Tesla Model Y HW4 Infotainment Includes Less Ram; Likely Means No Steam Support

Hardware 4 in the Model Y comes with reduced ram and storage

Greentheonly/Twitter

Tesla's Model Y Hardware 4 infotainment system has been reviewed by one of the most notorious Tesla enthusiasts, and it's a surprising outcome. Following a series of tweets (or Xs) from renowned Tesla hacker @greentheonly, it has come to light that the HW4 unit sports less RAM and storage than its predecessor, Hardware 3 on the infotainment side (MCU).

This change doesn't seem to make much sense, given Tesla's track record of continuously improving the product. It has sparked a debate about the potential impacts and motivations behind the change.

HW4 vs HW3: A Comparison

The latest information revealed that the HW4 infotainment system in the Model Y comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, exactly half of what the HW3 units offer. This significant reduction has led to questions about the possible implications on user experience, including the inability to support gaming services like Steam, which requires 16GB of RAM on the Model S and X. It's certainly possible Tesla finds a way to run Stream on less RAM, but it's unlikely given that Steam is run in a virtual machine.

Interestingly, despite these changes, the Central Processing Unit (CPU) between HW3 and HW4 remains the same. Furthermore, @greentheonly, who did an in-depth breakdown of HW4 last month, confirmed that both HW3 and HW4's infotainment side using the Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) CPU is susceptible to voltage glitching attacks. The surge attacks were revealed by a group of hackers, who call themselves researchers, last week.

Impacts on Performance

While concerns about reduced specifications are valid, some users report that the HW4 Model Y is incredibly responsive. @greentheonly attributes this to the model's newness, free from accumulated unnecessary data known as "cruft."

Reasoning Behind the Change

The decision to reduce the RAM and storage in HW4 seems perplexing to some Tesla fans, leading to speculation about Tesla's rationale for this move. However, cost considerations could be at the core of this decision. These changes were identified in Model Y HW4 units manufactured in both the Texas and Fremont factories.

Community Reactions

Tesla's community has shown mixed responses to the revelations. Some express disappointment at an apparent downgrade, while others remain hopeful about the system's optimized performance despite the reduced specifications. The discussion on TX.com also raised questions about why the Model Y configuration does not follow the same hardware pattern as Model S/X and why there are no performance trims for Infotainment.

The new findings about Tesla's Model Y HW4 infotainment with reduced specifications may seem like a step back, but the actual impact on user experience remains to be seen.

Whether Tesla's engineers have found a way to enhance the system with reduced resources or if this move is driven solely by cost considerations will likely become more apparent with time and usage. The dialogue initiated by @greentheonly provides valuable insights, though, and will continue to be a focal point for those interested in understanding Tesla's evolving technology and strategic decisions.

Tesla Is Now Offering Cybertruck Test Drives [List of Locations]

@brandonhd

Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.

Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.

It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.

Advisor-led Demo

This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.

Once FSD V12.5 comes to the Cybertruck, we’re sure they’ll be demoing its capabilities FSD capabilities as well.

Locations

The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.

• Manhasset, New York

• West Covina, California

• Los Angeles, California

• Houston, Texas

• Orlando, Florida

• Westmont, Illinois

• Tucson, Arizona

• Phoenix, Arizona

• Delaware

Follow

Follow

Follow

Musk Confirms 'Actually Smart Summon' is Coming in a Revision of FSD V12.5

Not a Tesla App

Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.

We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.

Vision-based Improvements

ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.

Just recently, Tesla returned the Model X’s self-presenting doors, using Tesla Vision. Vision has seen some fantastic improvements, and many people are waiting for ASS to bring forth these improvements to Smart Summon.

Smart Summon Today

Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.

I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.

Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.

Actually Smart Summon

ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.

We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.

We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.

Park Seek and Banish Autopark

When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10^th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.

A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.

While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.

Follow

Follow

Follow