It was only a matter of time: as was the case in the USA in 2021, Tesla is abandoning the radar on its vehicles intended for the European market. Small catch however: there will be some limitations at the beginning.
What has been deployed for about a year in North America is finally coming to Europe: Tesla Vision. It is announced in a press release from the manufacturer that electric cars manufactured after April 2022 in Europe and the Middle East will no longer have radar. They will therefore be forced to use only the cameras for all the driving assistance functionalities.
The radar is over: is it good or bad news?
Almost a year ago to the day, we were telling you about the lack of speed cameras coming to Tesla, which quickly materialized in the United States and Canada. Used since May 2021, Tesla Vision seems to have proven itself on the other side of the Atlantic, and is now arriving on the Old Continent.
If the limitations of the beginnings no longer exist in the USA, in Europe it will be necessary to expect a small change compared to Tesla vehicles equipped with a radar, at least during the first months. According to the manufacturer, here is what the new Tesla Model 3 and Model Y will have less than the old ones:
“For a limited time during this transition, vehicles equipped with Tesla Vision may come with temporarily restricted or inactive features, including”:
- I’Heading assistance will be limited to a speed of 130 km/h and a minimum following distance.
If in France the speed limit should not pose a problem, it could prove to be disabling in Germany, where the cruising speed can be much higher on certain sections of motorway. As a reminder, on Tesla equipped with a radar, the maximum speed in Autopilot (direction maintenance assistance) is 150 km / h.
Regarding the following distance, it is now between 1 and 7 (from the smallest to the largest following distance) depending on the driver’s preference. It will necessarily be limited to 1 on vehicles that do not have a radar, which will correspond to a distance of several meters that may vary depending on your current speed.
Tesla makes it clear that all this is only temporary:
“In the coming weeks, these features will be restored via a series of over-the-air software updates. Other current Autopilot and Tesla Fully Self-Driving Capability features will be available upon delivery, depending on the configuration ordered. »
In the USA, it took many months for the manufacturer to validate the operation of Tesla Vision, and for these limitations to be lifted. We will see how long it will take in Europe, but it is very likely that by the end of 2022, there will be no difference in operation between Teslas with and without radar.
Unfortunately well known to Tesla drivers, phantom braking is back on the scene with more and more complaints to US authorities. Let us return to this phenomenon in detail.
Read more
To follow us, we invite you to download our Android and iOS application. You can read our articles, files, and watch our latest YouTube videos.