Photo: @chingstahhh | @EVBaymax | Composition
Tesla Vision Park Assist for cars without ultrasonic sensors has been included in the software build deployed to FSD Beta testers. The feature has made its international debut for all other owners, and the first impressions are positive.
In October last year, Tesla decided to remove the ultrasonic sensors from its cars, as it was confident that Tesla Vision would be able to offer similar functionality. The move was premature, though, and owners have complained about missing functions like Park Assist and Summon. According to some reports, Europeans were the most vocal, with many postponing the purchase until Tesla would bring back distance measurements.
We've seen Tesla trying to emulate the ultrasonic sensors' functions using Vision, with several reports about the intention. In some cases, people have demonstrated that Tesla can work without ultrasonic sensors by removing the front spoiler completely. Still, the best indication that Tesla Vision Park Assist was near was when it was introduced alongside the FSD Beta V11.3.2 in the 2022.45.11 update. This meant that only some FSD Beta testers would get the feature, presumably to test it before a wider rollout begins.
Interestingly, we've seen no evidence of Vision Park Assist working in the real world, so it probably wasn't active. This has changed with the wider release thanks to the 2023.6.9 software update. The update is destined for the entire cohort of Tesla vehicles, and we have reports that the new software version has been deployed not only in North America but also in Europe and China. This indicates that Tesla now considers Vision Park Assist ready for primetime.
People who installed the 2023.6.9 update have already tested the feature and are impressed with its accuracy. The distance measurement is spot on, as some have verified using a tape measure. At worst, the difference between the indicated distance and the real one measured with the tape is just 1-2 inches (3-5 cm). The best part is that Tesla Vision Park Assist is better than the ultrasonic-sensor-based feature, offering obstacle awareness 360 degrees around the car instead of just front and rear.
The not-so-good part is that the park assist takes a while until it "remembers" the surrounding conditions when it's started. This means you must be patient when you return to the car until it loads the previous data, which can take around 10 seconds based on the videos shared on social media. And even then, it's not always perfect. Some owners have described the new feature as "super buggy."
Twitter user kEVin (@EVBaymax) reports that they encountered two incidents when backing into the garage, and Park Assist was completely unavailable. They assumed this was because of the dirty camera (it was raining) or the garage's lack of light. Kevin's experience shows what can go wrong with Tesla Vision, not only for Park Assist but other functions too. Probably this is why Tesla warns drivers that its Vision Park Assist feature is "for guidance purposes only."
Vision Park Assist is the only new feature in the 2023.6.9 software update if you look at the release notes, but people discovered other undocumented changes. According to Not A Tesla App, Tesla has introduced a "Warming Up" notification in the climate system, has updated the browser, and changed the tire pressure card image. Apple Music integration also improved, and a new welcome screen for the Model S and Model X is now mirroring the Model 3/Y.
We've seen Tesla trying to emulate the ultrasonic sensors' functions using Vision, with several reports about the intention. In some cases, people have demonstrated that Tesla can work without ultrasonic sensors by removing the front spoiler completely. Still, the best indication that Tesla Vision Park Assist was near was when it was introduced alongside the FSD Beta V11.3.2 in the 2022.45.11 update. This meant that only some FSD Beta testers would get the feature, presumably to test it before a wider rollout begins.
Interestingly, we've seen no evidence of Vision Park Assist working in the real world, so it probably wasn't active. This has changed with the wider release thanks to the 2023.6.9 software update. The update is destined for the entire cohort of Tesla vehicles, and we have reports that the new software version has been deployed not only in North America but also in Europe and China. This indicates that Tesla now considers Vision Park Assist ready for primetime.
People who installed the 2023.6.9 update have already tested the feature and are impressed with its accuracy. The distance measurement is spot on, as some have verified using a tape measure. At worst, the difference between the indicated distance and the real one measured with the tape is just 1-2 inches (3-5 cm). The best part is that Tesla Vision Park Assist is better than the ultrasonic-sensor-based feature, offering obstacle awareness 360 degrees around the car instead of just front and rear.
The not-so-good part is that the park assist takes a while until it "remembers" the surrounding conditions when it's started. This means you must be patient when you return to the car until it loads the previous data, which can take around 10 seconds based on the videos shared on social media. And even then, it's not always perfect. Some owners have described the new feature as "super buggy."
Twitter user kEVin (@EVBaymax) reports that they encountered two incidents when backing into the garage, and Park Assist was completely unavailable. They assumed this was because of the dirty camera (it was raining) or the garage's lack of light. Kevin's experience shows what can go wrong with Tesla Vision, not only for Park Assist but other functions too. Probably this is why Tesla warns drivers that its Vision Park Assist feature is "for guidance purposes only."
Vision Park Assist is the only new feature in the 2023.6.9 software update if you look at the release notes, but people discovered other undocumented changes. According to Not A Tesla App, Tesla has introduced a "Warming Up" notification in the climate system, has updated the browser, and changed the tire pressure card image. Apple Music integration also improved, and a new welcome screen for the Model S and Model X is now mirroring the Model 3/Y.
Vision Park Assist measurement was surprisingly accurate in this case! Distance verified with tape measure @klwtts @WholeMarsBlog @itskyleconner @BeardedTesla @teslascope @NotATeslaApp pic.twitter.com/7j8eOlt66G
— kEVin (@EVBaymax) March 24, 2023
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