A reported entry in Tesla’s Electronic Parts Catalog raised questions about a possible new version of its driving computer: Hardware 4.5. The listing suggested that Tesla might be preparing, or already using, another hardware revision, but did not establish its internal architecture.
The name could suggest a relatively small revision, like HW4.1. The discussion around it, however, centred on whether it might conceal a more substantial technical change.
The parts-catalogue discovery
Tesla observer Todd deReGo reported finding the following entry in the official electronic catalogue:
CAR COMPUTER – LEFT HAND DRIVE – PROVISIONED – HARDWARE 4.5
Part number: 2261336-S2-A
Listed price: $2,300
Firmware researcher Green added another possibility to the discussion. Although he had not physically examined the computer, he noted that Tesla firmware had long contained references compatible with a possible three-SoC architecture. HW3 and HW4 use two system-on-chips. A third chip could change the design considerably, but the catalogue listing did not confirm one.
Why might Tesla use three chips?
Tesla had not explained how a third chip would be used. One hypothesis concerned additional computing capacity. As FSD models grow in complexity, they need more memory and inference resources. A third SoC might help distribute work or support larger neural networks, depending on how the system was designed.
Another possibility was redundancy. Three processing units can, in some architectures, support majority voting when their outputs differ. The article discussed Triple Modular Redundancy as a potential approach; it was not evidence that Tesla had implemented that arrangement or a guarantee of uninterrupted driving.
A further hypothesis was running experimental software in shadow mode while the main system handled driving-related processing. That could allow comparisons using real-world data without giving the experimental model control of the vehicle. It remained a possible use, rather than a confirmed function of Hardware 4.5.
A possible bridge towards AI5
The article cited Tesla’s then-stated expectations for AI5: initial production in the second half of 2026 and meaningful volumes in 2027. Those were forward-looking targets. Hardware 4.5 was discussed as a possible intermediate step while software requirements continued to develop.
It also considered Cybercab’s use of AI4 and whether future vehicles might be upgraded to AI5. Compatibility and a role for HW4.5 were unresolved. The original reference to Cybercab production beginning in 2025 needs a separate timeline check and should not be read as a confirmed production milestone.
AI5 and comparisons with data-centre chips
The report attributed ambitious inference-performance comparisons to Musk: a single AI5 SoC was compared with an NVIDIA H100, and a two-chip setup with newer Blackwell products. These were claims about particular workloads, not independent benchmarks or proof of equivalent general-purpose performance. The appeal was achieving useful in-car computing within much tighter power, space and cost limits than a conventional server.
What remained to be confirmed
At publication, Hardware 4.5 was a reported catalogue discovery rather than a fully explained product announcement. Its architecture, deployment and capabilities remained uncertain. A three-chip configuration could be a meaningful change if confirmed, but it was too early to present that possibility as an established specification.
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