Tesla to stop using ultrasonic sensors later this year

Love or hate Elon Musk, there’s no denying that Tesla’s vehicles are impressive from a technical standpoint. Their electric drivetrains offer more range and power than almost anything else on sale today, but there are some real and reasonable concerns around its semi-autonomous driving functions. The automaker seems unfazed by the investigations and litigation, announcing Tuesday that it would remove a group of sensors from its cars going forward, leaving them only with cameras to navigate the world around them.

Tesla’s initial sensor suite included several cameras, radar, and 12 ultrasonic sensors (USS). However, the automaker will remove USS from the Model 3 and Model Y this year before doing the same with the Model S and Model X in 2023. The move may save money for Tesla, and it will certainly relieve some of the pressure on the strained microchip supply. Still, it won’t be a positive for people who already think the automaker oversells the capabilities of its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving tech.