Electrek Article: "Tesla says it is adding radar in its cars next month amid self-driving suite concerns"

[derotam]

Agreed. Reminds me a bit of the "we (Tesla) removed passenger seat lumbar only because we felt no one was really using it".

Other carmakers: "The 2022 GMC Yukon will temporarily lose its four-way power lumbar support due to the microchip shortage, GM Authority can confirm".

Both statements could be true though.

Also nice try at reducing Elon's quote to change the meaning. Elon Musk quote was "Moving lumbar was removed only in front passenger seat of 3/Y (obv not there in rear seats). Logs showed almost no usage. Not worth cost/mass for everyone when almost never used."

 

[dramsey]

Surely if Tesla decides Radar is suddenly needed and adds radar next month,

They will offer a retrofit for those who bought our cars recently without radar….


Right?

If so, it had better be a free retrofit for those of use who have already paid in full for FSD. We were promised that our cars had "all the hardware" required for FSD. My 2016 Model S has already had the free camera and computer upgrades...

 

[ElectricIAC]

What happens when radar and cameras disagree?

And isn’t sensor fusion supposed to be impossible?

Air France 447

Perhaps not so dramatic but my guess is that this is what goes down whenever AP just seems to give up and tells you to take over.

 

[2101Guy]

Both statements could be true though.

Also nice try at reducing Elon's quote to change the meaning. Elon Musk quote was "Moving lumbar was removed only in front passenger seat of 3/Y (obv not there in rear seats). Logs showed almost no usage. Not worth cost/mass for everyone when almost never used."

Not sure I follow. I understand your unwavering support of Elon, but your statement isnt factual. He DID actually state the reason for his removal of lumbar:

Elon Musk tweeted out the bizarre rationale for the electric automaker's latest cost-cutting measure.​

 

[derotam]

Not sure I follow. I understand your unwavering support of Elon, but your statement isnt factual. He DID actually state the reason for his removal of lumbar:

Elon Musk tweeted out the bizarre rationale for the electric automaker's latest cost-cutting measure.​

Go ahead and source your information that my statement was false. My statement is factual, as it was the direct Twitter quote which is even linked in the article YOU provided.

Your misquote implies that they removed lumbar ONLY because of limited usage but that is not what his actual statement said. He said that it was "removed ONLY in front passenger seat" Chip shortages likely were an additional factor but he didn't say anything one way or another concerning that. The fact is that Elon's STATED reason was that the logs showed almost no usage and therefore it wasn't worth the cost. Chip shortage can increase cost right?

 

[CloudCowboy]

I have a January 2022 build M3LR. USS and Vision only. I have a suspicion I’m going to get a middle finger on the prospect of HD radar being retrofitted to my car.

 

[Investor9872]

Tesla is not likely going to retrofit millions of M3s and MYs with the new radar, or even with the 5MP cameras. We'll see.

 

[Big Dog]

The article title is super misleading.

Summary: "Electrek doesn't know what this radar reference is about".

In the last section of the article they even speculate it could even be some in cabin radar related to driver-assist features. So a title "... adding radar in its cars..." could mean a really really wide variety of things.

I'm shocked, shocked....

 

[AndrewZ]

Tesla is not likely going to retrofit millions of M3s and MYs with the new radar, or even with the 5MP cameras. We'll see.

I would be taking a hard look at what was in sales agreements and what was being said on the website at the time of purchase.

I think Tesla will say they've been selling FSD as a Level 2 ADAS for a long time and this HD radar is part of the next iterative step towards achieving Level 3+, but that it's not owed to people who have bought Level 2 FSD.

 

[KArnold]

I think Tesla will say they've been selling FSD as a Level 2 ADAS for a long time and this HD radar is part of the next iterative step towards achieving Level 3+, but that it's not

I fully expect hardware for FSD will be made available free of charge to those who purchased it, including legacy vehicles. Period.

And Elon has repeatedly said FSD means level 5, robotaxis, not having to touch the wheel, etc.

Sounds very clear to me. He would have to do a lot more weaeling to get out of that. Maybe he should get the Neuralink implant and engage the ethical subroutine.

 

[AndrewZ]

I fully expect hardware for FSD will be made available free of charge to those who purchased it, including legacy vehicles. Period.

And Elon has repeatedly said FSD means level 5, robotaxis, not having to touch the wheel, etc.

Sounds very clear to me. He would have to do a lot more weaeling to get out of that. Maybe he should get the Neuralink implant and engage the ethical subroutine.

Full Self-driving is a Level 2 ADAS, that's achievable entirely with current hardware and vision-only

Level 3+ is Fully Full Self-driving (FFSD) and will require HD radar, 5MP cameras, cameras in new locations

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

The good news is that the cars with the new suite will not be L3+ and will simply be L2 with better sensors, for the time being, and for the foreseeable future as well!

So no one misses out on anything! No magical fixes will be forthcoming.

 

[Mike7564]

Surely if Tesla decides Radar is suddenly needed and adds radar next month,

They will offer a retrofit for those who bought our cars recently without radar….


Right?

Asked a SA specifically about this radar discussion. If a software update, prob. If a hardware thing, prob not (50/50)

 

[LowlyOilBurner]

I have a January 2022 build M3LR. USS and Vision only. I have a suspicion I’m going to get a middle finger on the prospect of HD radar being retrofitted to my car.

Why? Pull out your frunk, the wiring is still there for radar. My 2022 Y is a vision only car, there’s a pigtail under there, with a tag that reads “model Y US, no radar”, but the connection is the same connection that would plug into the radar unit if it were present.

 

[AndrewZ]

Why? Pull out your frunk, the wiring is still there for radar. My 2022 Y is a vision only car, there’s a pigtail under there, with a tag that reads “model Y US, no radar”, but the connection is the same connection that would plug into the radar unit if it were present.

Unlikely this HD radar would use the same wiring harness

Green back in September had noticed this radar popped up in Tesla’s parts catalogue but just noted the bracket is different, no mention about the harness aside from speculating it would likely be different

https://twitter.com/x/status/1569722066676641794

 

[DrGriz]

Why? Pull out your frunk, the wiring is still there for radar. My 2022 Y is a vision only car, there’s a pigtail under there, with a tag that reads “model Y US, no radar”, but the connection is the same connection that would plug into the radar unit if it were present.

Mine as well. Bracket swap, if you are going to use the same location and harness, would probably not be hard, and it looks like the same screw hole pattern.

 

[enemji]

Tesla is not likely going to retrofit millions of M3s and MYs with the new radar, or even with the 5MP cameras. We'll see.

They will only if you buy FSD

 

[Takaa]

They will only if you buy FSD

This is unfounded. There is absolutely nothing indicating Tesla is going to say anything other than "HW3 without radar is good enough to accomplish what we promised for FSD. Of course, HW4 will be better, but it is not needed." This is actually more in line with the tone Elon and his team were taking even as recently as AI day.

 

[Bladerskb]

In before Elon tweets "We invented HD Radars, if you buy a new Tesla, your car will come with a forward facing radar that makes FSD 100x safer".

But ofcourse no one will do the math.
If a single radar makes the car 100x safer. What about a radar (4D Ultra Resolution Imaging Radar) that is 1000 times better than that "HD Radar"? Would that be 1000x safer?

What about 360 degree radar that covers all field of view and 100% (intersections, uturns, roundabout, etc) of all driving scenario rather than 25%? would that make it 10,000xsafer?

 

[Unclepaul]

SInce there is no official statement from Tesla, it is only speculation as how this will go.

Depending on what the new sensor suite is going to be, it may only provide an incremental quality to the FSD capabilities. Tesla will decide if they are going to provide an upgrade to those purchasing FSD packages.

As far as the passenger seat power lumbar support delete, it is not unusual for all the manufacturers to value engineer their offerings to add items which will enhance their competitive advantages, and remove those which just add cost, but little value. It also frees up hundreds of thousands of scarce microchips that can be used to increase overall production of the fleet.