[uk] UltraSonic Sensors removal/TV replacement performance

[DrJFoster]

The cars I drove until I was about 25 were boxes and I could virtually touch every corner from the drivers sear, let alone see the corners. I get that we used to cope, but the cars were smaller and so the margins when parking where bigger.

I do find it disappointing that the best excuse for not needing them was because once upon a time we didn't have them. Take out electric windows, electric seats, air con etc. I grew up without any of those and they'd save a few more quid of cost and weight.

 

[Durzel]

Parking spaces haven't changed either. If anything, with some exceptions (Sainsburys springs to mind) you're basically parked like sardines with barely any room to actually get out even if you are smack bang between the lines.

I consider myself a competent driver but I have taken cues from ultrasonics, on pretty much every drive really.

 

[DrJFoster]

Parking in the 1970's (not that I'm that old, just a picture I found). On the left edge you can see a car way over the line and the car next to it still manages to park. Then look at the length of the cars, lots of room. A few original mini's which don't actually look that small in comparison

 

[CWT3LR]

Parking spaces haven't changed either. If anything, with some exceptions (Sainsburys springs to mind) you're basically parked like sardines with barely any room to actually get out even if you are smack bang between the lines.

I consider myself a competent driver but I have taken cues from ultrasonics, on pretty much every drive really.

The minimum sizing of UK parking bays has barely changed since the 1960s. Yet the car sizes of typical cars has increased by around 25% on average and for some cars by 50%.

And at the same time, due to very necessary safety regs resulting from crash testing, car beltlines have got higher and window glass area smaller.

But hey, I guess I am just too old to park a car safely if it doesn't have USS. Try reverse parking a Y into a small space on a dark and rainy night without USS - don't worry, it'll buff out....

 

[Durzel]

The cars I drove until I was about 25 were boxes and I could virtually touch every corner from the drivers sear, let alone see the corners. I get that we used to cope, but the cars were smaller and so the margins when parking where bigger.

I do find it disappointing that the best excuse for not needing them was because once upon a time we didn't have them. Take out electric windows, electric seats, air con etc. I grew up without any of those and they'd save a few more quid of cost and weight.

I'm more than disappointed, I'm actually irritated by it.

You do see it occasionally, I remember people defending Apple removing power bricks from iPhones under the auspices of "waste saving". The savings from removing those bricks weren't passed on to consumers, though, and neither was USS removal.

I honestly don't understand the mindset of people who want to go out to bat for hundred billion dollar companies when they're the ones that suffer for these decisions. They derive no benefit from it at all, even monetarily, and in the case of Tesla just swallow the narrative that TeslaVision™ will solve everything despite the fact that they don't have the reputation with this stuff to justify that reassurance (look how long it has taken for auto headlights to be useable).

Ultrasonics are a basic feature on cars nowadays and for many years prior, even ones much cheaper than any Tesla, and it is embarassing that they have been removed with no alternative, robust system ready to go.

 

[Andy B]

Going backwards, I'm ok without USS, to be fair, it's a good skill to have as if you are trying to squeeze through gates or into a tight space, the USS would just be screaming at you anyway, but the lack of front sensors and the lack of cameras that will make any difference to trying to move around in tight spots in the front is unforgivable IMO.

 

[Xdeanyy]

Had the car a month now and whilst I was dreading not having USS it's not actually been as bad as I thought it would be. Rear camera does a fantastic job as a whole and I can literally see the front of the car from my driving position.

 

[GlynG]

@DrJFoster, not only am I that old to have been in the photo I did own some of the cars the pictures depict - The Mini mk1, The Capri and the Hillman Hunter.

@CWT3LR regarding the size of parking bays and the increase in size of cars today, In todays society you also have to account for the obesity in people, when i was a teen there were very few fat people - so they didn't have to open the doors too far to get in and out - and we didn't just whack our door onto the car next to us, wedge a fat arse against the door card and push the door harder into the adjacent parked vehicle - and Mums didn't have kids in kiddie seats - kids were just thrown in the back.

@Durzel I saw a definition of Stupid on Youtube the other day - Stupid people Instigate or defend the loss of something to others and yet derive no personal benefit, Cheats ensure others loose something whilst making a gain personally.

 

[Ashdeman]

Going backwards, I'm ok without USS, to be fair, it's a good skill to have as if you are trying to squeeze through gates or into a tight space, the USS would just be screaming at you anyway, but the lack of front sensors and the lack of cameras that will make any difference to trying to move around in tight spots in the front is unforgivable IMO.

I can agree with you on this. My RWD M3 doesn't have sensors and went into tesla for paintwork correction last month, I had an SR+ M3 courtesy car with sensors. I parked in a underground car park with tight high curbs at the entrance and the USS was going nuts beeping at me because the entrance was that tight, it was absolutely more of an annoyance than a useful feature in that situation.

That said there have been a few times when pulling forward up to a wall/bollard in my car where USS would have been really helpful to judge the distance. My only worry is will this vision solution be able to do that accurately with the current front camera placement.

 

[pgkevet]

@GlynG ... Flash git . I was in an Austin A40 that was largely patched with glass fibre and resprayed orange with mum's vacuum cleaner...so very trendy with an orange peel roof where the spray bounced...
I did get a minivan with my first job.. crammed myself in with knees up behind the steering wheel and bent neck to peer out.no luxuries like wing mirrors...

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Parking in the 1970's (not that I'm that old, just a picture I found). On the left edge you can see a car way over the line and the car next to it still manages to park. Then look at the length of the cars, lots of room. A few original mini's which don't actually look that small in comparison


View attachment 896645

And parking today..

 

[MrBadger]

On the left edge you can see a car way over the line and the car next to it still manages to park.

A Morris Marina driver who presumably grew up to be that Porsche driver who you see taking up two parking spaces?

 

[burys4752]

Spoke to Tesla customer services today about another issue and whilst on the phone I mentioned the frustration around no USS. Fella on the phone said the software implementation (which I believe is Tesla vision) will be coming pretty soon.

I don’t know if he just said that to fob me off but when do you guys think it will actually happen? I’ve only been a Tesla owner for a few months so I’m unaware on how quick they are at providing new updates/features.

I’m getting tired of my families cheeky remarks for not having sensors lol

 

[yessuz]

Spoke to Tesla customer services today about another issue and whilst on the phone I mentioned the frustration around no USS. Fella on the phone said the software implementation (which I believe is Tesla vision) will be coming pretty soon.

I don’t know if he just said that to fob me off but when do you guys think it will actually happen? I’ve only been a Tesla owner for a few months so I’m unaware on how quick they are at providing new updates/features.

I’m getting tired of my families cheeky remarks for not having sensors lol

Pretty soon ™

Like FSD in europe/uk, robo-taxis, steam games on model 3, etc?

 

[Whyone]

I've heard that the USS functionality will be restored "soon", "in the near future" and "pretty soon" and that it will only be missing for "a short period of time".

All of which are of course dimensionless and therefore unhelpful and meaningless.

When talking to a Tesla representative recently, he was very keen to tell me that "...as of the April 2022 onward, there was no signposting on our website that said our newest vehicle configurations would include ultra-sonic sensors, which was visible to you when you placed your order".

Based on this, it seems reasonable to assume that they have been planning/working on a solution for at least 9 months, yet are unable/unwilling to commit to a date when this will be made available.

 

[Andy B]

I've heard that the USS functionality will be restored "soon", "in the near future" and "pretty soon" and that it will only be missing for "a short period of time".

All of which are of course dimensionless and therefore unhelpful and meaningless.

When talking to a Tesla representative recently, he was very keen to tell me that "...as of the April 2022 onward, there was no signposting on our website that said our newest vehicle configurations would include ultra-sonic sensors, which was visible to you when you placed your order".

Based on this, it seems reasonable to assume that they have been planning/working on a solution for at least 9 months, yet are unable/unwilling to commit to a date when this will be made available.

I'll bet it's the front that's holding them up. I wonder if they could use some kind of radar capable of seeing through the bumper and just fit behind it?

Kind of annoyed that I paid for EAP as Smart summon was the main reason I ordered it.

 

[LiamPope]

I've heard that the USS functionality will be restored "soon", "in the near future" and "pretty soon" and that it will only be missing for "a short period of time".

All of which are of course dimensionless and therefore unhelpful and meaningless.

When talking to a Tesla representative recently, he was very keen to tell me that "...as of the April 2022 onward, there was no signposting on our website that said our newest vehicle configurations would include ultra-sonic sensors, which was visible to you when you placed your order".

Based on this, it seems reasonable to assume that they have been planning/working on a solution for at least 9 months, yet are unable/unwilling to commit to a date when this will be made available.

I'd have told the smug git that while they might have not specifically mentioned USS for a while, they never stopped advertising park assist, auto park and the summons, which all rely on USS and do not exist on cars without USS.

 

[Kablooie]

Well, if Ultrasonic sensors are gone, at least bats will breathe a sigh of relief. They've probably been going crazy with the clamor of all the Teslas down below.

 

[Danny_F]

When talking to a Tesla representative recently, he was very keen to tell me that "...as of the April 2022 onward, there was no signposting on our website that said our newest vehicle configurations would include ultra-sonic sensors, which was visible to you when you placed your order".

He was clearly lying through his teeth as when I ordered in July there was nothing to indicate USS would be discontinued.

 

[CWT3LR]

Parking in the 1970's (not that I'm that old, just a picture I found). On the left edge you can see a car way over the line and the car next to it still manages to park. Then look at the length of the cars, lots of room. A few original mini's which don't actually look that small in comparison


View attachment 896645

Makes me nostalgic and also sad. So many of those cars made in Britain, with only a handful of foreign marques.

Who ever suspected we would be comparing German and Chinese build quality, hoping we get the Chinese built cars?