Anyone know what Tesla has been doing with the Phoenix radar so far in HW4 vehicles

[flai54]

Since Tesla started adding back the Phoenix radar into HW4 vehicles starting some into the 2nd half of 2023, does anyone know how Tesla is planning to incorporate the Phoenix HD radar into Tesla Vision? I still don't get why Tesla only has 1 radar in the front and not one in the back for any rear cross traffic.

Unless I am totally off but can anyone who has a later 2023 or 2024 HW4 MY confirm if they have the Phoenix radar in their Service settings or has physically seen the radar underneath the frunk?

 

[ord3r]

I've read it's being used for data collection and training. Also heard it was initially being evaluated whether it would be worth introducing the wider fleet, with Tesla leaning towards, or decided that, no it's not.

This is from twitter posts from Elon and people on or close to autopilot team, and some people from reddit so take with a grain of salt. I'd have to do some digging to find the comments/tweets I saw.

 

[EVRider-FL]

I might be wrong, but I thought HW4 only included Phoenix radar in the S and X.

 

[flai54]

I might be wrong, but I thought HW4 only included Phoenix radar in the S and X.

You might be right but what I hate about Tesla in general is all this fragmentation of iterations within the same model year and even their vehicle fleet. Its like why isn't the 3 and Y not contain the Phoenix Radar if that is the case. If anything they would get way more data from the 3 and Y fleet than they would with the S and X fleet.

I honestly think the Phoenix radar should always be on standby as a backup to the camera system just because weather can be brutal and we can't expect the cameras to see everything in inclimate weather. Even right now when it rains really hard or fog the Autopilot system is not available or severely reduced where a radar would be agnostic of it since its frequency waves.

They have been pulling the same crap with the front bumper camera too where I think it is only S and X which I think is just as important and should be going on all 3 and Y vehicles as well. All Tesla vehicles should try to harmonize with the same hardware going forward especially if HW4 has the camera slots for it in general. I would think for consistency sake it would help improve how each of the types of vehicles behave if they are all using the same type of data.

 

[MP3Mike]

I honestly think the Phoenix radar should always be on standby as a backup to the camera system just because weather can be brutal and we can't expect the cameras to see everything in inclimate weather.

That wouldn't really help. radar can't see lane lines, traffic light states, stop signs, etc. If the cameras can't see, you have to stop. (In my experience that cameras can see better than I can during a downpour.)

They have been pulling the same crap with the front bumper camera too where I think it is only S and X

Actually, only the Cybertruck has a front bumper camera.

 

[flai54]

That wouldn't really help. radar can't see lane lines, traffic light states, stop signs, etc. If the cameras can't see, you have to stop. (In my experience that cameras can see better than I can during a downpour.)


Actually, only the Cybertruck has a front bumper camera.

Im not talking about the radar used for lane keeping or identifying signs but rather for keeping distance from cars in front of you in times where it may be not as useful. Even traditional cars that have the adaptive cruise control don't just have the radar but use both radar and camera which both serve different functions. I am just saying there has to be a reason why other cars are still using a combination of cameras and radar for their adaptive cruise control.

I guess I was looking at an article dated in March 2024 that said the S and X front bumper cameras rollout were imminent so I guess that didn't roll out yet.

Tesla Set to Unveil Front Bumper Camera and Ambient Lights for Model S/X

Tesla to soon enhance Model S/X with front bumper cameras and ambient lighting, elevating safety and in-cabin experience.

www.notateslaapp.com

 

[MP3Mike]

I guess I was looking at an article dated in March 2024 that said the S and X front bumper cameras rollout were imminent so I guess that didn't roll out yet.

Tesla Set to Unveil Front Bumper Camera and Ambient Lights for Model S/X

Tesla to soon enhance Model S/X with front bumper cameras and ambient lighting, elevating safety and in-cabin experience.

www.notateslaapp.com

Or it was just a made up rumor to drive clicks to websites...

 

[flai54]

Or it was just a made up rumor to drive clicks to websites...

I don't see why the front bumper camera making it on all of its vehicles is so far fetched. The Cybertruck is already proof that Tesla has already considered that necessary. I mean eventually I think all vehicles will get the front bumper camera. People can claim until they are blue in the face that the windshield cameras are able to see everything in front of them at close distances and that at close distances it doesn't have a blind spot. Other manufacturers can get away with it because they still use USS but when Tesla made that decision to remove the USS then it became an issue. But yes I really don't know what Tesla is waiting on for what it needs to start deploying all of its S3XY fleet to include the front bumper camera.

 

[MP3Mike]

I don't see why the front bumper camera making it on all of its vehicles is so far fetched. The Cybertruck is already proof that Tesla has already considered that necessary.

But necessary for what? For an offroad capable vehicle with really poor visibility directly in front, absolutely. For normal vehicles, probably not so much. (And there is zero indication that FSD will use that camera, even on the Cybertruck.)

Other manufacturers can get away with it because they still use USS but when Tesla made that decision to remove the USS then it became an issue. But yes I really don't know what Tesla is waiting on for what it needs to start deploying all of its S3XY fleet to include the front bumper camera.

I don't see it happening. I have a Model Y with USS, and I turned the USS off and use the Tesla Vision Park Assist feature because it works better than USS version, at least for me. (Especially with it showing distance/objects on the sides with USS doesn't do at all.)

 

[EVRider-FL]

I don't see it happening. I have a Model Y with USS, and I turned the USS off and use the Tesla Vision Park Assist feature because it works better than USS version, at least for me. (Especially with it showing distance/objects on the sides with USS doesn't do at all.)

I think you have it backwards. Park Assist shows distances only when using USS, and does not show them with Tesla Vision. We have two Teslas without USS, and neither one shows distances. Our previous Teslas had USS and showed distances.

That said, I think the Tesla Vision Park Assist works well enough even without distances. To compensate, I now use the rear camera when pulling into my garage so I can see when I’m in far enough.

 

[MP3Mike]

Park Assist shows distances only when using USS, and does not show them with Tesla Vision.

Tesla Vision Park Assists shows distance, but just as color instead of "precise" numbers. (Well until you actually get close and USS removes the numbers and just says STOP.) And as I said I prefer it over the USS version.

 

[ucmndd]

I don't see why the front bumper camera making it on all of its vehicles is so far fetched.

In the last few years Tesla has released fairly major redesigns of the S, X, and 3. The 3 most recently and there’s no nose camera in sight. They clearly don’t think it’s a priority and I tend to agree.

The Cybertruck is already proof that Tesla has already considered that necessary.

By that same logic I can say the Highland Model 3 is “proof” that Tesla has already considered it UNnecessary.

 

[jkdman123]

That wouldn't really help. radar can't see lane lines, traffic light states, stop signs, etc. If the cameras can't see, you have to stop. (In my experience that cameras can see better than I can during a downpour.)


Actually, only the Cybertruck has a front bumper camera.

The radar increased the safety of the automatic braking. I believe I read that it could see under the car immediately ahead of you and start reacting in anticipation if the driver 2 cars ahead of you braked quickly,.

 

[ucmndd]

The radar increased the safety of the automatic braking. I believe I read that it could see under the car immediately ahead of you and start reacting in anticipation if the driver 2 cars ahead of you braked quickly,.

Yes, that was the original claim, along with also being able to see better than a human in heavy fog, yadda yadda.

At this point I believe all of those claims and features have fallen by the wayside. I can say for certain my radar-disabled cars severely reduce their speed or disengage autopilot altogether when being used in even light fog, which never happened on my old Model S.

 

[shadow4478]

Im not talking about the radar used for lane keeping or identifying signs but rather for keeping distance from cars in front of you in times where it may be not as useful. Even traditional cars that have the adaptive cruise control don't just have the radar but use both radar and camera which both serve different functions. I am just saying there has to be a reason why other cars are still using a combination of cameras and radar for their adaptive cruise control.

I guess I was looking at an article dated in March 2024 that said the S and X front bumper cameras rollout were imminent so I guess that didn't roll out yet.

Tesla Set to Unveil Front Bumper Camera and Ambient Lights for Model S/X

Tesla to soon enhance Model S/X with front bumper cameras and ambient lighting, elevating safety and in-cabin experience.

www.notateslaapp.com

The issue is you’re comparing other brands using radar and camera believing that they know better but none of them have Tesla vision. Also the radar interferes with decision-making when combined with cameras.

 

[jkdman123]

The issue is you’re comparing other brands using radar and camera believing that they know better but none of them have Tesla vision

Tesla Vision is hot garbage. Abrupt phantom braking, erroneously thinking the truck in the lane next to me is changing lanes, etc, It was released WAY before it was ready.

 

[youngmcdonald]

I don't see why the front bumper camera making it on all of its vehicles is so far fetched. The Cybertruck is already proof that Tesla has already considered that necessary. I mean eventually I think all vehicles will get the front bumper camera. People can claim until they are blue in the face that the windshield cameras are able to see everything in front of them at close distances and that at close distances it doesn't have a blind spot. Other manufacturers can get away with it because they still use USS but when Tesla made that decision to remove the USS then it became an issue. But yes I really don't know what Tesla is waiting on for what it needs to start deploying all of its S3XY fleet to include the front bumper camera.

They also added traditional blind spot lights to mirrors in the latest Model 3 after bashing that feature for years. I guess they now consider that necessary, too. Very soon their cars will have all the technology from 2010. I’m excited.

 

[shadow4478]

Tesla Vision is hot garbage. Abrupt phantom braking, erroneously thinking the truck in the lane next to me is changing lanes, etc, It was released WAY before it was ready.

Sorry about your experience but looks like you’re in minority hopefully your experience gets better. Just drove downtown for two 45min trips without any intervention imo the V12 leap is massive.
Also I have not experienced phantom breaking with V12.