Tesla to Include Self-Driving Hardware in Vehicles But Not Activate It - The UpStream

In a blog post this week, automaker Tesla made an interesting announcement: all models being produced contain self-driving hardware. This means that, whether your vehicle has the capability for autonomous driving, the vehicle will have the hardware to support it.

We are excited to announce that, as of today, all Tesla vehicles produced in our factory - including Model 3 - will have the hardware needed for full self-driving capability at a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver. Eight surround cameras provide 360 degree visibility around the car at up to 250 meters of range. Twelve updated ultrasonic sensors complement this vision, allowing for detection of both hard and soft objects at nearly twice the distance of the prior system. A forward-facing radar with enhanced processing provides additional data about the world on a redundant wavelength, capable of seeing through heavy rain, fog, dust and even the car ahead.

Unfortunately, just because the hardware is there doesn't mean you can use it. Not yet, at least. As the company has had a string of autonomous driving failures lately, this hardware will be software-locked, preventing its use. Before unlocking the feature, Tesla wants to do more testing and calibration of the overall system. Likely this is to prevent future issues like they have seen in past months.

In fact, vehicles with the new hardware will temporarily have a lack of existing features available in older vehicles, including active cruise control, automatic braking, collision warning and lane holding. These features will, eventually, be enabled through an over-the-air update once the company is confident in its functionality. New features, not previously available on existing models, will also be added over time in the same manner. There is no estimate on when these features will be available, though models with the new hardware are already for sale.