Tesla unveiled its last week with an updated face and slightly r, but the really big news here is that the Model 3 is finally getting something that’s been available in much cheaper cars for over a decade now. That’s right, you can now get a with a indicator. Woah.
Tesla incorporated the little red/orange light into the upper speaker grilles on the driver door, reports. It’s a little strange when you consider the fact most cars put those sorts of in the mirror themselves, but what do I know?
Oddly, reports that the Model 3 owner’s manual only specifies the driver door. So far, the only time we’ve seen this system in action was in , and it’s the driver’s door. That means there’s a chance that only the driver’s side of the vehicle gets a blind spot indicator light. I mean, sure, there’s a bigger blind spot on the driver’s side of the vehicle, but that’s such a weird choice to make.
Anyway, owners will be able to turn on the blind spot indicator from their new Model 3 by touching:
Controls > Lights > Blind Spot Indicator
To be fair to , this isn’t the first time the decided to tackle the issue of blindspots. For years, Teslas used side cameras to display an image of what was next to your car when the turn signal is enabled. It’s a similar system to what and have done.
Tesla also sounds a warning chime if you attempt to change lanes while there’s a car next to you. Still, all of that is rather complicated, and cameras are known to , so it’s probably good to have a little light to remind you not to crash into the guy next to you. On top of that, only having a single screen in the center of the Model 3 means drivers can’t look at where they’re going and if something is in the blindspot at the same time. It’s less than ideal.
points out that things are a little different in Model S and Model X land. Those visuals are displayed in the driver’s gauge cluster, much like Kia and Hyundai.
This is just one of the many changes made to the new , as the car now comes with ambient lighting and ventilated seats. To make room for such luxuries, Tesla decided to remove the turn signal and gear selector stalks. It’s a move that’s shitty but does bring the Model 3 in line with its other products.
Right now, we also don’t know if Tesla has added any new sensors to the car. Electrek says that likely means it is using the car’s Autopilot cameras to detect cars in blind spots. We also don’t know if this feature is going to end up in the rest of Tesla’s lineup.