How to Check If Your Tesla Has Hardware 3 (HW3) or Hardware 4 (AI4)

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In early 2023, Tesla launched its FSD Hardware 4.0 – now known as AI4 – an improved version of Hardware 3 with various advantages. This hardware launch initially came off to a rocky start with FSD and Autopilot not being available to freshly delivered vehicles.

Today though, AI4 is the next step as Tesla strides towards full autonomy. While Tesla hasn’t abandoned HW3 or declared it as legacy yet – and doesn’t seem to plan to, it’s still important to be able to figure out what hardware your vehicle has. This is especially true for those who have paid for, or are subscribed to FSD – as it seems that going forward, AI4 will receive major FSD updates before hardware 3, which will require optimization.

So, let’s go over what AI4 offers in terms of improvement, the fact that there is no retrofit path from Hardware 3, and finally, a few easy ways to tell FSD Hardware 3 from Hardware 4/ AI4.

HW4 / AI4 Improvements

AI4 brought along several improvements, including new cameras, new electrical and wiring harnesses, and most of all – improved processing power.

The new cameras bring improved resolution for better details. The rear camera on AI4 has a resolution of 1448x938 vs 1280x960 on Hardware 3. However, there’s a much larger differences in the front cameras. HW4/AI4 has a resolution of 2896x1876 while HW3 has a resolution of 1280x960. That’s a huge improvement in quality - additionally, that telltale red tint that they have ensures better performance in low-light conditions. The video below compares the difference between HW3 vs HW4.

Musk previously said that HW4 is about 3-5x faster than hardware 3, although all of that compute power isn’t being utilized yet. We’ll likely see the full power of HW4 come into play with the divergence of HW4 later this year.

How to Tell If You Have HW3 or HW4 / AI4

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If you have access to the inside of the vehicle, the easiest and surefire way of determining the FSD hardware of a Tesla is to check in settings. As of software update 2024.38, Tesla has added the ability to view the vehicle’s hardware version. To see simply go to Settings > Software and then tap Additional Vehicle Information.

In the list of options, you’ll see ‘Autopilot computer’, followed by the FSD computer hardware version. You’ll likely see version 2.5, 3 or 4.

If You Don’t Have Access to the Vehicle

Note the telltale red glint of the HW4 cameras

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You should still be able to tell what version of the FSD computer is in the vehicle even if you don’t have access to the inside of the car. There are a few several ways to tell if you have Hardware 3, or HW4.

Delivery Date

The first is based on your model and delivery date. If you purchased Model S or X, you’ll likely have AI4 if you purchased after March 2023. If you have a Model Y, it’s after late May 2023 for vehicles made in the United States. The updated 2024 Model 3 has HW4, but if you have a 2017-2023 Model 3, you’ll have Hardware 3.

Red Camera Lenses

Next, if you’re not sure of the delivery date of your vehicle, or want to confirm, take a look at the vehicle itself. HW4/AI4 has cameras with red lenses – the easiest place to see this is on the front cameras – where there will be 2 red lenses and one black (fake) lens. AI4 got rid of the 3^rd front-facing camera since the cameras now have a higher resolution.

The repeater cameras are also slightly different, with the same red tint, but include a smaller and narrower turn indicator.

HW4 (top) and HW3 (bottom) repeater cameras

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No Retrofit to HW4

Elon Musk and Tesla have confirmed that unlike AP 2.5 or AP 2, Tesla does not intend to offer a retrofit for older vehicles. This isn’t a surprising move, especially given the fact that there is an entirely new wiring and cooling harness for the compute unit in AI4.

This, in turn, with AI4’s different form factor, means that upgrading HW3 vehicles to AI4 isn't feasible. A retrofit would be a complex and expensive task that would likely require building a custom solution that would fit into HW3 vehicles. It also comes with other complications, such as overwhelming Tesla Service. Instead, Tesla will continue to do it the software way – by optimizing and updating the FSD models to perform well on Hardware 3.

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Tesla FSD in Europe: June Update

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The road to bringing FSD to Europe has been a long and complex one and filled with regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles. Elon Musk, as well as other members of Tesla’s AI team, have previously voiced their grievances with the regulatory approval process on X.

However, it appears that there is finally some progress in getting things moving with recent changes to upcoming autonomy regulations, but the process still seems slow.

Waiting on the Dutch

Elon commented on X recently, stating that Tesla is waiting for approval from Dutch authorities and then the EU to start rolling out FSD in Europe. Tesla is focusing on acquiring approvals from the Dutch transportation authority, which will provide them with the platform they need to gain broader acceptance in Europe. Outside of the Netherlands, Tesla is also conducting testing in Norway, which provides a couple of avenues for them to obtain national-level approval.

The frustration has been ongoing, with multiple committee meetings bringing up autonomy regulation but always pulling back at the last second before approving anything. The last meeting on Regulation 157, which governs Automated Lane Keeping Systems, concluded with authorities from the UK and Spain requesting additional time to analyze the data before reaching a conclusion.

Tesla, as well as Elon, have motioned several times for owners to reach out to their elected representatives to move the process forward, as it seems that Tesla’s own efforts are being stymied. 

This can seem odd, especially since Tesla has previously demoed FSD working exceptionally smoothly on European roads - and just did it again in Rome when they shared the video below on X.

FSD Supervised testing in Rome, Italy

Pending regulatory approval pic.twitter.com/TXh3uQIfrx

— Tesla Europe & Middle East (@teslaeurope) June 12, 2025

DCAS Phase 3

While the approval process has been slow, Kees Roelandschap pointed out that there may be a different regulatory step that could allow FSD to gain a foothold in Europe.

According to Kees, the European Commission is now taking a new approach to approving ADAS systems under the new DCAS Phase 3 regulations. The Commission is now seeking data from systems currently operational in the United States that can perform System-Initiated Maneuvers and don’t require hands-on intervention for every request.

This is key because those are two of the core functionalities that make FSD so usable, and it also means that there may not be a need to wait years for proper regulations to be written from scratch. Now, the Commission will be looking at real-world data based on existing, deployed technology, which could speed up the process immensely.

What This Means

This new, data-driven regulatory approach could be the path for Tesla to reach its previous target of September for European FSD. While the cogs of bureaucracy are ever slow, sometimes all it takes is a little data to have them turn a bit faster in this case.

Alongside specific countries granting approval for limited field testing with employees, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for FSD in Europe, and hopes are that a release will occur by the end of 2025. With Europe now looking to North America for how FSD is performing, Tesla’s Robotaxi results could also play a role.

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Tesla Launches 'TeslaVision' Contest With Big Prizes — See Last Year’s Winner [VIDEO]

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Tesla’s marketing has always been relatively unconventional, relying on word-of-mouth rather than traditional advertising. The passion of the owner’s community is always massive, but it is especially high now with the launch of the Robotaxi network just around the corner.

Tesla is now tapping into that spring of fan creativity and announced the TeslaVision video contest, with some seriously impressive prizes up for grabs.

Announcing the TeslaVision fan video showcase

Tesla owners & supporters have always been able to see our products & mission for what they truly are.

Your word of mouth has made Tesla what it is today.

The OGs will remember that in 2017, we held our first video contest. 8 years… pic.twitter.com/6pPpkqmqOH

— Tesla (@Tesla) June 10, 2025

The Contest

The core of the contest is simple. Create a video that shows how your Tesla gives you more in life. Tesla is looking for submissions that highlight themes of freedom, safety, fun, and convenience.

Prizes

The prizes definitely make this contest worth entering if you’re good with a camera and have some basic video editing abilities.

For North America, the prizes include a brand new Model Y AWD Long Range, alongside an all-expenses-paid trip to Austin for a tour of Giga Texas. The grand prize winner will also be able to custom order their Model Y, allowing them to select their preferred wheels and color.

The two runners-up won’t get a Model Y, but they’ll also enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to Giga Texas for a tour of the factory.

The travel and tour include lodging in Austin for 2 nights, as well as economy-class round-trip tickets from anywhere in North America. Tesla will also provide a vehicle for use during the trip.

Hopefully, these winners will also have the opportunity to experience the Robotaxi network while they’re in Austin, as it’s expected to be opened to the public later this month.

Project Loveday

For long-time followers of Tesla, this contest may feel familiar. The contest is a direct throwback to the 2017 Project Loveday contest, which was inspired by a letter to Tesla from a 10-year-old aspiring marketer. That contest was won by MKBHD, with his submission below:

How to Enter

If you’re ready to start filming, here are the key pieces of information you’ll need to know:

• Video must be 90 seconds or less

• Video must be uploaded to YouTube with a public URL

• Make a post on X and Instagram tagging “@Tesla” and include the words “TeslaVision contest” in the post.

• Provide links to both social media posts in your submission to Tesla’s form

• Provide your personal details in the form

• You have until July 17th, 2025, or until Tesla receives 10,000 entries, whichever comes first.

You can find the official submission form and all region-specific details on Tesla's website.

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