Tesla has reportedly started installing its Hardware 4 (HW4) technology in left-hand drive Model Ys built in the US, which is said to improve the effectiveness of its driver assist features.
Twitter user Zack posted a series of photos showing various Model Y Performance and Model Y AWD vehicles with the updated tech.
The delivery centre in California which houses these vehicles also held other new Model Ys without the technology.
A leaked specification sheet published by Tesla Info confirms HW4 was built into one of the vehicles currently held in the California delivery facility.
The hardware first saw its debut on the Model S and Model X, which have been discontinued locally.
Tesla is expected to make changes to the hardware with over-the-air updates as it edges closer to a full rollout of its so-called Full Self-Driving technology by the end of 2023.
The Model S and Model X’s HW4 system uses a range of cameras instead of a combination of cameras and radar, and the cameras now offer a better quality image with improved wide-angle lenses.
The system also has improved processing power.
At this stage there has been no word from Tesla confirming the Model Y has officially received this feature, however it’s not too surprising as the brand didn’t make an announcement for the Model S and Model X either.
Vehicles haven’t been spied outside of Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory with the new technology, so it’s unclear when we’ll see it here in Australia. All local-market Model Ys are currently sourced from China.
Tesla recently made upgrades to the Model Y’s suspension, ahead of a rumoured facelift for the electric crossover.
Tesla says it has improved support stiffness at the top of the Model Y’s shock absorbers by 50 per cent, while optimising their compression damping to reduce the damping force of a low-speed impact.
VedaPrime, a Tesla shipment tracker on Twitter, recently reported the new “comfort suspension” will feature on all Model Y Performance models being delivered to Australia this year.
