Tesla upgrades Model Y's self-driving computer to HW 4.0 in China, price unchanged

The entire Model Y lineup has been upgraded to the HW 4.0 self-driving computer, while the price remains the same.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Tesla has upgraded the Model Y crossover in China with a hardware enhancement, the latest one after minor upgrades last October.

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The entire Model Y lineup has been upgraded to the Hardware 4.0 (HW 4.0) self-driving computer, but the price remains the same, Tesla announced today on its social media accounts in China.

The upgrade allows the Model Y to see greater distances, with a maximum detection range of 424 meters, Tesla said.

It also brings a five-fold increase in chip computing power, allowing the vehicle's brain to respond faster, according to one of its posters.

The Model Y is one of the models that Tesla produces in China, the other being the Model 3 sedan. The more expensive Model S and Model X are not produced in China.

The Model Y is offered in three versions in China -- the base rear-wheel-drive version, the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive Model Y Long Range version, and the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive Model Y Performance version -- and is currently priced at a starting price of RMB 258,900 ($36,070), RMB 299,900, RMB 363,900 yuan.

Earlier today, Tesla announced that it is offering a RMB 8,000 cash discount in China for some Model Y inventory vehicles.

The Model Y's last hardware upgrade came in October 2023, when the model's base version saw range and acceleration improvements, while the Model Y Long Rang saw a range boost.

The crossover also added improvements including multi-colored ambient lighting, a new dashboard trim panel, and new 19-inch wheels, Tesla announced at the time.

The Model 3 is offered in two versions in China -- the base version with rear-wheel drive, and the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive Model 3 Long Range version -- with starting prices of RMB 245,900 and RMB 285,900, respectively.

Tesla officially started sales of the revamped Model 3, or Highland version, in China on October 19 last year.

Tesla sold 75,805 vehicles in China in December, and 603,664 for the full year of 2023, up 37.27 percent from 2022, according to the China Passenger Car Association.