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

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">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. The testing occurred across four calendar years from 2020 to 2024. These tests involved testing against stationary vehicle 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. The analysis encompassed comparisons of Time to Collision (TTC) at FCW, TTC at AEB, and emergency braking deceleration magnitudes across the different software versions. Testing of the Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC) system was also conducted against a stationary target in the Tesla’s lane at a speed of 80 mph. The findings demonstrate consistent and repeatable FCW alerts across all tests and software versions, although differences in performance between software versions were found. Peak AEB decelerations greater than 1g were observed in some tests where AEB engaged.</div></div>