Tesla Robotaxi Fleet Adds Washers to All Cameras, Including Repeaters and B-Pillars

Following the launch of unsupervised public rides in Austin last week, observers have identified a key hardware difference between consumer Model Y vehicles and those operating as robotaxis.

The Model Y Robotaxis now include automatic camera sprayers not only on the rear camera but also on the fender (repeater) cameras. While B-pillar cameras on standard Model Ys do not appear to have washers yet, the Cybercab has been observed with water jets on its B-pillar cameras.

All cameras (excluding the cabin camera) on the Cybercab now have an active camera cleaner. The list includes the front bumper camera, repeater and B-pillar cameras, the rear camera, and the front cameras underneath the windshield.

The Hardware Upgrade

Repeater camera cleaning in action on Robotaxi Model Y cars

Spray nozzle in action: https://t.co/qqE32wDheD pic.twitter.com/zyIMIXAMUO

— Greggertruck (@greggertruck) January 23, 2026

Consumer Teslas across models have long lacked an active cleaning mechanism for side and rear cameras. The Model Y Robotaxi fleet appears to be fitted with a specialized retrofit (or produced in a new batch) intended to address lens occlusion.

Similar to the system recently spotted on the Cybercab prototype in Chicago, the rear license plate camera includes a dedicated spray nozzle to clear road grime. These cleaners are now appearing on additional cameras. The repeater camera has specifically been redesigned: the integrated turn signal light has been removed and a washer jet added.

These mechanisms spray washer fluid onto the camera lenses under pressure to clear material that could be stuck to the lens.

The Cybercab adds similar jets to the B-pillar cameras, where water has been seen streaking down the side of the car.

Why Now?

As long as a human sat in the driver’s seat of a consumer car with FSD (Supervised), a blocked camera was a minor annoyance: the car would prompt the driver to clean the cameras or take control. In an Unsupervised scenario, a blocked camera can become mission-critical. If a bird dropping, mud splash, or salty road spray blinds a sensor, there is no human to step out and wipe it off. Without these washers, a single splash of Texas mud could incapacitate a vision-only robotaxi and leave it stranded.

New Model Y rear camera washer in action on Robotaxi.

Thx for the video @DavidMoss! pic.twitter.com/TxCxa8vtpC

— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 24, 2026

Project Halo was Real

This rollout confirms long-standing rumors of Project Halo — a program to upfit hardened Model Ys specifically designed for the Robotaxi network. While these vehicles were initially dismissed as testing mules, the presence of visible modifications on public-facing cars suggests that active sensor cleaning has become a required element for higher-level autonomy.

For current owners, the question remains: will this plumbing upgrade reach consumer production lines, or become available as a retrofit for the rest of Tesla’s lineup?