Tesla vehicle owners have made claims that their radar systems were disconnected during their service visits, as per a recent report. Tesla has been progressively shifting towards a camera or vision-centric approach for its self-driving initiatives, a transition that began a few years ago with the introduction of Tesla Vision.
The company initiated the production of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles without radar, opting to rely solely on cameras for Autopilot and Full Self-Driving capabilities. CEO Elon Musk has consistently regarded radar as a "crutch" for autonomy and has consistently favored a camera-based approach. During the Q1 2021 Earnings Call, Musk expressed his confidence in the effectiveness of vision-based solutions, explaining how they surpass human capabilities by providing an equivalent of eight cameras with various focal distances.
In May 2021, Tesla informed drivers that all vehicles intended for the North American market, manufactured after that month, would not include radar systems. Subsequently, in February 2022, the radar was eliminated from new builds of Model S and Model X vehicles.
However, there remain Model 3 and Model Y cars currently in circulation that still possess active radar systems. Nevertheless, members of the Tesla Motors Club forum (as reported by The Drive) assert that their vehicles' radar apparatuses were unplugged and deactivated during their service visits.
According to the report, Tesla officially communicated this change through a service bulletin, clarifying that the Autopilot and Active Safety Features, which previously relied on front radar sensor data, have transitioned to utilizing camera data (Tesla Vision). Consequently, the front radar has been deemed unnecessary.
Tesla owners were notified about this alteration within their service invoice agreements, although these documents are typically not thoroughly reviewed. Therefore, many owners may not have been fully aware of the change made by Tesla, which has been gradually reducing reliance on radar for more than two years, favoring camera technology for autonomous driving development.
In the event that radar systems are still connected, Tesla can deactivate them via an Over-the-Air update. An additional benefit of disconnecting the radar system is the prevention of battery drain, as the system continues to draw power despite not contributing to the vehicle's functionalities.
The company initiated the production of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles without radar, opting to rely solely on cameras for Autopilot and Full Self-Driving capabilities. CEO Elon Musk has consistently regarded radar as a "crutch" for autonomy and has consistently favored a camera-based approach. During the Q1 2021 Earnings Call, Musk expressed his confidence in the effectiveness of vision-based solutions, explaining how they surpass human capabilities by providing an equivalent of eight cameras with various focal distances.
In May 2021, Tesla informed drivers that all vehicles intended for the North American market, manufactured after that month, would not include radar systems. Subsequently, in February 2022, the radar was eliminated from new builds of Model S and Model X vehicles.
However, there remain Model 3 and Model Y cars currently in circulation that still possess active radar systems. Nevertheless, members of the Tesla Motors Club forum (as reported by The Drive) assert that their vehicles' radar apparatuses were unplugged and deactivated during their service visits.
According to the report, Tesla officially communicated this change through a service bulletin, clarifying that the Autopilot and Active Safety Features, which previously relied on front radar sensor data, have transitioned to utilizing camera data (Tesla Vision). Consequently, the front radar has been deemed unnecessary.
Tesla owners were notified about this alteration within their service invoice agreements, although these documents are typically not thoroughly reviewed. Therefore, many owners may not have been fully aware of the change made by Tesla, which has been gradually reducing reliance on radar for more than two years, favoring camera technology for autonomous driving development.
In the event that radar systems are still connected, Tesla can deactivate them via an Over-the-Air update. An additional benefit of disconnecting the radar system is the prevention of battery drain, as the system continues to draw power despite not contributing to the vehicle's functionalities.
