Elon Musk says next year's Tesla cars will be able to self-drive 90 percent of the time.

[shermantanker]

 

 

In an excerpt from a CNNMoney interview, Tesla boss Elon Musk says that the self-driving car — or "autopilot," the term he prefers — is basically just months away from retail. Here's the language:

 

Autonomous cars will definitely be a reality. A Tesla car next year will probably be 90 percent capable of autopilot. Like, so 90 percent of your miles can be on auto. For sure highway travel.

How's that going to happen?

With a combination of various sensors. You combine cameras with image recognition with radar and long-range ultrasonics, that'll do it. Other car companies will follow.

But you guys are going to be the leader?

Of course. I mean, Tesla's a Silicon Valley company. If we're not the leader, shame on us.

Many automakers and suppliers have congealed around 2020 as reasonable guidance for when publicly available cars are capable of running in a substantially autonomous mode, though key features of self-driving cars are coming sooner — GM has promised a hands-free mode for some 2017 models, and Audi has been making the PR tour this year for its "piloted driving" features. Hands-free highway driving is easier to process than rat's nests of traffic- and obstacle-filled surface streets, which helps explain his "90 percent" target.

Possibly related, Musk has a set of Tesla announcements lined up for October 9th, where he has promised "the D and something else." It's not known what either of those reference, but the company is expected to release an all-wheel-drive version of the Model S and the production version of the Model X in the near future.

 

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/2/6894875/elon-musk-says-next-years-tesla-cars-will-be-able-to-self-drive-90-percent-of-the-time

[Unhelpful]

 

Neat

[Jobbe03]

God, Tesla is such an amazing company

[megadarkwood]

The new Tesla gets revealed on the 9th, that's what I'm waiting for.

[cDNA]

It's tesla so it was to be expected. well done Mr Musk!

[shermantanker]

The new Tesla gets revealed on the 9th, that's what I'm waiting for.

If only I wasn't a broke architecture student...if only.

[Real_PhillBert]

I'd be interested to hear what the NHTSA has to say on the subject.

[geogga]

"But you guys are going to be the leader?

'Of course. I mean, Tesla's a Silicon Valley company. If we're not the leader, shame on us.'"

Can't wait to get those cheaper teslas when I can drive. To get some extra cash ill charge people gas money LOL

[bcredeur97]

they should of put that tech in the current cars and enabled it next year with a software update. would of surprised everyone

 

"dont forget to update your car" XDDD

 

someone shows up at the mechanic "ummm i think i bricked my car can u fix?"

[HannahLewis]

I am not sure what to think about self-driving cars. I mean the driver (person with the wheel) will always be responsible by law. I don't think I would buy in early on this tech. It's great and such but there is a lot that can go wrong and I think that governments will have to rewrite their traffic laws if these cars get into massproduction. Moral of what I am trying to say: I am curious but is don't no if I like it or not haha   

[Heisenbleurgh]

I'm so excited for this company and what they're doing for cars.

[Builder]

Some day when every car is driverless we will have totally eliminated car accidents.

[Real_PhillBert]

Some day when every car is driverless we will have totally eliminated car accidents.

Safer, and you can get rid of speed limits, stop lights, and stop signs. Simply weave the cars between each other at speed. There would be a significant gain in fuel efficiency if we only have to accelerate the car once on a trip.

[Builder]

There would be a significant gain in fuel efficiency if we only have to accelerate the car once on a trip.

Fuel efficiency? Is this not further evidence that the future is electric?

[EChondo]

I would love an autopilot car, but I have a major gripe about it.

 

There needs to be a manual mode. Sometimes I LOVE to drive. Being in control of the car, feeling the engine, etc. Also, what happens if the navigation system fails and the car is literally blind? I can't drive my $35k Tesla(expected)? I want a backup mode and that's the main reason that turns me off on Google's model.

 

Please have a manual mode as well. Please.

[Real_PhillBert]

Fuel efficiency? Is this not further evidence that the future is electric?

Ahh you caught me. A minor slip of the finger I guess. But I suppose in this case the fuel source is electrical energy. Either way there is a gain to be made in the efficiency with only accelerating a vehicle once.

[bob345]

I would love an autopilot car, but I have a major gripe about it.

 

There needs to be a manual mode. Sometimes I LOVE to drive. Being in control of the car, feeling the engine, etc. Also, what happens if the navigation system fails and the car is literally blind? I can't drive my $35k Tesla(expected)? I want a backup mode and that's the main reason that turns me off on Google's model.

 

Please have a manual mode as well. Please.

^^This. No mater how good the software and hardware is, there is always the possibility for complications. Plus, driving is fun. All i would want a self driving car for is when i commute early in the morning and i am half asleep. I would prefer driving myself in any other circumstance though.

[scaryjam823]

Ah so iRobot is another day closer. Yayyyyy.

[Builder]

Ahh you caught me. A minor slip of the finger I guess. But I suppose in this case the fuel source is electrical energy. Either way there is a gain to be made in the efficiency with only accelerating a vehicle once.

Agreed. Having a computer control the efficiency is much more effective even with the minor gains you get from not feathering the pedal like some drivers do.

 

I think it's going to be awfully tough to do without something like a "smart cloud" (I know it's cliché but I can't think of a better word) bridging the gap between the computer systems in all of the cars.

[mvitkun]

I would love an autopilot car, but I have a major gripe about it.

There needs to be a manual mode. Sometimes I LOVE to drive. Being in control of the car, feeling the engine, etc. Also, what happens if the navigation system fails and the car is literally blind? I can't drive my $35k Tesla(expected)? I want a backup mode and that's the main reason that turns me off on Google's model.

Please have a manual mode as well. Please.

For me to like autopilot on a car the government would need to have an OFFLINE NETWORK, independent of internet connection, of every vehicles coordinates, destinations, planned routes (as well as any changes to the routes), in addition to an AI that manages all of that and how the cars interact with each other.

There also need to be no crosswalks level with the road, people are too unpredictable.

[IdeaStormer]

Funny how we can have a huge airplane have auto-pilot but a four seater car is out of the question :lol:

 

Its going to happen whether the masses want it or not, or it needs to happen to improve traffic in general. As it is all those manual drivers out there crash like gang busters so an auto-pilot will prevent the long haul trucker from falling asleep and ramming into you, a good thing in my book, same for people driving long distances. You want to drive in manual mode then go to a regular non-highway/freeway road and stay off the auto-pilot roads/lanes.

[IdeaStormer]

Agreed. Having a computer control the efficiency is much more effective even with the minor gains you get from not feathering the pedal like some drivers do.

 

I think it's going to be awfully tough to do without something like a "smart cloud" (I know it's cliché but I can't think of a better word) bridging the gap between the computer systems in all of the cars.

 

It will prevent that guy who thinks he's a speed daemon by driving 1 mph over the limit from sitting on the fast lane and ruin traffic for the rest driving 10 mph over the limit.

 

I've always envisioned having a lane where everyone driving for extended lengths to attach to each other in a train mode so save energy and just sit in the car as those long distance miles tick by. I still like to drive but if you've ever driven on those long straight roads its boring as can be in any car so might as well open up a book to read or go see what's going on in the LTT forums instead of just siting with your hands at 10 and 2 with your foot on the accelerator for the same amount of time.

[Real_PhillBert]

Agreed. Having a computer control the efficiency is much more effective even with the minor gains you get from not feathering the pedal like some drivers do.

 

I think it's going to be awfully tough to do without something like a "smart cloud" (I know it's cliché but I can't think of a better word) bridging the gap between the computer systems in all of the cars.

Absolutely. The system would be nearly impossible without some type of interconnect between each vehicle. Some type of communication or even centralized control is almost a must.

[ItsComrade]

Kreygasm

[SeriouslyMikey]

I don't know what it is about self driving cars, but they terrify me. I would rather have full control of the car, with any crash being my fault than have a computer do all the work for me. 

Then again, I prefer classic F1 to modern F1 because there were no computers in those cars.