Tesla infotainment system upgradeable from MCU1 to MCU2

[tomas]

Our 2018 X (MCU2/AP2.5) gets upgraded on Monday.

The number of MCU1/AP2/FSD vehicles is a shrinking % of Tesla's fleet. If the MCU1/AP2 upgrade to FSD isn't simple, they should just give up on that and offer owners two options:

• Refund of the FSD activation fee; lock functionality to whatever runs today on the AP2 hardware (which would include NOAP on limited access highways)
• Trade-up to a new Tesla vehicle:
  • Transfer FSD (originally $8K for EAP/FSD; $7K for FSD today)
  • Transfer FUSC (if not included with the new vehicle)
  • Upgrade credit ($5K?) - since Tesla will be saving development, parts & labor costs by not having to upgrade the original vehicle

This would be a win-win for everyone.

MCU1/AP2 owners that have purchased FSD would get a new vehicle with the latest MCU and AP/FSD, plus a few additional benefits (longer range, wireless phone charging, ...).

Tesla could eliminate having to worry about the MCU1/AP2 FSD upgrades - plus would add a few vehicle sales to their next quarter - at no cost.

For such a small % of vehicles - if they don't upgrade MCU1 to MCU2 - why should they have the burden of supporting FSD on the older MCU???

Agree. I’ve communicated several times with Tesla mgmt that the way to handle these unexpected product conflicts is provide “snookered” customers an attractive credit towards current model. It’s a win win. A frustrated customer gets what they paid for, Tesla gets a new sale (and probably a profitable CPO sale), and the relationship is repaired, improving brand loyalty.

I suspect the issue here is attention. It’s easy to lose the hardware 2.0 issue frustrating a few thousand owners amidst China, Cybertruck, Y launch, German plant, AP3 ambitions, and huge growth expectations.

I believe Tesla’s intent is usually good, and they’ll eventually do the right thing... just that they’ve got too much forward looking stuff going on, and that drives the bulk of their attention.

 

[SO16]

Our 2018 X (MCU2/AP2.5) gets upgraded on Monday.

The number of MCU1/AP2/FSD vehicles is a shrinking % of Tesla's fleet. If the MCU1/AP2 upgrade to FSD isn't simple, they should just give up on that and offer owners two options:

• Refund of the FSD activation fee; lock functionality to whatever runs today on the AP2 hardware (which would include NOAP on limited access highways)
• Trade-up to a new Tesla vehicle:
  • Transfer FSD (originally $8K for EAP/FSD; $7K for FSD today)
  • Transfer FUSC (if not included with the new vehicle)
  • Upgrade credit ($5K?) - since Tesla will be saving development, parts & labor costs by not having to upgrade the original vehicle

This would be a win-win for everyone.

MCU1/AP2 owners that have purchased FSD would get a new vehicle with the latest MCU and AP/FSD, plus a few additional benefits (longer range, wireless phone charging, ...).

Tesla could eliminate having to worry about the MCU1/AP2 FSD upgrades - plus would add a few vehicle sales to their next quarter - at no cost.

For such a small % of vehicles - if they don't upgrade MCU1 to MCU2 - why should they have the burden of supporting FSD on the older MCU???

Even though I have FSD with MCU1 and HW2.0, I’d hate to give up my metallic silver with leather ventilated seats and pano-roof and free supercharging that transfers to the next private buyer. The car itself has been fantastic.

 

[MP3Mike]

The number of MCU1/AP2/FSD vehicles is a shrinking % of Tesla's fleet. If the MCU1/AP2 upgrade to FSD isn't simple, they should just give up on that and offer owners two options:

• Refund of the FSD activation fee; lock functionality to whatever runs today on the AP2 hardware (which would include NOAP on limited access highways)
• Trade-up to a new Tesla vehicle:
  • Transfer FSD (originally $8K for EAP/FSD; $7K for FSD today)
  • Transfer FUSC (if not included with the new vehicle)
  • Upgrade credit ($5K?) - since Tesla will be saving development, parts & labor costs by not having to upgrade the original vehicle

This would be a win-win for everyone.

MCU1/AP2 owners that have purchased FSD would get a new vehicle with the latest MCU and AP/FSD, plus a few additional benefits (longer range, wireless phone charging, ...).

Tesla could eliminate having to worry about the MCU1/AP2 FSD upgrades - plus would add a few vehicle sales to their next quarter - at no cost.

That would never work, because there would be at least one person that refused both of those options and Tesla would have to deliver on their promise.

 

[Gary and Rachel]

The fact that my MCU1 screen slows down a bit on screen refreshments in navagation after SW updates is the only reason I want to upgrade to the newer chip. I have the early AP1 car and i am not looking for any upgrades to AP2. I just want screen refresh and browser to load and work. It would be nice to be able to get the newer games to play like the new cars, but that's not expected. It takes 3 minutes to reboot the MCU1 now and sadly it does seem to be getting worse. My car is 4 years old now and Its looking like the memory chip is starting to cause crashes. Not sure if memory card falure will cause me to get a new chip or MCU. It does look like if chip fails that MCU is replaced with a refurbished MCU1. If this event happens to me I do want to upgrade to MCU2 and yes I would pay my share for it. Its after all a very used 4 year old laptop that needs to be replaced to the bigger, faster chip after all.

Elon let's do it for your founders who believed in you all along without making you prove it. Thank you for this gift of a wonderful car. We just need a little help.

 

[Ostrichsak]

That would never work, because there would be at least one person that refused both of those options and Tesla would have to deliver on their promise.

I'll volunteer to be the one then because I have zero plans on buying a new car anytime soon. Requiring someone to take that depreciation hit to "upgrade" into something they weren't going to buy anyway isn't a solution. Offering an upgrade path from MCU1 to MCU2 at a reasonable rate would go a LONG way in proving that Tesla cares about it's customers and early adopters who help to get this whole thing rolling. That's the kind of positive exposure they could use to help counteract a small portion of the negativity they've earned from their terrible "customer service" as of late. Forcing otherwise happy customers to spend close to six figures again in order to save a few grand for something they were unable to deliver isn't a viable option IMO.

 

[Dutchie]

Our 2018 X (MCU2/AP2.5) gets upgraded on Monday.

The number of MCU1/AP2/FSD vehicles is a shrinking % of Tesla's fleet. If the MCU1/AP2 upgrade to FSD isn't simple, they should just give up on that and offer owners two options:

• Refund of the FSD activation fee; lock functionality to whatever runs today on the AP2 hardware (which would include NOAP on limited access highways)
• Trade-up to a new Tesla vehicle:
  • Transfer FSD (originally $8K for EAP/FSD; $7K for FSD today)
  • Transfer FUSC (if not included with the new vehicle)
  • Upgrade credit ($5K?) - since Tesla will be saving development, parts & labor costs by not having to upgrade the original vehicle

This would be a win-win for everyone.

MCU1/AP2 owners that have purchased FSD would get a new vehicle with the latest MCU and AP/FSD, plus a few additional benefits (longer range, wireless phone charging, ...).

Tesla could eliminate having to worry about the MCU1/AP2 FSD upgrades - plus would add a few vehicle sales to their next quarter - at no cost.

For such a small % of vehicles - if they don't upgrade MCU1 to MCU2 - why should they have the burden of supporting FSD on the older MCU???

How would be a win-win for me? I don't have the money to upgrade. I paid for EAP and FSD. NOAP is part of EAP package and they promised my car is capable of FSD. That was one of the reasons I bought the car. They better deliver and deliver soon,

 

[nimbuzz]

Which models have MCU1 & 2 and how can we tell what we have?

 

[Gray468]

Our 2018 X (MCU2/AP2.5) ....

Tesla could eliminate having to worry about the MCU1/AP2 FSD upgrades - plus would add a few vehicle sales to their next quarter - at no cost.

For such a small % of vehicles - if they don't upgrade MCU1 to MCU2 - why should they have the burden of supporting FSD on the older MCU???

is it true that every day Tesla waits, the number of AP 2.0/MC1 cars it will have to update goes down as cars are totaled, sold, traded in, owners have passed on, or any number of other reasons that would take the vehicle out of the “promise”. It would be interesting to know if they are tracking the inventory that way.

I have been waiting 2.75 years. As more time passes, the disconnect between older cars to new, upgrade or not, will get wider. I suspect different levels (definitions) of FSD will be inevitable despite upgrades. Would you expect dropping a new processor into a 5 year old laptop to deliver the same performance as a new machine?

Besides, Tesla can always lean on the “unanticipated government rules” excuse.

I do like your options. At least some of the early adopters will be happy with it. Maybe the majority.

And I do like my car as it is. The only time I start wondering about where my FSD upgrade is, is when this topic surfaces on the “trending” notices.

 

[Energy Dreamer]

As a real world data point this may interest some. I have a HW 2.5 with FSD and MCU 1 Model X. I reached out to the service center and to my surprise they said the vehicle was eligible for the FSD computer HW 3.0 upgrade. I was maximum excited and scheduled the service date. They offered a loaner but I said I’d love to stay and get updates on the process. The tech stopped in a couple hours later and said they installed the computer however couldn’t get the firmware to update. He came back about an hour later really embarrassed and said apologetically that he didn’t realize I had two Model X’s on my account. My wife just got a new X that has MCU 2.0 with FSD and HW 2.5. That vehicle in fact was eligible for the upgrade, not mine. They had to reinstall the old components. :/

My takeaway is that HW 3.0 is not yet compatible with MCU 1.

 

[Mobster]

is it true that every day Tesla waits, the number of AP 2.0/MC1 cars it will have to update goes down as cars are totaled, sold, traded in, owners have passed on, or any number of other reasons that would take the vehicle out of the “promise”. It would be interesting to know if they are tracking the inventory that way.

I have been waiting 2.75 years. ........

"Owners have passed on.." Yeah. The death list. (death of owner or car)I am 70 years old and ask often (as many of you do) "When do I get the promised HW3 upgrade?" (I have 2.0) I have been waiting 3+ years. I get the same answer everyone gets. "You will get on a list. You are not on the list yet." How to get on the list is top secret protected by the NSA.

I am retired from a company that had numbers for everything. Grays468 wondering if "they are tracking the inventory that way" (shrinking by totaled...owners passed) is an interesting question that I believe the answer is an unequivocal YES. Tracking the trend and projecting a line into the future. So for the clock is ticking for many of us to be "out of the promise".

Tesla opened a new location a few miles from me (Sales AND service). The folks there are super nice and share openly about their experiences. They are slammed with cars in service. Yesterday two of their three lifts went down....that's how granular the information is that they share. They are really overwhelmed. The mobile service friends of mine tell me of course that HW3 cannot be done with mobile service .... it has to be done at one of the overworked service centers. The logistics are staggering.

HW3 upgrade seems to be a bit of a pipe dream. Getting a straight answer about compatibility with MCU 1 is impossible (thus we have a speculative thread like this one)

So now let's get some speculation as to who will be the Democrat presidential nominee.....

 

[whitex]

Our 2018 X (MCU2/AP2.5) gets upgraded on Monday.

The number of MCU1/AP2/FSD vehicles is a shrinking % of Tesla's fleet. If the MCU1/AP2 upgrade to FSD isn't simple, they should just give up on that and offer owners two options:

• Refund of the FSD activation fee; lock functionality to whatever runs today on the AP2 hardware (which would include NOAP on limited access highways)
• Trade-up to a new Tesla vehicle:
  • Transfer FSD (originally $8K for EAP/FSD; $7K for FSD today)
  • Transfer FUSC (if not included with the new vehicle)
  • Upgrade credit ($5K?) - since Tesla will be saving development, parts & labor costs by not having to upgrade the original vehicle

This would be a win-win for everyone.

How is this a win-win? Imagine SpaceX sold a rocket to NASA for a billion dollars, which NASA bought to ferry astronauts to the ISS. The rocket included $100M life support option needed to carry humans. Then they realize that life support is FUBRed, so the rocket can never carry astronauts. So according to you, giving NASA 10% off their next $1B rocket would be a win-win?

 

[scottf200]

Which models have MCU1 & 2 and how can we tell what we have?

Go here in the web browser *in*your*car* : MCU Tester | TeslaTap
Hit add it in the desc of a calendar entry if you don't want to type it. Then bring up the calendar and click the (i) or whatever icon is there to get the additional description.

 

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

That (upgrade under warranty) ALL 2.0 hw cars with pre-paid FSD to 2.5 and HW3) would be the best IMO way to make early FSD purchasers whole and have a unified hardware platform going forward.

But somebody in Tesla upper management would have to do the right things by early customers that bought the vision on faith!!

I call bullshit. We all spent more for our Model S’s than a top of the line Model 3. We all deserve to be made whole even if we weren’t willing to prepay for something that didn’t exist three years ago and still doesn’t today. I made a huge financial sacrifice to purchase a car that was promised to be capable of full self driving.

 

[ucmndd]

I call bullshit. We all spent more for our Model S’s than a top of the line Model 3. We all deserve to be made whole even if we weren’t willing to prepay for something that didn’t exist three years ago and still doesn’t today. I made a huge financial sacrifice to purchase a car that was promised to be capable of full self driving.

So if I understand you, Tesla needs to make you “whole” for a feature you didn’t buy when new and haven’t bought in the 3 years since then?

They don’t owe you any functionally until you actually purchase the package.

 

[houstonian]

If you cannot load the site due to a non functional browser, than you also have MCU1

If voice commands are sketchy. You have mcu1

I kek’d at those two posts. Well done.

The number of MCU1/AP2/FSD vehicles is a shrinking % of Tesla's fleet. If the MCU1/AP2 upgrade to FSD isn't simple, they should

...they should power through and get it fixed, good sir!

No one is saying FSD is simple and if “muh complexity is huarrrrd” gives TSLA - or any entity - carte blanche to walk away from their obligations, it’ll be a disaster.

There are hundreds of thousands of S/Xs with MCU1 and presumable all (?) of them have the ticking time bomb of being bricked from TSLA poor foresight in selecting the weak memory module. Forget AP, forget karaoke, all S/X’s need a working MCU. Therefore I’d argue the need for an MCU.new goes far beyond the small subset of AP 2.0 + MCU1 and includes all MCU1 cars.

This is the best path forward I’d argue is for TSLA to develop a MCU.new option for MCU1 cars as it’s NOT JUST AP 2.0 w/ prepaid FSD who are being hamgstrung by an inadequate MCU1, but ultimately all MCU1 cars.

(FWIW I did prepay FSD at purchase for my 2.0 / MCU1 S, am still very pleased with the car, and if TSLA offered an upgrade path from MCU1 to MCU.new, I’d be happy.)

 

[scottf200]

There are hundreds of thousands of S/Xs with MCU1 and presumable all (?) of them have the ticking time bomb of being bricked from TSLA poor foresight in selecting the weak memory module.

Not quite as dire as you indicate. "like years"
Jason Hughes on Twitter

 

[Duke-U]

(FWIW I did prepay FSD at purchase for my 2.0 / MCU1 S, am still very pleased with the car, and if TSLA offered an upgrade path from MCU1 to MCU.new, I’d be happy.)

same here, and many many more would want this. No idea why they are dragging their feet, just be clear about it. Expectation management.

 

[Trebek1762]

Not quite as dire as you indicate.
Jason Hughes on Twitter

No, it really is. That quote from Hughes says it should extend the life “a bit”. To me, that’s not significant.

I infact know of a 2017 X that just had his MCU replaced because of a dead emmc. Much like the grim reaper, it’s coming for all of us.... some sooner, some later. But it will happen.

green has said it’s actually worse for the newer models that have always had the bloated v9/v10 since it takes up more space and thus more writes/rewrites on the emmc with all the “updates”

 

[scottf200]

No, it really is. That quote from Hughes says it should extend the life “a bit”. To me, that’s not significant.
I infact know of a 2017 X that just had his MCU replaced because of a dead emmc. Much like the grim reaper, it’s coming for all of us.... some sooner, some later. But it will happen.
green has said it’s actually worse for the newer models that have always had the bloated v9/v10 since it takes up more space and thus more writes/rewrites on the emmc with all the “updates”

To be fair he said years ["Bit (like years)..."] -- "bit" by itself sounds a lot shorter than plural years to me

I agree it was a poorly designed solution but I suspect the eMMC usage changed over time and the "use cases" were not defined well.

I have a 2017 X MCU1 and hope they offer an MCU2 as a paid upgrade. I was thinking that avoid a future eMMC issue. I wish the MCU2s came with a lot bigger storage for the wear leveling to even out on. Plan on keeping my X for a while. How many miles on that 2017 X you referred to? (ie. correlate to the usage of it being "on"). I do a lot of road trips and use Slacker regularly as well.

 

[Krash]

...green has said it’s actually worse for the newer models that have always had the bloated v9/v10 since it takes up more space and thus more writes/rewrites on the emmc with all the “updates”

My first 2017 MCU1 only lasted 35,000 miles.