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> If Tesla had called this something like "lane-assist adaptive cruise control" I think your average Joe would have had much more realistic expectations around

by maratd 9y ago

> If Tesla had called this something like "lane-assist adaptive cruise control" I think your average Joe would have had much more realistic expectations around how the technology actually functions. Which would be foolish on their part, since it would equate their system with that found on other cars. The systems found on other cars are garbage to the point of being unusable. The system that Tesla has is in a different class.

rtpg 9y ago
Is this true? I thought other luxury car brands are now shipping with self driving of similar capabilities to Tesla at this point. Or maybe it's just the sensors being the same...
- TAForObvReasons 9y ago
  Luxury car brands ship with a limited feature set that reflects an appropriate conservatism. For example, they can detect cars in your blind spot and warn you, and they can put the brakes if someone short stops ahead of you. They have many of the required sensors but are waiting for the tech to mature
  - davidgay 9y ago
    Non-luxury cars (Subaru) are shipping with more than that (lane following, adaptive cruise control).
  - eclipxe 9y ago
    This is not true. BMW 5 and 7 series have adaptive cruise control and lane centering. I had a Tesla and now have a 5 series and the 5 series Lane centering is on par with Tesla’s autopilot. The only thing it lacks in the US is auto lane change (but it works in other countries).
- Amezarak 9y ago
  Not just luxury cars, even economy cars are shipping with adaptive cruise control, automatic lane-keeping, and automatic collision avoidance, and (at least the ones I've tried) work fantastically. On the highway you really don't have to do anything.
Domenic_S 9y ago
Mercedes' system is quite good, to the point that I got tired of waiting for my Model 3 reservation to come up and got a Mercedes plug-in hybrid instead. It's really close to Tesla's AP.
- eclipxe 9y ago
  Yep. Drive pilot on Mercedes and The driver assistant plus packages on BMWs are just about as good as AP1 on Teslas
Fins 9y ago
If by "unusable" you mean that they actually work, and do not actively try to kill you, then yes, that's what they have. Tesla's system is exactly the same thing, except that it is marketed as some fancy "autopilot" with "self-driving hardware" or whatever BS Musk is pushing to fanboys blinded by the whole "look, ma, no emissions" thing. But of course Tesla can't call it that, and not something fancy like "autopilot" because otherwise what could they market? A glorified golf cart (granted, a pretty fast golf cart) that combines a luxury car price with a Yugo quality? That's not a winning combo.
- maratd 9y ago
  Well, it's either a "glorified golf cart" or you're a short seller with a financial incentive to spread the nonsense in your post. I'm going to bet on the latter =)
  - Fins 9y ago
    Certainly your right. Alas, no financial involvement with Tesla either way. Also, it is a very expensive golf cart, although less comfortable than some.
mdekkers 9y ago
The system that Tesla has is in a different class Indeed! The Tesla system appears to have a much higher probability of killing you! I don't see headlines about "$carbrand cruise control out of control, kills driver"
- maratd 9y ago
  You don't see those headlines because short sellers aren't obsessed with those brands like they are with Tesla. Not because those brands are actually safer or don't have accidents. "Tesla is, by a wide margin, the No. 1 short stock in terms of money at risk and exposure within the global auto industry" https://www.marketwatch.com/story/teslas-roaring-start-to-2018-is-costing-short-sellers-1-billion-2018-01-18 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/teslas-roaring-start-to-20...
  - Fins 9y ago
    But what does it have to do with there being quite a few (better selling, cheaper) models with 0 fatalities? Hell, cruise control in a Hyundai actually alarms and brakes if you try to drive into a stationary object. But they don't have Saint Elon at the helm...
    - maratd 9y ago
      > But what does it have to do with there being quite a few (better selling, cheaper) models with 0 fatalities? Pretty sure there are no car models out there with 0 fatalities that have been released for more than a year. How much are you getting paid to spread this FUD? I genuinely want to know. If the gig is sweet enough, I might want to get in on the racket =)
      - Fins 9y ago
        Alas, there were statistics posted here on HN in one of the Tesla accident threads [0]. And these were even for cars older than Tesla, cheaper than Tesla, and selling possibly order of magnitude more vehicles (quite possible for Hondas and Toyotas on the list) than Tesla. Wouldn't it be sad if you had invested your life's savings in TSLA upon hearing Saint Musk preaching his BS, and now need to defend that investment against all facts? (yeah, there is some sarcasm above, but your accusations of FUD and being paid for it strongly smell of spiked Kool-Aid) [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16723782 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16723782

by maratd 9y ago

rtpg 9y ago

Is this true? I thought other luxury car brands are now shipping with self driving of similar capabilities to Tesla at this point. Or maybe it's just the sensors being the same...

TAForObvReasons 9y ago
Luxury car brands ship with a limited feature set that reflects an appropriate conservatism. For example, they can detect cars in your blind spot and warn you, and they can put the brakes if someone short stops ahead of you. They have many of the required sensors but are waiting for the tech to mature
- davidgay 9y ago
  Non-luxury cars (Subaru) are shipping with more than that (lane following, adaptive cruise control).
- eclipxe 9y ago
  This is not true. BMW 5 and 7 series have adaptive cruise control and lane centering. I had a Tesla and now have a 5 series and the 5 series Lane centering is on par with Tesla’s autopilot. The only thing it lacks in the US is auto lane change (but it works in other countries).
Amezarak 9y ago
Not just luxury cars, even economy cars are shipping with adaptive cruise control, automatic lane-keeping, and automatic collision avoidance, and (at least the ones I've tried) work fantastically. On the highway you really don't have to do anything.

Domenic_S 9y ago

Mercedes' system is quite good, to the point that I got tired of waiting for my Model 3 reservation to come up and got a Mercedes plug-in hybrid instead. It's really close to Tesla's AP.

eclipxe 9y ago
Yep. Drive pilot on Mercedes and The driver assistant plus packages on BMWs are just about as good as AP1 on Teslas

Fins 9y ago

If by "unusable" you mean that they actually work, and do not actively try to kill you, then yes, that's what they have. Tesla's system is exactly the same thing, except that it is marketed as some fancy "autopilot" with "self-driving hardware" or whatever BS Musk is pushing to fanboys blinded by the whole "look, ma, no emissions" thing. But of course Tesla can't call it that, and not something fancy like "autopilot" because otherwise what could they market? A glorified golf cart (granted, a pretty fast golf cart) that combines a luxury car price with a Yugo quality? That's not a winning combo.

maratd 9y ago
Well, it's either a "glorified golf cart" or you're a short seller with a financial incentive to spread the nonsense in your post. I'm going to bet on the latter =)
- Fins 9y ago
  Certainly your right. Alas, no financial involvement with Tesla either way. Also, it is a very expensive golf cart, although less comfortable than some.

mdekkers 9y ago

The system that Tesla has is in a different class Indeed! The Tesla system appears to have a much higher probability of killing you! I don't see headlines about "$carbrand cruise control out of control, kills driver"

maratd 9y ago
You don't see those headlines because short sellers aren't obsessed with those brands like they are with Tesla. Not because those brands are actually safer or don't have accidents. "Tesla is, by a wide margin, the No. 1 short stock in terms of money at risk and exposure within the global auto industry" https://www.marketwatch.com/story/teslas-roaring-start-to-2018-is-costing-short-sellers-1-billion-2018-01-18 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/teslas-roaring-start-to-20...
- Fins 9y ago
  But what does it have to do with there being quite a few (better selling, cheaper) models with 0 fatalities? Hell, cruise control in a Hyundai actually alarms and brakes if you try to drive into a stationary object. But they don't have Saint Elon at the helm...
  - maratd 9y ago
    > But what does it have to do with there being quite a few (better selling, cheaper) models with 0 fatalities? Pretty sure there are no car models out there with 0 fatalities that have been released for more than a year. How much are you getting paid to spread this FUD? I genuinely want to know. If the gig is sweet enough, I might want to get in on the racket =)
    - Fins 9y ago
      Alas, there were statistics posted here on HN in one of the Tesla accident threads [0]. And these were even for cars older than Tesla, cheaper than Tesla, and selling possibly order of magnitude more vehicles (quite possible for Hondas and Toyotas on the list) than Tesla. Wouldn't it be sad if you had invested your life's savings in TSLA upon hearing Saint Musk preaching his BS, and now need to defend that investment against all facts? (yeah, there is some sarcasm above, but your accusations of FUD and being paid for it strongly smell of spiked Kool-Aid) [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16723782 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16723782