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Tesla’s in-house Full Self-Driving chip puts TSLA 4 years ahead of competition: analyst

Elon Musk at Tesla's Autonomy Day FSD presentation. | Image: Tesla

Published

8 years ago

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Tesla’s decision to develop its Full Self-Driving (FSD) computer chip in-house has put it four years ahead of the competition, according to ARK Invest analyst James Wang.

Wang laid out the case for the all-electric car maker’s custom automotive-grade computer against the next-best options in the market, all Nvidia products, in an article on ARK Invest’s website. His stated goal in the piece was to clarify Tesla’s position and achievement with full self-driving in simple terms as well as explain why an off-the-shelf chip would not have accomplished the same feat.

Admittedly, Tesla’s Autonomy Day livestream debuting the arrival of its Full Self-Driving computer was chock full of very technical details that many outside the computer science world indicated were difficult to follow. Thus, Wang’s FSD simplification is helpful for gaining insight into Tesla’s autonomous driving progress in terms of the bigger industry picture.

In summary, by focusing only on what its particular needs were for its particular software demands, Tesla was was able to improve its chip’s performance efficiency to a level that has allowed it to “leapfrog” over competitors. Wang predicts that by 2021, Tesla will be ready to release its next generation FSD computer while its closest competitor in terms of optimal peak utilization is just coming to market.

Nvidia is a prominent and highly successful leader in computer chip design, and Tesla already uses its products for Hardware 2.5, the computer currently running the electric car maker’s Autopilot features. That said, the industry giant has three self-driving-focused chips in its lineup: Xavier (in production), Pegasus (readying for production) and Orin (still pending an official announcement).

Pegasus is a Level 5 self-driving computer, as is Tesla’s FSD; however, it has twice as many chips as FSD, consumes seven times more power than FSD, and is too big and expensive for the Model 3. Since Nvidia designs chips for a wide range of hardware manufacturers, much like the Windows and Android operating systems are designed to be flexible enough for different computer and smartphone hardware suites, their functionality cannot be overly streamlined for one system over another. In contrast, Tesla (like Apple hardware/software) can focus all of its autonomy efforts on its specific hardware and software needs, thus achieving a greater output than Nvidia’s product.

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Tesla’s Full Self-Driving computer. | Image: Tesla

In a follow up to Tesla’s Autonomy Day presentation wherein FSD was compared to Nvidia’s Xavier computer, a chip designed for semi-autonomous driving only, the chip manufacturer published a company blog piece drawing attention to Pegasus’ capabilities as a better measure for analysis. As pointed out in Wang’s analysis, the FSD and Pegasus still do not achieve the same metrics, leaving Tesla well positioned amongst its self-driving computer peers. Despite the issue, though, Nvidia’s conclusion was a positive response to the car maker’s achievement: Tesla has raised the bar on self-driving and other car manufacturers need to get on board before falling too far behind.

During the Autonomy Day presentation, Tesla CEO Elon Musk crowned FSD as “objectively best in the world”, and James Wang’s analysis is yet another outline of why that is arguably the case. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Computer (formerly known as Hardware 3) is currently being installed in all new production vehicles, and owners who purchased Full Self-Driving for a car produced in 2016 or later will receive a free upgrade to the FSD computer in the near future. Musk has further predicted that Tesla’s full self-driving software will be complete by the end of this year and fully operational by the second quarter of next year.

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Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

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Tesla Cybercab ownership will come with plenty of strings attached

Published

5 hours ago

on

November 14, 2026

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s long-promised Cybercab is finally available for personal purchase, at least for a select few in the Austin area. But it’s far from a straightforward ownership experience.

The $29,990 price tag comes with a stack of restrictions that redefine what “owning” the vehicle actually means. The two-seat, steering-wheel-free Robotaxi, previously limited to Tesla’s own fleet, now carries contractual terms that limit where it can go, how it can be used, and whether it can even move without an active paid subscription.

Opening Night of Orders

Late on November 13, Tesla announced that select customers were being invited to order a Cybercab for personal use.

Tesla Cybercab goes on sale for $29,990, slated for December deliveries

The estimated purchase price is $29,990 before taxes, paired with a non-refundable $1,000 deposit and an estimated December 2026 delivery in Austin, Texas. The first month of the required :Autonomy Subscription,” priced at $299 per month is included.

After that, the vehicle needs an active subscription to operate at all. The announcement confirmed that customer sales had begun, albeit on an invite-only basis rather than a public order page.

The Fine Print for Buyers

For those invited to order, the agreements (Cybercab Order Agreement, Terms of Use, and Autonomy Subscription Agreement) impose significant constraints. Major points include:

  • A mandatory Autonomy Subscription (currently listed at $299 per month on the order screen, first month included) is required; without it, the Cybercab will not operate.
  • Personal, non-commercial use only; ride-hailing, Robotaxi network participation, delivery, or rental requires separate written authorization or product enablement from Tesla.
  • Operation restricted to Tesla-enabled Robotaxi geofences and supported service areas, which the company can expand, shrink, or alter; the vehicle may be technologically prevented from operating outside them.
  • No unauthorized modifications (including wraps, window tint, or wheel changes) without Tesla or an authorized provider.
  • Restricted resale and transfer: written permission required, with contractual damages of at least $50,000 (or full transaction value if higher) for unauthorized sales; Tesla also reserves repurchase rights at a company-determined fair market value, with the owner covering return costs.
  • Safety or improper-use “strikeouts” (three or more) can trigger a one-week suspension of autonomous features without prorated refund.
  • Owners remain responsible for insurance, registration, charging, parking, and general cleaning; the subscription covers certain maintenance items such as tires, windshields, filters, and camera cleaning, plus limited towing.
  • Manual controls on the touchscreen allow only short-distance movement up to about 2 mph and require a valid driver’s license; they are not for public-road driving.

Why These Terms Might Exist

Tesla’s approach prioritizes control over a vehicle designed without traditional human controls and intended primarily as transport-as-a-service, something that Musk has hinted toward for some time now. Restricting commercial use and modifications could be as much of a software integrity, safety, and data collection effort as it is a safety effort.

Fleet consistency could also be in regulatory scrutiny early on in the Cybercab’s days of public operation.

The subscription model generates ongoing revenue beyond the low vehicle price and ensures the car remains connected and updatable, something that will keep the Cybercab as safe as possible as new updates roll out.

Buyback and resale limits reduce the risk of vehicles circulating outside Tesla’s operational and service ecosystem.

It apperas that personal ownership is secondary to the broader Robotaxi network strategy, as Musk has previously stated that the vast majority of Cybercabs would remain Tesla-owned.

Pickup Locations and Musk’s Pricing View

Initial deliveries are estimated for Austin, but personal vehicles are able to operate in any of Tesla’s Robotaxi geofences:

Those who have been invited to order can also have their personal Cybercab delivered to numerous locations in Texas, including:

  • Austin
  • Dallas
  • Houston
  • San Antonio
  • Fort Worth

As far as the monthly “Autonomy Subscription,” it appears Musk already wants it to be low. He acknowledged last night on X that the subscription price is too high. Along with detailing that the Cybercab will be available nationwide as regulatory approval is received, Musk said the monthly fee should match the cost of FSD and Premium Connectivity, which is about $115 per month.

The launch marks a milestone for unsupervised personal autonomous vehicles, but the fine print makes clear that buyers are purchasing a highly constrained asset whose usefulness is tightly bound to Tesla’s software, service network, and geographic approvals.

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Tesla Cybercab goes on sale for $29,990, slated for December deliveries

Published

19 hours ago

on

November 13, 2026

By

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially put the Cybercab up for sale, revealing a bargain price and a $299 per month “Autonomy Subscription” that could hit customer hands as soon as December.

The offer requires a $299 monthly Autonomy Subscription, with the first month included in the purchase price, along with a $1,000 non-refundable order deposit. Tesla’s ordering interface shows deliveries targeted for Austin, Texas.

Tesla says that the Cybercab is making transportation more efficient, affordable and accessible than ever before, and that buyers can order their own Cybercab for personal use.

The Cybercab is Tesla’s dedicated robotaxi, a gold-finished, two-passenger vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, designed from the outset for unsupervised autonomous operation. It has been in limited Robotaxi service in Austin since September 2026, operating alongside Tesla’s larger fleet of Model Y vehicles.

Production takes place at Gigafactory Texas, which launched earlier this year. Tesla has stated for some time that it planned to put Cybercabs on sale by the end of the year, and it looks like they will come through on that promise if everything goes according to plan.

The Autonomy Subscription is mandatory for the vehicle to operate because it is void of a steering wheel and pedals. Tesla notes that the subscription and regular vehicle maintenance are required, indicating that personal owners will depend on the company’s software and service infrastructure rather than traditional ownership models.

One month of the subscription is included with purchase and subsequent months are billed separately until canceled.

This limited personal-sales opening marks a shift from Tesla’s earlier emphasis on fleet and transport-as-a-service operations. During the Q3 2026 Earnings Call, executives indicated that the vast majority of Cybercabs would remain Tesla-owned and used for rideshare service, while still aiming to place some vehicles with customers by year-end.

Elon Musk has previously targeted a price below $30,000, which was a huge point of emphasis for the Cybercab being the central point of Tesla’s “transportation-as-a-service” model.

Availability remains restricted to invited customers rather than a public order page, and the initial deliveries are expected only in the Austin area where unsupervised Robotaxi operations are already active. Buyers will need to accept the geographic and operational constraints of current autonomous deployment, as the vehicle cannot be driven manually outside supported zones.

The move gives a small number of early buyers the chance to own Tesla’s dedicated autonomous vehicle at the long-discussed sub-$30,000 price point, while the bulk of production continues to support the company’s expanding Robotaxi network.

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SpaceX Starship Flight 15: How to watch the double catch attempt

Published

1 day ago

on

November 13, 2026

By

Credit: SpaceX

UPDATE: The FAA has granted the license for Starship Flight 15.

SpaceX is set to attempt its 15th test flight of Starship this evening from Starbase, Texas.

SpaceX is targeting Starship Flight 15 for a launch as soon as today, Friday, November 13, pending an FAA Flight License, during a 75-minute window that opens at 4:45 p.m. CT (5:45 p.m. ET) from Orbital Launch Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. The flight remains pending final regulatory approval.

The mission, using Booster 22 and Ship 42, aims to achieve the first full recovery of an orbital launch system. Primary objectives include a tower catch of the Super Heavy booster roughly six and a half minutes after liftoff and the first-ever tower catch of a Starship upper stage after more than 22 hours in space.

SpaceX will perform Starship double catch attempt with Flight 15

Between those catches, Ship 42 is planned to enter a low Earth orbit of about 275 km, complete roughly 14 orbits, and deploy 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites (Starlink Group 31-2). Three of those satellites carry cameras to inspect the ship’s heat shield in orbit and help controllers decide whether the vehicle is healthy enough for a return to the tower.

Contingency ocean splashdown options exist if either stage is not cleared for catch.

To watch the attempt, check the link to the broadcast in both X posts in this article. The live webcast is scheduled to begin about 30 minutes before liftoff and is planned to continue through the ship catch the next day, with the possibility of extended onboard views during the orbital coast via Starlink.

Because the schedule is dynamic, check back here or on our social media channels for the latest updates on window timing and regulatory status. A successful dual catch would mark a major milestone toward making Starship a rapidly reusable rocket capable of frequent flights.

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