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Tesla China responds to complaints about locally-made Model 3 delivered with HW2.5

Tesla Made-in-China Model 3 (Credit: Tesla China | Twitter)

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Tesla China recently issued a statement following complaints from locally-produced Model 3 owners whose vehicles were fitted with the company’s Hardware 2.5 instead of its custom-designed Hardware 3 computer, which is designed specifically to achieve autonomous driving.

Tesla cited supply chain issues amid the coronavirus outbreak as a reason behind the error. The company also offered free upgrades once Hardware 3.0 units are available. Tesla Model 3 owners can book appointments with a Service Center for a free replacement.

“Our original intention is to do our best to meet the needs of consumers’ safety and use… We are currently taking various measures to ensure timely delivery. We will continue to listen carefully to consumers. Your voice helps us provide better services and products,” part of the official Tesla China statement read.

(Credit: Tesla China/Weibo)

Customers expressed their dissatisfaction upon discovering that the labels on their Model 3, specifically with regard to the vehicle controller hardware code, was inconsistent with their orders. The HW3 controller code is 1462554 while the HW2.5 is listed as 1483112. Tesla China clarified that the company installed HW3 for users who have purchased the company’s Full Self-Driving suite, and explained that the driving experience is virtually the same for owners whose cars are equipped with HW2.5.

Tesla’s HW3 is custom-designed by the electric car maker to work with its in-house software. With HW3, drivers are able to make the most of the company’s full suite of FSD capabilities. Some of the advantages unique to HW3 cars today include more detailed Driving Visualizations that include traffic cones, lights, and street signs.

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Following a government-imposed closure of Giga Shanghai as China battles the coronavirus public health scare, the Tesla Gigafactory in China resumed operations on Feb. 10. The Palo Alto, California-based carmaker was actually one of the first car manufacturers to resume production following the temporary shutdown ordered by the Chinese government. Tesla also unlocked free Supercharging for customers in China in order to help those who need to travel during the outbreak.

In the face of the coronavirus outbreak, Tesla China also ramped its customer service efforts by delivering locally-made Model 3s to specific addresses instead of requiring customers to go to their local Tesla delivery center to receive their vehicle.

Prior to the Giga Shanghai temporary shutdown, Tesla was among the top local electric car producers in the country, rolling out over 2,600 locally-made Model 3s in January despite the long holiday for the Chinese New Year, which was followed not long after by the outbreak of the coronavirus.

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Tesla FSD (Supervised) could be approved in the Netherlands next month: Musk

Musk shared the update during a recent interview at Giga Berlin.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared that Full Self-Driving (FSD) could receive regulatory approval in the Netherlands as soon as March 20, potentially marking a major step forward for Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance rollout in Europe.

Musk shared the update during a recent interview at Giga Berlin, noting that the date was provided by local authorities.

“Tesla has the most advanced real-world AI, and hopefully, it will be approved soon in Europe. We’re told by the authorities that March 20th, it’ll be approved in the Netherlands,’ what I was told,” Musk stated

“Hopefully, that date remains the same. But I think people in Europe are going to be pretty blown away by how good the Tesla car AI is in being able to drive.”

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Tesla’s FSD system relies on vision-based neural networks trained on real-world driving data, allowing vehicles to navigate using cameras and AI rather than traditional sensor-heavy solutions. 

The performance of FSD Supervised has so far been impressive. As per Tesla’s safety report, Full Self-Driving Supervised has already traveled 8.3 billion miles. So far, vehicles operating with FSD Supervised engaged recorded one major collision every 5,300,676 miles. 

In comparison, Teslas driven manually with Active Safety systems recorded one major collision every 2,175,763 miles, while Teslas driven manually without Active Safety recorded one major collision every 855,132 miles. The U.S. average during the same period was one major collision every 660,164 miles.

If approval is granted on March 20, the Netherlands could become the first European market to greenlight Tesla’s latest supervised FSD (Supervised) software under updated regulatory frameworks. Tesla has been working to secure expanded FSD access across Europe, where regulatory standards differ significantly from those in the United States. Approval in the Netherlands would likely serve as a foundation for broader EU adoption, though additional country-level clearances may still be required.

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Elon Musk estimates Tesla Semi could reach Europe next year

“We’ve got the Tesla Semi coming out, the heavy truck, and that’ll be going to Europe hopefully next year,” Musk said.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is preparing to expand its all-electric Semi truck program to Europe, with CEO Elon Musk indicating that the Class 8 vehicle could arrive in the region 2027.

Musk shared his update during an interview about Giga Berlin with plant manager André Thierig, which was posted on X by the official Tesla Manufacturing account.

“We’ve got the Tesla Semi coming out, the heavy truck, and that’ll be going to Europe hopefully next year,” he said.

Tesla has already begun limited production and customer deployments of the Tesla Semi in the United States, with the company working to scale output through the Semi factory near Giga Nevada. Considering Musk’s comments, it appears that a European rollout would be the next phase of the vehicle’s expansion beyond North America.

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Musk’s use of the word “hopefully” leaves room for flexibility, but the remark signals that Europe is next in Tesla’s commercial expansion plans.

Musk has consistently argued that electrification should extend beyond passenger vehicles. During the same interview, he reiterated his view that “all ground transport should be electric,” adding that ships, and eventually aircraft, would follow.

The Semi plays a central role in that strategy. Heavy-duty freight remains one of the most emissions-intensive segments of road transport, and European regulators have increasingly pushed for lower-emission commercial fleets. 

Tesla recently refreshed the Semi lineup on its official website, listing two variants: Standard and Long Range. The Standard trim offers up to 325 miles of range with an energy consumption rating of 1.7 kWh per mile, while the Long Range version provides up to 500 miles, which should be more than ample for European routes.

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Tesla Cybercab coming next to Giga Berlin, Optimus possibly after

“From a next major product standpoint, I think most likely is the Tesla Cybercab,” Musk said.

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Credit: Cybercab

Tesla could add the Cybercab and Optimus humanoid robot to the production lineup at Giga Berlin, as per recent comments from CEO Elon Musk. 

During a recent interview with Giga Berlin plant manager André Thierig, Musk identified the Cybercab as the most likely next major product for the German factory, with Optimus potentially following after.

“From a next major product standpoint, I think most likely is the Tesla Cybercab,” Musk said. He added that there are also “possibilities of Tesla Optimus” being produced in the facility.

Tesla has already begun production of the Cybercab in Giga Texas, with volume production expected to ramp this year. Based on Musk’s comments, it appears that if conditions align in Europe, Giga Berlin could eventually join that effort.

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The CEO’s comments about Optimus coming to Gigafactory Berlin are quite unsurprising too considering that Musk has mentioned in the past that the humanoid robot will likely be Tesla’s highest volume product in the long run. 

Giga Berlin will likely be able to produce mass volumes of Optimus, as the Model S and Model X lines being converted to an Optimus line in the Fremont Factory are already expected to produce 1 million units of the humanoid robot annually. 

Apart from his comments about the Cybercab and Optimus, Elon Musk also confirmed that Giga Berlin has started ramping battery cell production and will continue expanding Model Y output, particularly as supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) gains regulatory approvals in Europe.

Taken together, the remarks suggest Berlin’s role could evolve beyond vehicle assembly into a broader multi-product manufacturing hub, not just a regional Model Y plant.

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