Tesla Cars Can Now Spot Potholes Before You Get Stuck In One

Potholes, the bane of many drivers, are the cause of ruined suspensions and accidents. Now, Tesla is aiming to solve that problem by giving its cars the ability to raise suspensions when driving over a pothole or other defects on the roads.  

In the new 2022.20 update, the ‘Tesla Adaptive Suspension’ system will be available for drivers to utilize. This comes after an announcement in 2020 that the automaker was going to start recording data of detected potholes to create mini-maps for its cars in the future. Now, the update is finally here.

Tesla has said in its newest announcement that when driving over a pothole or over a rough road, Tesla’s Adaptive Suspension will adjust the height of the ride. However, this is subject to the data that has been previously collected. This would mean that over time, the maps would be constantly updated as this data evolves.

The information will be gathered from its Autopilot feature. A better understanding of rough terrain and potholes could help Tesla cars achieve full Autopilot and Full Self-Driving without drivers having to step in or pay as close attention to the roads as they would now.  

Although the cars cannot fully avoid potholes as of now, the feature is softening the blow of running over one and saving the car from serious potential damage. The option is now available in Tesla Model S and Model X cars through the controls menu where an Adaptive Suspension Damping toggle can be found.   

[via Electrek and News Week, Photo 189718312 © Melpomenem | Dreamstime.com]