Abigail FletcherInside Tesla’s Shocking ‘Fake Wall’ Test: How the Cybertruck Outsmarted the Model Y and What It Means for Self-Driving Cars in 2025
Tesla’s HW4 chip powers a stunning leap in self-driving—see how the Cybertruck stopped just in time during a viral “fake wall” test.
| HW4’s Computing Power: | Up to 500 trillion operations per second (TOPS) |
| Autonomous Investment: | $10+ billion invested in AI in the past year by Tesla and xAI |
| Viral Test Result: | Cybertruck stopped at fake wall—Model Y sped through |
| Future Hardware: | AI5 chip (next-gen) may reach 2,500 TOPS performance by 2025 |
What happens when cutting-edge hardware meets the ultimate test in autonomous driving? In a recent viral experiment dubbed the “Fake Wall Cognition Test,” two Tesla vehicles—the 2022 Model Y and the 2024 Cybertruck—faced off in a high-stakes challenge.
A massive plastic wall painted to mimic an open road was set up across two lanes. From a driver’s perspective, the road appeared to continue—perfect for tricking both humans and AI. As soon as the test began, the Model Y barreled forward, failing to recognize the deception. The driver slammed the brakes to avoid disaster. But when the Cybertruck approached, it detected the illusion, recognized the wall, and stopped safely—no human intervention needed.
Why did two Teslas behave so differently? The answer: The future of self-driving is all about the chip.
Q: What Made the Cybertruck Outsmart the Model Y?
The winning edge comes from Tesla’s latest inferential semiconductor. While the Model Y relies on the older Hardware 3 (HW3) chip, the Cybertruck features the powerful Hardware 4 (HW4) upgrade.
HW4 isn’t just an incremental update. It’s a gamechanger—built on a 5nm process (a massive leap from HW3’s 14nm), with integrated CPU, NPU, and GPU. This delivers performance up to 500 TOPS—over three times more than HW3.
That raw power lets the Cybertruck analyze thousands of frames per second from its 12 cameras and state-of-the-art radar. Even in tough weather or with visual tricks, it interprets the environment and makes accurate, safe decisions.
For more on Tesla’s tech, visit Tesla.
Q: How Has Tesla’s Self-Driving Hardware Evolved?
Since the first EyeQ3 chip from Mobileye in 2014—only capable of relatively simple cruise control—Tesla has pursued chip supremacy:
– 2014: HW1 powered by EyeQ3 (Mobileye)
– 2019: HW3 in-house silicon, boosting performance 21x over HW2, handling 2.3K frames/sec
– 2023: HW4, custom-built, 5nm, 12+ cameras, high-res radar, dual-chip redundancy
– Next (2025?): AI5 rumored to reach up to 2,500 TOPS
Tesla’s rapid hardware advances let its vehicles use AI trained on billions of miles, pushing the boundaries of autonomous driving.
How-To: Understand the Role of Chips in Self-Driving Cars
1. Sensing: Cameras, radar, and ultrasound gather data from the environment.
2. Processing: Chips (HW3/HW4) convert raw data into actionable insights—identifying roads, signs, and obstacles.
3. Decision-Making: AI algorithms simulate millions of scenarios in real-time, adjusting speed and direction.
4. Execution: Advanced software (like Tesla FSD Beta v13) controls the car’s responses, including emergency braking or stopping.
Want to compare how Google is progressing on autonomy? Check out Waymo. China’s Baidu and tech giants like Samsung and TSMC are also in the race.
Q: What’s Next for Self-Driving and AI Power?
Tesla and its AI spin-off, xAI, have poured over $10 billion into AI R&D, investing in 50,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs for their “Cortex” data center, with plans for 350,000 more. Elon Musk’s vision: full Robo Taxi autonomy—no steering wheel, no brakes, just end-to-end AI control.
With regulators in the US and China eyeing policy changes by 2029, the world’s biggest AI and chip companies are locked in a high-stakes race. Self-driving could transform urban life and job markets—and semiconductors are at the center of it all.
Q: How Can Countries Compete in the AI & Chip Race?
To avoid falling behind in technological sovereignty, nations like South Korea are urged to invest strategically in semiconductor R&D. As self-driving cars move beyond simple transportation to become rolling AI data centers, the “chip war” will define industry leaders for years to come.
Action Checklist: Get Ready for the Self-Driving Revolution
- Track Tesla’s AI and chip milestones for coming vehicle models
- Explore how leading companies like Nvidia shape AI hardware
- Watch for regulatory shifts on autonomous driving in your country
- Consider how AI-driven cars may impact your city, work, and daily routines
- Follow industry news to spot the next AI chip breakthrough
Don’t miss the next wave in transportation—follow the AI chip innovators and be first to understand the new rules of the road!
