Electric vehicles and why Tesla stands out

[AgnosticBoy]

Tesla was among the first mass marketed electric vehicle. Now Ford, Mercedes, BMW, and even independent brands (Lucid and Rivian) all have electric vehicles in the market. You have to ask what advantage would Tesla have since it started years before its competition. I think the most important advantage, and one that makes it stand out, is the self-driving feature. I think Tesla stands out with its use of Artificial Intelligence.

Car companies in 2022 promised and delivered some tremendous self-driving cars. These vehicles use advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and provide welcome relief to drivers. However, they are not fully autonomous yet.

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) defined five levels of autonomous driving. Most cars are level 1, meaning essential driver assistance like cruise control. Level 2 combines ADAS to navigate, center, accelerate, and brake certain situations. Level 3 self-driving technology can gauge traffic situations and react accordingly.

While there are five levels, only levels 1-3 are available. Level 4 and 5 full self-driving capabilities won’t be on the market for years. However, many SAE level 2 cars are available, and one SAE level 3 is just hitting the market. The self-driving vehicles consumers are geeking out over are levels 2 and 3.

Tesla's Autopilot system can drive in most situations.5 Rather than mapping certain roads, Tesla uses cameras, radar, and ultrasonic to scan the areas as the car goes through them. This means drivers can use the feature practically anywhere. The auto-learning computer is continually updating over the air. Hence, Autopilot gets smarter, the more people drive with it. Elon Musks’ company Tesla is also constantly rolling out updates to its system.

Here are two good videos showing off Tesla's self-driving capability:

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

Hi, about the 2nd video:

It’s Nanny State, but it’s corporate Nanny State. The Tesla watches your eyes? ? ?

There’s some in-car camera which sees if your eyes are still pointed toward the road. If you get 5 strikes, they’ll take away the self-driving even though you’ve already paid for it ! ? !

And Tesla used to make you build up to a safety score of 99 out of a 100, which as this guy pointed out was “ironic.”

Yes, there’s a law that fully self-driving is not yet allowed, so Tesla is hedging its bets, etc, etc. But it’s disappointing. I can’t read a book, I can’t nap or snooze. I can’t be in the back seat with a lover!

Look, if it’s safer for men, women, children, pedestrians, etc, etc, we kind of have to go in that direction.

Still need to talk about projected loss of, what, 2 million driving jobs in the United States?

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And, hope to watch the first video!

 

[AgnosticBoy]

Yes, there’s a law that fully self-driving is not yet allowed, so Tesla is hedging its bets, etc, etc. But it’s disappointing. I can’t read a book, I can’t nap or snooze. I can’t be in the back seat with a lover!

That would start at level 3 automation according to the Society of Automotive Engineers International (SAE) classification.

A level 3 vehicle can gauge traffic situations and react accordingly. While the driver has to be alert and ready to take control, they don't have to keep their hands on the wheel at all times. This means they can be preoccupied.

Source: Here

I would love to get off work and not have to worry about driving. Just sit in the back and sip a nice cool drink.

On another note, I read an article that says that Mercedes is the first to crack level 3 autonomy. Aparently, this is only approved in Germany on some roads. There are some limitations though in that the driver has to stay in one lane, can't go more than 37 mph, etc.

This is the promise of Drive Pilot: Mercedes-Benz's Level 3 autonomous-driving assist. ...The technology, which is the first of its kind to be publicly available, is already offered on the S-Class and EQS sedans for road-legal use in Germany, but won’t make its United States debut until 2023.

This doesn't mean the driver can nap or hang out in the back seat while the car negotiates various traffic scenarios. It simply means the driver can take their hands off the wheel and perform other tasks but is always ready to regain control.


...For this specific application, Drive Pilot must be able to see your face in order to remain engaged. You can move your head (and eyes) sideways to either converse or watch a movie on the Hyperscreen—yes, you can legally do that in Germany—but the face must remain unobstructed to the driver-facing camera.

Source: TheDrive

Hi, about the 2nd video:

It’s Nanny State, but it’s corporate Nanny State. The Tesla watches your eyes? ? ?

There’s some in-car camera which sees if your eyes are still pointed toward the road. If you get 5 strikes, they’ll take away the self-driving even though you’ve already paid for it ! ? !

We seem to be getting there. I do think these companies are trying to balance liberty and liability. They might argue that they need to watch you as one way of determining what caused a crash or if the driver was a factor. Having cameras only outside of the car may not be enough to know about the driver.

Look, if it’s safer for men, women, children, pedestrians, etc, etc, we kind of have to go in that direction.

Still need to talk about projected loss of, what, 2 million driving jobs in the United States?

========

And, hope to watch the first video!

Yep, agreed!

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

Levels of Autonomous Driving | Self-Driving Car Levels | ACV Auctions

There are five levels of autonomous driving, which span from cruise control to fully autonomous in all scenarios. Read on to learn the differences.

www.acvauctions.com

Aug. 27, 2002:

“Mercedes-Benz and Audi are the only two manufacturers with level 3 vehicles on the road. The Audi A8 employs a Traffic Jam Assist feature that lets human drivers disengage from driving. However, many other auto manufacturers are close behind.”

This is from the ACV source which you gave.

From just this last Summer, and I’m not sure why they left Tesla off the list.

The Traffic Jam Assist does sound helpful. I’m not sure why the self-driving didn’t get really excellent at highway driving first, which seems to have fewer variables.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

17:45 in video—
At highway speed, the car moves over in its lane because a black plastic trash bag blows across the ground. At the very least, it crowded the lane next to it. It may have also edged into that lane.

Now, as a human being, I may have done the same thing if something suddenly blew across the ground. But this would be an area in which the computer — potentially at least — could be better.

Our narrator Marques said the Tesla will also move over within its lane for a bicyclist next to the road. That’s much more reasonable since it’s a human being.

The Tesla only uses a visual camera. It doesn’t also use radar which might be very useful for white out fog.

It didn’t seem to see a white cone at a toll booth.

It will sometimes tell you to “Apply Light Force” to the steering wheel.

Marques said it’s stressful driving, because you have to watch to make sure it’s not going to do something weird.

Then he said, there’s an embarrassment factor because it often drives like a little old lady.

And there was one time toward the beginning of the video in which another driver is waving him in. That seems like it would be the next generation of self driving!

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Again, I want to be able to:

have a glass of wine

smooch with a lover

or read a good book!

 

[AgnosticBoy]

The Traffic Jam Assist does sound helpful. I’m not sure why the self-driving didn’t get really excellent at highway driving first, which seems to have fewer variables.

Yes, exactly. On the highway, you wouldn't have to worry about pedestrians crossing the street, traffic lights, etc.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

On the highway, you wouldn't have to worry about pedestrians crossing the street,

but occasionally you will, right?

 

[AgnosticBoy]

but occasionally you will, right?

I would think so esp. in emergency situations.

 

[K9ACOLeeJet]

Tesla recall on the news. Elon Musk is gonna lose some bucks.