Back in 2020, Elon Musk said that Tesla would start rendering other Teslas within the Autopilot/FSD visualization on screen. Almost five years after Musk’s original comment, this idea may finally come to realization — at least partially. Tesla may not add vehicle color renderings like originally planned, but it looks like we may at least be getting the Cybertruck rendered on the screen, along with a few other items.
Will put it on the list. Right after making it recognize trailers instead of looking like a semi truck is trying to mate with Cybertruck
Wes Morrill, Cybertruck’s Lead Engineer, mentioned that displaying Cybertrucks on the in-vehicle visualization will get added to Tesla’s list of upcoming features. However, it looks like Tesla has a few other items to add to visualizations as well.
Another visualization Wes mentions is getting trailers to render on the screen properly instead of being displayed as a truck or semi. For drivers who partially depend on the visualization while driving, this could be a helpful change.
This also means Tesla has the visual bandwidth to identify and categorize vehicles more closely than the generic “car” or “truck” we see today.
Musk’s Original Comment
While Musk’s original comment back in 2020 called for rendering all Teslas in their proper colors on the screen, this is unlikely to be what Tesla is going for here. Tesla’s original plan likely caused too much clutter or distractions in the visualization, preventing drivers from being able to quickly identify critical items. Tesla currently uses colors to categorize different things, such as a light gray vehicle meaning the vehicle is parked, or a dark gray vehicle being a lead vehicle.
Regarding rendering Teslas in the vehicle visualization, Wes’ comment on X leaves a little up to interpretation. It’s not clear whether Tesla is only going to add the Cybertruck or potentially other Teslas as well to the visualization. We don’t believe they’ll add colors for the reasons above, but we’ll have to wait to see what they roll out in the future.
Depending on how far Tesla goes with these visualizations, the type of MCU in your vehicle could play a role in whether they’re included in your car.
How Tesla Identifies Objects
Tesla uses a rather complex system that quickly compares objects on the road to their nearest estimated shapes, and displays that on the visualization, which is why you can get some oddities like people with shopping carts looking like they’re riding motorcycles or bicycles in a parking lot.
Having further optimization on that aspect also means more system accuracy - something Tesla has been striving for, especially to improve Actually Smart Summon and eventually bring Banish to the FSD feature set.
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With Tesla’s Robotaxi network poised for its initial launch as soon as June 12th, Elon and Tesla’s lobbying team are stepping up to speak to administrators about autonomy regulation. According to a report from Bloomberg(paywall), the team is working on a behind-the-scenes push in Washington to establish a federal framework for autonomous vehicles.
This push involves direct lobbying of members of the US Congress to build a clear legislative path for autonomy, and the timing is no coincidence. Tesla needs clear regulations to operate under, rather than the fractured state-by-state or city-by-city regulations that exist sporadically throughout the US.
Pushing for a National Standard
The report, citing insiders familiar with the matter, details that Elon has been personally involved in calls with legislators and has been weighing in on revisions to the bill introduced on May 15th, which aimed to establish a basic regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles. Tesla’s goal is to move this bill forward before Congress’s July 4th recess.
When the US Transportation Secretary visited Tesla earlier in May, Elon had some wise words to say on this topic, touching on the core issue: for a service to operate nationwide, navigating a patchwork of regulations is a legal and operational nightmare.
It’d be wonderful for the United States to have a national set of rules for autonomous driving as opposed to 50 independent sets of rules on a state-by-state basis. - Elon Musk
Federal Rules
While the initial Robotaxi pilot launch in Austin is more than feasible under Texas’s relatively permissive regulations, the long-term vision is severely hamstrung by federal rules. Current regulations only permit special exemptions for a test fleet of up to 2,500 vehicles that lack traditional controls, such as a steering wheel and pedals.
While this isn’t a direct roadblock for Tesla’s initial deployment of Model Ys in the Robotaxi network, this vehicle cap is a roadblock for the mass production and deployment of Tesla’s purpose-built Cybercab. The Cybercab, with its easy-to-clean interior, relatively low cost, and lower-maintenance design, is ideal to scale the service with a vehicle designed from the ground up to be autonomous, where it’ll be cheaper to operate and maintain. Remember that the Cybercab is expected to be capable of 5.5 miles per kWh, whereas the Model Y is capable of about 4. Tesla needs a federal law that allows for the widespread sale and operation of the Cybercab, as it’ll likely be crucial to make the network profitable.
The legislative push also comes as Tesla is coming under increasing scrutiny from regulators. The NHTSA is already probing Tesla’s Robotaxi plans and seeking answers about FSD’s performance in adverse weather conditions. Establishing a clear, Congressionally approved federal framework will not only create a more predictable and stable regulatory environment for Tesla to operate in, but it’ll actually make these vehicles safer by having one set of rules.
Difficult Road
This isn’t the first crack at creating national autonomous vehicle laws from Congress. Various bills have been attempted over the years, with one even passing the House in 2017 before getting stalled and dropped in the Senate. The primary obstacle has often been debates over legal liability and pressures from legal groups who have raised concerns about handling incidents with autonomous vehicles.
The new bill represents the latest effort to clear the maze of red tape, and Tesla’s direct involvement, along with the upcoming pilot launch of the Robotaxi network, provides some momentum to push this forward.
Tesla is on the verge of launching Robotaxi, which has massive implications for how we approach urban mobility as a society. However, just as in many other cases, the technology is advancing far faster than the glacial pace of bureaucracy, which means that lobbying is crucial to expedite the process of getting regulations in place as soon as possible.
Tesla has added another touch of customization, and this time for the owners of the 2024+ refreshed Model 3 Performance. Tesla is launching another set of puddle projection lights. These new puddle lights will illuminate the ground with a colorized Model 3 Performance emblem when the doors are opened.
Puddle Projection
This accessory adds a touch of personalization to the door light, similar to the options already available for the original and refreshed Model Y, which projects the Tesla wordmark, as well as for the Cybertruck, which projects the Cybertruck logo. However, this one, in particular, is a little different because it’s the first option that includes color. It projects a crisp blue and white Performance logo onto the ground below the door.
The lights are sold in a pack of two, similar to Tesla’s options for other vehicles. These lights are usable for both the front and rear doors, which means you’ll need two sets if you want to do all four doors of the vehicle.
Interestingly, while the physical form factor of these lights means they would fit any Model 3, Tesla is explicitly stating these are exclusively for 2024+ Model 3 Performance vehicles. This means that, at least for now, purchases through the official Tesla Shop are restricted to owners with a refreshed Model 3 Performance VIN. In general, you should be able to use these on any Model 3 or Model Y, as the size of the projector and the power attachment point are the same for all these vehicles.
Installation is simple and is to be completed by the customer. Tesla does offer a page on their DIY service manual on how to get them installed. You'll need a blunt plastic tool to remove them from the door and to detach the power adapter from the original puddle lights.
The Model 3 Performance Projection Lights are priced at $75 USD in the United States and $125 CAD in Canada. They will likely become available within the coming weeks for the European and Asia-Pacific markets as stock becomes available globally.
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