Tesla Choosing Cameras over Radar

The EV maker this week announced it was replacing radar with a camera-based system to power Autopilot features in some models.
May 28, 2021
2 min read

May 28, 2021—Tesla announced this week it would be moving from radar to using a camera-based system to operate its Autopilot features in its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the U.S. and Canada.

According to CNBC, Tesla had previously said it expected that “a vision-only system is ultimately all that is needed for full autonomy." Tesla CEO Elon Musk previewed the move in a March 12 tweet.

The change is effective this month. Tesla's Autopilot features include traffic-adjusted cruise control and automatic lane-keeping.

As a result, Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles produced on or after April 27 "do not have NHTSA’s check mark for recommended safety technologies: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, crash imminent braking and dynamic brake support," according to a Reuters report. 

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The FenderBender staff reporters have nearly four decades of combined journalism and collision repair experience.

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