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The real issue with Tesla is that they marketed it as a self-driving feature when really they had developed cruise control plus. Lots of manufacturers have had

The real issue with Tesla is that they marketed it as a self-driving feature when really they had developed cruise control plus. Lots of manufacturers have had cruise control and lane following with automatic braking for some time, but they didn't hype it the same way Tesla did. I don't think Tesla built a bad system, they just made it out to be more than it was, and given the circumstances I agree it was arguably reckless (it's hard to say how much they directly marketed it and how much was just hype from the public in general, as they obviously can't control users uploading videos of hands free driving on YouTube). I do think the way they've handled the crashes lately though has been pretty poor - especially spinning bad statistics to justify what happened rather than admitting fault.

ModernMech 10y ago
> The real issue with Tesla is that they marketed it as a self-driving feature when really they had developed cruise control plus. Yes, I think that this is part of the real issue, but there is also a real engineering issue. Other vehicles with cruise-control-plus require hands on wheel at all time. Tesla seems to alert you when your hands are off, but the autopilot will continue on merrily. The Tesla that drove under the semi had its roof torn off, the driver decapitated, and it continued driving only until it was stopped by a pole. Also the crash happened in the first place because the AP was essentially blind (it couldn't even see the semi). You and I both know there are ways to tell when you're blind (usually involving orthogonal sensors suites, something the Tesla lacks).
- studentrob 10y ago
  Yes. Your very logical argument ought to be shared more. Most people are unaware of Tesla's second-rate sensor system. They think it is grade-A because it is called autopilot. That may not constitute false advertising. It is, at least, highly suspect.

ModernMech 10y ago

> The real issue with Tesla is that they marketed it as a self-driving feature when really they had developed cruise control plus. Yes, I think that this is part of the real issue, but there is also a real engineering issue. Other vehicles with cruise-control-plus require hands on wheel at all time. Tesla seems to alert you when your hands are off, but the autopilot will continue on merrily. The Tesla that drove under the semi had its roof torn off, the driver decapitated, and it continued driving only until it was stopped by a pole. Also the crash happened in the first place because the AP was essentially blind (it couldn't even see the semi). You and I both know there are ways to tell when you're blind (usually involving orthogonal sensors suites, something the Tesla lacks).

studentrob 10y ago
Yes. Your very logical argument ought to be shared more. Most people are unaware of Tesla's second-rate sensor system. They think it is grade-A because it is called autopilot. That may not constitute false advertising. It is, at least, highly suspect.