autopilot, fsd & hardware
Two separate things get mixed up constantly: the computer generation the car shipped with, and the software package the owner paid for. Both matter when buying used, and they don't always move together.
Hardware generations
- AP1 (Oct 2014 - Oct 2016, S/X only) - the Mobileye era. Solid basic lane-keeping and cruise, but it will never get newer features. AP1 cars →
- HW2 / HW2.5 (2016 - early 2019) - Tesla's own camera suite. Most were upgraded to HW3 when owners bought FSD; unupgraded cars are capped at basic Autopilot. HW2.5 cars →
- HW3 (Apr 2019 onward) - the "FSD computer." The baseline for the current feature set on most of the used fleet. HW3 cars →
- HW4 (2023 onward, model-dependent; every Cybertruck) - higher-resolution cameras and more compute headroom. The safest bet for long-term software support. HW4 cars →
Software packages
- Autopilot - traffic-aware cruise + lane centering. Standard on every car since 2019.
- Enhanced Autopilot - adds Navigate on Autopilot, auto lane change, Summon, and parking features. Sold on and off over the years.
- Full Self-Driving (FSD) - the supervised city-driving package. Sold as a one-time purchase or subscription.
What transfers when you buy used?
In a private sale, paid packages generally stay with the car - that's what makes a used Tesla with paid FSD genuinely more valuable. Use the Paid FSD filter to find them. Caveats worth knowing: Tesla has occasionally run promotions letting sellers transfer FSD to their next car (in which case it leaves the vehicle), and cars resold through Tesla itself have sometimes had packages removed. An FSD subscription never transfers - it's billed to the owner.
Verify in person: the car's Autopilot configuration screen (Controls → Autopilot) shows exactly which package is active. Photograph it - our buying checklist covers the other screens to capture.