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Tesla Leads Lobby Effort for Scrapping Side Mirrors

As we reported, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently introduced legislation that makes backup cameras mandatory by May 2018 and it seems that Tesla aims to take the initiative even further. The EV makes has joined forces with the 12-member Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers, a lobbying group serving carmakers such as GM, Toyota an VW, filing a petition that requires the NHTSA’s approval to replace rear-view mirrors with cameras.
Tesla Model X 1 photo
Photo: Tesla
The current legislation does not allow such a move, as all the vehicles sold in America must be fitted with rear-view mirrors. The petition builds a case starting with the argument that mirrors increase the drag coefficient, thus affecting fuel efficiency.

Tesla CEO and President, Elon Musk, has been lobbying for laws that allow automotive producers to come up with cars relying solely on rear-view cameras for two years now. As expected, Musk came to the conclusion that an effort coming from a single company can not turn the entire industry around.

Cameras capturing the view behind the car and displaying this on the car’s infotainment system seem to be the solution, but it will certainly take a while until the change will come into effect.

Cameras have a wide array of advantages. They could eliminate the blind spots, as well as offer a wide perspective without distorting the image. Of course, there are also drawbacks. The biggest concern targets dependability. Such systems have shown good reliability, but they definitely can’t beat the physical mirrors. Additional costs can also be considered as a problem, but the benefits brought definitely outweigh this.

Via: Automotive News
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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