I'm against SDVs now, but I also disagree they are a dead end. The problem here is that it's just plain stupid to try to go from zero autonomy to full autonomy in one rapid sweep. Not only is the tech not ready, the public isn't ready. This is a huge change, and we humans aren't well suited to huge changes all at once.
Stop the marketing-driven "we were here first" wars and focus on genuinely beneficial driver enhancements. Do what Tesla is doing by extending the perceptions of the driver, even stepping in to a limited degree when the driver is not quick enough. Take that farther than what Tesla has done by adding IR vision, head-up display and other enhancements. Enhanced driver aids will evolve into full autonomy on their own timetable and be better for it. Far more importantly, the public's understanding of what this stuff does and does not do will evolve too. Trying to jump the gun, or even worse, calling what we have now "autopilot" is beyond idiotic. I have a great deal of respect for Elon Musk, but that is the stupidest thing I've seen him do. Chris On Jul 27, 2016 6:25 PM, "EVDL Administrator via EV" <[email protected]> wrote: > This discussion is technically off-topic for the EVDL, but it seems to > strike a chord every time it comes up. At least this time it's in > connection with an EV, the Chevrolet Bolt (or is it now BoltEV?). > > At least here in the US, people barely tolerate human error. That's why we > have so many lawsuits. They don't accept machine error any better -- > maybe > less well. They blame the manufacturer or software author for foul-ups, > and > who can blame them? > > In day to day conversations I already find that this is what the average > person now knows and says about Tesla: that their autopilot killed a > driver. That's a pretty dubious distinction for Tesla to have, no? > > Now imagine how parents -- and the media -- will react the first time a SDV > accident kills a kid or two. > > Proably well-designed SDVs will have a better accident record than normal > vehicles. That won't make any difference to Americans, though. It's my > observation that Americans are, by and large, not especially rational. > They're ruled by their emotions. Advertising and politics prove that every > day. > > That regrettable orientation continues to spread round the world. So not > only American consumers, but probably those in most other nations, will > reject SDVs unless they're 100% perfect, completely accident-free, or at > least fatality-free. > > Economically, SDVs will never be viable in the US unless the automakers > manage to convince either congress or state legislatures to give them > blanket immunity from liability. Otherwise the cost of defending > themselves > against the inevitable lawsuits from the families of their victims will > make > it impossible for them to make a profit on SDVs. > > Even if they do get such legislation passed, the bad PR from accidents > (which you KNOW will be MUCH more widely reported than conventional vehicle > accidents) will choke off sales. > > IMO, SDVs are a dead end. Better we should take all the money going into > SDV research and apply it to expanding light rail service. Now THAT'S a > safe and proven "self-driving vehicle" experience. > > David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA > EVDL Administrator > > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > EVDL Information: http://www.evdl.org/help/ > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > Note: mail sent to "evpost" and "etpost" addresses will not > reach me. To send a private message, please obtain my > email address from the webpage http://www.evdl.org/help/ . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > > > _______________________________________________ > UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub > http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org > Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ > Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA ( > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.evdl.org/private.cgi/ev-evdl.org/attachments/20160729/4ef7d356/attachment.htm> _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
