---
title: "Tesla will build factories just to retrofit HW3 cars it said could do FSD, but can’t"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/283734306.md"
description: "Tesla plans to build \"microfactories\" in urban areas to retrofit HW3 vehicles for full autonomy, despite existing hardware limitations. CEO Elon Musk's proposal comes amid concerns over the company's profitability, as millions of vehicles were sold with the promise of full self-driving capabilities. Tesla previously marketed its vehicles as equipped with the necessary hardware for full autonomy, while also selling Full Self-Driving software for up to $15,000. The feasibility of this plan remains uncertain."
datetime: "2026-04-22T23:06:58.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/283734306.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/283734306.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/283734306.md)
---

# Tesla will build factories just to retrofit HW3 cars it said could do FSD, but can’t

There are millions of Tesla vehicles on the road today which were sold on the promise of full autonomy, but without hardware capable of doing so.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk just proposed the company could build “microfactories” in urban areas in order to upgrade the computers and cameras in those videos, adding high costs for a company that is already running thin on profitability – but we’ll see if it actually happens.

For years, Tesla said that every vehicle it sold came with the hardware for full self-driving. In the time where that post was live on its website, Tesla sold millions of vehicles with computer systems it called “hardware 2” and “hardware 3” (HW2 and HW3 for short).

It also sold software that it calls “Full Self-Driving,” or FSD for short, for up to $15,000, on the promise that that software would eventually allow a vehicle to drive itself without anyone in the vehicle.

### Related Stocks

- [TSLA.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLA.US.md)
- [TSL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSL.US.md)
- [TSLR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLR.US.md)
- [TSLL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLL.US.md)
- [TESL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TESL.US.md)
- [TSLG.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLG.US.md)
- [TSLT.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLT.US.md)
- [TSDD.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSDD.US.md)
- [TSLQ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLQ.US.md)
- [09366.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/09366.HK.md)
- [07766.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/07766.HK.md)
- [07366.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/07366.HK.md)

## Related News & Research

- [Tesla confirms features and June timeline for FSD V14 Lite on HW3](https://longbridge.com/en/news/283733471.md)
- [Tesla stock set to finally break losing streak just in time for earnings](https://longbridge.com/en/news/283126046.md)
- [Tesla Q1 Earnings Are Due April 22. Is TSLA Stock a Buy Before the Report?](https://longbridge.com/en/news/283381378.md)
- [Elon Musk pushes unsupervised FSD for consumer Teslas — again](https://longbridge.com/en/news/283731332.md)
- [Tesla tells HW3 owner to ‘be patient’ after 7 years of waiting for FSD](https://longbridge.com/en/news/283180157.md)