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Via Teslarati

Tesla's Hardware 3 computer frightens legacy auto after Model 3 teardown: 'We cannot do it'

February 17, 2020

A new teardown of the Tesla Model 3 by Nikkei Business Publications just sent a shiver through the spine of legacy automakers. Based on the findings of the teardown, it is becoming evident that the company’s tech is on an entirely different level compared to the electronics used by veteran automakers today, and a lot of it has to do with Tesla’s custom Full Self-Driving computer.

Following a thorough analysis of the Model 3, an engineer who works at a major Japanese automaker noted there was just no way for other carmakers to match Tesla’s level of tech. “We cannot do it,” the engineer admitted.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving computer, also known as Hardware 3, features a custom design from the electric car maker that makes the unit optimized for autonomous driving applications. At the core of the FSD computer are two 260 sq mm AI chips, which were developed by Tesla with the help of legendary chip designer and Apple alumni Pete Bannon.

Nikkei notes that Tesla’s current platform, which features a powerful computer at the center of the vehicle, will likely be crucial to the next generation of cars. Tomorrow’s vehicles will require enough computing power to handle large amounts of data, especially with the advent of full self-driving cars.

Considering that industry insiders expect connected cars to take hold around 2025, and considering that Tesla has started deploying HW3 to its vehicle lineup in 2019, the Silicon Valley-based electric car maker may very well have beaten its more experienced competitors by a whole six years. And that’s only on the hardware front. Tesla’s real-world data lead will likely be a difference-maker as well.

Ultimately, Nikkei noted that its Model 3 teardown showed one thing: Tesla’s undeniable lead in tech is partly due to the company not being tied down to traditional automotive supply chains. The publication noted that if traditional automakers adopt a similar strategy as Tesla today, they would have to drastically cut the number of electronic control units that they use in their vehicles. This would result in massive blows to supply chains that vehicle-makers rely on.

Unlike veteran car companies, Nikkei found that most of Tesla’s components on its vehicles bear the logo of the company, not a supplier. This shows that the company is not shackled to multiple other firms, making the company free to pursue the best technologies available. This also allows Tesla to have unprecedented control over its cars and how they function. This independence, as it turns out, is something that could give the company an edge in the automotive market.

And for some veterans, this is starting to become a very frightening thought.





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Garden_Aum

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Tesla once again eats the lunch of legacy car manufacturers
Hopefully this either forces them to innovate or license the technologies from Tesla
Either way, driving is going to get both safer and more fun for everyone
 

Cyberpartyboy21

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Wait til they find out what is going into the Cybertruck. Elon called it almost alien technology and he works with it and sees it everyday. I once joked about him being similar to Henry Starling from Star Trek Voyager...I guess the truth is stranger than fiction, it seems. Go Tesla.
 

BillyGee

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I think that was describing the plaid drivetrain, but he did also say that the cybertruck has features we don't know about yet.
 

Mule Ferguson

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I thank all of us early Tesla owner's thought we were way ahead of the other's.. I thought maybe 2 year's.. 6 year's WOOOOOOOOOW:)
 

ReddykwRun

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In a few short years, I don't look to see as many players in the market due to attrition with some legacy auto manufacturers going the way of the dinosaur. Did I just see a meteor fly overhead?
 

Saskateam

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In a few short years, I don't look to see as many players in the market due to attrition with some legacy auto manufacturers going the way of the dinosaur. Did I just see a meteor fly overhead?
I think you are right. Some of the automakers will not survive past the ICE age.
 

ModelAZ

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6 years is a lifetime in terms of technology and means that Tesla will be ahead for the foreseeable future as the rest of the companies try to catch up. And while they're trying to catch up, Tesla gets to continue innovating and staying ahead of the competition.
 

Woodworker

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I think you are right. Some of the automakers will not survive past the ICE age.
Just wait until Tesla builds a smaller and more affordable car that would compete with the Toyota Corolla at the 20K range. It will make all of the other car companies take notice. Oh wait, I think they are already taking notice. There is just not much that they can do to compete, and they are going to be way behind in the technology. Game Over
 

Sirfun

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Just wait until Tesla builds a smaller and more affordable car that would compete with the Toyota Corolla at the 20K range. It will make all of the other car companies take notice. Oh wait, I think they are already taking notice. There is just not much that they can do to compete, and they are going to be way behind in the technology. Game Over
I personally think I will be a long time till Tesla comes out with an econo Toyota killer. They don't have the infrastructure for maintaining that many vehicles YET. When they first came out with the model 3 there were serious issues. I would think they learned something from that.
 

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