Tesla-leiding
Musk said it himself. 'We will need to replace all HW3 computers.'
Tesla's own CEO publicly acknowledged during the Q4 2024 Earnings Call that Hardware 3 computers in vehicles where FSD was purchased must be replaced. The top executive confirmed exactly what this initiative is about.
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Date
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29 January 2025
The truth is that we will need to replace all HW3 computers in vehicles where FSD was purchased.
What an earnings call is
Tesla's quarterly earnings calls are public, recorded events where the CEO answers questions from analysts and investors. Statements made there are legally party statements made by Tesla, Inc. on behalf of the company. They carry the same legal weight as a written corporate statement.
The Q4 2024 Earnings Call took place on 29 January 2025. On that call, the subject of Hardware 3 and its compatibility with future Full Self-Driving releases came up. Tesla's FSD head Ashok Elluswamy initially gave a reassuring response ('we are not giving up on it'), after which Elon Musk stepped in with a correction.
The exact words
As Electrek quoted it:
"The truth is that we will need to replace all HW3 computers in vehicles where FSD was purchased."
And then, acknowledging the scale:
"That's going to be painful and difficult, but we'll get it done. Now I'm kinda glad that not that many people bought the FSD package."
Why this matters legally
This statement is heavy evidence in four ways:
- It's an admission. Tesla's own CEO acknowledges that the current product (HW3 with purchased FSD) can't deliver what was promised without hardware replacement. That's an admission of non-conformity.
- It's specific to FSD buyers. Musk draws a clear line: the upgrade applies to those who purchased the FSD package. That's exactly the group hw3claim.nl represents.
- It's a commitment. 'We'll get it done' isn't an intention. It's a commitment made to investors. Such commitments are enforceable through both consumer law and regulators.
- It comes from the top. Not a marketing department. Not customer service. Not a press officer. Tesla's CEO confirming the facts on a regulated investor call.
What Tesla did next (and didn't)
Between 29 January 2025 and 11 April 2026, fifteen months passed. During that time Tesla:
- Announced no concrete retrofit plan (confirmed by multiple Electrek updates between February and November 2025)
- On the Q3 2025 Earnings Call (October 2025) partially walked back the commitment. CFO Vaibhav Taneja said: 'We've not completely given up on hardware 3.' FSD head Elluswamy announced a 'v14 Lite version for hardware 3' expected in Q2 2026.
- Rejected Mischa Sigtermans's both summation letters on 24 April 2025 and 9 May 2025, even though Musk's commitment covers his situation precisely.
This pattern, promising and then not delivering, is Tesla's second failure. First they didn't honour the original 2019 promise. Now they're not honouring Musk's own January 2025 correction either.
Source verification and follow-up reporting
Electrek is used as the source here because it's a reputable technology publication that systematically follows and quotes Tesla's earnings calls. The full Q4 2024 transcript is additionally available directly via Tesla's investor relations page (ir.tesla.com).
A follow-up article by Electrek, 'Tesla has no plan for HW3 owners 4 months after admitting it won't support self-driving' (2 June 2025), confirms that Tesla hadn't executed Musk's commitment four months later. That makes the January 2025 statement not just evidence of Tesla's knowledge, but also evidence of continued non-performance.