According to Tesla's official Model 3 manual, cameras that watch around the car are mounted above the front-bumper grille (if equipped), above the rear license plate, in each door pillar, two on the windshield, and on each front fender. A separate cabin camera looks inside the car. The camera images are processed by the car's computer, but we could not confirm the computer's specifications from official sources.
So far we have followed the flows of electricity, force and heat. The last flow is information: how a car learns about its surroundings, thinks, and acts.
The conclusion: cameras see, a computer processes, the car is controlled
The flow of information can be split into three parts.
- See: cameras film the car's surroundings.
- Think: the car's computer processes the images.
- Act: show things on the screen, give warnings, and control the brakes and steering.
Tesla's Model 3 manual describes components that watch the surroundings, and says the car is also equipped with "high precision electronically-assisted braking and steering systems."
But in this article, we could not confirm from official sources what happens inside step 2, how the computer processes the images. We write only what we could confirm.
1. See: how many cameras, and where
Tesla's official Model 3 owner's manual, "Cameras" page (Singapore edition), says the following.
| Place | Number |
|---|---|
| Above the front-bumper grille (if equipped) | 1 |
| Above the rear license plate | 1 |
| In each door pillar | 1 on each side |
| On the windshield, above the rear view mirror | 2 |
| On each front fender | 1 on each side |
| Cabin camera inside the car (above the rear view mirror) | 1 |
The manual describes these as components that actively monitor the surrounding area.
On the count: counting the manual's table, there are 8 exterior cameras if you include the front-bumper camera (if equipped), and 7 if you do not. The manual does not give the total as one number. This is the author's count.
2. The images are shown to the driver too
The camera images are not only processed by the computer. They are also shown to the driver.
- Rear camera: when you shift into Reverse, the view behind the car appears on the screen.
- Blind-spot camera: when you use the turn signal, the image from that side's side repeater camera appears on the screen. If a vehicle is detected in the blind spot of the adjacent lane, a red vertical bar appears on the image to warn you.
The manual says that this feature does not remove the need for the driver to drive attentively and check by themselves. The camera is an aid, not a replacement for human eyes.
3. Seeing with cameras only: Tesla Vision
Tesla moved away from forward radar to a method that recognizes the surroundings with cameras alone. Tesla calls this method Tesla Vision.
According to press reports, Tesla stopped fitting radar to North American Model 3 and Model Y cars from May 2021, and to those for Europe and the Middle East from April 2022. TechCrunch (April 6, 2022, by Kirsten Korosec) reports that Tesla would begin delivering its camera-only Model Y and Model 3 vehicles for Europe and the Middle East that month.
But we could not confirm the following in this article.
- The text of Tesla's own official page (the support page now redirects elsewhere, so we could not read it).
- An official announcement about removing ultrasonic sensors.
- Tesla's own explanation of why it went camera-only.
4. Think: we could not confirm the computer
The car has a computer that processes the camera images. Names such as HW3 and HW4 are often used for its generations.
However, in this article we could not confirm their official specifications (performance figures, chip configuration, etc.). Many numbers circulate online, but we do not write any that we cannot trace to Tesla's official materials.
Likewise, we could not confirm an official explanation of what the neural network recognizes in the images. What the manual confirms is the behavior: it detects a vehicle in the blind spot and warns with a red bar on the screen.
What this article could confirm is the entrance and the exit of the flow: "see" and "act." The middle, "think," has no official explanation I could find. That is a limit of my research and does not mean Tesla keeps it unpublished. Someday I would like to read Tesla's official presentations (such as AI Day) directly and add to this.
FAQ
How many cameras does the Model 3 have?
Counting the manual's table, there are 8 exterior cameras including the front-bumper camera (if equipped), or 7 without it. There is also a cabin camera. The manual itself does not state the total as one number.
Did Tesla remove radar completely?
According to press reports, North American Model 3/Y cars stopped having radar from May 2021, and those for Europe and the Middle East from April 2022. We have not confirmed whether it applies to every model.
Did Tesla remove ultrasonic sensors too?
We could not confirm it. There are reports, but we have not read the text of an official announcement.
Is self-driving safe?
This article does not evaluate self-driving safety. The manual says that even when using these features, the driver must drive attentively.
Summary
- The flow of information is cameras (see) → computer (think) → display, warning and control (act).
- The Model 3's cameras (manual): above the front-bumper grille (if equipped), above the license plate, each door pillar, two on the windshield, each front fender, and one inside.
- The rear camera shows its image in Reverse. The blind-spot camera shows its image with the turn signal and warns with a red bar when it detects a vehicle. The driver still has to check.
- Tesla Vision: recognizing the surroundings with cameras only. No radar from May 2021 (North America) and April 2022 (Europe and Middle East) (press reports).
- The computer's official specifications, what the neural network recognizes, and an official announcement on ultrasonic sensors are unconfirmed.
Next, to finish Part 2, we will put the four flows (electricity, force, heat and information) and the structure of the body together in one "whole map" (coming soon).
Sources (checked 2026-10-14)
- Tesla, "Model 3 Owner's Manual: Cameras" (Singapore edition): https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_sg/GUID-682FF4A7-D083-4C95-925A-5EE3752F4865.html
- TechCrunch (April 6, 2022, Kirsten Korosec), "No more radar for Tesla EVs headed for Europe, Middle East": https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/06/tesla-no-radar-evs-europe-middle-east
This article is for learning about science and technology, and is not investment advice. Facts and the author's interpretation are kept separate. Figures are AI-generated illustrations.