Tesla is moving away from using its ultrasonic sensors in favor of a camera-only Autopilot system. The goal is to create a camera-based neural net and not let radar data pollute the Autopilot system.

Here is what Tesla has to say about its next step in the transition:

Today, we are taking the next step in Tesla Vision by removing ultrasonic sensors (USS) from Model 3 and Model Y. We will continue this rollout with Model 3 and Model Y, globally, over the next few months, followed by Model S and Model X in 2023.

Ultrasonic sensors were primarily used for short-range object detections in scenarios like auto-park and collision warnings.

Tesla explains how the USS are replaced:

Along with the removal of USS, we have simultaneously launched our vision-based occupancy network – currently used in Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta – to replace the inputs generated by USS. With today’s software, this approach gives Autopilot high-definition spatial positioning, longer range visibility and ability to identify and differentiate between objects. As with many Tesla features, our occupancy network will continue to improve rapidly over time.

Tesla claims a camera-only approach will result in some feature limitations, but software updates will resolve those limitations.