Industry dynamics

Regulatory filing: Tesla removing radars from China-made Model Y

Publishtime:1970-01-01 08:00:00 Views:28

In most parts of the world, the Model 3 and Model Y are already based on the camera-only Tesla Vision solution.

Tesla is removing all the radars from the China-made Model Y crossover, following its practice in the US market.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology today released several documents, including a list of models that will be allowed to be sold in China, as well as change filings for some existing models, with the China-made Model Y included in the latter.

The public can submit feedback on these documents between March 9 and March 15 if they have comments.

Four models of Tesla -- TSL6480BEVAR0, TSL6480BEVAR2, TSL6480BEVBA4 and TSL6480BEVBA5 -- entered the change declaration catalog.

Their pages do not show Model Y, but previous information shows that all four model numbers are the crossover.

These four models of Tesla have added the expression "no radar" (无雷达) to their changed parameter values, according to their filing pages.

Although the page says "no radar", a reader pointed out to CnEVPost that it might be more accurate to say that there will be no ultrasonic sensors (USS).

Tesla previously announced that it was beginning the transition to Tesla Vision by removing the radars from the Model 3 and Model Y, and plans to remove the device from the Model S and Model X as well.

Today, in most parts of the world, the Model 3 and Model Y are already based on the camera-only Tesla Vision solution.

The ultrasonic radars that are being removed by Tesla are typically placed on the front and rear bumpers or on the side of the vehicle to measure the distance of the vehicle from obstructions to help in scenarios including parking.

Tesla has a factory in Shanghai that makes the Model 3 sedan and Model Y. Tesla doesn't appear to have plans to remove the radar from the Model 3 for now, as it would need to declare it if it wants to do so.

Chinese consumers typically prefer roomier SUVs when buying cars, making the Model Y a popular choice in the country.

The Model Y sold 315,314 units at retail in China in full-year 2022, placing it No. 1 in the ranking of high-end SUV sales with a starting price above RMB 300,000 ($43,050), according to a list published by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on January 11.

In February, Tesla delivered 33,923 vehicles in China and exported 40,479 units from its Shanghai plant, according to the CPCA data released yesterday. Model 3 and Model Y sales breakdowns in China in February are currently unavailable.

On March 1, Tesla announced that the elastic and damping members in the suspension system of the China-made Model Y have been optimized to reduce bumps at low speeds and allow for a more stable ride at high speeds.

Giga Shanghai's Model Ys produced since January 1, 2023, are equipped with the updated suspension system, Tesla said.

($1 = 6.9688 RMB)

Tesla delivers 33,923 vehicles in China in Feb, exports 40,479 from Shanghai plant