Tesla has removed ultrasonic sensors and radar from its already minimalist vehicles. Are traditional exterior mirrors the next feature on the chopping block?
Photos shared by X user Joey Klender reveal a Model 3 with additional cameras, while the side mirrors are all but gone.
It’s not the first time a Tesla has been spotted with this arrangement. In May, X user Nic Cruz Patane shared images of a Model 3 testing in Texas with the same changes.
A good friend of mine sent me these pictures of a @Tesla Model 3 mule with some interesting camera locations — any guesses? pic.twitter.com/UihdT8gSzq
— Joey Klender (@KlenderJoey) July 9, 2024
These latest images reveal cameras placed in the rear windows, alongside cameras sticking out from where the Model 3’s current repeater cameras are located on the boot lid and front sides. A camera is also visible on the car’s front bumper.
Unlike the previously spied Texan example, this Model 3 is wearing Californian registration plates, which suggests there are a number of Teslas in circulation with a similar camera setup.
Tesla has already removed ultrasonic sensors and radar, with active safety and driver assist technology like its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving instead powered by a camera-only setup called Tesla Vision.
The company has also been known to omit or later remove features to reduce cost and complexity in its vehicles. Its Model 3 and Model Y, for example, have never had an instrument cluster or head-up display, while the Model 3 recently lost its indicator stalk in favour of steering wheel buttons.
It’s possible Tesla is testing this camera setup ahead of rolling it out to an upcoming product like its new robotaxi, rumoured to be called the Cybercab and reportedly now set for a delayed October reveal.
At the company’s annual stockholder meeting last month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk teased three new products but provided no extra information.
He revealed a single teaser image of Tesla’s model lineup, with three new cars under covers – two with car-like silhouettes, the other more resembling a van.
MORE: Is this a sneak peek at Tesla’s robotaxi?
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