Automotive – Page 48946 – I wish I had more to offer

Tesla will open a European design center in Germany, in addition to US & China

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that Tesla intends to open a product design center in Europe. The design center would likely be built at the same site as Tesla’s Gigafactory 4 project outside Berlin. Earlier this month, Musk also announced that Tesla wants to open a design center in China to design cars for the… Continue reading Tesla will open a European design center in Germany, in addition to US & China

Carsharing: We Share is expanding in Germany and Europe

We Share plans to rent electric cars in other cities in the future. In addition to Hamburg and Munich, the VW subsidiary plans to offer car sharing in five major cities across Europe. (car sharing. electric car) Go to source

The Times They Are a-Changin’ for Bharat Forge

For a couple of decades after India’s independence, the automobile industry was almost non-existent like most other industries. Almost everything including the ancillaries and infrastructure needed for the industry were either scarce or absent and therefore imported. It was during such times that Neelkanth Kalyani of Karad, near Sangli in Maharashtra, set up Bharat Forge… Continue reading The Times They Are a-Changin’ for Bharat Forge

Moving (on) mountains: Driving a Jeep Gladiator in New Zealand

That there are faux imprints of a dirt bike tyre moulded into the head of the load bay and that the Jeep factory’s zipcode (in Toledo, Ohio) is stamped just inside the tailgate might seem twee. But don’t be in doubt about how senior Jeep people use these vehicles. The tailgate opening hatch measures 1270mm… Continue reading Moving (on) mountains: Driving a Jeep Gladiator in New Zealand

The dark side of owning a car collection

Instead, it’s me, and around 13 box files of documents, one for each car. They contain V5s, MOTs (mostly expired), repair bills, handbook packs and assorted historical paraphernalia, and if you’re to have a hope of keeping on top, you need to know not only the mechanical status of each car, but also whether it… Continue reading The dark side of owning a car collection

Defining Progress in 2020

By Chris Urmson Earlier this month, I wrote about what we’re working to deliver at Aurora this year. These priorities — advancing our core technology, securing a path to profitability, integrating the Aurora Driver into trucks, and continuing to develop a safety case — will get us closer to reaching our ultimate goal: developing self-driving technology that can safely move… Continue reading Defining Progress in 2020

Donkervoort Seasonal Lease – Donkervoort introduces a new type of lease for ‘impatient’ owners

The orders for the recently announced Donkervoort D8 GTO-JD70 have once again surpassed those of its predecessor. It is for this reason that Donkervoort Automobielen came up with a fitting new concept, the Seasonal Lease. With a Seasonal Lease, newly minted owners can lease a Donkervoort D8 GTO as an ‘interim car’ and get down… Continue reading Donkervoort Seasonal Lease – Donkervoort introduces a new type of lease for ‘impatient’ owners

Tesla update leaks some upcoming changes for Model S, Model X

Sponsored Links Tesla Whether it’s Fortnite, the latest Google Maps app or a firmware update for your Tesla Model X, reverse-engineering software to find features that are included but not-yet-enabled is a common hobby for the impatient hackers among us. Today the first new update of 2020 started rolling to Teslas, and researcher Greentheonly dug… Continue reading Tesla update leaks some upcoming changes for Model S, Model X

A fifth of parents and grandparents don’t put children in child seats

More than a fifth of parents and grandparents who take children in their car don’t use child seats, new research has revealed. Of the 605 parents and grandparents surveyed by the RAC, 22 per cent admitted they didn’t put children in a car seat every time when transporting them, with 16 per cent saying they… Continue reading A fifth of parents and grandparents don’t put children in child seats

Poor Man’s Autopilot: Where Is The Outrage?

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Published on January 24th, 2020 |

by Johnna Crider

Poor Man’s Autopilot: Where Is The Outrage?

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January 24th, 2020 by Johnna Crider

In a video titled “Poor Man’s Autopilot,” the owner of an i3 with the ability to do self-parking and adaptive cruise control explains how to mimic Tesla’s Autopilot. To be honest, anyone who can afford an i3 isn’t really poor. The 2020 BMW i3 starts at $44,450 — you could have an actual Tesla for that price with real Autopilot.

The video shows you exactly how to rig an i3 up to drive on “autopilot,” and the user points out that, “If you’re not comfortable doing this, find a local BMW shop to do this for you.” This is one of quite a few of these types of videos.

So, how safe is this? First, I don’t think anyone has the advanced technology Tesla has when it comes to semi-autonomous driving abilities. Otherwise, there’d be a lot more enthusiasm about their products.

I mean, if we could make all these vehicles self-driving, that would be great, but I just wanted to ask a question: Where is Senator Markey’s outrage? Where’s the outrage from Tesla haters on Twitter who are always looking for something to be outraged about?

I mean, if they can do this safely, pay attention to their surroundings, and not get into accidents, I’m fine with it personally — but the bias against Tesla whenever a Tesla driver does something like this has to be addressed.

You can’t demand Tesla shut down Autopilot and then look the other away when owners of other car brands have “how-to” videos on hacking their cruise control and their cars turning into “autonomous vehicles.”

Senator Markey probably hasn’t seen this, but he should see it, and then should consider if his position against Tesla Autopilot isn’t biased.

In another “how-to” video, BingH0st, a verified YouTube channel with 150,000 subscribers, shows you how to “trick the active lane assist of an Audi A6” with a bottle of water and adaptive cruise control to get “a self-driving car.” Unlike Tesla’s Autopilot, this will not warn you when it needs you to take over. You’ll just crash if you’re not paying attention.

In a video titled “Self driving car/ life hack active lane assist,” a YouTuber uploads another “how-to” video to trick the active lane assist of a Volkswagen Tiguan with a bottle of water. And in this video, which has had almost 550,000 views, the YouTuber uses what looks like an energy drink to make their 2014 Mercedes S-Class into an “autonomous driving” vehicle. Where is the outrage?

While Senator Markey thinks that Tesla’s Autopilot should be disabled, he has been silent when it comes to these other guys doing the same thing with less advanced tech that wasn’t made for the same level autonomous driving.

Then we have Nissan marketing it’s ProPILOT Assist in a Star Wars–themed ad. Rey closes her eyes and drives through a construction zone.

The idea of a “poor man’s Autopilot” makes it seem like Tesla is the most expensive of these vehicles, yet all of these vehicles in these “how-to” videos are either equal to or higher in price than a Tesla, so the idea of poor man’s Autopilot is highly deceptive.

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About the Author

Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.”

Tesla is one of many good things to believe in. You can find Johnna on Twitter

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