By Lennon Cihak
The creative and talented team over at Munro Live has shared some exciting new information about Tesla’s highly anticipated HW4.
Last month, Tesla hacker and owner Greentheonly leaked photos of the HW4 computer, citing a myriad of new features and improvements. The new computer will allegedly be 2-4x faster than HW3. A portion of this computing power will likely go toward processing additional data from the upgraded 5MP cameras.
Along with the upgraded 5MP cameras come some additional changes that make it hard for Tesla to retrofit HW4 into previous vehicles. The layout of the HW is quite different and, as noted in Munro Live’s video, the board is significantly larger, among other things.
The Power of Tesla
One thing in particular the Munro & Associates team uncovered was that Tesla removed the daughter board in HW4, which integrates the AMD graphics subsystem right into the primary board. The Munro team said this would increase performance by removing the communication bottleneck between the two boards. Furthermore, this integration will save Tesla around $2 per vehicle due to removing some small parts and it will help streamline manufacturing.
Not Only for Cost Savings
This speaks volumes about the power and manufacturing abilities of Tesla. While $2 per vehicle isn't a big deal on its own, the cost savings alone, which are expected to be up to 4 million dollars this year, will more than pay for the engineering time spent on making these changes. However, the bigger win will come in having fewer parts to handle and assemble when building a vehicle. It will also help increase the vehicle's reliability by having fewer failure points.
The AMD-powered infotainment processor is unchanged in HW4, but the processor utilized for taking the input from the cameras and sensors is now larger and received a performance boost. Tesla is expected to transition all vehicles to hardware 4 this year, including the upcoming Cybertruck (new Cybertruck features uncovered at Investor Day)which is expected to begin manufacturing this summer.
Watch Munro Live’s HW4 Teardown
By Lennon Cihak
Tesla has released the highly anticipated FSD Beta v11.3.1 with Tesla's single-stack highway and city driving. Along with this update comes a new way to report Autopilot feedback to Tesla.
Tesla's new “voice drive-notes,” allows drivers to record an audio message describing the reason for Autopilot's disengagement.
No More Snapshot Button
Before FSD Beta was released to everyone in the U.S. and Canada, Tesla had a snapshot button that allowed drivers to 'flag' certain situations where Autopilot wasn't up to snuff. However, that button is now gone for everyone except very early beta testers.
With this latest beta, those early testers have both, the snapshot button and Tesla's new voice notes. However, we believe that Tesla will transition completely to their voice notes eventually as it provides a hands-free solution and offers the driver the ability to add more detail.
With the new voice notes, Tesla will likely still capture the same information they did with the snapshot button, including the vehicle’s camera feeds and telemetry data.
How Voice Notes Functions
After an Autopilot disengagement, the vehicle will display a small card asking the driver what happened and prompt the driver to share a short voice memo. The card will display:
Autopilot Disengaged. What Happened?
Press voice button to send Tesla an anonymous message describing your experience.
You can then push the right scroll wheel (the same one used to activate voice commands) and provide feedback about the disengagement without removing your hands from the steering wheel.
Recording Limits
Tesla appears to be limiting voice notes to 10 seconds. Once you press the voice button, the screen will display:
Recording...
10 seconds remaining until automatic upload. Press to end recording.
You can let the feature record for all 10 seconds, at which point it'll automatically stop and upload the audio clip to Tesla, or you can stop it early by pressing the scroll wheel again.
You'll also be able to cancel the voice dictation by pressing the 'Cancel' button on the screen.
Once the voice note is sent successfully, Tesla will display a confirmation on the screen.
Recording sent. Thank you. Your feedback will help us improve Autopilot.
Drive Notes in Action
Dan Burkland shows us how FSD Beta's new voice notes feature works.
Misuse of Voice Notes
There's no doubt that this system will be misused by a small percentage of drivers by providing some... interesting recordings. It's not clear how Tesla plans to address this issue, but Tesla could potentially block certain vehicles from sending in voice notes if the system is misused.
Anonymous Recordings
Tesla says that these voice notes will be anonymous, so they likely won't be tied to a specific vehicle or driver profile. However, it's not clear whether Tesla will simply transcribe your audio to text and store that, or if they will retain the audio clip, which could result in it being a little less anonymous.
Transcribing Audio Drive Notes
Tesla’s engineers certainly won’t be listening to every single voice memo sent in, so we’re assuming that Tesla will automatically transcribe these voice memos so that engineers can quickly search through and address various types of reports. However, the question remains if the transcription isn't clear, will the audio clip be available for playback?
Tesla, unfortunately, failed to point out the new voice notes feature in the latest FSD Beta release notes, but this is an exciting feature that will hopefully let many owners provide more detailed feedback on why they disengaged Autopilot.
This feature has been available to Tesla employees and early testers with the public build of FSD Beta 11.3.1 and will hopefully be available to everyone with access to FSD Beta soon.
By Kevin Armstrong
Cybertruck hype reached feverish levels after Investor Day. The futuristic vehicle was on display and even took some lucky people for a test drive. However, wherever there is a parade, there will surely be rain. So, Morgan Stanley's managing director advises staff to manage expectations for clients excited about investing in Tesla.
Adam Jonas, who attended Investor Day, listed five reasons why Cybertruck may not be the vehicle Elon Musk and the Tesla team dream it will be. Instead, he thinks it will be a financial "side-show," a "cultural/zeitgeist," and an "enthusiast/cult car." Let's hear him out. He is considered a Tesla Bull, despite a quick Google search showing he's been writing a bear case for Tesla for years.
Things Have Changed for Tesla
His first point is that Tesla was a different company in 2019 when Cybertruck was unveiled. When you adjust for the multiple stock splits, Tesla is worth ten times more today. He believes the company's values and goals have changed since 2019.
Tesla has changed significantly in the past four years, and the company is focused on launching a more affordable vehicle. Musk laid out his plan for a more sustainable energy future that included getting more people into electric cars, a goal that can only be achieved if those cars are affordable for more people. Unfortunately, Cybertruck is unlikely to be under the title: affordable.
How Far Can Unique Go?
The investor's next point is calling the Cybertruck the "ultimate avant-garde vehicle." He believes that the unique aspects of Cybertruck will lose some appeal when there are several on the road.
Okay, fair point. However, how many white Teslas do you see on the road today? No one seems to mind driving the same color Model 3 and Model Y. Besides, if someone is concerned about losing that "indescribable something," as Jonas puts it, they can get a wrap. Also, with rumors that the next platform may use Cybertruck's stainless steel exterior, the company doesn't seem concerned about too many stainless steel vehicles.
Restrict Cybertruck Production
To that point, the Morgan Stanley employee wonders if Tesla should restrict the production of Cybertruck. He forecasts that the production volume could ramp up to 100,000 units per year, which means it will be 2030 by the time 500,000 are on the street. He ponders if the company should limit production to 420,699 Cybertrucks.
This makes sense if his production figures are close to reality. It could take decades to fill the millions of Cybertruck orders. Look at how much things have changed in the four years since it was announced; imagine the changes that could happen before filling all those orders. These orders may fall under the same category as the long-awaited Roadster 2.0.
Price Point Concerns
In his next point, Jonas says the employee who gave him a Cybertruck ride said the vehicle weighed 7,000 pounds, equivalent to a Chevy Silverado 3500HD. That has Jonas thinking the price will be significantly higher than the first announced $39,900.
At this point, anyone who thinks they will get a Cybertruck for forty grand better forfeit their reservation now. But Jonas's point is relevant: if the price comes in too high, the waitlist will be drastically reduced by the many who put in a reservation for a $39,900 truck.
Not a Competitor for Traditional Trucks
Based on that point, Jonas doesn't think the Cybertruck he saw and rode in "poses a significant threat to the established pickup truck market."
He could be right. It will be a difficult sell if it's big, heavy, and considerably expensive. We should also note that just days before this letter to Morgan Stanley staff, Jonas dropped Tesla as his preferred U.S.-listed automaker and now backs Ferrari NV. Yes, that Ferrari, the builder of supercars.
If you are on the waiting list for a Cybertruck, it's worth considering the points Jonas has raised. However, while Cybertruck has generated significant hype and excitement, it is essential to account for the potential challenges and limitations it may face in the market. With Tesla's changing values and goals, the Cybertruck's unique design, uncertain price point, and limited production, it remains to be seen whether it will be the ultimate game-changer in the pickup truck market. But you'll have plenty of time to decide if you want to take delivery of your Cybertruck as limited production starts this summer, with a ramp-up beginning next year.
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