Tesla implies that its electric cars can drive themselves but they may not. know more

Tesla implies that its electric cars can drive themselves but they may not. know more

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is asking the company to “re-review its communications” to make sure messages are consistent with user instructions.

The request came in an email sent to the company in May from Gregory Magno, a division chief in the agency's Office of Wrongs Investigation. It was attached to a letter requesting information regarding an investigation into accidents involving Tesla's “Full Self-Driving” system in low visibility conditions. The letter was posted on the agency's website on Friday.

The agency launched the investigation in October after receiving reports of four accidents involving “full self-driving” when Teslas encountered sun glare, fog and wind-blown dust. An Arizona pedestrian was killed in a crash.

Critics, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, have long accused Tesla of using misleading names for its partially automated driving systems, including “full self-driving” and “autopilot,” both of which are considered completely ineffective by owners. It is considered autonomous in a way.

The letters and emails raise further questions about whether full self-driving will be ready for use on public roads without human drivers, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk has predicted. Much of the valuation of Tesla's stock depends on the company deploying a fleet of autonomous robotaxis.

Musk, who has previously promised autonomous vehicles, said the company plans to have autonomous Models Y and 3 running without human drivers next year. He said robotaxis without steering wheels will be available in California and Texas in 2026.

A message was sent Friday seeking comment from Tesla.

In the email, Magno writes that Tesla informed the agency in April about offering a free trial of “Full Self-Driving” and emphasized that an owner's manual, user interface and a YouTube video Tells humans that they have to be cautious. Complete control over their vehicles.

But Magno cited seven posts or reposts from Tesla's account on Musk-owned social media platform X, in which Magno indicated that full self-driving is capable of driving itself.

“Tesla's

The posting may encourage drivers to look at full self-driving, which now has the word “supervised” next to it in Tesla materials, so that the system is seen as a “driver or robotaxi” rather than a partial automation/driver assistance system, Which requires constant attention. and intermittent intervention by the driver,” Magno wrote.

For example, on April 11, Tesla reposted a story about a man who drove 13 miles (13 miles) from his home to an emergency room during a heart attack shortly after the free trial began on April 1. Used full self-driving to travel 21 kilometers). The full self-driving version helped get the owner to the hospital “when he needed immediate medical attention,” the post said.

Additionally, Tesla says on its website that the use of full self-driving and Autopilot without human supervision depends on “achieving reliability” and regulatory approval, Magno wrote. But the statement is accompanied by a video of a man driving on local roads with his hands on his knees, along with the statement, “The person in the driver's seat is there only for legal reasons, he is not driving the car himself.”

In the letter seeking information about driving in low visibility conditions, Magno wrote that the investigation would focus on the system's ability to perform in low visibility conditions caused by “relatively common traffic incidents.”

Drivers cannot be told by the car that they should decide where full self-driving can safely operate or fully understand the system's capabilities, he wrote.

“This investigation will consider the adequacy of the feedback or information provided to drivers by the system to enable them to make real-time decisions when exceeding the system's capacity,” Magno wrote.

The letter asks Tesla to describe all visual or audio warnings that drivers receive and that the system is “unable to detect and respond to any low visibility conditions.”

The agency has given Tesla until December 18 to respond to the letter, but the company may ask for an extension.

That means the investigation is unlikely to be over by the time President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, and Trump has said he will put Musk in charge of a government efficiency commission to audit agencies and root out fraud. Musk spent at least $119 million on Trump's campaign to get elected, and Trump has spoken out against government regulations.

Auto safety advocates fear that if Musk gains some control over NHTSA, full self-driving and other investigations into Tesla could be derailed.

Musk also floated the idea of ​​helping develop national safety standards for self-driving vehicles.

“Of course the fox wants to build a henhouse,” said Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit watchdog group.

He said he could not think of anyone who would agree that a business mogul should have direct involvement in the regulations that affect the mogul's companies.

“This is actually a big problem for democracy,” Brooks said.

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First publication date: 10 November 2024, 10:38 am IST

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This Canadian province bans all cars equipped with Level 3 ADAS. Here’s why

This Canadian province bans all cars equipped with Level 3 ADAS. Here’s why

  • British Columbia has banned all cars with Level 3 ADAS in the province, directly impacting the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Mercedes-Benz EQS.
British Columbia has banned all cars with Level 3 ADAS in the province, directly impacting the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Mercedes-Benz EQS.

At a time when the global automobile industry is thriving towards adopting ADAS in an increasingly wide range of cars, the Canadian province of British Columbia has banned all cars with Level 3 ADAS. The province has recently updated its Motor Vehicle Act, prohibiting the use of vehicles with the Level 3 systems, which comes as a major clampdown on using such systems. The updated law makes it illegal to merely drive any Level 3 driving assist-equipped vehicle, even if the technology is not used.

The British Columbia government introduced the new rule on 18th March and enforced it into effect on 15th April. With this rule, driving a car in the province that comes equipped with Level 3 or above becomes illegal. However, currently, there are only two cars that come with Level 3 ADAS, which include the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Mercedes-BVenz EQS. This technology allows the drivers to go hands-off and eyes-off at a speed of less than 64 kmph.

This means if a person owns the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class or the Mercedes-Benz EQS, he or she will have to think twice before visiting the province. If caught, the person will be fined with a hefty amount ranging between CAD 368 and CAD 2,000 or even six months in jail as well.

Interestingly, while the British Columbia government has banned the cars equipped with Level 3 ADAS, future use of the technology is not ruled out. In a statement, the government has stated that new and emerging transportation technology needs further testing and policy adjustments before widespread use. The government also said that these new regulations will keep people safer on the roads and encourage even more use of active transportation, which is another step in modernizing the rules to keep up with new technologies that are changing how people are getting around.

First Published Date: 16 Apr 2024, 07:14 AM IST


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Radar to Lidar: How self-driving cars see roads

Radar to Lidar: How self-driving cars see roads

Autonomous driving vehicles use a set of technologies including radar, lidar sensors, and high-definition cameras to ensure a driving behaviour that i

Autonomous driving vehicles use a set of technologies including radar, lidar sensors, and high-definition cameras to ensure a driving behaviour that is safe and doesn’t require human interference. (via REUTERS)

Self-driving cars have been making headlines over the last one decade. Traditional car manufacturers have been working on this technology with a huge chunk of investment. Besides that, the technology startups and leading technology companies have also been working on the same system. One word that reflects the multi-dimensional disruptions that have been evolving the auto industry worldwide is CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electric).

CASE refers to technologies like connected vehicles, autonomous driving technology, shared mobility and electric mobility. One of the major disruptions that is creating evolution in the global auto industry is self-driving or autonomous driving technology, which enables the vehicle to run without or with variable levels of human interference but doesn’t command complete manual intervention.

Also Read : Tech giants and their automobile dream: Status report

The self-driving vehicles or autonomous vehicles use a variety of sensors, actuators, radars, high-definition cameras, and powerful processors, which work in unison and come laced with an intelligent machine-learning system. These technologies create a map of the vehicle’s static and changing surroundings, enabling the car to navigate between intended destinations without or with variable levels of human interference.

Here is a list of technologies used by self-driving cars.

Radar

One of the most common devices used by autonomous driving vehicles is radar. The self-driving vehicles come equipped with radars located at various positions across the exterior, which help the vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the perceived distance and visuals to ensure safer driving behaviour.

Lidar sensors

Light detecting and ranging sensors, popularly known as Lidar sensors are frequently used in autonomous and semi-autonomous driving vehicles. The Lidar sensors are used to measure distance, detect road edges and identify lane markings. This eventually helps in creating safe and reliable driving behaviour.

High definition cameras

Many self-driving vehicles come equipped with high-powered cameras that capture the image of the surroundings of the vehicle and send those to the onboard computer. Paired with the radar and Lidar sensors, these cameras help the computer and the powerful processors to create a map of the surroundings of the vehicle. This map contains the data related to the roads, various objects, and distances between different objects, helping the vehicle to determine the safest and best route. These cameras also help the vehicle’s computer to detect and recognize the traffic signs.

First Published Date: 26 Mar 2024, 17:29 PM IST


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BMW 7 Series to get Level 3 autonomous driving technology

BMW 7 Series to get Level 3 autonomous driving technology

BMW 7 Series sedan is all set to receive the Level 3 autonomous driving technology. The German luxury has revealed that the 7 Series flagship sedan will receive the BMW Personal Pilot L3 system from next year, which is essentially a hands-free driver assistance technology. The L3 autonomous driving technology is capable of controlling the car at speeds up to 60 kmph. Also, the addition of this new technology increases the price of the car significantly.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 12 Nov 2023, 09:55 AM

The BMW Personal Pilot L3 works with the help of a host of sensors and cameras and the hardware makes the 7 Series’ kidney-shaped grille more cluttered.

BMW has revealed that the 7 Series and i7 models will receive this advanced autonomous driving technology in Germany initially. However, it is not sure when the India-spec model will receive this feature.BMW will offer this hands-free driving technology as an option to the customers of the 7 Series and i7. This technology works with the help of multiple sensors and cameras that are fitted to the front of the car. BMW claims that the technology can work in broad daylight as well as in the dark.

Watch: BMW i7 electric sedan: Luxury on wheels

The current generation BMW 7 Series is already a more opulent and tech-friendly sedan than before. The addition of the Personal Pilot L3 will further enhance the capabilities of the car. The i7 comes as the all-electric alternative to the 7 Series and takes on the Mercedes-Benz EQS. BMW India launched both the 7 Series and the i7 in the country earlier this year in January.

While the BMW Personal Pilot L3 would essentially make driving easier for the 7 Series and i7 drivers, the technology doesn’t help the luxury cars’ design. To get this technology, both the BMW 7 Series and i7 get ultrasound sensors, radar and 3D lidar. Some of the hardware required for this technology is fitted into the upper part of the massive kidney grilles. There are now inset trapezoidal areas with rectangular sensors positioned on each side of the grille, which add some extra clutter to the grille. The addition of these sensors makes it look like small kidney-shaped parts are on top of larger kidney grilles.

First Published Date: 12 Nov 2023, 09:55 AM IST


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