Teslas with AP 2.0 to need camera upgrades for FSD

Tesla entered into the car industry with their first EV, the original Tesla Roadster. It was more of a proof of concept as Tesla had bigger plans. Tesla's plan to enter the automobile market was to build an expensive, electric sports car that would have high margins and prove to the world what EVs could do.

Tesla planned to minimize their effort by focusing only on the electric components of the car, such as the drivetrain and battery. They would try to leverage other parts from existing auto manufacturers such as Lotus.

However, in the end Tesla ended up creating most of the parts themselves. The final Roadster utilized as little as 7% of the same parts as the Lotus Elise.

Tesla to replace cameras on Teslas with AP 2.0

Tesla didn't make the same mistake again. When they manufactured the Model S in 2012 they decided to build the car from the ground up themselves. The original Model S didn't have any driver assist features. It's hard to say whether Autopilot wasn't something Tesla had started developing yet, or whether they planned to start small and add to the car in later years.

In September 2014, Tesla introduced their first version of Autopilot. Tesla built the hardware, but left driver assist software up to MobilEye, a company that still focuses on creating driver assistance systems today.

With the introduction of Autopilot 2.0 in 2016, Tesla decided to ditch MobilEye and take their platform in-house. It was a sudden and messy breakup, but in the end it was the right decision for Tesla. Autopilot 2.0 took several years before catching up to the capabilities of AP 1.

Since the introduction of AP 2.0, Tesla has offered a FSD package. Many features were not available out of the gate, but Tesla has slowly developed more features that fall into their FSD package.

Although many features have come out as part of the package such as lane keeping, lane changing, Navigate on Autopilot, Smart Summon, Autopark and more, Tesla is still developing its true self driving system. The problem has been more difficult to solve than anybody in the industry realized. Tesla is now making great progress with their latest FSD Beta releases.

Since AP 2, Tesla has used different hardware such as cameras and processors, but camera placements have remained the same. Tesla wanted to keep camera placement consistent across their product lines. From the beginning Tesla developed these cameras and processors to be easily swappable when better technology comes along.

AP 2 Cameras to be Swapped

Autopilot 2.0 cameras had a filter that made it able to absorb more light but it reduced colors captured. At the time Tesla thought this trade off would be worth it, but they now realize that it's better to bring the cameras in line with the ones used today. Since the cameras were made to be swappable if needed, Tesla can go in and swap them out for the same cameras that are used today.

Don’t worry, Tesla prepared for this.

The cameras just pop right off and can be replaced with the latest model.

Super smart, right? @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/DTRoGSnHhx

— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) October 22, 2021

This is exactly what Tesla is doing. Any Tesla that has FSD and AP 2.0, Tesla will be replacing the camera modules with cameras in 2021 vehicles. The FSD computer will also be replaced with the FSD HW 3.0 computer.

Tesla is planning on introducing a HW 4.0 FSD computer with the introduction of the Cybertruck, but this computer is not meant for FSD 3.0 vehicles. Tesla beleives they can achieve FSD on 3.0 hardware, but 4.0 will give them some extra processing power to increase safety even more.

Yeah, although early production cars will need camera upgrades, as well as FSD computer (all included in the price)

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 22, 2021

The same will be true if Tesla realizes that 4K or wide-angle cameras are needed in the future. These cameras are relatively inexpensive and Tesla can swap out the hardware if needed in order to achieve FSD.

Elon confirmed on Twitter that all vehicles with FSD and AP 2.0 will indeed need to have their cameras replaced in order to get FSD on city streets. The amount of vehicles released with AP 2.0 was relatively small as Tesla soon moved to AP 2.5 roughly a year later.

Elon didn't mention any timeframe on when Tesla will be updating these cars but Tesla may be waiting for Tesla service demand to be reduced. The demand for Tesla service is at an all time high as the world starts to get back to some form of normal and there has been pent up demand for service as people are addressing issues from the past year.

When Tesla gets to updating these vehicles with newer cameras and FSD computers, there will be no cost to owners as the replacement will be completely free.

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Cybertruck Receives 9 Exclusive Features in Tesla Update 2024.14.3 as Tesla Shares Off-Road Guide [Video]

Tesla released a major software update for the Cybertruck with version 2024.14.3 that introduces nine exclusive features, including locking differentials, Trail Assist, Off-Road Mode and many others that add completely new capabilities to the Cybertruck. Telsa also released a guide focused on the new off-roading capabilities of the Cybertruck and how to use each driving mode.

In the same update, the Cybertruck also received additional features that were previously available on other vehicles such as the Colorizer feature, Front Passenger Air Vent and Zoom.

In a video titled “Can The Tesla Cybertruck Really Off-Road?” (video below), the BBC publication TopGear tested the latest off-road software from Tesla in a Californian desert with a Rivian R1T as a benchmark.

New Accessories

TopGear also had access to new prototype Cybertruck accessories, including a Cybercooler and a CyberInflator that lets you adjust tire pressure. Tesla is also planning the launch of Cyberboxes that fit underneath the CyberTent case and safely slide in the bed rails, as shown in the video.

Cybertruck Update

Cybertruck’s Off-Road Mode improves its performance on challenging terrains such as gravel, deep snow, rock, and sand. “All Purpose” mode will automatically adjust the tire slip based on the amount of available traction.

The new CyberTent Mode levels the vehicle using the air suspension so that you get a perfectly flat sleeping surface. It also allows you to control features like lights, air conditioning, and outlets activated — if needed.

The Trail Assist helps maintain a set cruising speed so drivers can focus on steering. The feature works as both a hill ascent and descent control preventing the wheels from slipping, Tesla explained.

Wade Mode, which was previously available allows drivers to enter and drive through “shallow bodies of water, such as defined crossing points of rivers or creeks” whereas the new “Baja Mode” will improve the vehicle’s balance. The vehicle will also handle more freely when Stability Assist is set to Minimal.

The new update also increases the sensitivity of the Cybertruck’s frunk, so that it stops earlier when it meets resistance. The model saw also its turning circle improved by 1.6 feet, making parking and low-speed maneuvers easier.

The adaptive suspension of the Cybertruck was also upgraded with more accurate payload estimations and automatically adjusting damping to deliver a more comfortable ride and better handling.

Off-Road Guide

Cybertruck Off Road Mode

The Off-Road Guide offers a comprehensive overview of Cybertruck features, detailing the various new driving modes and controls, including instructions on using Overland and Baja modes, adjusting ride height, and managing vehicle settings for different terrains.

Furthermore, the guide offers best practices for driving off-road, with tips on navigating various surfaces such as sand, mud, and rocks.

Tesla first started delivering Cybertrucks in November of last year. Despite some setbacks, Tesla continues to scale up the production of the Cybertruck at its Gigafactory in Austin, Texas.

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Video of Tesla Update 2024.14.3 Shows New Wiper Controls, Visualizations and More

Klaus Schmid / Not a Tesla App

Klaus Schmid on YouTube has posted a nice video overview of some of the major new features in this major update.

While most of the design changes appear to be limited to vehicles with AMD Ryzen chips, there are plenty of features to be excited about for Intel owners as well.

Parked Visualization

In the video, Klaus of course fiddles with the amazing-looking new vehicle model that is front and center while the vehicle is parked. You can freely pan, zoom, and play with the vehicle. The Cybertruck was the first vehicle to feature this new v12 design and even includes an easter egg when you tap on the glass multiple times. There’s no word on whether there are any easter eggs built into other vehicles.

The 3D model looks fantastic, but it's not immediately clear whether it's the same model that Tesla was using before this update or potentially a higher-resolution version, which could help explain the AMD requirement for this view.

The map while parked is now small and in the top-right corner of the screen. However, you can make the vehicle's visualization smaller so that it goes back to the older look with the visualization on the left and maps on the right.

The new parked visualization

Spotify Queue

Next, Klaus goes into Spotify, which now gives you the ability to queue up songs instead of just playing a predefined playlist or starting a new song immediately.

Quick Access to Car Wash Mode

Under Controls, you also now have quick access to Car Wash Mode, instead of having to remember it's under Service.

New Wiper Controls

The windshield wipers have been one of the most controversial topics on Teslas, mostly due to their automatic function not always working well. Tesla continues to add wiper controls to make them easier to manage.

In the last few updates, Tesla has now added various ways to control the wipers. You're able to add the wipers button to the dock at the bottom of the screen, use the newer multi-function control to control them with the left scroll wheel, and now Tesla is adding another way to control them.

Video of New Features

Easier Way to Change Wiper Speed

With update 2024.14.3, if you press the button on the left stalk to activate the wipers, you can now adjust their speed up by moving the scroll wheel up or down. Before this update, you could do something similar, but it required tilting the scroll wheel left/right, which wasn't as intuitive.

If you have your wipers on and set to a certain speed after installing this update, you’ll now also be able to tap the wipers button to cycle through the various speed options.

While this is a welcomed improvement, all the wiper control changes could be a little confusing for folks who don't follow Tesla as closely as we all do. In the end, the issue comes down to the automatic wiper function not working reliably, which is a little ridiculous since every automaker has already solved this problem with a $4 rain sensor. Tesla makes a lot of gambles, and I guess this one hasn’t panned out.

Full-Screen Visualizations

Owners outside of North America will finally be able to enjoy full-screen visualizations, although unfortunately, it doesn't include the full set of visualizations that are included with FSD. It appears that Tesla is keeping the full visualizations tied to FSD.

For drivers in North America who own or subscribe to FSD, which was recently lowered in price, the new full-screen view brings some improvements.

The new media player is now centered on the screen and includes additional buttons such as repeat, shuffle, search and more. You also get the small map in the corner which is useful to be able to see your next turn.

In addition, Tesla is now leaving the "Navigate to" module on the screen as well, so that you can set a new destination without leaving the admittedly nice full-screen view.

Update 2024.14.3 just started rolling out to owners yesterday, so it will be several weeks before most owners have access to this update. For now, check out all of our coverage and the release notes to see which features you can look forward to.

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