A Tesla Model Y is seen in a Tesla parking lot in Austin, Texas on May 31, 2023.
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Tesla
The Tesla Model Y will come with hardware 4.0 (HW 4.0) for free when the customer purchases the car. HW 4.0 is a set of cameras, sensors and on-board computer designed to facilitate Tesla’s experimental driver-assistance software, which is marketed as Full Self-Driving Beta or FSD Beta.
The US electric vehicle maker also launched new red, gray and silver colors for the Model Y in China.
HW 4.0 is Tesla’s most advanced set of hardware designed for autonomous capabilities. It is touted to have more powerful processing power and better cameras that are important for the car to understand its environment so it doesn’t drive into people or other vehicles and objects.
Tesla has brought HW 4.0 to Model S and Model X cars in some markets.
In the fourth quarter, the Warren Buffett-backed Chinese auto giant
Tesla is also facing competition from automakers like Nio and Xpeng.
Tesla’s latest hardware update is one way to respond to this situation.
Its business is facing pressure as it cut prices around the world last year to fuel demand, which has weighed on its margins. Tesla warned last week that vehicle volume growth in 2024 “may be significantly lower” than last year.