We first reported about a month ago that Tesla had initiated changes underway for 2022 on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles produced in China. One of the biggest updates was the move from an Intel Atom chip to an AMD Ryzen processor. We now learn that the first Ryzen-equipped Tesla are coming out of the Tesla factory in Fremont, California.
The information reaches us via Teslascope, which posted an image of the vehicle’s system information screen confirming the inclusion of a Ryzen processor. For those not in the know, the Ryzen (formerly Atom) is responsible for handling infotainment tasks on Tesla EVs. It is directly responsible for the responsiveness of the screen when activating menus, playing games, loading applications such as YouTube or Netflix, and swiping the navigation map.
The first Model 3 and Y vehicles with MCU3 (Infotainment Computer with AMD Ryzen) are now produced and delivered in North America! pic.twitter.com/BHbpyKr78DDecember 28, 2021
We previously reported the massive performance boost with the new Ryzen chip, which loaded the Chinese application Youkou (similar to YouTube) in just 4.18 seconds compared to 17.12 seconds for its Atom-based counterpart. Likewise, the opening of Bilibili took only 7.04 seconds for the first and 24.16 seconds for the second. Of course, the center display is the primary point of interaction with the secondary controls, so owners will appreciate any performance improvement.
If the reports are correct, Tesla uses the same processor found in the latest Tesla Model S and Model X: a custom Ryzen YE180FC3T4MFG. The chip features a 3.8 GHz 12nm quad-core Zen + processor with 4MB L3 cache.
The chip will come in handy with Tesla’s Holiday 2021 software update that was discontinued for Model 3 and Y owners last week. Not only has it brought a controversial new v11.0 UI update, but it has also added Sonic the Hedgehog to its arcade game service. However, you will need to plug a USB gamepad into the vehicle’s center console to play Sonic (touchscreen is not supported for input).
Another notable change next to the Ryzen chip is the inclusion of a new, smaller Li-ion battery to power the vehicle’s 12-volt system. This replaces the older 12-volt lead-acid batteries found in almost all other internal combustion engine vehicles and previous Tesla. The Li-ion battery, which is shared with the new Model S and Model X vehicles, weighs just 4 pounds compared to 27 pounds for its lead-acid predecessor and is expected to last the life of the car (instead of 2-4 years) .
