Tesla’s new cameras sees much more

Tesla has been making some changes to the hardware of its flagship cars including new cameras, high-definition radar, a new Autopilot computer and a whole lot more.

Now a recent owner of a Tesla Model S has shown improvements in what the new car with Tesla-upgraded cameras can see versus a Model Y with older hardware. 

Ryan Zohoury on Twitter showcased his new Tesla Model S parked along a kerb. For a more realistic comparison, Ryan placed a black tape perpendicular to the kerb to see if the new side repeater camera in the 2023 Tesla Model S could capture it. 

According to Ryan, the repeater cameras offer a noticeable improvement in the field of view the new cars with this hardware have. 

The intent has been to see more of the road in full-self driving when the vehicle is performing turns or crossing median strips where it creeping is required to see any cross-traffic.

The improvement is quite significant as the field of view shows the tape Ryan placed on the road and the resolution appears much better with the 2023 Tesla Model S repeater cameras.

The Tesla Model Y with older hardware is unable to capture the tape marking on the road with its side repeaters.

Like typical Tesla fashion, the new hardware is rolled out without the customer’s knowledge and is an improvement over the previous generation. 

Traditional automakers generally promote upcoming features for months as part of a new model or update launch prior to customers placing orders on the vehicle, let alone taking deliveries. 

Recently Tesla announced various other new changes to the Tesla Model S but the hardware updates were left out of that communication.

Earlier this month though, customers started receiving Model S & Model X vehicles in the US with the upgraded hardware which Tesla internally calls Hardware 4. That included a high-definition radar and newer cameras in vehicles to allow the vehicle to see more for future self-driving capabilities.

These cameras will eventually make it into Tesla Model 3 and Model Y as well. This is part of the upgrade for a Tesla Model 3, that may be in production by September this year. 

A glimpse of this upgrade was the potential removal of the woodgrain interior of the upcoming Tesla Model 3 in China as part of a project codenamed “Highland”. 

With the new upgraded cameras and other features, the new Model S and Model X are much better vehicles than their predecessors. 

With Tesla’s goal to standardise manufacturing processes, many of these hardware upgrades will trickle down to Model 3 and Model Y in the coming months which gives another reason for existing owners to upgrade. This puts more EVs on the used vehicle market, allowing many more to access EVs in the coming years.

In Australia, NZ and the UK, many current order holders of the refreshed Tesla Model S and Model X have been waiting over 18 months for an update on their orders or a release date. We would love to see the latest Model S and Model X land on our shores before Christmas.