Connect with us

News

Tesla’s Elon Musk approves use of cross-traffic warnings when backing up

Tesla Model 3 backup camera [Credit: Model 3 Owners Club]

Published

on

Tesla could include cross-traffic alerts for drivers who are backing up their vehicles, according to CEO Elon Musk in a recent post on Twitter. Musk’s update was a response to a request from the @TeslaOwnersEBay group.

Cross-traffic warnings and alerts when backing a car up are used widely among many vehicles manufactured today. Hyundai is just one of the companies that utilize the feature to help lower the possibility of a collision while backing out of parking spaces, which could have low visibility because of other cars or objects being in the way.

Hyundai vehicles use rear-facing sensors to detect oncoming vehicles, something that Tesla’s cars do not utilize to date. However, the electric automaker’s sustainable cars are equipped with eight cameras that are placed at strategic points to assist in Autopilot and Full Self-Driving capabilities, along with a rear-backup camera. These cameras also capture Sentry Mode clips for owners who utilize the security feature.

Advertisement

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, about 20% of all automotive accidents occur in parking lots. This statistic enticed the agency to perform a study on the benefits of parking assistance features. According to the survey, 71% of the 640 crashes that occurred during the investigation involved “backing into a moving vehicle.” About 5% of all the crashes that occurred resulted in injuries.

Hyundai’s Cross-Traffic Backup Warnings use sensors to detect oncoming vehicles. (Credit: YouTube | HyundaiUSA)

The study ultimately found that backup assistance systems were ideal for preventing accidents that involve cars traveling in reverse. “Rear cross-traffic alert is a good complement to rearview cameras,” Jessica Cicchino, the author of the study, said. “These technologies should help drivers feel more confident when backing up, especially when their view is obstructed by taller vehicles or garage pillars.”

Tesla has made strides to improve the backup camera used in its vehicles.

In 2018, Tesla upgraded the picture quality of the Model 3 backup camera through a software update. The improvement in camera sharpness and definition helped drivers get a clearer view of their surroundings. However, the wide-angle lens that Tesla has continued to use on its vehicles does not alert of blind spots when backing a car up. Recent software updates have included access to the side cameras for better guidance when reversing, but cross-traffic warnings would make this system even better.

Five years ago, the NHTSA indicated that 188,000 passenger vehicles were involved in crashes from vehicles traveling in reverse. This striking figure may have influenced more automakers to add safety features that would eliminate many of these instances from occurring. Considering Tesla’s focus on safety, Elon Musk’s acknowledgement of cross-traffic warnings is quite unsurprising.

Advertisement

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

Advertisement
Comments

Elon Musk

Tesla’s next-gen Optimus prototype with Grok revealed

The video shows a new Optimus prototype answering questions and taking some very robotic steps, evidently revealing that the next-generation version is in its early stages of development.

Published

on

Tesla’s next-generation Optimus robot with AI assistant Grok has been revealed in a new video shared on X.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk was with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff last night, and it appears the frontman gave Benioff an exclusive look at some upcoming technology.

Tesla talks Semi ramp, Optimus, Robotaxi rollout, FSD with Wall Street firm

The video shows a new Optimus prototype answering questions and taking some very robotic steps, evidently revealing that the next-generation version is in its early stages of development. It features Grok for some additional utility, as it answered questions Benioff asked in the short video.

Here’s what was uploaded to X:

Advertisement

It appears that there are several big changes to this next-generation version of Optimus, some of which have been discussed by Musk and Tesla in the past.

The first is purely cosmetic, but the gold color that Optimus is wearing in this is a new and fresh look that we have not seen before.

Advertisement

Perhaps the most interesting change that is evident here is the hands, which are much more detailed than past versions of Optimus:

However, we’re not too sure that these are what will be released with the next-gen Optimus, because they don’t appear to be functional, and they are more reminiscent of mannequin hands than anything.

The hands on Optimus have been a significant part of the program, as they are among the most crucial pieces of equipment on a robot. It needs to be able to perform both delicate and more imposing tasks. Tesla has aimed for Optimus to be able to thread needles or play the piano.

It was one of the most discussed improvements the company mentioned in past comments regarding how it planned to improve from Gen 2 to this next version.

Musk mentioned regarding Optimus:

Advertisement

“Next-generation Optimus hand, which we have in prototype form, has actuators that have moved to the forearm, just like humans, and they operate the fingers through cables, just like human hands.”

Within Optimus lies a significant opportunity for Tesla to gain considerable strength in terms of market share and valuation.

If Tesla can efficiently develop and deploy the humanoid robot over the next several years, the company stands to gain, as companies will utilize it for tasks that require tedious labor.

Musk recently said Optimus will be a major contributor to Tesla’s valuation moving forward. He believes it will make up roughly 80 percent of the company’s value.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk to provide more details for Master Plan Part IV

Musk stated that he would be adding specifics to the plan in a later update.

Published

on

Credit: xAI/X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk will be adding more specifics to the recently-released Master Plan Part IV. Musk shared the update on social media platform X amidst conversations about the general nature of the Master Plan Part IV. 

In a conversation on X, Musk responded to a post from Tesla retail shareholder and bull Dave Lee, who observed that the currently released Master Plan Part IV could really just be the introduction to the real plan due to its absence of specifics.

Elon Musk responded, stating that he would be adding specifics to the plan in a later update. “Fair enough. Will add more specifics,” Musk wrote in his post.

Tesla has been following Elon Musk’s Master Plans for decades. The first Master Plan, released in 2006, outlined the company’s path from the original Tesla Roadster to the Model 3, as well as the first steps for Tesla Energy. Master Plan Part Deux, released in 2016, covered the ramp of Tesla Energy, the expansion of Tesla’s vehicle lineup, and the rollout of a Robotaxi service.

Master Plan Part 3 was more ambitious as it was generally an in-depth proposal for achieving a global sustainable entry economy by transitioning to electricity-powered vehicles, homes, and industry, which will, in turn, be powered by renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Master Plan Part 3 also included a five-step plan to accomplish this, allowing the world to transition to a fully electrified future. 

Advertisement

Master Plan Part IV, which was released a few days ago, focused on automation and artificial intelligence to achieve sustainable abundance. But while the first two Master Plans were very clear and specific and Master Plan Part 3 was very in-depth, Master Plan Part IV was quite general and vague in comparison. It was easy to tell that Optimus would play a big role in the pursuit of sustainable abundance, but apart from that, there were no specifics as to how Tesla intended to achieve its goals.

Fortunately, these specifics would be discussed by Musk in a later update to the plan.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla just had its best wholesale month this year in China

Tesla China’s wholesale figures include both vehicles that are sold domestically and exported abroad.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla China

Tesla China just had its best wholesale month this 2025 so far. In August, the electric vehicle maker sold 83,192 vehicles wholesale, a 22.55% increase compared to July 2025’s 67,886 units.

Tesla China’s wholesale figures are still down year-over-year, but the company’s momentum seems notable, especially with the arrival of the Model Y L.

August 2025 figures

As noted in a CNEV Post report, August 2025’s 83,192 wholesale figures are 4.04% less than the 86,697 units that were sold in the same period last year. It is, however, a 22.55% improvement from the previous month. From January to August, Tesla China sold 515,552 units wholesale, a 12.24% year-over-year decrease. 

It should be noted that Tesla China’s wholesale figures include both vehicles that are sold domestically and exported abroad. With this in mind, August’s results bode well for Tesla China, as it suggests that Gigafactory Shanghai is now hitting its pace with both its domestic deliveries and its exports. Giga Shanghai serves as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub.

Model Y L factor

Tesla had a challenging first quarter this year, thanks in part to the changeover to the Model Y across the Fremont factory, Giga Texas, Giga Shanghai, and Giga Berlin-Brandenburg. This changeover resulted in low sales in the first quarter. Political controversies surrounding Elon Musk and violence against Tesla stores and vehicles in the first and second quarters in the United States and Europe did not help much either.

Advertisement

This Q3, however, Tesla seems to be hitting its stride, especially in China. The launch of the new Model Y L has allowed Tesla to compete in the six-seat, large SUV segment, a market that was previously closed to the standard Model Y. Reports have suggested that Tesla China has been seeing a lot of demand for the Model Y L, which should help the company achieve higher sales this quarter and the remaining months of the year.

Continue Reading

Trending