Tesla is working on support adaptive and matrix headlights in the US
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Tesla is closing in on introducing adaptive headlights to the US market. The conversation about Tesla's adaptive headlights took a significant turn on X, where Tesla executive Lars Moravy confirmed the company's efforts to bring adaptive headlight support to the US. Despite the stringent Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS 108) for adaptive driving beams, Tesla is "plugging away" with this ambitious project.
Expansion to China and the U.S.
Tesla rolled out support for adaptive headlights in the new Model 3 with software update 2024.2, although it’s currently limited to Europe. Moravy also mentioned the submission of paperwork for approval in China, promising a rollout "very soon". Headlights have strong government regulations that often differ from region to region, making it difficult to roll out support globally. Nonetheless, Moravy confirms that Tesla is working on supporting the feature in the U.S. He doesn’t give any hints in terms of a timeline or whether Tesla will be able to successfully meet the strict U.S. requirements, but given the importance of headlights, we’re hopefully we’ll see support soon.
We are working on it. FMVSS 108 for adaptive driving beam is pretty strick, but we’ll keep plugging away.
The matrix headlight system, which allows individual LED elements to be controlled independently, is a game-changer in automotive lighting. This technology can create "shadows" to prevent dazzling other drivers while maintaining optimal road illumination.
Following the rollout of adaptive headlight support with the new Model 3, Tesla is preparing to enable matrix headlights on all supported vehicles, including the Model Y, the first-gen Model 3, the Model S, and the Model X. As we saw with the new Model 3’s adaptive headlights, we may see these supported in Europe first, where there may be fewer restrictions.
The anticipation for supporting these headlights in the U.S. has been high, especially since the NHTSA's 2022 ruling allowing for the installation of adaptive headlights. Tesla continues its strategy to make this feature available in as many regions as possible, aligning with local market requirements and regulatory standards.
Tesla's journey towards bringing adaptive headlights to the U.S. and beyond indicates its relentless pursuit of innovation and safety enhancements. This development promises a safer driving experience and reinforces Tesla's position as a leader in automotive technology innovation, eagerly embracing the future of driving with every update and improvement.
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Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.
Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.
It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.
Advisor-led Demo
This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.
The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.
Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.
Vision-based Improvements
ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.
Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.
I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.
Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.
Actually Smart Summon
ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.
We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.
Park Seek and Banish Autopark
When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.
A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.
While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.
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Tesla Android Project enables you to run Android apps in your Tesla. The platform is Open Source and you can deploy it on your own Raspberry Pi 4. Consider supporting the initiative by donating or purchasing the Compute Module 4 Bundle that delivers the best experience. Get $20 off by using the code: NotATeslaApp
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