Model Y adaptive high beams test on US roads shows what to expect from legacy models with matrix headlights

Tesla's chief engineer Lars Moravy recently confirmed that the adaptive high beams option that drivers in Europe have been enjoying for a while will be coming to the legacy Model Y in the US in "several months."

The new 2026 Model Y Juniper refresh, however, comes with Tesla's adaptive headlights feature unlocked out of the box, and the option has now been briefly tested on public roads in the US.

Tesla vehicles have been shipping with the so-called matrix headlights where individual pixels can be turned on or off since 2021, but the adaptive mode has been locked for regulatory reasons. The US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 is stricter than the headlight regulations in Europe, for instance, and Tesla has to navigate its red tape further before it unlocks the adaptive high beams mode on the legacy Model Y.

Older units with matrix headlights will then get it via an OTA software update, just like it arrived in Europe, but the new Model Y has been granted a permit to come with the adaptive headlights control software unlocked out of the factory.

"When Adaptive Headlights is enabled, the beam of the headlights adjusts automatically to improve your driving view," explains Tesla.

One buyer of the Launch Series Model Y edition managed to record two short videos with the automatic high beams option turned on, demonstrating what US owners of the legacy Model Y should expect later this year.

According to Lars Moravy, however, the update may first bring simpler approved tasks like the automatic switching from high to low beams when passing a vehicle. Tesla will then introduce the full suite of adaptive matrix headlight features on the legacy Model Y, such as dimming a pixel pattern for the widest visibility area that won't blind other drivers, as well as adjusting their beams during road turns.

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