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Why Park Assist With Tesla Vision Is Doomed to Fail

On March 19, The Washington Post revealed Elon Musk decided to remove ultrasonic sensors from all Teslas against the will of its engineers. The CEO tweeted that the road system was “designed for cameras (eyes) & neural nets (brains).” He also wrote that “only very high resolution (sic) radar is relevant.” The decision to use Tesla Vision for everything is proving to be either a gross miscalculation or an elaborate one, as more and more Tesla owners can confirm with Park Assist.
Park Assist based on Tesla Vision is criticized by owners and specialists 10 photos
Photo: AC/edited by autoevolution
Park Assist based on Tesla Vision is criticized by owners and specialistsPark Assist based on Tesla Vision is criticized by owners and specialistsPark Assist based on Tesla Vision is criticized by owners and specialistsPark Assist based on Tesla Vision is criticized by owners and specialistsTesla already uses Vision for distance measurement on cars without ultrasonic sensorsTesla already uses Vision for distance measurement on cars without ultrasonic sensorsTesla already uses Vision for distance measurement on cars without ultrasonic sensorsMunro Live explains the implications of Tesla removing ultrasonic sensorsMunro Live explains the implications of Tesla removing ultrasonic sensors
Even if cameras were incredibly accurate in calculating distances from several objects, they would have to “see” these objects to be able to do the math. That’s precisely what ultrasonic sensors are for: to warn the driver about things they are unable to see. The front camera in Tesla vehicles is placed on the windscreen, with a similar view as the driver. There are no cameras on the front bumper, where ultrasonic sensors used to be. That means there is a blind spot in all Tesla products – and it is right in front of them.

Jason Hughes shared his concerns about how deficient Park Assist is by relying solely on cameras. In a Twitter thread, the Tesla Hacker started precisely by pointing out what I just wrote above. Ultrasonic sensors (high-resolution or not) cover the blind spot that bumpers and frunk lids create ahead of any vehicle. Hughes used a Munro Live video that states this blind spot in a Model S corresponds to three feet, and stressed ultrasonic sensors have a useful range of 36 inches. Three feet is exactly 36 inches (91 centimeters).

As the Tesla Hacker said, there are several scenarios in which that could end badly. He shared a tweet from Mike, from CyberOwners, who tested if Park Assist could detect a small bucket in front of his Model 3. It couldn’t. He sat in front of the car, and it also could not spot him. Mike said his dog could walk in front of the EV. What if it was a toddler? Damaging the EVs affected by the “really off decision” Musk took should be the least of anyone’s concerns, even if Tesla owners are right to worry about that as well. Even if no one is hurt and nothing around them breaks, these BEVs are very likely to be.

Munro Live explains the implications of Tesla removing ultrasonic sensors
Photo: Munro Live via YouTube
The video below is just one example. Kevin Chon tested Park Assist with a trash can, and the feature was unavailable most of the time. When it worked, it informed any obstacles in front of his vehicle were 33 inches away. When the BEV started to move, it went to 19 in but increased the distance to 23 in as if the car was going backward. It wasn’t. It then said Park Assist was unavailable again. Chon leaves the vehicle and calculates his car is 3.5 feet, perhaps 4 feet away from the trash can. In the video description, he said he measured it to confirm the distance, and his Model 3 was 3.41 feet (41 in) away. That’s almost double the 23 in the feature informed.

Several impressions about Park Assist with Tesla Vision are popping up. Although some may be positive about it, the general perception is that the system fails to deliver what it should. A recent post on a Facebook group dedicated to Tesla shows that pretty well. A user I’ll name just as AC shared that his car was really close to an obstacle, as the pictures he took demonstrate. The Park Assist feature informed that there was something 24 in ahead of the BEV. If AC trusted that, he would have to visit the closest Tesla Service Center. Too bad most Tesla owners have to wait weeks for an appointment.

Musk is often praised as a genius, someone who sees what other people can’t. That would be an incredible competitive advantage for the companies he runs, especially considering he makes crucial decisions without asking anyone about them. However, this alleged advantage vanishes when he ignores sensible advice. If he didn’t, Tesla would have avoided the dangerous blind spot that ultrasonic sensors prevent.

Park Assist based on Tesla Vision is criticized by owners and specialists
Photo: AC/edited by autoevolution
There are only two possible answers to that decision. Either Musk couldn’t realize something so obvious that anyone with two working neurons would, or he thought it would reinforce the narrative that Teslas will become appreciating assets, or else, robotaxis. Remember: they should have done so by 2020 with a computer that was definitive and which is already obsolete.

Either hypothesis is terrible for Tesla customers. Without ultrasonic radars – which Hughes said cost only $100 – their vehicles are not as accurate as those that do not rely on cameras to offer Park Assist. That includes all cars with this feature, regardless of what powers them. If the EV maker is serious about Tesla Vision, it should have cameras checking everything the sensors used to map.

Park Assist based on Tesla Vision is criticized by owners and specialists
Photo: AC/edited by autoevolution
Summing it all up, the EV maker should find a way to place cameras on the front bumper. Not only at the front but also at the sides – which would cover what the cameras placed on the wing mirrors cannot reach. I seriously doubt Tesla will ever make such a move: it would probably be more expensive and less precise than the ultrasonic sensors. It seems only Elon Musk cannot see that.


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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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