Tesla is starting to follow through with ditching its radar tech for its driver-assistance system Autopilot after a fatal crash.
The company announced the change on its website that Model 3 sedans and Model Y SUVs built for North American usage will no longer offer the radar starting this month. Autopilot will now solely use camera visions, and until the transition is made, Tesla will temporarily disable some features.
Pure vision Autopilot is now rolling out in North America. There will be an update of this production release in 2 weeks, then FSD beta V9.0 (also pure vision) a week later. FSD subscription will be enabled around the same time.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 26, 2021
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, equated the radar sensor as “crutches” during the company’s latest earnings call, according to BNN Bloomberg, who reported the change. However, back in 2016, when Tesla adopted the radar system, the CEO said that Tesla would upgrade the Autopilot system by enhancing the use of radar. At the time, Musk told reporters that the radius would have prevented a crash that occurred months earlier that involved a Model S using sensors that failed to detect a tractor before a fatal collision.
This change to ‘pure vision,’ which is the all-camera vision Autopilot system, might spark controversy. Many other companies looking to develop autonomous vehicles, like Alphabet and General Motors, support the usage of added sensors if the main ones fail. However, it’s worth noting that Tesla’s website says that its vehicles will continue to use 12 ultrasonic sensors to prevent collisions and to assist with parking.
Tesla still tells customers to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road when using the Autopilot functionality, even for those who’ve opted for the Full Self-Driving Capability package.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are looking into the fatal crashes involving Teslas in Texas and California. Still, they have yet to determine if Autopilot was involved.
Source: BNN Bloomberg
