Topic: Electric Vehicle News Thread

[rrocket]

But while we're on the subject, had the truck also been equipped with similar technology, the crash would not have happened.

Right! Just like I heard this couldn't happen in a Tesla!

If a system can't stop when an enormous truck is in front of you..you know, the largest vehicles you're likely to encounter on the road...there are issues.

And similar technology in the truck would not prevent this. The road was open to the truck...therefore no need for crash avoidance.

Either way..if this guy hadn't relied on this technology, he'd be alive.

Oh..and this is EV news in case you missed the thread title.

[Jaeger]

Why interject this into the EV discussion? 

Was this even a serious question?    If so:

Oh..and this is EV news in case you missed the thread title.

[tpl]

Does Tesla claim the car is an "autonomous vehicle" I thought they just said it was a step on the way.   
If the truck's rear wheels, black rubber and steel, or the tractor unit had been in the cars field of view would it have stopped or slowed and not hit.


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[EV Dan]

They should call it a "somewhat smart cruise" not an AUTOpilot. 

[tpl]

Maybe the time has come for a sub forum on autonomous cars/VtoV/VtoE   and other 21st century additions  for cars on the way to full autonomy

[Jaeger]

I can't help but chuckle at the notion that Teslas should not be discussed on an EV subforum. Q

Clearly the objection here rests upon the negative nature of the news. If Tesla had just announced an optional new solar powered cappuccino machine the EV cheerleaders would be all over it.

[X-Traction]

I can't help but chuckle at the notion that Teslas should not be discussed on an EV subforum. Q

Clearly the objection here rests upon the negative nature of the news. If Tesla had just announced an optional new solar powered cappuccino machine the EV cheerleaders would be all over it.

I cringe at the fact you don't seem to grasp that there can be all sorts of things about Teslas that don't belong in an ev subforum.

Fortunately your comment about a cappuccino machine and "EV cheerleaders" adequately exposes where you're coming from.  If you only come to the EV subforum to make such comments, perhaps you'd be happier if you browsed and commented elsewhere.  Do EV fans infest topics about performance cars and post abuse of fans of those cars?  You might consider why they don't.

[X-Traction]

Maybe the time has come for a sub forum on autonomous cars/VtoV/VtoE   and other 21st century additions  for cars on the way to full autonomy

Excellent idea.  Anyone who knows anything about this stuff knows it's not limited to EV's.

[X-Traction]

Why interject this into the EV discussion? 

Was this even a serious question?    If so:

Oh..and this is EV news in case you missed the thread title.

I think extraction's question is a valid one. That it happened in a EV  is somewhat irrelevant. I think we should be talking about the technology of self driving vehicles,its limitations and the ignorance of those that rely on this technology as an excuse for not paying attention, as it would apply to all vehicles, regardless of being an EV or a gasoline powered vehicle.

Please don't think I am defending Tesla by my statements, as I feel there is something wrong when a system that is supposed to detect a solid object doesn't, because there might be reflection.

As to the the statement by rrocket, that is why I prefaced irrelevant with somewhat, as it involved an EV vehicle, but feel that it could have been put in its own thread regarding car nannys and their limitations. Just my 5 cents worth.



Mrs. Slow Lane just sent me a link with more information on the crash.

http://nypost.com/2016/07/02/tesla-driver-killed-in-autopilot-crash-was-watching-harry-potter/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPFacebook&utm_medium=SocialFlow&sr_share=facebook

Every description I read about the crash is substantially different.  Some mention the driver's poor record, or the trucker's poor driving record.  The trucker says he heard a Henry Potter movie playing on the Tesla's screen, Tesla says that's impossible, police say there was a dvd player found in the car.

[Jaeger]

I can't help but chuckle at the notion that Teslas should not be discussed on an EV subforum. Q

Clearly the objection here rests upon the negative nature of the news. If Tesla had just announced an optional new solar powered cappuccino machine the EV cheerleaders would be all over it.

I cringe at the fact you don't seem to grasp that there can be all sorts of things about Teslas that don't belong in an ev subforum.

Fortunately your comment about a cappuccino machine and "EV cheerleaders" adequately exposes where you're coming from.  If you only come to the EV subforum to make such comments, perhaps you'd be happier if you browsed and commented elsewhere.  Do EV fans infest topics about performance cars and post abuse of fans of those cars?  You might consider why they don't.

I came to an EV forum to read about a super - advanced fault - free cutting - edge mega - amazing EV that is vastly superior to anything else on the road auto - piloting itself to its own destruction and that of its human cargo. Because, like, that happened, y'know? Cringe - worthy, indeed.

[rrocket]

Are you kidding? Tesla shouldn't be included in EV news?

[Jaeger]

Are you kidding? Tesla shouldn't be included in EV news?

That's correct.  The poster car for EVs makes the news (in not a good way) and it absolutely positively should not be mentioned in the Electric (check) Vehicle (check) News (check again) Thread.

[HeliDriver]

I can't help but chuckle at the notion that Teslas should not be discussed on an EV subforum. Q

Clearly the objection here rests upon the negative nature of the news. If Tesla had just announced an optional new solar powered cappuccino machine the EV cheerleaders would be all over it.

I cringe at the fact you don't seem to grasp that there can be all sorts of things about Teslas that don't belong in an ev subforum.

Fortunately your comment about a cappuccino machine and "EV cheerleaders" adequately exposes where you're coming from.  If you only come to the EV subforum to make such comments, perhaps you'd be happier if you browsed and commented elsewhere.  Do EV fans infest topics about performance cars and post abuse of fans of those cars?  You might consider why they don't.

I came to an EV forum to read about a super - advanced fault - free cutting - edge mega - amazing EV that is vastly superior to anything else on the road auto - piloting itself to its own destruction and that of its human cargo. Because, like, that happened, y'know? Cringe - worthy, indeed.

Took me three tries to make sense of that.

Tesla: the super, advanced-fault, free-cutting, edge-mega, amazing EV!

Has a nice ring to it, actually.

[tenpenny]

What I find most interesting about that incident is that the official explanation from Tesla says that trucks crossing your path is an "extremely rare" [their words] occurrence.  I find it fairly common.  That's why I look ahead.

I know, I'm not supposed to comment on anything other than Tesla's awesomeness in this thread, but I did it anyway.

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[Jaeger]

What I find most interesting about that incident is that the official explanation from Tesla says that trucks crossing your path is an "extremely rare" [their words] occurrence.  I find it fairly common.  That's why I look ahead.

I know, I'm not supposed to comment on anything other than Tesla's awesomeness in this thread, but I did it anyway.

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Wow, did they really say that?  A Zeppelin crossing your path is extremely rare.  A truck??     

[tpl]

I would bet that ALL the makers or autonomous and semi-autonomous cars have their engineers at work this last weekend and today testing this case.

I suspect it may be not so simple to solve in the general case.   The general care imho would include trucks approaching low bridges with no signs as well as cars 'seeing' clear road when there is a difficult to see(low contrast with the sky)  obstruction appearing to 'float' above the road.

[rrocket]

I would bet that ALL the makers or autonomous and semi-autonomous cars have their engineers at work this last weekend and today testing this case.

I suspect it may be not so simple to solve in the general case.   The general care imho would include trucks approaching low bridges with no signs as well as cars 'seeing' clear road when there is a difficult to see(low contrast with the sky)  obstruction appearing to 'float' above the road.

I hate to say it...but this type of technology needs to be vetted thoroughly by the gov't/NHTSA BEFORE being put into use on highways.  It's that way with everything else that falls into the "safety" category.

[tpl]

^^^ No argument from me.    As with a lot of software projects , which is what this is, all those edge cases have to be tested, retested and have a 'stamp of approval' from the customer.  In this case the government should do an acceptance test...which might take years.

[rrocket]

^^^ No argument from me.    As with a lot of software projects , which is what this is, all those edge cases have to be tested, retested and have a 'stamp of approval' from the customer.  In this case the government should do an acceptance test...which might take years.

You should see all the f-ing around to just get LED running lights approved.  I once worked on a stop sign.  A plain old reflective stop sign.  We had to literally do hundreds of revisions because the gov't/NHTSA were involved as it was a safety device. 

[EV Dan]

I would bet that ALL the makers or autonomous and semi-autonomous cars have their engineers at work this last weekend and today testing this case.

I suspect it may be not so simple to solve in the general case.   The general care imho would include trucks approaching low bridges with no signs as well as cars 'seeing' clear road when there is a difficult to see(low contrast with the sky)  obstruction appearing to 'float' above the road.

I hate to say it...but this type of technology needs to be vetted thoroughly by the gov't/NHTSA BEFORE being put into use on highways.  It's that way with everything else that falls into the "safety" category.

Agree. What Tesla did with the autopilot is similar to having a microwave oven where you have to press an "Agree" button, disclaiming that you cannot leave it unattended since it may not automatically turns itself off and set the house on fire. As much praise as Tesla rightfully deserves for their innovations, using their customers as free beta-testers/ crash dummies borders on douchebaggery IMHO.