Tesla’s decision to abandon radar in favour of a vision-only approach has resurfaced as part of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation. In a newly released Engineering Analysis information request, the agency is requesting internal Tesla documents tied to a file titled “Radar Saves Us.”
Tesla has already handed over the above-titled internal document. However, the agency now wants much more than that, requesting the emails, meeting notes, engineering analyses, and testing that led to its creation.
According to NHTSA, the documents may be relevant to Tesla’s understanding of the limitations of a vision-only object detection and response system, particularly when operating in reduced visibility conditions such as fog, glare, and dust. The agency believes it may also be connected to design changes involving FSD’s degradation detection system.Â
The information request asks Tesla to turn over all internal communications discussing the “Radar Saves Us” document, including emails, meeting notes, Microsoft Teams conversations, and issue tickets. They are also seeking supporting technical documentation, safety assessments, validation work, testing records, and an explanation of how the document relates to design changes connected to the investigation.Â
NHTSA further requested that every submitted document include a summary explaining its relevance to the “Radar Saves Us” document and the broader investigation.
Whether the documents will be made public remains to be seen, but the request should give the NHTSA insight into Tesla’s decision to remove radar from its vehicle lineup in favour of Tesla Vision, a camera-only system. Since making the transition in 2021, Tesla and particularly CEO Elon Musk has consistently argued that cameras, combined with neural networks and artificial intelligence, offer the best path toward autonomous driving.
The request for the “Radar Saves Us” documents is just one piece of NHTSA’s broader Engineering Analysis. The agency is also looking into whether Tesla’s marketing, website, and public statements accurately portray FSD’s capabilities and limitations.
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