Elon Musk had claimed for years that Tesla vehicles had full autonomous driving capabilities. However, in a statement this week, he admitted that some models needed an update.
Musk stated that vehicles equipped with "Hardware 3" from 2019 to 2023 were not suitable for full autonomous driving and that their computers needed to be updated.
"We will need to replace the 'Hardware 3' computers of the users who have received the full autonomous driving program. This will be difficult and painful, but we will get it done," Musk acknowledged.
This statement didn't come as a surprise to those closely following Tesla, as the company had promised back in 2016 that all vehicles would be able to transition to full autonomous driving with just a software update. However, this promise was not fulfilled, and Tesla later removed that statement from its website.
Tesla transitioned to "Hardware 3" computers in 2019. Vehicles previously equipped with "Hardware 2.0" and "Hardware 2.5" computers also needed updates. Initially, Tesla asked users to pay for this update, but a court ruling following a customer's lawsuit resulted in the service being provided for free.
In his latest statement, Musk mentioned that Tesla plans to send a new autonomous driving program to vehicles equipped with "Hardware 4" in June and launch a pilot project in Austin. He emphasized that 2025 could be the most crucial year for Tesla.
