For years, Tesla owners with Hardware 3 cars (sold between 2019 and 2023) have waited for a software update that unlocks fully autonomous driving. However, on April 22, 2026, during Teslas quarterly earnings call, Elon Musk finally delivered the answer, and it wasnt the one everyone was hoping.

Musk confirmed that the cars running the companys third-generation hardware cannot achieve unsupervised Full Self-Driving through software alone; the vehicles need physical hardware upgrades. In other words, about four million vehicles sold globally cant achieve FSD (via TechCrunch).

　　What did Musk actually say about FSD on Hardware 3 cars?

Hardware 3 simply does not have the capability to achieve unsupervised FSD, Musk said on the call. Instead, Teslas Hardware 3 vehicles need a new computer and new cameras to unlock the FSD promise (via over-the-air updates) that the company has been making for years.

Recommended Videos Now, FSD has been one of the core selling points that has led many buyers to purchase the vehicles in the first place. This is why the announcement is a disappointment to owners who bought their Tesla EVs between 2019 and 2023.

Given below is a table that contains the names of the Hardware 3 models.

　　So, what happens to Hardware 3 owners?

For now, theyre not entirely left out. While Tesla will continue rolling out incremental FSD software updates for its Hardware 3 vehicles, anything that approaches true autonomy requires the hardware upgrade we discussed earlier.

The scale of the task, naturally, is substantial enough that the company is exploring building micro-factories in major cities to handle the workload; existing service centers cant manage the upgrade volume on their own.

Id say that Tesla understands the reputational and legal aspects of inaction, and whether owners receive free upgrades or face additional costs (after paying for the FSD add-on) could determine whether this admission becomes a goodwill gesture from the company or triggers a backlash among buyers.