Tesla’s Autopilot system is reportedly getting more sensors

Tesla’s next-generation Autopilot platform will have more radar and camera sensors according to a report from Electrek. It’s not known when the new suite will arrive, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk said recently that autonomous driving is coming “sooner than people think.”

The new system is said to gain four more radar modules in addition to the current front-facing radar system, one in each corner of the car. It will also go from one front-facing camera to three. Electrek says Tesla’s Autopilot will not gain any LIDAR sensors, something other carmakers think is essential to safe autonomous driving.

Some parts of the system are already included on Tesla’s current cars, mostly items like wiring harnesses and the physical housing for the triple camera system, though nothing that could be considered near to functional. The report doesn’t give any timeline for rollout of the system.

A Tesla spokesperson said the company doesn’t comment on speculation.

Modest updates to the Autopilot system are expected in a new version of the Tesla’s onboard software suite, but nothing that would need the rumored hardware upgrades.

Last month, Tesla and Mobileye, a supplier of autonomous vehicle technologies, agreed to part ways following a fatal crash in which Mobileye’s technology was unable to distinguish between a laterally crossing truck and the sky behind it. Mobileye recently announced partnerships with BMW and Intel.