According to a well-known Tesla hacker, Tesla has designed a new self-driving computer retrofit, but it’s not even for HW3 cars.
Teska has two primary computational hardware generations for its self-driving program: HW3 cars (up until 2023) and HW4 cars (since 2023), sometimes called AI4.
The computer in the HW4 suite has much more computing power and uses different cameras.
Since Tesla had promised to deliver “unsupervised self-driving” on both hardware, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that software development on the older HW3 cars that have been waiting longer would lead about 6 months ahead of newer HW4 cars.
Tesla gave up on the strategy last year and now releases all new software on HW4 vehicles first, and HW3 owners are stuck with much older and less-performing versions of Tesla’s (Supervised) Full Self-Driving package.
As we have previously reported, most people following the program agree that it is impossible for Tesla to deliver on its unsupervised self-driving promises on HW3 cars – something that Tesla finally started to hint at late last year.
Tesla would have to offer a new computer retrofit to HW3 car owners and even then, many doubts that this would lead to Tesla delivering on its self-driving promises.
Now, with this context, we are encouraged to see Green, a well-known Tesla hacker who often finds new features in software and Tesla computers, discovering a new Tesla self-driving computer that appears to be meant as a retrofit:
I just came across a Model Y HW4 car computer that’s not unlike any other I’ve seen. It has the front bumper cam connector populated. Before you say it’s just a Model Y Juniper refresh car computer, it’s not because it does not actually have a second screen connector.
Here are a few pictures of the new Tesla computer:
Greem believes that this computer is going to be a retrofit for existing HW4 vehicles:
This car computer is also labelled “MY Reloaded” (where as previously it was just “MY” ) and according to the other markings it’s a service replacement unit. Overall it almost looks like Tesla is gearing to replace old hw4 with new ones and add a bumper cam while they are at it?
It can’t replace HW3 computers since it doesn’t have the same connectors for cameras.
Since this is now the only HW4 Model Y hardware in Tesla’s part catalog, it’s likely the new updated computer that we previously reported and that the automaker is having issues with.
The new information that is interesting is that it is apparently retrofittable to existing HW4 Tesla vehicles.
Electrek’s Take
For a second, I thought Tesla was doing the right thing and upgrading HW3 computers, but no.
The bumper cam is something that we are also seeing on the new Model Y and Tesla likely is starting to see that this is needed to achieve higher levels of autonomy.
I doubt that you will be able to retrofit that unless you already have wiring harnesses for it, but it doesn’t matter much anyway.
I, like many, have serious doubt that Tesla will even deliver unsupervised self-driving on HW4 cars. HW3 cars, you can forget it.
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GE Vernova’s onshore wind business announced that it received orders in 2024 to repower over 1 gigawatt (GW) of wind turbines in the US.
Wind energy repowering is all about breathing new life into older turbines. By swapping out aging parts like turbines, blades, and nacelles for the latest tech, wind farms see significant boosts in efficiency, power capacity, and overall lifespan. Other infrastructure and control systems can also get a second life.
Adding new components to existing infrastructure and grid connections means it’s less expensive to extend the life of the wind farm with fewer resources. New components make the turbines less prone to breakdowns which means less maintenance, so there are fewer operational costs.
The repowering projects for which GE Vernova received orders will use nacelles and drive trains that it manufactures in its Pensacola, Florida, factory.
“As the United States works to meet the doubling of projected demand for more energy, repower projects like these help US workers in US factories take advantage of what we already have, where we already have it,” said Matt Lynch, general manager of Repower at GE Vernova.
The orders were booked between the first and fourth quarters of 2024. GE Vernova’s wind repower projects are expected to come online between 2024 and 2027.
GE Vernova’s onshore wind business has a total installed base of approximately 56,000 turbines and nearly 120 GW of installed capacity worldwide.
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Kia’s official first-party NACS adapters are now ready to ship out, but owners will have to wait to use them on Tesla Superchargers until later this quarter.
The rollout of Supercharger access to non-Tesla brands is hitting a fever pitch this year, with several brands added to the “coming soon” list, and even beyond that, VW and Honda have both made their own announcements that access is coming soon.
But for most vehicles, charging on Superchargers will require an adapter for the time being, as most brands aren’t adding native NACS ports to their vehicles until a future date (the current exceptions are the 2025 Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 which have native ports).
Each manufacturer is dealing with adapter rollouts separately, and Kia’s ready to announce that their adapters are ready to go.
Kia told us today that shipments of first-party adapters are currently en route to dealerships, and certain owners will be getting a notification soon to claim their adapter.
In Kia’s previous announcement about adapter availability, it said that any 2024 or 2025 EV6 or EV9 owners who took delivery after September 4 would get a free NACS adapter. Those owners should receive a push notification soon in their Kia Connect app through which they can claim their adapter.
For other owners, adapters will be available from Kia dealers for $249, which is roughly in line with the average cost we’ve been seeing for these adapters. Dealers should be getting the adapters any day now.
However, these adapters will be of limited usefulness for the next several weeks. You’ll be able to use them to charge at Tesla destination chargers, or any home charger with a Tesla/NACS plug on it, but Supercharger access still requires a handshake between the car and the charging network, and that handshake is currently disabled.
Originally, Kias were going to gain access on January 15th, but that was pushed back until the “back end of this quarter.” Some owners found out a loophole to allow for charging on the network, but that loophole was closed just yesterday.
As a result, Kia is also including “definitive instructions” on how to use the adapters along with each shipment. It wants to ensure that everyone is using them properly, especially given the recent back-and-forth about, uh, unsanctioned methods to access the network before official availability.
Kia’s EV6 with the native NACS port has also taken longer to arrive than Hyundai’s 2025 Ioniq 5. Ioniq 5s are already shipping (and can even charge faster than Teslas at a Supercharger, a feat the EV6 should also achieve), but EV6s haven’t yet hit dealerships. They should be on around the same timeline as Supercharger access, and ought to be available in the back half of this quarter.
So… Kia fans will still have to wait a little bit, but at least you’ll have the adapters ready to go for when the floodgates open later this quarter.
If you’re looking to buy one of the fastest-charging EVs on the road today, use our link to check local dealers and get in line for when they get the new 2025 Kia EV6s in stock.
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EV charger manufacturer Kempower and Ziegler Energy Solutions have paired up to deliver EV fast charging infrastructure for commercial fleets.
To put it simply, Finland and US-based Kempower brings DC fast chargers to the table, and Ziegler Energy Solutions’ (ZES’s) specialty is infrastructure, energy efficiency, and operational flexibility, along with sales and service.
“As businesses and municipalities increasingly transition to electric fleets, reliable and adaptable EV charging infrastructure with the highest uptime is paramount,” said Troy Monson, general manager of Ziegler Energy Solutions. “Partnering with Kempower enables us to deliver scalable, user-friendly solutions that support our customers’ electrification goals and operational needs.”
ZES, which is now a Kempower Certified Partner, helps fleet operators address challenges like high mileage, uptime demands, and energy cost management using its EV fleet planning tools that simulate real-world scenarios like duty cycles, charging schedules, and energy needs. It also has a leasing program, and integrates solar and battery storage into fast charging infrastructure.
This means Kempower can now offer its DC fast chargers to fleet operators with ZES’s support, ensuring uptime and reliability.
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