With the rollout of the Model 3 Project Highland, Tesla has made it a point to update its official website to highlight key changes that were implemented on the best-selling all-electric sedan. Amidst the updates to Tesla’s website and the order page for the Model 3, it became evident that the vehicle will indeed have a front bumper camera, similar to the Cybertruck.
The presence of a front bumper camera could be clearly seen in the promotional videos of the Model 3 Highland, with the lens on the bumper being visible during closeup shots. Interestingly enough, the same camera could be seen on the Model 3 Highland’s order page, which has been rolled out in countries such as China, Australia, and Germany.
The Model 3’s front bumper camera has been discussed in EV circles for a long time. Industry watchers such as Tesla software tracker Teslascope have previously claimed that upcoming vehicles from the EV maker would be fitted with the new camera setup. Such a setup, after all, would be similar to what has been observed in the Cybertruck.
The idea made sense considering the company’s focus on Tesla Vision, which uses cameras to detect objects around the vehicle. As stated by noted Tesla hacker @greentheonly, a front bumper camera would effectively address part of a blindspot that was created by the removal of ultrasonic sensors on Tesla’s vehicles.
The idea of vehicles like the Model 3 receiving a front bumper camera had its critics, as such a feature seemed to make more sense for vehicles like the Cybertruck. In the first videos of the Model 3 Highland that were posted online, such as a walkthrough of the all-electric sedan by YouTube motoring channel carwow, the press vehicles were not equipped with a front bumper camera at all.
Industry watchers have noted that the press cars provided to content creators such as carwow were likely release candidates. This meant that minor changes, such as the addition of a camera in the front bumper, could be easily done before the start of customer deliveries. Considering that the new camera is visible in videos from Tesla and the Model 3 Highland’s configurator, however, the feature does seem all but confirmed.
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