Tesla Vision Update:
Replacing Ultrasonic Sensors with Tesla Vision

Safety is at the core of our design and engineering decisions. In 2021, we began our transition to Tesla Vision by removing radar from Model 3 and Model Y, followed by Model S and Model X in 2022. Today, in most regions around the globe, these vehicles now rely on Tesla Vision, our camera-based Autopilot system.

Since launch, we have continued to make incremental improvements in both feature parity and safety. Compared to radar-equipped vehicles, Model 3 and Model Y with Tesla Vision have either maintained or improved their active safety ratings in the U.S. and Europe, and perform better in pedestrian automatic emergency braking (AEB) intervention.

In 2022 we took the next step in Tesla Vision by removing ultrasonic sensors (USS) from Model 3 and Model Y for most global markets, followed by all Model S and Model X in 2023.

Along with the removal of USS, we simultaneously launched our vision-based occupancy network – currently used in Full Self-Driving (FSD) (Supervised) – to replace the inputs generated by USS. With today’s software, this approach gives Autopilot high-definition spatial positioning, longer range visibility and the ability to identify and differentiate between objects. As with many Tesla features, our occupancy network will continue to improve rapidly over time.

Given the incremental improvements already achieved with Tesla Vision, and our roadmap of future Autopilot improvements and abilities, we are confident that this is the best strategy for the future of Autopilot and the safety of our customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Starting in early October 2022, all Model 3 and Model Y built for certain regions are no longer built with ultrasonic sensors and instead rely solely on Tesla Vision to provide Autopilot, FSD (Supervised) and active safety features. Those regions include North America, Europe, Middle East, Taiwan and Korea.

We are continuing this rollout with Model 3 and Model Y, globally, followed by Model S and Model X.

If you have taken delivery of your vehicle and are curious if your vehicle is equipped with USS, the 12 sensors can be found on the front and rear bumpers of your vehicle.
No. The transition does not affect crash safety ratings. Vehicles equipped with Tesla Vision retain the same crash safety ratings as vehicles equipped with vision + radar + USS.

Does the transition to Tesla Vision affect the availability of some features on vehicles delivered on or after October 2022?

For a period of time during this transition, Tesla Vision vehicles that are not equipped with USS will be delivered with some features temporarily limited or inactive, which includes the features outlined in the table below.

Features¹	Equipped with USS	Not equipped with USS
Forward Collision Warning	✓	✓
Automatic Emergency Braking	✓	✓
Lane Departure Warning / Avoidance	✓	✓
Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance	✓	✓
Pedal Misapplication Mitigation	✓	✓
Auto High Beam	✓	✓
Autowiper	✓	✓
Blind Spot Collision Warning Chime	✓	✓
AutoSteer²	✓	✓
Auto Lane Changes	✓	✓
Navigate on Autopilot	✓	✓
Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control	✓	✓
Park Assist	✓	✓
Autopark	✓	✓
Dumb Summon	✓	✓
Actually Smart Summon	✓	✓

Once these features achieve performance parity to today’s vehicles, they will be restored via a series of over-the-air software updates.

Last updated December 5, 2024

¹ Features listed are reflective of availability in North America. Features vary based on region and purchased Autopilot package.

² Autosteer maintains its 85 mph top speed, which is the same as Tesla Vision vehicles equipped with USS.

Tesla Vision Update: Replacing Ultrasonic Sensors with Tesla Vision

Tesla Vision Update:
Replacing Ultrasonic Sensors with Tesla Vision