In 2021, Tesla made the controversial decision to stop selling cars with radar sensors and instead implemented “Tesla Vision,” a system that uses the car’s external cameras to see the world. Now it would seem that Tesla is doubling down on its move away from radar with the issuance of a new service bulletin that physically disconnects the radar from cars already fitted with the sensor, without removing it.
According to the new directive that was shared on Reddit, Tesla technicians are to disconnect the radar sensors at an appropriate time which, from user reports, varies from routine maintenance at a service center to domestic visits to attend to seemingly unrelated issues.
The disabling of radars appears to be currently restricted to 2021-2022 Model S cars running software 2022.20.9 or later. Tesla employees have clarified that this measure is implemented due to the redundancy of radars following the transition to Tesla Vision.
Related: Elon Musk Overruled Tesla Engineers Who Knew Removing Radar Was A Bad Idea
The reason behind the move has been explained that the sensor continues to draw power, even though the Tesla Vision suite of camera-based tech has superseded the radar’s functionality. Another issue reported could be the possibility of water ingress issues with the sensors. Either way, Tesla techs are now disabling the units and installing a cap at the ends of the connector – a simple enough job, but it eliminates any chance for those cars with radar sensors ever to use them again.
Earlier this year, it came to light that some Tesla engineers expressed great concern at Elon Musk’s 2021 decision to remove radar from new cars. The move was widely seen as a cost-cutting measure but limited the autopilot functionality of many vehicles for months before an update was rolled out. An uptick in complaints filed with regulators was also noted in the months following the decision. This included incidents of “phantom braking” and vehicles failing to detect emergency vehicles.
However, Tesla’s love-hate affair with radar seems to be a baffling one. Considering the latest Model S and Model X’s upgraded Hardware 4.0 unit, the latest move to disable radar on older vehicles is especially puzzling. That’s because the latest cars have added radar back, with Drive Tesla Canada reporting that this hardware package includes a high-definition radar. However, its functionality has not yet been activated, pending a software update.
