Connect with us
tesla pedestrian noisemaker tesla pedestrian noisemaker

News

Tesla plans to retrofit its pedestrian warning system in older vehicles

Pedestrian noisemaker on the Tesla Model 3.(Photo: Erik Strait/Instagram)

Published

on

Tesla is reportedly planning to retrofit its Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) into older Model 3s and Model Ys that were built between specific dates.

For those who aren’t aware, Tesla was required to create and install a PWS in its vehicles due to an NHTSA mandate that set requirements for electric vehicles to make noise when traveling at a speed below 19 MPH. The reasoning was based on the safety of pedestrians who would be walking near an electric vehicle. Due to the lack of a combustion engine in an EV, the cars are extremely quiet when traveling at low rates of speed. While great for noise pollution, it can be somewhat dangerous to pedestrians, especially ones who have vision issues or are blind. The mandate was established by the NHTSA with the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010, and all EV makers had until September 1, 2020, to install noisemakers on their vehicles.

First look at Tesla Model 3’s pedestrian noisemaker in action

In typical Tesla fashion, the company didn’t wait until the mandate was required and took action immediately. Model 3s delivered to customers in early September 2019 were outfitted with the noisemaker. An employee of the automaker also stated that all Model 3s built on September 1, 2019, and after would automatically be equipped with the noisemaker. Tesla Owners Online founder and Model 3 owner Trevor Page initially spoke to the employee who confirmed the presence of the Model 3 noisemaker in September 2019.

Page has now also confirmed with a Tesla source that the PWS can be retrofitted in Model 3 vehicles built between July 5, 2019, through September 9, 2020. Page said on his original posting that “this period represents the timing of when the wiring harness was included but not the speaker.” Page added that Model Ys built before August 14th also qualify and that the cost will be $200. It will require a mobile and service visit, and a technician must install it so that the car can identify it.

Advertisement

“Refer to Tesla SI-21-90-001 when you make an appointment to have it installed for reference,” Page advised.

Page also broke the story of the noisemakers being installed in late 2019.

The retrofit for the PWS isn’t all about safety, though. It also holds some entertainment benefits. The speaker is utilized by Tesla’s Boombox feature that was added with the Version 10 Software. This allows owners to play sounds audibly for those outside the vehicle to hear, and custom noises have become quite the buzz on some social media outlets like TikTok, where Tesla owners show the vast array of audio selections that they choose to play for spectators. Musk considered this addition in late 2020, and it appears that Service techs will now install the external speaker for those vehicles that qualify.

Advertisement

Will you equip your vehicle with the PWS? Let us know in the comments if you will or won’t, and explain your decision. You can also reach me personally at joey@teslarati.com or @KlenderJoey on Twitter.

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

News

Tesla considers making a big move with Model Y pricing as demand is skyrocketing

“Trending toward a need to expedite output even further, which could mean adjusting pricing upward in the coming days. Trying hard not to, will see.”

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla is considering making a big move with Model Y pricing as demand is skyrocketing due to the EV tax credit expiring in just over a month.

With the $7,500 EV tax credit set to be removed on September 30, Tesla is experiencing increased demand for its Model 3 and Model Y. Customers are doing whatever they can to take delivery of the car they ordered as soon as possible.

The IRS recently adjusted the EV tax credit’s rules slightly.

Tesla set to win big after IRS adjusts EV tax credit rules

Previously, the vehicle had to be delivered by September 30, but a slight tweak the agency made last week will now allow customers to enter a legally binding contract along with a marginal down payment by that date. The delivery can occur after September 30, and the car can still qualify for the credit.

Advertisement

However, demand is getting so crazy for the Model Y that Tesla is considering a price increase on the all-electric crossover, as well as a potential boost in production output to keep up with orders.

Inventory is dwindling in several markets across the United States, a good sign for the company, as it could have one of its best quarters in recent history in terms of deliveries.

However, Tesla is thinking of bumping the price slightly, Raj Jegannathan, the company’s VP of IT, AI Infrastructure, Apps, Infosec, and Vehicle Service Operations, said on X:

Advertisement

The price adjustment would come as a response to increasing production output, Jegannathan’s response seems to indicate.

The bump would help Tesla’s margins, but the idea that the company could adjust pricing by increasing it would not be popular with potential car buyers. It might encourage some buyers to put their orders in sooner, hoping to avoid a new, higher price.

However, it could also steer some buyers away from putting an order in on a vehicle, especially if the price increase is more than a few hundred dollars.

Tesla boosted the price of the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck recently, but brought in a “Luxe Package” to help justify it.

It comes with Free Full Self-Driving, Free lifetime Supercharging, four years of premium service, and lifetime Premium Connectivity.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Tesla produces 100,000th new Model Y in Giga Berlin

The milestone was announced on X.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Manufacturing/X

Tesla has produced its 100,000th new Model Y at Gigafactory Berlin. The milestone was announced by the electric vehicle maker through its official Tesla Manufacturing account on social media platform X. 

New Tesla Model Y milestone

The milestone was announced by Tesla on X, when the company wrote “Today, we built the 100,000th New Model Y at Giga Berlin!” The announcement was accompanied by an image of a new Model Y coming off the line.

The milestone was received warmly by members of the Tesla community, many of whom expressed excitement at the further progress of the new Model Y program at Giga Berlin. The facility, after all, only produces Model Y units, which would make it the perfect site to produce new variants like the Model Y Performance and possibly even the Model Y L, which was recently launched in China. 

New Model Y ramp

As noted in a previous report from electrive, the initial production of the new Model Y started in Giga Berlin around mid-January 2025. Since the new Model Y involved a changeover from the legacy Y to the new variant, the ramp of the new Model Y’s production at the Germany-based facility was likely a gradual process over the past months. 

It would then be no surprise if the next 100,000 new Model Y units would be produced in Giga Berlin in a shorter period. Giga Berlin could become an even bigger factor in Tesla’s global sales, after all, especially if it becomes the site that produces the Model Y Performance and the Model Y L for Europe and other territories. Giga Berlin, if any, seems to be quite busy recently, with aerial videos of the facility showing a fleet of mysteriously covered Model Y units being stored within the complex.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Tesla set to win big after IRS adjusts EV tax credit rules

“For purposes of sections 25E, 30D, and 45W, a vehicle is ‘acquired’ as of the date a written binding contract is entered into and a payment has been made. A payment includes a nominal down payment or a vehicle trade-in.”

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla is set to potentially come out as a big winner as the IRS has adjusted the rules of the $7,500 EV tax credit slightly.

The $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles is set to expire on September 30, but the IRS has made a slight adjustment to the terms of the credit that will give consumers a bit more time to buy an EV and receive the discount.

The original terms of the EV tax credit were that delivery of an EV must be completed by September 30. Even if you had made a reservation or put a down payment on an EV, if it did not arrive and take delivery by September 30, the credit would not apply to you.

Tesla is ready with a perfect counter to the end of US EV tax credits

This put some people in quite a tough situation. As wait times for some EVs, especially Tesla Model Y and Model 3 vehicles, continue to be pushed back due to an increase in demand as consumers are trying to take advantage of the credit, some car buyers ordered a car that was not the trim level, paint color, or interior color that they wanted.

However, the IRS has adjusted the terms of the tax credit to enable people to have a bit more time to get the vehicle they want.

Late last week, the agency said that the meaning of “acquired” has been changed, and now, if a consumer has entered a legally binding contract to take delivery of the vehicle, which includes a nominal down payment on the car, they can take delivery after the previous September 30 deadline and still qualify for the credit.

The IRS wrote:

“For purposes of sections 25E, 30D, and 45W, a vehicle is ‘acquired’ as of the date a written binding contract is entered into and a payment has been made. A payment includes a nominal down payment or a vehicle trade-in.”

Tesla could come out as a big winner here because of this. The company is experiencing a lot of demand for its cars because of the tax credit’s expiration, and now that the rule has been adjusted to include orders received by the 30th as long as they’re accompanied by a nominal down payment, some of these high-demand deliveries could leak into Q4.

Q3 is likely going to be a very strong quarter for Tesla, and questions remain about how the company will perform in subsequent quarters since the tax credit is going away. However, this slight adjustment is a big plus for Tesla and other EV makers.

Continue Reading

Trending