Tesla backpedals on decision to remove radar
Tesla seem to be reversing on their decision to remove their radar sensors from new vehicles. Based on documents from America’s Federal Communications Commission, Tesla plan on adding a revised radar based feature back to their cars from as early as January 2023.
Tesla’s original plan was to transition into a camera based autopilot system called “Tesla Vision”. Beginning in 2021, Tesla phased out radar based autopilot from their budget-line Model 3 and Model Y, followed by the Model S and X in 2022.
Unfortunately due to a confidentiality agreement with the FCC, we wont know any specifics about this new “HD radar” until early February, unless Tesla decide to release information sooner. It’s also unclear which models will come with this new radar and when.
This news has sparked debate among Tesla fans and industry experts alike, with some questioning the effectiveness of a camera-based autopilot system and others praising Tesla for their continued focus on safety and innovation. While we won’t know any specific details about this new “HD radar” until next year, it’s clear that Tesla is committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with autonomous vehicles.
It’s also worth noting that this new radar feature will likely be a welcome addition for Tesla owners who have grown accustomed to the convenience and safety of autopilot. While the company has not yet announced which models will come equipped with this new radar, it’s safe to assume that it will be available on their latest and most advanced vehicles.
Was Tesla Vision a failure?
During the rollout of Tesla Vision, certain vehicle lost access to some features, including those that are part of the multiple thousand dollar “Full Self Driving” upgrade. These features included:
- Smart Summon – Which could navigate your Tesla to your location or a location of your choice via their app
- Autopark – Which would automatically park in either parallel or perpendicular parking spots
- Park Assist – A feature that alerted you of surrounding objects when the vehicle was travelling less than 8 kilometres an hour
- Manual Summon – Move your vehicle forward or backwards via their app
Elon Musk claims that the move to Tesla Vision was to enhance Full Self-Driving, and reach level 5 autonomous driving. This could be achieved by focusing more engineering and coding talent on their computer vision, rather than splitting the workforce and codebase into multiple separate modules.
What is Tesla’s new HD radar?
Elon Musk once said “A very high-resolution radar would be better than pure vision, but such a radar does not exist.” and further added “Only very high resolution radar is relevant”. This seems to indicate that this new radar could be the key to full self-driving Tesla fans have been waiting for.
Rumored to be announced mid January next year, it’s likely that the majority of Model Year 23 Tesla cars may come with this new HD radar. After Elon’s claims, it appears that the only reason they’re changing their mind on the removal of radar is that they’ve finally developed a high resolution radar solution.
Should you wait for this new announcement before ordering a Tesla?
Considering that we may be less than a month away from the potential announcement of this HD Radar, it might be worth holding off just that bit longer before ordering a Tesla.
Whether it is worth it to cancel your order and wait for the next upgrade to the Tesla depends on your personal circumstances and priorities. Some people may be willing to wait for the latest and greatest features, while others may be more concerned about getting a Tesla as soon as possible.
If you are considering canceling your order to wait for the next upgrade, it is important to weigh the potential benefits of the new features against the potential drawbacks of having to wait longer to receive your Tesla.
For drivers who may not be interested in the automation or full self-driving, and just love the thrills of an electric vehicle in Australia, the wait might not be worth it.
