Tesla earlier this month delivered the first models equipped with HW 4.0 (Hardware 4.0), and now we are gradually learning more details about this new system.
Tesla Hardware 4.0 has 12 camera ports, one of which is marked as a backup. All Tesla models now come with nine cameras, three of which are forward-facing and located under the windshield, two on the wings, two on the B-pillar, one in the rear and one for the interior camera.
The new cameras not only improve picture quality and resolution, but also increase the field of view, which is very helpful for situations such as unprotected turns. A Twitter user showed a comparison of his new Model S (with hardware 4.0) and the old Model Y (with hardware 3.0) in the same location. The results show that the new Model S is able to see more horizontally, while the old Model Y is able to see more vertically.
Hardware 4.0 (top) vs Hardware 3.0 (bottom)
Tesla has quietly installed Hardware 4.0 on some vehicles since the beginning of this month, and plans to roll it out to more models in the future. With the synergy of hardware 4.0 and server-side full self-driving functions, it is expected that Tesla’s self-driving level will be significantly improved.
