Tesla is preparing to add a brand new piece of hardware in the form of a camera washer. The new feature was discovered in the code of a new software update, along with a number of other goodies, and it looks like it will first launch on the Cybertruck.
One of the biggest complaints amongst Tesla owners when it comes to the multiple on-board cameras is their struggles in keeping them clean. This is especially the case in winter when snow and ice and dirt quickly accumulates on the lenses, making it virtually impossible to maintain an unobscured view for more than a few minutes after cleaning them. While this is annoying from a user perspective, it also has obviously implications for Full Self-Driving (FSD), which now relies entirely on the suite of cameras to function.
Tesla will soon be adding a new camera on the Cybertruck on the front bumper (and soon the Model 3). While it remains unclear how useful this camera will be for achieving FSD, owners will be able to keep it clean as Tesla is finally adding a washer, according to hacker @greentheonly, who shared the news in a post to X, also providing the icon for the new feature.
We have already seen the front bumper camera on the Cybertruck, and thanks to the Cybertrucks on display in Canada and the US, we have a pretty good idea of how the washer will operate. In the image below you can see the top part of the camera has a ‘L” shape above it. It will likely be this piece that pops out and shoots a stream of washer fluid over the camera to clean it.
The camera washer wasn’t the only piece of information green uncovered by combing through the code. Here’s what else he found:
- Evidence of Apple Podcasts coming soon (the ability to select 1.25x, 1.5x, and 2x playback speeds),
- “new js player for media: shaka player,”
- A new IIHS seatbelt reminder tone
- Original tone
- New IIHS tone
- Cabin camera will soon be used to enable/disable HOV lane use (requires additional cabin camera permission)
- MPP (most probable path) navigation mode
- New 16V and 48V low-voltage batteries
2023.44.1 brings us:
– front camera is getting a washer too and here’s the button to activate it
– new js player for media: shaka player
– media playback added 1.25x 1.5x and 2x speeds (for apple podcasts?) pic.twitter.com/9D9KC3PIoZ— green (@greentheonly) November 25, 2023
