Social media influencers The Kilowatts are at it again, spotting updated EVs out in the wild. This time, the guys discovered Fremont, California-made Tesla Model S and Model X units with round steering wheels and what appear to be new cameras and related hardware.
After much pushback from Tesla owners and various media outlets and safety organizations, Tesla decided to offer the refreshed Model X and Model S with a round steering wheel option for people not interested in the new yoke. While the round steering wheels aren’t that big of a deal, at least we know now that Tesla has now produced them and made them available, and now we can say they are officially shipping.
As far as the cameras are concerned, we know Tesla is planning on releasing its sought-after Hardware 4 setup soon, and it was supposed to debut with the Cybertruck. However, the US EV maker tends to keep things pretty quiet, and there’s little reason the upgraded hardware suite couldn’t already be making its way into select new vehicles.
According to Teslarati, various leaks and government documents suggest Tesla’s Hardware 4 setup has slots for 11 cameras. Fans, owners, and investors have been on the lookout for Tesla EVs in the wild with additional cameras and new hardware, in general. The Kilowatts, who often post such discoveries and spy shots on social media ahead of their peers, shared the following:
As you can see, there are no ultrasonic sensors, and the new rear “TESLA” badge is also present. It also seems there are several new cameras, and even some of the cameras that are in their original locations appear to be changed or updated in various ways.
If anyone knows Tesla’s vehicles and what hardware to look for, The Kilowatts are certainly near the top of the list. They’ve owned multiple Tesla vehicles, and they’ve been doing this for years. However, popular Tesla hacker green (@greentheonly), who’s widely known in the Tesla community to have a ton of insight and access into such things, also chimed in to confirm.
Does this mean that Tesla is bringing Hardware 4 to market ahead of the Cybertruck? Is the Cybertruck now delayed further, and the new hardware suite simply can’t wait? Perhaps Tesla is just getting the hardware suite into some current vehicles to get an idea of the placement, production, and execution. We’d love to know what you think. Leave us a comment below.
