Will Tesla ever allow AP only vehicles to pay for a HW3 retrofit?

[willow_hiller]

Before you say it, yes, I know there's no guarantee that an AP only vehicle would ever benefit from HW3. But:

1. I simply cannot afford $6,000+ in cash right now (promised the wife we'd pay off the loan before buying FSD).
2. Tesla presently sells a Home Link upgrade for $300 including installation. Presumably a HW3 retrofit could be done for around $500.
3. Having HW3 would improve the resale value of the vehicle.
4. Once all FSD owners are retrofitted, Tesla may stop offering retrofits as readily. I'd hate to be permanently stuck on HW2.5 for a car I may keep for 10+ years.

So: do you think Tesla would ever sell the HW3 retrofit to AP only vehicles?

 

[mswlogo]

I doubt it. But you never know.

Wait for another FSD sale.

 

[BrownOuttaSpec]

Do you mean AP1?
AP1 I say no because you would need new windshield, front cameras and side cameras and maybe some sensors if your car is older than 2015.

 

[Kuhz]

If you mean AP1 then I say no. If you meant AP2+ but without FSD then you can buy FSD later

 

[electronblue]

No, he does not mean AP1.

He means AP2.5 with AP option only.

 

[jmaddr]

I’m confused. Why exactly would you want to do this? AP3 has no discernable difference in your in your day-to-day driving, it is just for AP duties. Your MCU controls all your display and would make a difference if upgraded. But if you upgraded your AP, you won’t notice a thing.

 

[M3BlueGeorgia]

Before you say it, yes, I know there's no guarantee that an AP only vehicle would ever benefit from HW3. But:

1. I simply cannot afford $6,000+ in cash right now (promised the wife we'd pay off the loan before buying FSD).
2. Tesla presently sells a Home Link upgrade for $300 including installation. Presumably a HW3 retrofit could be done for around $500.
3. Having HW3 would improve the resale value of the vehicle.
4. Once all FSD owners are retrofitted, Tesla may stop offering retrofits as readily. I'd hate to be permanently stuck on HW2.5 for a car I may keep for 10+ years.

So: do you think Tesla would ever sell the HW3 retrofit to AP only vehicles?

Let's be a bit more specific....

People who have HW2.5 vehicles and EAP will, IMHO, most probably benefit from HW3 at some point in future when Tesla start sending out software OTAs optimized for HW3. I think HW2.5 owners should be allowed to buy a HW2.5 -> HW3 upgrade, though I don't know if Tesla would offer it. Really depends on whether its a $1K update or a $3K upgrade, because if the upgrade is relatively expensive, it'd be more cost effective to just have the FSD option.

I don't know if people with just plain AP and HW2.5 would benefit for HW3. We won't know until people with AP and HW3 start getting OTAed with software optimized for HW3, however I'd presume there'd be some benefit at some time.
Since you have an hour of labor plus a new main board, I presume the cost of HW2.5 -> HW3 would be over $1K at retail price, maybe US$1.5K.

Heckuva good question of people with HW2. HW3 would be faster and presumably better, but its a much more significant upgrade. But I don't think there's many with HW2 and just AP, primarily with HW2 and EAP. Once Tesla have finished the FSD-related HW2 -> HW3 updates, assuming it happens, that's certainly something they should consider - productizing the upgrade.
Price will be an issue. With say 6+ hours of labor plus parts, probably closer to US$2.5K at retail price.

 

[CyberShy]

If the HW2.5 MCUs have the same chip that “wears out” due to too many writes (like the Ss and Xs on HW whatever) then the answer is yes. Of course, they will.

But ever is a long time. It’s the opposite of never.

 

[ewoodrick]

No, they won't. That's because its a waste of money. Whether or not you have the new hardware, you will run the same code.
If you want to upgrade to FSD, then you get the computer.

 

[tmoz]

Yes, there is a path. You give them your car, you pay a hefty upgrade fee, and you get back a car that not only has HW3.0, but miraculously the odometer is reset, the battery is fresh, and the interior gets updated as well. You can even change car colors with this upgrade.

But probably not the path you, nor I, were hoping for.