As Tesla Model 3 Sees IIHS Top Pick Status Restored, Elon Musk Says There Will Be Further Retesting With 'Improved Software'

Tesla Inc’s TSLA mid-size sedan Model 3 has regained the “top pick” rating from Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) after losing the preferred status last month following the electric car maker’s decision to switch to camera-based Autopilot system for its vehicles.

What Happened: The Model 3’s Top Safety Pick+ status, which is (IIHS) top safety award, is being restored after independent tests proved the effectiveness of Tesla’s new camera-based automatic emergency braking (AEB) and forward-collision warning (FCW) systems. 

Consumer Reports said consistent with the integration of IIHS ratings into its recommendations, it is "also restoring the car’s Top Pick status.”

Musk noted on Twitter that the Top Safety Pick+ is the "highest overall rating," but that the EV maker can get "max score for all subcategories/individual tests too."

The Tesla CEO further added that there would be a retesting in about a month with improved software. "The improved software will then be uploaded to all cars with FSD computers," he added. 

Why It Matters: Tesla has recently switched to strictly cameras and stopped using radar sensors. Musk has said that camera-based vision is more accurate than radar, and radar introduces more noise than helpful data in a sensor fusion system.

See Also: What Makes It Possible For Tesla To Ditch Radar? Cathie Wood's Ark Says Answer Lies Here

At the time the Tesla Vision-equipped Model 3 and Model Y went on sale, the technology’s FCW and AEB performance had not yet been independently tested.

Price Action: Tesla shares closed 1.16% lower at $680.76 on Tuesday. 

Click here to check out Benzinga's EV Hub for the latest electric vehicles news.

Photo: Courtesy of Tesla