High-Speed FCW & AEB Testing of Tesla Model 3's Across Software Updates

A total of 148 tests were conducted to evaluate the Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) systems in five different Tesla Model 3 vehicles between model years 2018 and 2020 across four years. These tests involved stationary targets, including a foam Stationary Vehicle Target (SVT), a Deformable Stationary Vehicle Target (DSVT), a live vehicle with brake lights, and a SoftCar360 designed for high-speed impact tests. The evaluations were conducted at speeds of 35, 50, 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80 miles per hour (mph) during both daytime and nighttime conditions and utilized early and medium FCW settings. These settings, integral to Tesla's Collision Avoidance Assist, modify object detection and timing of visual and auditory warnings issued to drivers. The 2018 to 2020 vehicles initially utilized both cameras and radar for object detection. Tesla updated their software and detection algorithm, and thus, vision-only tests were able to be conducted as a comparison. The analysis encompassed comparisons of Time to Collision (TTC) at FCW, TTC at AEB, and emergency braking deceleration across various test sequences and conditions. The findings demonstrate consistent and repeatable FCW alerts across all tests. Peak AEB decelerations greater than 1g were observed in tests where AEB engaged.