Third of four animated films offering insight into the substance of new Ghost Reveals highly advanced Planar chassis system with world-first suspension technology New episode of Podcast series exploring new Ghost available now #rollsroyceghost The first Goodwood Ghost reflected a layer of clients who use their Rolls-Royce in a completely unique way. These men… Continue reading @BMW: ROLLS-ROYCE REVEALS SIGNIFICANT ENGINEERING ADVANCES DEVELOPED FOR NEW GHOST000473
Tag: Apple
Fiat Chrysler blasts GM’s attempt to revive racketeering lawsuit, calls it ‘despicable’
CLOSE Fiat Chrysler Automobiles pushed back Monday against General Motors’ attempt to revive its racketeering lawsuit, two days after FCA’s former lead labor negotiator, convicted in the UAW corruption scandal, compared GM’s tactics to those of disgraced Sen. Joe McCarthy’s anti-communist witch hunts. The legal drama pitting the two automakers against one another is now in its… Continue reading Fiat Chrysler blasts GM’s attempt to revive racketeering lawsuit, calls it ‘despicable’
@VW Group: CUPRA’s high-performance range together for the first time
Wide high-performance portfolio: CUPRA Formentor, CUPRA Leon, CUPRA Leon Sportstourer and CUPRA Ateca The CUPRA Formentor is the first model exclusively developed by the brand, striking the perfect balance between design and performance in a CUV body The CUPRA Leon, offered in both 5-door and Sportstourer version, is the sporty hatchback of the range, available… Continue reading @VW Group: CUPRA’s high-performance range together for the first time
Google’s $2.1b Fitbit deal hits roadblock as EU launches probe
Alphabet unit Google’s bid to take on Apple and Samsung in the wearable technology market by buying Fitbit hit a hurdle on Tuesday as EU antitrust regulators launched an investigation into the $2.1 billion deal. The move by the European Commission on Tuesday came despite Google’s pledge last month not to use the fitness tracker’s… Continue reading Google’s $2.1b Fitbit deal hits roadblock as EU launches probe
@Daimler: From the app to the digital ecosystem: the new generation of Mercedes me Apps launches
Stuttgart. Mercedes-Benz is presenting the new generation of Mercedes me Apps and its own, standardised developer platform. This sees the Mercedes me App, which links the vehicle with the smartphone and was unveiled in 2015, turning into a digital ecosystem. On this joint basis, new services can be developed flexibly and individually in future. The… Continue reading @Daimler: From the app to the digital ecosystem: the new generation of Mercedes me Apps launches
@BMW: ROLLS-ROYCE REVEALS WHAT THE FIRST GOODWOOD GHOST TAUGHT THE MARQUE000444
Second of four animated films offering insight into the substance of new Ghost goes live Examines what the first Goodwood Ghost taught Rolls-Royce about its clients New episode of Podcast series exploring more super-luxury intelligence available now #rollsroyceghost Before Rolls-Royce created the first Goodwood Ghost in 2009, significant time was invested in understanding… Continue reading @BMW: ROLLS-ROYCE REVEALS WHAT THE FIRST GOODWOOD GHOST TAUGHT THE MARQUE000444
George Hotz: “Tesla’s Going To Win Level 5”
Tesla News
EV News
Solar News
Electric Car Benefits
Electric Car Sales
Privacy Policy
Invest
Advertise
RSS
Contact
Autonomous Vehicles
Published on August 1st, 2020 |
by Johnna Crider
George Hotz: “Tesla’s Going To Win Level 5”
Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook
August 1st, 2020 by Johnna Crider
In his “Artificial Intelligence Podcast” series, Lex Fridman interviewed George Hotz, the founder of Comm.ai (among many other things), in the middle of 2019. Comma.ai focuses on machine learning–based vehicle automation. In the almost 2 hour podcast, Hotz shared his thoughts on a variety of things, including a lengthy discussion of Tesla’s efforts toward Level 5 autonomy.
About 39 minutes into the podcast, Fridman shared his thoughts about Tesla and Autonomy Day and noted that he hoped Tesla would continue in the direction it’s going in. “On Autonomy Day, they did reveal more than — I mean, of course there’s marketing communications you can tell — but it’s more than most companies would reveal, which is … I hope they go towards that direction more — other companies, GM, Ford,” Fridman said.
“Oh! Tesla’s gonna win Level 5. They really are,” Hotz said. As he said that, you could see passion pour into his eyes as he spoke.
“So let’s talk about it,” Fridman said. Hotz explained that Comma.ai is going to be 1–2 years behind Tesla getting to Level 5. “I just think once Tesla gets it, we’re 1–2 years behind.” In a short Q&A with CleanTechnica in 2017 at the rEVolution conference in Paris (which Hotz had to join via webcast after missing his flight from California), Hotz said that Comma.ai would be the Android of self-driving cars whereas Tesla would be the Apple of them. (See the video below.) He repeated that metaphor in the interview with Fridman.
In this 2019 interview, he specifically said that he wasn’t going to make a timeline as to when Tesla would achieve Level 5 (since that’s very hard to predict and isn’t close enough), and he also followed up with a message for Tesla fans and investors: “I’m sorry, Tesla investors, if you think you’re going to have an autonomous robotaxi fleet by the end of the year, I’ll bet against that.” He was certainly right. It is now August 2020 and Tesla vehicles still don’t have the basics of “Full Self Driving” capability.
Fridman’s next question is on Hotz’s thoughts on Tesla’s focus on lane keeping and full autonomy while other Level 4 companies are just focusing on safety. “What do you think about that approach, how successful would it be?”
“A ton better approach. Because Tesla is gathering data on a scale that none of them are. They’re putting real users behind the wheel of cars. It is, I think, the only strategy that works,” Hotz replied.
What Will Happen To The Auto Industry Once Tesla Masters Level 5?
Tesla started out as an automaker with just one car that was well out of the league of many American paychecks. Branded as a luxury automaker at first, it began to evolve. In order for Tesla to achieve all that it has, though, it had to be something that was exclusive for only those who could afford it. That money could have gone into buying private islands, throwing lavish parties, or wasted on drugs — but, instead, it was invested into the future.
Today, Tesla is more than just an automaker. It has become a tech company that rivals not just legacy automakers, but companies such as Nvidia and Intel as well in certain areas. It’s also become an energy company that rivals electric and utility companies — but that’s a topic for another day.
Hotz and Fridman discussed robotaxis a bit, and predicted that Tesla would be first. He doesn’t know when it will happen, but his mission is to be there before others, while acknowledging that Tesla will beat Comma.ai by a couple of years. It was hard for many to see Tesla moving from the original Roadster to the Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck, but that’s what has happened. It is hard to imagine Tesla robotaxis really hitting the roads, but Hotz — one of the top experts in this field — sees it as happening. We just don’t know when. Once Tesla paves the way and then other companies such as Comma.ai achieve Level 5, another door into a dimension of possibilities will be opened.
When it comes to jumping into an industry and completely reshaping it, Tesla seems to have a very powerful gift — a gift for innovation and execution. If the company executes “the impossible” again, the entire transportation industry will change.
Related Story: Geohot: Tesla Autopilot = Apple iOS, Comma.ai = Android (CleanTechnica Exclusive)
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Send us an email: tips@cleantechnica.com
Latest Cleantech Talk Episodes
Latest CleanTechnica.TV Episode
About the Author
Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem, and mineral collector, member of the International Gem Society, and a 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
Back to Top ↑
Advertisement
Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of millions of monthly readers.
Power CleanTechnica: $3/Month
Top News On CleanTechnica
Advertisement
Our Electric Car Driver Report
Read our new report on electric car drivers, what they desire, and what they require.
EV Charging Guidelines for Cities
Read & share our free report on “EV charging guidelines for cities.”
Advertisement
Tesla News
30 Electric Car Benefits
Renewable Energy 101 In Depth
Follow CleanTechnica Follow @cleantechnica
© 2020 CleanTechnica
Tesla News
EV News
Solar News
Electric Car Benefits
Electric Car Sales
Privacy Policy
Invest
Advertise
RSS
Contact
This site uses cookies: Find out more.Okay, thanks
The Morning After: Trump threatens to ‘ban’ TikTok
Sponsored Links Danish Siddiqui / Reuters We didn’t even have to wait until August to find out who was behind that massive Twitter breach on July 15th. Florida authorities arrested a Tampa teenager as he and two others were charged with a litany of felonies in the attack that hijacked numerous high-profile accounts. Charging documents… Continue reading The Morning After: Trump threatens to ‘ban’ TikTok
The first US COVID-19 exposure notification apps could arrive within ‘weeks’
Sponsored Links An EPFL staff displays the tracing application “SwissCovid” on his mobile device on the second day of the pilot for the app based on Google and Apple protocols during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland May 26, 2020. Denis Balibouse / reuters In… Continue reading The first US COVID-19 exposure notification apps could arrive within ‘weeks’
How the Alleged Twitter Hackers Got Caught
On July 15, a Discord user with the handle Kirk#5270 made an enticing proposition. “I work for Twitter,” they said, according to court documents released Friday. “I can claim any name, let me know if you’re trying to work.” It was the beginning of what would, a few hours later, turn into the biggest known… Continue reading How the Alleged Twitter Hackers Got Caught