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Those are typically just simple pieces of plastic to fill a hole. There is clearly no function to them. What seems weird is they went through the effort of ins

Those are typically just simple pieces of plastic to fill a hole. There is clearly no function to them. What seems weird is they went through the effort of installing a nonfunctional yet functional-looking piece.

xeromal 4y ago
Cars do that pretty often. EVs for instance often have fake grilles for no reason.
- electric_mayhem 4y ago
  My guess would be so that eagle-eyed ocd tesla owners don’t freak out over seeming to have fewer cameras in their car than their buddy’s previous model year version. I’m certain there’s be posts complaining about being short a camera without any understanding of hw4 being better despite having a smaller quantity of cameras.
  - xeromal 4y ago
    I bet this is at least part of the reason if not all.
    - Alupis 4y ago
      It's still incredibly bizarre to go through the effort of manufacturing a real-looking fake camera instead of using an industry-standard feature-delete panel like the entire rest of the automotive industry. The fake camera feels like it's trying to mislead people.
      - xeromal 4y ago
        It could be but misleading has a few levels. One is misleading that it has a feature that it doesn't (like 100 HP vs 500 HP) and the other is putting something there that a person expects even though it's no longer necessary (like the close door button in an eleveator)
        Alupis 4y ago
        I think it's clearly misleading in-that it is pretending to have an expensive camera but does not. No brand-new first-time Tesla owner is going to freak out because there's a feature-delete panel somewhere in the vehicle. There's probably others already after-all, they are very standard in most vehicles. So... who is this for? If it looked so terrible to remove one camera, then redesign that component to look good again. After all, it's not like they're going back to the old design. This would be more akin to your brand new laptop having a fake ethernet port... why?
- recursive 4y ago
  Many cars have fake exhaust tips. I see them all the time. Search for "fake exhaust". It looks like most of them come from the factory.
  - IncRnd 4y ago
    Those are for a different purpose. Many car aficionados have historically changed their exhaust system to achieve better performance. The fake exhaust pipes are to make the car appear performant and powerful.
    - fomine3 4y ago
      It's somewhat similar. Three cameras looks like advanced FSD system.
    - recursive 4y ago
      > make the car appear performant and powerful Which part is different? The fake camera gives the appearance of a working camera.
      - IncRnd 4y ago
        In many cases, cars are sold by tickling the interest of people who want performance. Tesla's Model S Page: "With a drag coefficient of just .208 Cd, the lowest on the planet, Model S is built for speed, endurance and range. Improved aerodynamics and a wider chassis offer more responsive performance so you can take corners quicker and with more confidence." [1] That's even the case with the Telsa Model X. Tesla's Model X Page: "With the most power and quickest acceleration of any SUV, Model X Plaid is the highest performing SUV ever built." [2] And, for people who want their Tesla to have an exhaust for barreling down the road, there are 3rd party add-ons for that! Did you crave the performance of a Tesla electric car but miss the sound of a rumbling V8? A UK exhaust manufacturer may have the answer: fake external noise. [3] Youtube of the sounds from that fake exhaust.[4] I guess there are some people, though, who see a camera and think of a performance built vehicle. [1] https://www.tesla.com/models https://www.tesla.com/models [2] https://www.tesla.com/modelx https://www.tesla.com/modelx [3] https://www.drive.com.au/news/tesla-electric-cars-now-available-with-v8-exhaust-sound/ https://www.drive.com.au/news/tesla-electric-cars-now-availa... [4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff4XEXYoE5k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff4XEXYoE5k
- strifey 4y ago
  A car grille is a much more prominent and expected visual feature of a car, though. This small, tucked away yet realistic-looking camera doesn't seem to fit the same reasoning for me. That said, it wouldn't be entirely surprising if some designer "couldn't stop noticing it missing" or something along those lines.
  - TheHappyOddish 4y ago
    The 3 cameras are prominent and expected on Teslas though? The reasoning seems sound.
- toast0 4y ago
  This isn't just EVs, it's currently fashionable on ICEs to block the traditionally placed grille, and then add airflow underneath.
  - majormajor 4y ago
    Or the late-1980s Ford Taurus. ;) https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1986-90-ford-taurus https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1986-90-ford-taurus Interestingly: > In truth, most American cars had been "bottom breathers"--they got their air from below the bumper and beneath the car, rather than from air rushing through the grille and radiator--for years. For the Taurus, Ford stylists merely took the bottom-breather reality to heart, made it work for them, and blocked the nose of their volume-selling sedan. The overall effect instantly made the rest of Detroit's output look old-fashioned in the process.
wilg 4y ago
Maybe it's just an actual part they have for other reasons.
pkulak 4y ago
The article says they did it because the camera needs to be on one side or the other depending on the drive side of the country. This must have been easier than building two different enclosures.
- lfuller 4y ago
  That was a highlighted top comment speculating on why it's there.
- rtkwe 4y ago
  Still doesn't really explain why it's a whole fake camera instead of just a simple plastic plug.
csteubs 4y ago
Weird indeed. Blank buttons in base model vehicles are at least user-accessible as opposed to a camera module behind glass. Any time I add an accessory, the button fascia gets popped out and a rocker switch put in. Perhaps the dummy camera is the same form factor of a component that Tesla knows it will include in future releases and is just carving out room for a possible upgrade years from now?

xeromal 4y ago

Cars do that pretty often. EVs for instance often have fake grilles for no reason.

electric_mayhem 4y ago
My guess would be so that eagle-eyed ocd tesla owners don’t freak out over seeming to have fewer cameras in their car than their buddy’s previous model year version. I’m certain there’s be posts complaining about being short a camera without any understanding of hw4 being better despite having a smaller quantity of cameras.
- xeromal 4y ago
  I bet this is at least part of the reason if not all.
  - Alupis 4y ago
    It's still incredibly bizarre to go through the effort of manufacturing a real-looking fake camera instead of using an industry-standard feature-delete panel like the entire rest of the automotive industry. The fake camera feels like it's trying to mislead people.
    - xeromal 4y ago
      It could be but misleading has a few levels. One is misleading that it has a feature that it doesn't (like 100 HP vs 500 HP) and the other is putting something there that a person expects even though it's no longer necessary (like the close door button in an eleveator)
      - Alupis 4y ago
        I think it's clearly misleading in-that it is pretending to have an expensive camera but does not. No brand-new first-time Tesla owner is going to freak out because there's a feature-delete panel somewhere in the vehicle. There's probably others already after-all, they are very standard in most vehicles. So... who is this for? If it looked so terrible to remove one camera, then redesign that component to look good again. After all, it's not like they're going back to the old design. This would be more akin to your brand new laptop having a fake ethernet port... why?
recursive 4y ago
Many cars have fake exhaust tips. I see them all the time. Search for "fake exhaust". It looks like most of them come from the factory.
- IncRnd 4y ago
  Those are for a different purpose. Many car aficionados have historically changed their exhaust system to achieve better performance. The fake exhaust pipes are to make the car appear performant and powerful.
  - fomine3 4y ago
    It's somewhat similar. Three cameras looks like advanced FSD system.
  - recursive 4y ago
    > make the car appear performant and powerful Which part is different? The fake camera gives the appearance of a working camera.
    - IncRnd 4y ago
      In many cases, cars are sold by tickling the interest of people who want performance. Tesla's Model S Page: "With a drag coefficient of just .208 Cd, the lowest on the planet, Model S is built for speed, endurance and range. Improved aerodynamics and a wider chassis offer more responsive performance so you can take corners quicker and with more confidence." [1] That's even the case with the Telsa Model X. Tesla's Model X Page: "With the most power and quickest acceleration of any SUV, Model X Plaid is the highest performing SUV ever built." [2] And, for people who want their Tesla to have an exhaust for barreling down the road, there are 3rd party add-ons for that! Did you crave the performance of a Tesla electric car but miss the sound of a rumbling V8? A UK exhaust manufacturer may have the answer: fake external noise. [3] Youtube of the sounds from that fake exhaust.[4] I guess there are some people, though, who see a camera and think of a performance built vehicle. [1] https://www.tesla.com/models https://www.tesla.com/models [2] https://www.tesla.com/modelx https://www.tesla.com/modelx [3] https://www.drive.com.au/news/tesla-electric-cars-now-available-with-v8-exhaust-sound/ https://www.drive.com.au/news/tesla-electric-cars-now-availa... [4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff4XEXYoE5k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff4XEXYoE5k
strifey 4y ago
A car grille is a much more prominent and expected visual feature of a car, though. This small, tucked away yet realistic-looking camera doesn't seem to fit the same reasoning for me. That said, it wouldn't be entirely surprising if some designer "couldn't stop noticing it missing" or something along those lines.
- TheHappyOddish 4y ago
  The 3 cameras are prominent and expected on Teslas though? The reasoning seems sound.
toast0 4y ago
This isn't just EVs, it's currently fashionable on ICEs to block the traditionally placed grille, and then add airflow underneath.
- majormajor 4y ago
  Or the late-1980s Ford Taurus. ;) https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1986-90-ford-taurus https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1986-90-ford-taurus Interestingly: > In truth, most American cars had been "bottom breathers"--they got their air from below the bumper and beneath the car, rather than from air rushing through the grille and radiator--for years. For the Taurus, Ford stylists merely took the bottom-breather reality to heart, made it work for them, and blocked the nose of their volume-selling sedan. The overall effect instantly made the rest of Detroit's output look old-fashioned in the process.

wilg 4y ago

Maybe it's just an actual part they have for other reasons.

pkulak 4y ago

The article says they did it because the camera needs to be on one side or the other depending on the drive side of the country. This must have been easier than building two different enclosures.

lfuller 4y ago
That was a highlighted top comment speculating on why it's there.
rtkwe 4y ago
Still doesn't really explain why it's a whole fake camera instead of just a simple plastic plug.

csteubs 4y ago

Weird indeed. Blank buttons in base model vehicles are at least user-accessible as opposed to a camera module behind glass. Any time I add an accessory, the button fascia gets popped out and a rocker switch put in. Perhaps the dummy camera is the same form factor of a component that Tesla knows it will include in future releases and is just carving out room for a possible upgrade years from now?