BERKELEY, Calif. (Reuters) -Tesla Inc said on Tuesday it will eliminate a radar sensor and rely on cameras for its semi-automated driving Autopilot system for Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the North American market starting this month.
The move came amid growing scrutiny by regulators and media about the safety of what Tesla dubs “Full Self-Driving” features, following a series of accidents.
“These will be the first Tesla vehicles to rely on camera vision and neural net processing to deliver Autopilot, Full-Self Driving and certain active safety features,” Tesla said in a statement.
Tesla’s Autopilot system currently consists of eight surround cameras around its vehicles, complemented by a front-facing radar and 12 ultrasonic sensors. A radar sensor uses radio sensors to detect distance from objects.
“All new Model S and Model X, as well as all vehicles built for markets outside of North America, will continue to be equipped with radar … until we determine the appropriate time to transition those vehicles to Tesla Vision,” it said.
(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin in Berkeley, Calif.Editing by Chris Reese and Matthew Lewis)
