Skip to main content

Tesla fights to replace analog rear-view mirrors with video cameras

Tesla headmaster Elon Musk is apparently taking a deep breath and holding his nose as his company wades into the stink of American transportation bureaucracy to do away with another remnant of no-tech cars: rear-view mirrors. Musk would like to see them go the way of the internal combustion engine. I fully support his efforts on this front.

Ever been in a Tesla Model S? The interior sports a massive vertical 17-inch touchscreen for controlling every aspect of the car, with only a handful of physical “buttons” inside.

Recommended Videos

One view you can leave up full-time on half of the screen while driving is the live panoramic wide-angle view from the rear-mounted backup camera, which is great since the low-tech windshield-mounted rearview mirror can basically show you who’s in the back seats and not much more.

And gliding down the highway with the rear-view camera on is fairly hypnotic in a “wow, why doesn’t every car have this safety feature?” kind of way.

Rear-rear view mirrors first appeared on cars in 1914, according to a post on Green Car Reports which details Musk’s efforts to get rid of them, at least on his cars. Why? Namely: drag. Sticking those ancient optical ears on cars, especially low-Cg missiles like the Model S and others, results in a significant increase in drag, between 3 and 6 percent Green Car Reports says. Of course, that added drag requires engine or motor power to overcome.

Don’t think 6 percent is very much? Let’s say your car has a range of 200 miles with mirrors. Not having to push them through the air at highway speeds could tack on 10 to 12 miles of range. Not a small deal, especially for electric vehicles.

2012 nissan versa review subcompact car right rear view mirror angle
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Still not convinced? Drive your car on the freeway at 65mph, roll down the window and stick your hand out, palm front, and see how long you can hold it there. No cheating by holding it behind the mirror! Hard to keep it there, right? Now multiply by two and that’s what your car is pushing down the road at freeway speeds all the time, and that’s just for small mirrors. 

Video camera technology has advanced to the point where it’s pretty much bomb-proof. Got a cell phone that shoots video? Pretty reliable, no? Cheap, too. I’d bet a wide-angle HD camera that could function as a side-view mirror actually costs less than making a regular side-view mirror, especially if the mirror has motorized adjustments for viewing angles. Plus, they’re really, really tiny, like this one:

Cellycamraw
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Back-up cameras are getting pretty common, even in new low-buck car models and some new cars, like a recent Mercedes and Infinity we reviewed, now feature multiple cameras that give a 360-degree view of the  area surrounding the car for parking assistance and situational awareness – a worthy feature. Installing cameras as side-view mirrors and putting the display in a heads-up (HUD) configuration would increase driver safety since you would not need to take your eyes off the road like you do now to look in the mirrors.

Additionally, video camera-based systems could have more features, like night-vision and object avoidance, that could increase safety in ways regular mirrors can’t and never will. A video system that looks completely around the car and records to an in-car DVR for a short time (say, 10 minutes) before over-writing the footage could be a boon in a traffic crash, easily identifying who is at fault. I’ll take that discount on my insurance, thank you very much.

So keep that clothes pin on your nose as you try to machete through the myriad volumes of size and functionality regulations, warning labels and optical-grade statutes for mirrors, Elon. Cars will look and perform better without them. Hopefully we can see this ancient aspect of vehicle safety tech eventually disappear into our rearview cameras.

What say you? Rearview HUDs or old-school polished glass? Speak your piece in comments.

Topics
Bill Roberson
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I focus on producing Digital Trends' 'DT Daily' video news program along with photographing items we get in for review. I…
You can now lease a Hyundai EV on Amazon—and snag that $7,500 tax credit
amazon autos hyundai evs lease ioniq 6 n line seoul mobility show 2025 mk08

Amazon has changed how we shop for just about everything—from books to furniture to groceries. Now, it’s transforming the way we lease cars. Through Amazon Autos, you can now lease a brand-new Hyundai entirely online—and even better, you’ll qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit if you choose an electric model like the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, or Kona EV.
Here’s why that matters: As of January 2025, Hyundai’s EVs no longer qualify for the tax credit if you buy them outright, due to strict federal rules about battery sourcing and final assembly. But when you lease, the vehicle is technically owned by the leasing company (Hyundai Capital), which allows it to be classified as a “commercial vehicle” under U.S. tax law—making it eligible for the credit. That savings is typically passed on to you in the form of lower lease payments.
With Amazon’s new setup, you can browse Hyundai’s EV inventory, secure financing, trade in your current vehicle, and schedule a pickup—all without leaving the Amazon ecosystem.
It’s available in 68 markets across the U.S., and pricing is fully transparent—no hidden fees or haggling. While Hyundai is so far the only automaker fully participating, more are expected to join over time.
Pioneered by the likes of Tesla, purchasing or leasing vehicles online has been a growing trend since the Covid pandemic.
A 2024 study by iVendi found that 74% of car buyers expect to use some form of online process for their next purchase. In fact, 75% said online buying met or exceeded expectations, with convenience and access to information cited as top reasons. The 2024 EY Mobility Consumer Index echoed this trend, reporting that 25% of consumers now plan to buy their next vehicle online—up from 18% in 2021. Even among those who still prefer to finalize the purchase at a dealership, 87% use online tools for research beforehand.
Meanwhile, Deloitte’s 2025 Global Automotive Consumer Study reveals that while 86% of U.S. consumers still want to test-drive a vehicle in person, digital tools are now a critical part of the buying journey.
Bottom line? Amazon is making it easier than ever to lease an EV and claim that tax credit—without the dealership hassle. If you're ready to plug in, it might be time to add to cart.

Read more
Gemini AI coming to cars as Android Automotive update suggests it’s due soon
The 6.8-inch Pioneer digital media receiver installed in a vehicle's dashboard.

Google appears to be getting ready to sends its Gemini AI into cars through an Android Automotive update.

This would make sense as Android Automotive already uses Google's Assistant to help with those much-needed in-car hands-free requests.

Read more
Watch from the passenger seat as the new Porsche 911 GT3 sets a record at the Nürburgring
911 GT3 with Weissach Package (Manual Transmission), Nürburgring Nordschleife 2025, Porsche AG

If you've ever wanted to race at top speeds around one of the most iconic racetracks in the world, then now is your chance. A new Porsche 911 GT3 just set a record for the fastest time around the Nürburgring in a road car with a manual transmission, knocking almost 10 seconds off the previous best time. And Porsche has released a video of the run filmed from the cockpit, so you can experience the thrills for yourself.

The record was set by legendary driver and Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister at the wheel of a 911 GT3 with the Weissach package, setting a time of 6:56.294. That's 9.5 seconds ahead of the previous record set by the Dodge Viper ACR in 2017 -- though there's some math involved in these time calculations as the track was reconfigured in 2019.

Read more