufacturing of such MCU1.9.

@whitex -- while I am 100% behind you on the chance (i.e. asymptotically approaching 0%) of an MCU retrofit program being done, I'm told by a very reliable source that Tesla already has an MCU2 retrofit kit/harness designed and built internally. It wouldn't be an MCU 1.9, it would be a retrofitted MCU2. They could mass-manufacture it and offer an upgrade path. But at this point in time, they have shelved it. And the longer time goes on, the less and less likely they'll ever release it.

 

[HankLloydRight]

You misunderstood me. I am not looking for verbal deposits. Those (like @cbutters) who claim there are 100,000 people willing to spend $3K per upgrade will need to collect $1000 per upgrade in deposits first (kickstarter?), and then talk to me. We'll do it properly with legal agreements, $100M down, $1K per unit at delivery up to 100,000 units, $2K after that (negotiable if we get there). For that much money I am willing to start a company to do this, and I know the right people to hire to do this (including some ex-Tesla engineers). With $100M seed money and $100M more in orders, I can make them offers they won't refuse.

Sounds like a good plan, but I think the only problem is getting Tesla to sell you 100,000 MCU2s and IC2s, or finding that many salvage MCU2 cars.

 

[HankLloydRight]

• brown, yellow, or orange (like the fridge growing up)

• Manual transmission (4 or 6 spd, not a bougie 5 spd)

• RWD with tires worn to the belts or AWD

• Wagon with rear facing seats.

• Sunroof that doesn't close all the way, or open all the way, or work at all.

• 8 track player for my CCR tapes

You mean one of these?