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.)

 

[powderpc]

I'm super excited to maybe get full matrix capability someday, but I have to say the auto high beams on my October 2021 M3P are so bad that I'm doubtful that Tesla can get matrix auto dimming working well anytime soon.

Unless maybe they regular auto high beams are bad because they've been spending this time perfecting matrix functionality?

I have had three non-Tesla vehicles with auto high beams and they work perfectly. This isn't advanced technology. It's just a light sensor that controls a switch. See light, switch to low. No light, switch to high. It seems about as simple as it gets relative to matrix lights which require a bit of software and much more testing. Considering Tesla's software advantages you'd think they could bring this to market pretty quickly if they are already shipping the hardware. European companies have been doing matrix lighting for years now with the 2013 A8 being the first to market so this isn't new technology overall. The US has simply been very slow in regulating it since US automakers haven't pushed the agenda (i.e. you mainly see it in Porsches and Audis).

The 2021 Audi etron with digital matrix LEDs have 1.3 M "micromirrors" per headlight. See here: https://media.audiusa.com/en-us/releases/444 and comparatively Tesla's seem to have only 100 "pixels". Not sure how this actually compares since the Tesla isn't a functioning feature but that sounds like it is much less capable than what the new etrons are doing, which is pretty cool if you've seen it.

 

[powderpc]

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.

So they rejected all of the other matrix LED lights but accepted Tesla? Hard to parse what's going on here in a 327 page document... That document mentions Audi having glare that exceeded certain limits so did they approve any manufacturer or simply set out the regulatory framework for approval?

 

[Mrbrock]

They haven’t approved anything regarding actual production lights/vehicles. They just approved the law that is the framework. And even the law isn’t active until it’s printed and published in the register.

The other ones they rejected were from prior years so obviously those won’t be approved under new framework. Sorry to everyone who forked over thousands to BMW and Audi for this “cool new technology”.

 

[Krash]

…Considering Tesla's software advantages you'd think they could bring this to market pretty quickly…

Maybe I’m in the wrong thread. I’m looking for auto rain sensor info.

 

[TunaBug]

So they rejected all of the other matrix LED lights but accepted Tesla? Hard to parse what's going on here in a 327 page document... That document mentions Audi having glare that exceeded certain limits so did they approve any manufacturer or simply set out the regulatory framework for approval?

Can you point out which section(s) you're referring to?

For your latter question: this is rulemaking for what is allowed on the road, and not pass/fail for specific cars. I am assuming, but cannot find mention, that testing for conformance is done by automakers and/or 3rd parties and not the government.

 

[kleinja]

Yup. I still occasionally get blinded by oncoming M3/MY high beams. Not sure if it’s the auto hi beams or if the driver is just dumb and doesn’t know their hi beams are on.

Oh yeah I'm sure it is the auto beams. I was driving one night on a 4 lane highway thru a rural area. The light in front of me changed to green (I was still a little ways back) and I saw the car at the light in the other lane kick his high beams on, and then back off. As the car passed me, I realized it was another model 3. I knew exactly what happened. Guy took off, and then enabled auto pilot. After the high beams kicked on, he manually kicked them off again. Probably was mad at the car for blinding me. I wasn't mad, as I know I have done it to others too.

 

[antti_rr]

Maybe I’m in the wrong thread. I’m looking for auto rain sensor info.

Propably you are. I think it is super simple one line of code ( Random(WipersOn; WipersOff).execute )

 

[Smith_George_]

tks man

 

[HellsKitchen]

So this weekend I saw it posted that only the Performance version has the new headlights. Has anyone heard this?

 

[MatildaModelY]

So this weekend I saw it posted that only the Performance version has the new headlights. Has anyone heard this?

Yes that is accurate for model y. Strangely I think all model 3's have them.

 

[JaeTheDev]

Easiest way to know if you have them is to do the light show Easter egg while facing a wall. If you see tesla projected on the wall you have matrix lights.

Exactly. My August built 21 MYP has the matriz headlights. Question though. Once an OTA enables them... what do they do thats different exactly?

 

[MatildaModelY]

Exactly. My August built 21 MYP has the matriz headlights. Question though. Once an OTA enables them... what do they do thats different exactly?

Please read earlier pages in this thread. Google is also a friend.

 

[ShelJW]

Exactly. My August built 21 MYP has the matriz headlights. Question though. Once an OTA enables them... what do they do thats different exactly?

Search YouTube for Matrix Headlights, or go back in this thread. I posted a video that demonstrates what Matrix Headlights do, and the advantages of them.
Basically, they allow you to keep your brights on at all times, and create a tunnel without lights, if there's a vehicle in front of you, so that your brights don't blind them.

 

[HellsKitchen]

Yes that is accurate for model y. Strangely I think all model 3's have them.

That's too bad. I've got the LR on order. But longer range at a cheaper cost is still a no-brainer for me.

 

[MatildaModelY]

That's too bad. I've got the LR on order. But longer range at a cheaper cost is still a no-brainer for me.

Just add smaller wheels and you’ll get the same mileage plus having a P.

 

[HellsKitchen]

Just add smaller wheels and you’ll get the same mileage plus having a P.

I'd rather pay less and have the same mileage.

 

[tm1v2]

Just add smaller wheels and you’ll get the same mileage plus having a P.

Yes this. Put the same wheels and tires on an LR and a P and they'll have basically identical efficiency if driven the same. This is true for MYP vs MYLR and M3P vs M3LR. Obviously a P will be capable of draining the battery quicker when using its extra power of course.

@HellsKitchen Saving money is a perfectly good reason to get an LR! Range isn't though, you can achieve the same range/efficiency with either.

 

[MatildaModelY]

I'd rather pay less and have the same mileage.

Sure... you pay less you get less. No matrix headlights, no better brakes, no spoiler, no cool pedals and no 0-60 of 3.5. Also you can sell the uberturbines for $2500, and get some 19's, helping achieve your range desires.

 

[HellsKitchen]

Sure... you pay less you get less. No matrix headlights, no better brakes, no spoiler, no cool pedals and no 0-60 of 3.5. Also you can sell the uberturbines for $2500, and get some 19's, helping achieve your range desires.

Thanks. Aside from the headlights, none of that interests me. As a mater of fact I think that spoilers look dumb. I guess I'm just lucky.

 

[tm1v2]

I think the P models are a waste of money for most drivers. Even the LR is very quick and in an EV you probably want to do most of your braking with regen anyways, negating much of the value of better brakes. It's just that the EPA rated range/efficiency difference is really only from the wheels+tires which are trivial to change, so that's not a reason to avoid the P.

I'm out of mainstream and I gladly spent the money for an M3P, and probably would've for an MYP if I had gone with a Y. But that's just me.