South Korean outlet MK reports Tesla is preparing production for its next-gen FSD Hardware 5.0 (AI 5).
The chip targets 2000-2500 TOPS – 4-5x faster than current HW4's 500 TOPS. Samsung and TSMC may jointly manufacture it to mitigate supply risks.
1. Performance Leap: HW5 vs. HW4 & Competitors
HW5 (AI5): 2000-2500 TOPS (ASIC optimized for FSD)
HW4 (AI4): ~500 TOPS
NVIDIA RTX 5080: 1800 TOPS (360W power draw)
NVIDIA RTX 5090: 3400 TOPS (575W power draw)
Key Takeaway
Tesla’s efficiency-focused ASIC design outperforms GPUs in autonomous tasks despite lower TOPS.
2. Why Tesla Needs 2500 TOPS
The massive compute power supports:
Unsupervised FSD: Handling edge cases with 99.99% reliability.
Robotaxi operations: Real-time decision-making with redundant neural networks.
Future AI models: Scaling complexity for urban autonomy.
Elon Musk initially claimed 5000 TOPS (10x HW4), but 2000-2500 TOPS aligns with industry trends.
3. Potential Camera Upgrades
HW5 may include Samsung’s "Weather Proof" cameras:
Heating elements: Melts ice/snow in 1 minute.
6x stronger coating: Reduces water distortion.
8MP resolution: Matches current Model Y cameras.
Impact: Better performance in cold climates for lane changes and object detection.
4. Compatibility for HW3/HW4 Owners
HW3 vehicles: Might get a downgraded AI5 upgrade (limited by power/thermal constraints).
HW4 vehicles: No urgent need – runs unsupervised FSD smoothly.
Robotaxi Pilot: Tesla uses HW4 Model Y for its June 2024 Austin test.
5. Production Timeline & Market Impact
TSMC 3nm N3P: Primary supplier, orders placed.
Samsung: Backup foundry for 2026 mass production.
Expected Launch: Late 2025 (possible holiday sales boost).
FSD V14 (coming soon) may require HW5 for its 4x parameter expansion.