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Serious question: what software is truly needed on an electric car that's not in a "normal" car beyond the charge controller and the linkage between the acceler

by mikece 3y ago

Serious question: what software is truly needed on an electric car that's not in a "normal" car beyond the charge controller and the linkage between the accelerator and the inputs to the motors? Sometimes I wonder if Tesla has done a disservice to electric cars by making them so computerized and throwing in features nobody really asked for, like like self-driving and drive-by-wire controls.

bri3d 3y ago
The base cost of an electric car is very high, so customers (at least, according to manufacturers), demand features aligned with the price. A $25-$30,000 ICE work truck or $20,000 basic economy car looks good compared to the feature laden $40,000 upgrade model. A $40,000 electric car with zero features, on the other hand, looks bad compared to the $40,000 fully loaded gas car. This theory has mostly panned out I think - the Leaf was probably the most barebones electric car you could get and wasn’t a very strong seller.
ajross 3y ago
> Sometimes I wonder if Tesla has done a disservice to electric cars by making them so computerized and throwing in features nobody really asked for, like like self-driving and drive-by-wire controls. Teslas aren't drive-by-wire. The steering column and brakes are 100% conventional controls. Only the accelerator pedal is electronic, but that's true of basically all hybrids too. As far as "too many features"... That's the kind of argument that only works in the abstract. Name any one weird feature that "no one" uses and you'll discover that a bunch of people love it. Tesla's features work. I mean, sure, there are bugs here and there, but it's in general an extremely smooth software experience. It's not Tesla's fault that GM and VW can't ship bug-free equivalents.
- recursive 3y ago
  Cybertruck is drive by wire.
- bluGill 3y ago
  My 1999 truck has accelerator by wire. (diesel never had a throttle, and the injectors have long been computer controlled)
mrkeen 3y ago
The normal cars also have too much code in them. > The typical new-model vehicle comes with 100 million lines of code, says Newcomb [2012] https://www.technologyreview.com/2012/12/03/181350/many-cars-have-a-hundred-million-lines-of-code/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2012/12/03/181350/many-cars...
mikem69 3y ago
Seriously? First of all, Teslas aren’t drive by wire, other than the accelerator, which is the case for almost every car built in the past 20 years. Secondly…okay, you have an EV. Where do you charge it? What will your range be when you arrive at a destination? Do you have enough charge to make it back, or should you stop by a charging station? Is it cold; does the battery need preheating? I don’t know what your issue is with Tesla, but nobody outside of a few “purists” would want to drive an EV without the trip planning features. As for Autopilot…just don’t use it. Nobody is forcing you to use cruise control.

by mikece 3y ago

bri3d 3y ago

The base cost of an electric car is very high, so customers (at least, according to manufacturers), demand features aligned with the price. A $25-$30,000 ICE work truck or $20,000 basic economy car looks good compared to the feature laden $40,000 upgrade model. A $40,000 electric car with zero features, on the other hand, looks bad compared to the $40,000 fully loaded gas car. This theory has mostly panned out I think - the Leaf was probably the most barebones electric car you could get and wasn’t a very strong seller.

ajross 3y ago

> Sometimes I wonder if Tesla has done a disservice to electric cars by making them so computerized and throwing in features nobody really asked for, like like self-driving and drive-by-wire controls. Teslas aren't drive-by-wire. The steering column and brakes are 100% conventional controls. Only the accelerator pedal is electronic, but that's true of basically all hybrids too. As far as "too many features"... That's the kind of argument that only works in the abstract. Name any one weird feature that "no one" uses and you'll discover that a bunch of people love it. Tesla's features work. I mean, sure, there are bugs here and there, but it's in general an extremely smooth software experience. It's not Tesla's fault that GM and VW can't ship bug-free equivalents.

recursive 3y ago
Cybertruck is drive by wire.
bluGill 3y ago
My 1999 truck has accelerator by wire. (diesel never had a throttle, and the injectors have long been computer controlled)

mrkeen 3y ago

The normal cars also have too much code in them. > The typical new-model vehicle comes with 100 million lines of code, says Newcomb [2012] https://www.technologyreview.com/2012/12/03/181350/many-cars-have-a-hundred-million-lines-of-code/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2012/12/03/181350/many-cars...

mikem69 3y ago

Seriously? First of all, Teslas aren’t drive by wire, other than the accelerator, which is the case for almost every car built in the past 20 years. Secondly…okay, you have an EV. Where do you charge it? What will your range be when you arrive at a destination? Do you have enough charge to make it back, or should you stop by a charging station? Is it cold; does the battery need preheating? I don’t know what your issue is with Tesla, but nobody outside of a few “purists” would want to drive an EV without the trip planning features. As for Autopilot…just don’t use it. Nobody is forcing you to use cruise control.