NASDAQ stock Tesla: Model S & Model X come with new autopilot hardware – also with radar again?

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• Tesla’s “Vision Only” concept led to a setback in Autopilot development
• Tesla seems to want to go back to radar systems
• Model S & Model X are already equipped with new autopilot hardware

Engineers wanted to keep radar

About two years ago, Tesla announced that it would do away with the radar system in its new vehicles in order to switch to the so-called “Vision Only” concept. Musk argued at the time that the vehicles were already equipped with eight cameras that could monitor the road and detect hazards in any direction, which eventually should be enough. Some former employees, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Washington Post that some of Tesla’s engineers were appalled by the change. A circumstance that has not been reported before. At that time, these same engineers are said to have turned to a trusted former executive to look for a way to talk Musk out of this project. “I just knew it wasn’t going to be safe to put this software on the road,” a former Tesla Autopilot engineer told The Washington Post. The concern of the employees was that the Teslas without radar were prone to basic perception errors when the function of the cameras is limited by raindrops or even bright sunlight, for example. This can eventually lead to problems and even accidents. However, Musk would not be swayed by his employees, and shortly after the announcement in May 2021, the company began phasing out the radar system in their cars.

Regardless of the type of object detected, radar sensors initiate braking as soon as they detect it. In contrast, however, the cameras capture images that they must first interpret. However, this becomes difficult, if not impossible, when the images are blurred or overexposed. For the next two years, the US electric car manufacturer had to make do with the results of this change. Again and again there were reports and scandals about accidents that arose in connection with the Tesla autopilot. The Washington Post identifies a growth in errors that should not be underestimated. The number of braking actions due to non-existent obstacles alone is said to have increased from 34 complaints in 22 months to 107 complaints in just three months.

Tesla is probably going back to radar for autopilot

For some time now there have been increasing reports that Tesla wants to use the radar sensors again for the autopilot. According to the Handelsblatt, the carmaker has submitted documents to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which indicate that the company will soon be integrating a new 4D radar system into its vehicles. With this, Tesla would follow the general view of the industry that safe autonomous driving cannot be achieved without radar.

Now it seems like Tesla has actually started integrating its new radar system into new vehicles. For example, a Twitter user recently posted a picture of part of a May-produced Model X vehicle, with the comment: “For anyone who wanted to see a label to confirm that it is a radar module in the HW4 vehicles acts, here it is.”

For anyone who needed to see a label to confirm it’s a radar module in the HW4 cars, here you go.@DirtyTesLa @WholeMarsBlog pic.twitter.com/wy3iuYceN1

– Shaun (@sw_ev) May 31, 2023

When it comes to the question of whether the new models actually have radar again, opinions differ. YouTuber Dirty Tesla, for example, explained in a video that all available information does not indicate that Tesla is already equipping its vehicles with radar. However, he makes this statement without even taking a look at one of the new models.

Model S & Model X with new autopilot hardware

As TeslaMag reports, at least the new autopilot hardware “HW4” should not only be installed with the Cybertruck as initially announced, but is already used in the current Model S and Model X. Next, this change should also be implemented worldwide in the Model 3 and Model Y. With the Model Y, the process is already underway. However, the new autopilot hardware will probably not introduce any new changes. On the contrary, although at least the Model S and Model X are said to have a radar again, some functions are even said to be missing. According to the IT expert @greentheonly, part of the HW4 package is also a new computer that offers connections for more cameras and again for a radar sensor. But there is still no sign of additional cameras in the new Model S and Model X. In fact, in the unit in the rearview mirror with HW4, apparently only two instead of three cameras were installed.

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