Exclusive: Tesla HW4 Vehicles Also Run Distilled FSD Models
The discovery suggests older FSD model versions can run on newer hardware, expanding software options for owners.
Tesla's Hardware 4 (HW4) vehicles are capable of running distilled versions of Full Self-Driving models originally developed for older hardware, according to an exclusive report.
What Happened
NotATeslaApp discovered that Tesla HW4-equipped vehicles can execute distilled FSD neural network models. These distilled models are compressed and optimized versions of the full neural networks designed to run on Hardware 3 (HW3). The ability to run these models on HW4 hardware expands the range of software options available to owners with newer vehicles, potentially offering alternative driving experiences or serving as a bridge while Tesla continues developing native HW4 FSD builds.
Why It Matters
For current HW4 vehicle owners, this capability means access to a broader catalog of FSD software versions. Distilled models may offer different performance characteristics compared to fully native HW4 builds, giving owners more flexibility in how their vehicles operate. This also suggests Tesla's neural network architecture has some hardware-agnostic elements that allow for backwards compatibility across hardware generations.
The Bottom Line
Tesla HW4 vehicles can run distilled FSD models developed for older Hardware 3 hardware, a discovery that expands software options for newer vehicle owners and indicates architectural flexibility in Tesla's autonomous driving stack.
