Full matrix headlight functionality just approved by NHTSA!

Full matrix headlight functionality has just been approved by NHTSA!

I’m very excited to see this approved. Can’t wait for the updates.

US approves new headlights that won’t blind oncoming drivers

Anyone who has ever been temporarily blinded by high-beam headlights from an oncoming car will be happy to hear this.

www.wbko.com

(“20191122-tesla-Cybertruck-driving-lightbar” by Kruzat is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.)

 

[TomT]

So it’s clear a lot of people are excited about this. Why is this so life changing? I don’t really have trouble seeing at night. I get it that once everybody has these lights there will be less glare/blinding … but what does it do for the owner to have these lights?

Many of us DO have some trouble seeing at night and such headlights are a God-send. Particularly if you are driving in areas that are pitch black like we have here.

 

[TomT]

I also use them to warn oncoming traffic of police running radar ahead of them.

I'm just the opposite. I love to see speeders get nailed by radar (or in our county, lidar)!

 

[terranx]

Well my LR has..

In the US at least. ROW might be different.

 

[Mrbrock]

Great news but trust a US government agency to muck it up. It has changes from guidelines in Europe so the lights Tesla uses may only be approved on new vehicles and may not be approved at all and would require a redesign to be legal in US which likely would mean they keep using the current design.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2022-02/ADB-Final-Rule-02-01-2022-web.pdf

At the same time as this was posted, they also posted rejection of petitions by Toyota (2013), Audi (2017) and BMW (2017) to temporarily allow Matrix lights on their vehicles.

So while they may have been selling them, they weren’t actually doing anything matrix related in the US so those people who say they think the light output is much better with matrix, haven’t really be using matrix at all.

We will see how this shakes out and hopefully Teslas global lights will be approved here but it is still time to wait and hope everything passes the new testing and requirements.

 

[Arthur Itis]

I'm just the opposite. I love to see speeders get nailed by radar (or in our county, lidar)!

If they're speeding in and out of traffic and generally presenting a threat to the public, then sure, ticket them. But if the roads are clear and the only threat is to themselves then leave them alone. Just my two cents.

The headlights are cool though and I'm sure people will develop another way to warn others of the police.

 

[WhiteWi]

Got to love bureaucracy!

 

[Kandiru]

M3/Y Jukebox projecting TESLA on wall means matrix capable.

 

[kabin]

Not sure if the plan is to run brights all the time but matrix headlights are an FSD necessity given its need to occasionally flick the bright headlights for longer distant night time viewing.

 

[origingalatic]

M3/Y Jukebox projecting TESLA on wall means matrix capable.

Is this how you tell? I'm expecting to get MY this July. I assume by then all MY/M3 would have this by then or has it already been a standard install recently.

 

[MatildaModelY]

Is this how you tell? I'm expecting to get MY this July. I assume by then all MY/M3 would have this by then or has it already been a standard install recently.

Just look at the actual headlight. You can see a maybe 2” circular light in there vs ones that don’t.

 

[terranx]

Is this how you tell? I'm expecting to get MY this July. I assume by then all MY/M3 would have this by then or has it already been a standard install recently.

It's one of the ways. Easiest way is to just look at the headlights. If it has projectors, it's matrix. Otherwise it's not

 

[ProjectTrinity]

So it’s clear a lot of people are excited about this. Why is this so life changing? I don’t really have trouble seeing at night. I get it that once everybody has these lights there will be less glare/blinding … but what does it do for the owner to have these lights?

It all changes when you’re driving in an area with no street lights. The IIHS has demonstrated that the output of the MYP/M3 projector headlights (good rating) are better than the reflectors (acceptable rating)used in the MYLR. And that’s with the matrix capabilities disabled. Also if you’re paying $60,000, it would be nice to at least have the same level headlights that the less expensive Model 3s have.

 

[Corndart]

Great news but trust a US government agency to muck it up. It has changes from guidelines in Europe so the lights Tesla uses may only be approved on new vehicles and may not be approved at all and would require a redesign to be legal in US which likely would mean they keep using the current design.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2022-02/ADB-Final-Rule-02-01-2022-web.pdf

At the same time as this was posted, they also posted rejection of petitions by Toyota (2013), Audi (2017) and BMW (2017) to temporarily allow Matrix lights on their vehicles.

So while they may have been selling them, they weren’t actually doing anything matrix related in the US so those people who say they think the light output is much better with matrix, haven’t really be using matrix at all.

We will see how this shakes out and hopefully Teslas global lights will be approved here but it is still time to wait and hope everything passes the new testing and requirements.

Not sure I follow your thought process.

MYP / M3 have been shipping with matrix headlights that act like normal headlights. Due to the ability of Tesla to push OTA updates, these headlights are a software upgrade away from enabling matrix functionality.

 

[Mrbrock]

Not sure I follow your thought process.

MYP / M3 have been shipping with matrix headlights that act like normal headlights. Due to the ability of Tesla to push OTA updates, these headlights are a software upgrade away from enabling matrix functionality.

Unless NHTSA only approves model years that are tested. Say they start with 2023 models. If they say it has to be as the vehicle was sold then you’d run into Tesla having to run tests on all past model years. Just because the part is approved doesn’t mean it works with all version as related to testing. They won’t believe Tesla saying there havent been any changes. They seem to be wanting to put their stamp on it, not just accepting testing and standards that already exist.

Again, I hope they don’t take this course of action but American lawmakers never seem to know when to leave well enough alone.

 

[Corndart]

Unless NHTSA only approves model years that are tested. Say they start with 2023 models. If they say it has to be as the vehicle was sold then you’d run into Tesla having to run tests on all past model years. Just because the part is approved doesn’t mean it works with all version as related to testing. They won’t believe Tesla saying there havent been any changes. They seem to be wanting to put their stamp on it, not just accepting testing and standards that already exist.

Again, I hope they don’t take this course of action but American lawmakers never seem to know when to leave well enough alone.

Given that many old truck fleets have been retrofitted with things like HID / LED lights and such, I can't imagine a scenario where Tesla can't flip a software switch and allow the matrix headlights to be used but maybe I'm too optimistic.

 

[MatildaModelY]

I strongly believe we’ll get a software update for full functionality.

After all they used them no problem in the holiday light show.

 

[Mrbrock]

Given that many old truck fleets have been retrofitted with things like HID / LED lights and such, I can't imagine a scenario where Tesla can't flip a software switch and allow the matrix headlights to be used but maybe I'm too optimistic.

Agreed. But this is brand new legislation and testing requirements. Before it was just parts approval for aftermarket not new car approval as a system on the car due to software integration. Many more moving parts and situations here than just a point and shoot test.

 

[Mrbrock]

I strongly believe we’ll get a softer update for full functionality.

After all they used them no problem in the holiday light show.

Were you able to use the holiday light show while driving? Look at it this way. Boom box functionality is fine to have exterior speaker while parked. But Tesla allowed it while driving so they were forced to remove that functionality. I can easily see NHTSA saying this technology will only be approved on new cars going forward because of all the systems involved. They do not want to have to test a million aftermarket version on every potential version of car they could fit.

 

[Corndart]

Agreed. But this is brand new legislation and testing requirements. Before it was just parts approval for aftermarket not new car approval as a system on the car due to software integration. Many more moving parts and situations here than just a point and shoot test.

You're discounting the "honey badger don't give a fig" mentality of a company that gave us boom box, fart noises, and a perma beta FSD feature. Again it's a software toggle to disable, if the regulators try to circle back and tell Tesla it's not okay.

 

[TunaBug]

Unless NHTSA only approves model years that are tested. Say they start with 2023 models. If they say it has to be as the vehicle was sold then you’d run into Tesla having to run tests on all past model years. Just because the part is approved doesn’t mean it works with all version as related to testing. They won’t believe Tesla saying there havent been any changes. They seem to be wanting to put their stamp on it, not just accepting testing and standards that already exist.

Again, I hope they don’t take this course of action but American lawmakers never seem to know when to leave well enough alone.

Thank you for providing the link to the NHTSA doc. I'm linking again for convenience: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2022-02/ADB-Final-Rule-02-01-2022-web.pdf.

They explicitly allow aftermarket ADB systems. My summary would be that they're saying that if it meets the requirements for ADB then they don't care whether or not it came that way from the factory. If it's ok to have a third party system bolted on after the fact, then I would assume it's also allowed to enable existing hardware with a firmware update. See section "L. Aftermarket Compliance" on page 226 of the PDF you linked to.

A summary of rationale for departures from ECE and SAE J3069 is on page 7.