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Tesla's Elon Musk shares MCU1 retrofit target timeframe, estimates $2k upgrade cost
Elon Musk has provided new details about Tesla’s Media Control Unit (MCU) retrofits for vehicles that are equipped with older infotainment systems. According to the CEO, MCU1 to MCU2 retrofits may start in a few months, though he does not personally recommend it, especially considering its estimated $2,000 cost. Musk has instead suggested that Tesla will release an update to older cars that can optimize the performance of their existing MCUs.
Musk’s recent statements were shared on Twitter while the CEO was interacting with Tesla owners, some of whom owned MCU1-equipped vehicles. The limitations of the older hardware have become more prominent over time, particularly as Tesla rolled out media-heavy features such as the Tesla Theater and the Tesla Arcade. Similar to older hardware in mobile devices, MCU1 vehicles have become slower compared to the company’s newer vehicles like the Raven Model S and X, as well as the Model 3.
Elon Musk has previously stated that MCU1 retrofits would be offered to owners whose vehicles are still equipped with older hardware. The CEO confirmed this following the initial rollout of MCU2 vehicles, and the idea was reiterated after the release of the company’s new Tesla Arcade titles. That being said, a number of Tesla owners have been informed by local service centers that an MCU1 to MCU2 retrofit was not possible.
For the uninitiated, Tesla’s MCU1 is equipped with an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, which is capable but a tad slower than its newer sibling. Meanwhile, the MCU2 runs on an Intel Atom E800 series chip and comes with a faster browser. The unit also renders videos with sound, giving it the capability of running new features such as the Tesla Theater, which includes video streaming apps such as Netflix and YouTube, as well as video games in Tesla Arcade. All Tesla Model 3s run on MCU 2, as well as Model S and Model X units purchased after March 2018. Customers who bought their Model S and X prior to March 2018 use the MCU1.
Many Tesla owners whose vehicles are equipped with MCU1 have been clamoring for an update to avail of features only enjoyed by those using the newer system. Tesla has not left those on MCU1 in the dark and has rolled out several updates to improve the performance of the older infotainment systems. That being said, the gap between the actual capabilities of Tesla’s MCU1 hardware and its MCU2 features such are growing, and it has pretty much reached the point where the infotainment systems of older vehicles are significantly slower than those in newer cars.
In a way, Elon Musk’s recent statements hint that Tesla’s current priority is the rollout of its Hardware 3, which is essential for its Full Self-Driving initiatives. Retrofits for HW2.5 vehicles have already begun, and HW2 vehicles are expected to follow soon. HW3 is Tesla’s custom-designed computer that replaces the old Nvidia computer used for HW 2.5. As noted by Tesla during its Autonomy Day presentation, Hardware 3 was specifically built to achieve true Full Self-Driving capabilities and can enhance the electric car’s processing capability by as much as 1,000 percent.
Nevertheless, it would be wise for Tesla to start rolling out its MCU1 retrofits for older vehicles, even if it’s later than expected. Considering that Tesla owners have shown a willingness to pay for the retrofit, and the CEO himself has confirmed that the upgrade is possible, it is in both Tesla and its customers’ best interest to make sure the vast majority of its fleet are able to enjoy the best that the company has to offer — even if it’s just for infotainment purposes.
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Tesla Sweden faces fresh union blockade at key Gothenburg paint shop
Allround Lack works with painting and damage repair of passenger cars, including Teslas.
Tesla’s ongoing labor conflict in Sweden escalated again as the trade union IF Metall issued a new blockade halting all Tesla paintwork at Allround Lack in Gothenburg.
Allround Lack works with painting and damage repair of passenger cars, including Teslas. It currently employs about 20 employees.
Yet another blockade against Tesla Sweden
IF Metall’s latest notice ordered a full work stoppage for all Tesla-related activity at Allround Lack. With the blockade in place, paint jobs on Tesla-owned vehicles, factory-warranty repairs, and transport-damage fixes, will be effectively frozen, as noted in a report from Dagens Arbete. While Allround Lack is a small paint shop, its work with Tesla means that the blockade would add challenges to the company’s operations in Sweden, at least to some degree.
Paint shop blockades have been a recurring tool in the longstanding conflict. The first appeared in late 2023, when repair shops were barred from servicing Tesla vehicles. Days later, the Painters’ Union implemented a nationwide halt on Tesla paint work across more than 100 shops. Since then, a steady stream of workshops has been pulled into the conflict.
Earlier blockades faced backlash from consumers
The sweeping effects of the early blockades drew criticism from industry groups and consumers. Employers and industry organization Transportföretagen stated that the strikes harmed numerous workshops across Sweden, with about 10 of its members losing about 50% of their revenue.
Private owners also expressed their objections. Tibor Blomhäll, chairman of Tesla Club Sweden, told DA in a previous statement that the blockades from IF Metall gave the impression that the union was specifically attacking consumers. “If I get parking damage to my car, I pay for the paint myself. The company Tesla is not involved in that deal at all. So many people felt singled out, almost stigmatized. What have I done as a private individual to get a union against me?” Blomhäll stated.
In response to these complaints, IF Metall introduced exemptions, allowing severely damaged vehicles to be repaired. The union later reopened access for private owners at workshops with collective agreements. The blockades at the workshops were also reformulated to only apply to work that is “ordered by Tesla on Tesla’s own cars, as well as work covered by factory warranties and transport damage on Tesla cars.”
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Tesla breaks Norway’s all-time annual sales record with one month to spare
With November alone delivering 4,260 new registrations, Tesla has cemented its most dominant year ever in one of Europe’s most mature EV markets.
Tesla shattered Norway’s decade-old annual sales record this month, overtaking Volkswagen’s long-standing milestone with over one month still left in the year. Backed by surging demand ahead of Norway’s upcoming VAT changes, Tesla has already registered 26,666 vehicles year-to-date, surpassing Volkswagen’s 2016 record of 26,572 units.
With November alone delivering 4,260 new registrations month-to-date, Tesla has cemented its most dominant year ever in one of Europe’s most mature EV markets.
Model Y drives historic surge in Norway
Tesla’s impressive momentum has been led overwhelmingly by the Model Y, which accounted for 21,517 of Norway’s registrations this year, as noted in a CarUp report, citing data from Elbil Statistik. The Model 3 followed with 5,087 units, while the Model S and Model X contributed 30 and 19 vehicles, respectively. Even the parallel-imported Cybertruck made the charts with 13 registrations.
Demand intensified sharply through autumn as Norwegian buyers rushed to secure deliveries before the country’s VAT changes take effect in January. The new regulation is expected to add roughly NOK 50,000 to the price of a Model Y, prompting a wave of early purchases that helped lift Tesla beyond the previous all-time record well before year-end.
With December still ahead, Tesla is positioned to extend its historic lead further. Needless to say, it appears that Norway will prove to be one of Tesla’s strongest markets in Europe.
FSD could be a notable demand driver in 2026
What’s especially interesting about Tesla’s feat in Norway is that the company’s biggest selling point today, Full Self-Driving (Supervised), is not yet available there. Tesla, however, recently noted in a post on X that the Dutch regulator RDW has reportedly committed to issuing a Netherlands national approval for FSD (Supervised) in February 2026.
The RDW posted a response to Tesla’s post, clarifying the February 2026 target but stating that FSD’s approval is not assured yet. “The RDW has drawn up a schedule with Tesla in which Tesla is expected to be able to demonstrate that FSD Supervised meets the requirements in February 2026. RDW and Tesla know what efforts need to be made to make a decision on this in February. Whether the schedule will be met remains to be seen in the coming period,” the RDW wrote in a post on its official wesbite.
If FSD (Supervised) does get approved next year, Tesla’s vehicles could gain a notable advantage over competitors, as they would be the only vehicles on the market capable of driving themselves on both inner-city streets and highways with practically no driver input.
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Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2’s best new feature is not what you think
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2 rolled out late last week to Early Access Program (EAP) members, but its best feature is not what you think.
While Tesla has done a great job of refining the performance of the Full Self-Driving suite with the latest update, there are some other interesting additions, including one that many owners have requested for some time.
Upon the release of v14.2, many owners recognized the Blue Dot next to the Autopilot tab in Vehicle Settings, notifying them of a new feature. What was included as a new feature in the new update was a Full Self-Driving stats feature, which now will show you how many miles you’ve traveled in total, and how many of those miles were driven using FSD:
🚨 The coolest non-driving change of Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2 pic.twitter.com/HOJcFaV2Ny
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 21, 2025
The feature seems to be more of a bragging rights thing than anything, but it will also give drivers a good idea of how many miles they are using Full Self-Driving for. Those who use telematics-based insurance services will also be able to run experiments of their own, and could determine whether their premiums are impacted by the use of Full Self-Driving, and whether it is more advantageous to use over manual driving.
Tesla rolled out numerous other improvements with Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2, most notably, the company seems to have resolved previous complaints about brake stabbing and hesitation. This was a major complaint in v14.1, but Tesla has seemed to resolve it with this newest branch of the FSD suite.
There were also improvements in overall operation, and it was notably smoother than past versions. Speed Profiles are seemingly refined as well, as they seem much more fixed on how fast they will travel and how aggressive they will be with things like passing cars on freeways and lane changes.
In future updates, Tesla plans to add Parking Spot selection, along with overall operational improvements. However, CEO Elon Musk recently said that the next branch, Full Self-Driving v14.3, will be where the “final piece of the puzzle is placed.” Tesla believes it is close to solving autonomy, so v14.3 could be a major jump forward, but it remains to be seen.