The Tesla Model Y is getting Hardware 4.0, an upgraded version of the electric vehicle brand’s sensor and software package, despite the platform lacking an official release.
The battery-powered crossover SUVs were spotted with the new suite of cameras and sensors on one of the automaker’s delivery lots. The Model Y joins the Model X and Model S in featuring Hardware 4.0, leaving only the Model 3 with the earlier iteration of the platform. The package also includes a new computer to handle Tesla’s Full Self-Driving service.
However, while the company has now implemented the update to three-fourths of its lineup, it has yet to make an official announcement on the upgrade. Although CEO Elon Musk has teased a formal release in the near future, it is not clear when the EV brand intends to make its move. Certain features, such as a “drowsiness” monitor, have reportedly been discovered in models shipped with the new software suite, but a full list of changes remains absent.
Tesla is hoping to use self-driving services as key revenue sources in the coming years, and Hardware 4.0 represents a major push towards realizing these ambitions. Musk has frequently claimed that fully functional, driverless vehicles are only months away, going so far as to pin the company’s financial future on the technology during the car maker’s annual Investor Day. However, to reach this destination, the EV brand would need to advance the capabilities of its software from Level 2, its current rating, to Level 5. Only one automaker, Mercedes, has received a higher autonomy certification than Tesla, after reaching Level 3 earlier this year.
