Tesla Vision Park Assist: Bringing Back Distance Measurements for Cars without Ultrasonic Sensors

Tesla restores Park Assist using vision for vehicles without ultrasonic sensors

Tesla

Tesla has taken another significant step forward in its commitment to vision-based technology by introducing Tesla Vision Park Assist. This new feature reinstates the Park Assist distance measurements for Tesla vehicles without ultrasonic sensors (USS).

In October 2022, Tesla removed USS from Model 3, Model Y, and later, Model S and Model X, as part of the shift to its camera-based Autopilot system, Tesla Vision. However, the accompanying software to measure distances to nearby objects wasn't ready at the time, leaving owners of cars without USS to estimate their distance to surrounding things while parking.

The Latest Update Gets Even Bigger

The wait for a solution is finally over with the release of software version 2022.45.11, which includes the latest FSD Beta v11.3.2. As confirmed by well-known Tesla hacker @greentheonly, Tesla Vision Park Assist has been added to this update for vehicles without USS.

Improvements Over Ultrasonic Sensors

Although Tesla's vision-based approach is expected to not be as accurate as having ultrasonic sensors, at least initially, it does offer one improvement for the hardware-based solution.

The vision-based Park Assist system not only measures distances to objects at the front and rear of the car but also detects objects on the sides where there is no USS, providing 360° coverage around the vehicle.

It's not clear whether Tesla plans to add vision-based object detection to the sides of vehicles that have ultrasonic sensors in a future update.

The current release is limited to cars testing FSD Beta without USS, while vehicles with USS continue to operate with their sensors enabled. Although it might take some time for the feature to be deployed fleet-wide, Tesla Vision Park Assist demonstrates Tesla's progress in refining vision-based technology for parking assistance.

Who Will Get It

According to @greentheonly, the new Park Assist system is currently only available to customers in the United States and Canada who have purchased FSD and applied for access to the FSD Beta program. It is also currently limited to the Model 3 and Model Y. However, with visual and audio alerts of surrounding objects and the use of the occupancy network to predict high-definition outlines of objects around the vehicle, the vision-based system could eventually prove superior to Tesla's previous USS-based solution.

The release notes for Park Assist in 2022.45.11 state:

Tesla Vision Park Assist provides visual and audio alerts of surrounding objects. This feature uses the occupancy network to predict high-definition outlines of objects 360 degrees around the car.

Note: Tesla Vision Park Assist is for guidance purposes only and is not a substitute for an aware driver. Please be attentive and avoid obstacles as required.

Last year, Tesla's shift to a vision-only approach resulted in temporarily limiting or disabling some features, such as Summon, Smart Summon, Autopark, and Park Assist. Park Assist, which alerts drivers to nearby objects when traveling at less than five mph, appeared to be the easiest to implement. Now that Tesla has released Park Assist for vision-only vehicles, it is likely that Autopark, Summon, and Smart Summon will follow suit for Teslas without ultrasonic sensors in due course.

With Tesla Vision Park Assist, Tesla owners without ultrasonic sensors can now enjoy improved parking assistance, making it easier and safer to navigate tight parking spaces. As the feature continues to roll out and improve, Tesla demonstrates its dedication to advancing its vision-based technology for the benefit of its customers.

Tesla FSD in Europe: June Update

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The road to bringing FSD to Europe has been a long and complex one and filled with regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles. Elon Musk, as well as other members of Tesla’s AI team, have previously voiced their grievances with the regulatory approval process on X.

However, it appears that there is finally some progress in getting things moving with recent changes to upcoming autonomy regulations, but the process still seems slow.

Waiting on the Dutch

Elon commented on X recently, stating that Tesla is waiting for approval from Dutch authorities and then the EU to start rolling out FSD in Europe. Tesla is focusing on acquiring approvals from the Dutch transportation authority, which will provide them with the platform they need to gain broader acceptance in Europe. Outside of the Netherlands, Tesla is also conducting testing in Norway, which provides a couple of avenues for them to obtain national-level approval.

The frustration has been ongoing, with multiple committee meetings bringing up autonomy regulation but always pulling back at the last second before approving anything. The last meeting on Regulation 157, which governs Automated Lane Keeping Systems, concluded with authorities from the UK and Spain requesting additional time to analyze the data before reaching a conclusion.

Tesla, as well as Elon, have motioned several times for owners to reach out to their elected representatives to move the process forward, as it seems that Tesla’s own efforts are being stymied. 

This can seem odd, especially since Tesla has previously demoed FSD working exceptionally smoothly on European roads - and just did it again in Rome when they shared the video below on X.

FSD Supervised testing in Rome, Italy

Pending regulatory approval pic.twitter.com/TXh3uQIfrx

— Tesla Europe & Middle East (@teslaeurope) June 12, 2025

DCAS Phase 3

While the approval process has been slow, Kees Roelandschap pointed out that there may be a different regulatory step that could allow FSD to gain a foothold in Europe.

According to Kees, the European Commission is now taking a new approach to approving ADAS systems under the new DCAS Phase 3 regulations. The Commission is now seeking data from systems currently operational in the United States that can perform System-Initiated Maneuvers and don’t require hands-on intervention for every request.

This is key because those are two of the core functionalities that make FSD so usable, and it also means that there may not be a need to wait years for proper regulations to be written from scratch. Now, the Commission will be looking at real-world data based on existing, deployed technology, which could speed up the process immensely.

What This Means

This new, data-driven regulatory approach could be the path for Tesla to reach its previous target of September for European FSD. While the cogs of bureaucracy are ever slow, sometimes all it takes is a little data to have them turn a bit faster in this case.

Alongside specific countries granting approval for limited field testing with employees, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for FSD in Europe, and hopes are that a release will occur by the end of 2025. With Europe now looking to North America for how FSD is performing, Tesla’s Robotaxi results could also play a role.

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Tesla Launches 'TeslaVision' Contest With Big Prizes — See Last Year’s Winner [VIDEO]

Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s marketing has always been relatively unconventional, relying on word-of-mouth rather than traditional advertising. The passion of the owner’s community is always massive, but it is especially high now with the launch of the Robotaxi network just around the corner.

Tesla is now tapping into that spring of fan creativity and announced the TeslaVision video contest, with some seriously impressive prizes up for grabs.

Announcing the TeslaVision fan video showcase

Tesla owners & supporters have always been able to see our products & mission for what they truly are.

Your word of mouth has made Tesla what it is today.

The OGs will remember that in 2017, we held our first video contest. 8 years… pic.twitter.com/6pPpkqmqOH

— Tesla (@Tesla) June 10, 2025

The Contest

The core of the contest is simple. Create a video that shows how your Tesla gives you more in life. Tesla is looking for submissions that highlight themes of freedom, safety, fun, and convenience.

Prizes

The prizes definitely make this contest worth entering if you’re good with a camera and have some basic video editing abilities.

For North America, the prizes include a brand new Model Y AWD Long Range, alongside an all-expenses-paid trip to Austin for a tour of Giga Texas. The grand prize winner will also be able to custom order their Model Y, allowing them to select their preferred wheels and color.

The two runners-up won’t get a Model Y, but they’ll also enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to Giga Texas for a tour of the factory.

The travel and tour include lodging in Austin for 2 nights, as well as economy-class round-trip tickets from anywhere in North America. Tesla will also provide a vehicle for use during the trip.

Hopefully, these winners will also have the opportunity to experience the Robotaxi network while they’re in Austin, as it’s expected to be opened to the public later this month.

Project Loveday

For long-time followers of Tesla, this contest may feel familiar. The contest is a direct throwback to the 2017 Project Loveday contest, which was inspired by a letter to Tesla from a 10-year-old aspiring marketer. That contest was won by MKBHD, with his submission below:

How to Enter

If you’re ready to start filming, here are the key pieces of information you’ll need to know:

• Video must be 90 seconds or less

• Video must be uploaded to YouTube with a public URL

• Make a post on X and Instagram tagging “@Tesla” and include the words “TeslaVision contest” in the post.

• Provide links to both social media posts in your submission to Tesla’s form

• Provide your personal details in the form

• You have until July 17th, 2025, or until Tesla receives 10,000 entries, whichever comes first.

You can find the official submission form and all region-specific details on Tesla's website.

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