We have a confirmed spotting of Tesla’s Hardware 4.0 (HW4). Tesla super hacker @greentheonly validated a finding by Twitter user @klwtts. The Kilowatts posted photos of new vehicles in Tesla’s Fremont parking lot. The photos showed a Tesla with updated cameras, which GeenTheOnly later confirmed are part of HW4.
No New Cameras in HW4 Initially
A week ago, Greentheonly posted a widely viewed thread by pulling apart a new HW4 computer and showing a detailed breakdown. What got the most attention was the number of camera ports. Three additional spots are added for a total of 12, with one marked as a spare. It was believed the new cameras will be used in the front bumper. However, the Kilowatts' discovery contradicted this finding because no new cameras were found on the Teslas that were confirmed to have HW4.
One of our sources has confirmed that HW4 will in fact not include any new cameras as previously suspected. They say HW4 will include the same number of cameras as HW3 has today. The extra ports on HW4 will go unused, for now. Tesla is expected to add additional cameras down the road, but the first cars with HW4 will not include new bumper cameras. When Tesla decides to add additional cameras, it could be in a hardware revision such as HW4.5.
No Changes to Existing Camera Placement
While our source confirmed that HW4 will include an HD radar and updated cameras as expected, they also confirmed that camera placements were going to stay the same as HW3.
The photos by the Kilowatts provided insight into what to expect with the new HW4 cars. Model S and Model X images showed the side repeater cameras have new housing and appear to be pointed more outward instead of straight back with the current version. This positioning could cut down the blindspot noted in an excellent video by Mike Hoffman of CyberOwners last year.
It was believed that the forward-facing camera system would be reduced to two after leaked images showed the reduction. However, the front camera housing on these new vehicles appears to still feature three front-facing cameras.
Tesla has its Investor Day event coming up on March 1st, where we expect they will talk more about hardware 4.0.
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After a post on X, Tesla has confirmed that it recently exported its 1 millionth car from Giga Shanghai. That’s a massive number of vehicles from a factory that only opened in December 2019.
Since Q3 2021, Giga Shanghai has been responsible for producing over 50% of global EV production – with the single exception of Q2 2022 – where production fell to about 40% while the factory was retooling. That’s a jaw-dropping figure for a single factory.
1 Million Exports
Giga Shanghai produces Teslas for practically the entire world, including the European, Australian, Chinese, and other Southeast Asian markets. For now, it also produces cars for Canada; however, an upcoming tariff could change this.
Giga Shanghai also celebrated the shipping of 100,000 vehicles to Australia with the 1 million vehicles exported mark. While the majority of vehicles end up in Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia are still massive markets for Tesla.
Going forward, Giga Shanghai, with its continued expansions, will be at or above 1 million vehicles produced per year. A good chunk of these vehicles stay within China, while the rest are exported. Tesla sells on average 40 to 80,000 cars per month in China, depending on the season, with an average of 90,000 cars produced per month in 2024 so far.
Automated Production
This is all thanks to Giga Shanghai’s 95% automated production line. Giga Shanghai is likely one of the most automated and advanced factories in the world, a testament to Tesla’s manufacturing and engineering expertise. Giga Shanghai produces one vehicle every 40 seconds.
We’re looking forward to seeing how Tesla’s expansions and factory innovations continue in the coming months and years.
Giga Shanghai operates a 95% automated production line, enabling a cycle time of less than 40 seconds! From taking 2.5 years for the first million cars to be produced, the second million was done in just 12 months 🚘🪄 pic.twitter.com/IF1w27AFPr
Tesla’s last app update, version 4.37.1, introduces support for critical alerts on the iPhone. These alerts are designed for emergency situations and will override standard notification settings, including the mute switch, Focus modes, and Do Not Disturb. This ensures that owners are notified when immediate action is required, even if their phone is set to silent.
How to Enable Critical Alerts
Activate Dog Mode: Open the Tesla app and turn on Dog Mode.
Main App Screen: After activating Dog Mode, go back to the main section of the app.
Enable Critical Alerts: A new option called Critical Alerts will appear under Live Camera and the quick action icons (Tip: You can add up to 5 quick actions). It’ll state, “Grant permissions to receive critical notifications.” Tap it, and you’ll see a system dialog asking for permission to allow critical alerts for the Tesla app.
Confirm Permission: Choose to allow the Tesla app to send critical notifications, which will grant the app special privileges for sending urgent alerts.
This new feature is likely intended for situations where Dog Mode needs to be turned off unexpectedly. For example, if the vehicle’s battery drops below 20% or if the temperature inside the cabin rises or falls drastically outside of your set temperature, the Tesla app is expected to send a critical alert to the owner, ensuring they are informed right away.
What Are Critical Alerts?
Critical Alerts are a type of iOS notification available only to approved apps, which must meet specific criteria set by Apple. These alerts are designed to be used in emergencies and bypass all standard notification restrictions. This means that regardless of whether your phone is silenced or in Do Not Disturb mode, the alert will play a sound and appear prominently.
By adding support for Critical Alerts, Tesla is prioritizing the safety of pets who may be left inside the vehicle with the expectation that Dog Mode will keep conditions safe. This change makes the app more reliable for alerting owners when immediate attention is needed, ensuring they are always kept informed—even when their phone’s settings would typically prevent other notifications from coming through.