For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
#1860161
The electric vehicle bit of my VW ID.3 is brilliant, smooth, quick, spacious with 1p per mile running costs,

However, like so many new cars of all types it’s gone touch screen crazy. I’m sure there’ll be a retreat from this in the next iteration, but now I do a cockpit check before engaging drive to ensure everything is set as I want regarding heating/ cooling, degree of of driver assistance, ICE settings, all on different screens. Doing it on the move is unsafe. There’s a lot to be said for buttons and switches ( they have built in haptic you know)
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#1860165
Rob P wrote:If this is factual (I have no knowledge of the site) Tesla seem to be being a little naughty.

https://electrek.co/2021/07/18/tesla-is ... -paid-for/

Rob P


Tesla’s built for some time now have always had the hardware that the various self driving options require. Those being Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self Drive. All of those names being misnomers it must be said.

The car comes with the base Autopilot as standard I think (think traffic aware cruise control and lane tracking), at least mind did, then it’s up to the individual to decide if they want to pay the additional costs for upgrading to the additional functionality that EA or FSD offers. Upgrading was always a one off lump sum until this recent offer of a subscription.

Looking at my app right now, upgrading from standard Autopilot to EA would cost £3,400 or to FSD £6,800.

My advice… don’t. Not until either are way better than they are at the moment. And even then…

The cars are changing the tech they carry. My Model 3 has radar, new build ones now don’t I think. So it wouldn’t surprise me if at some point down the road my car potentially couldn’t run the latest software for self drive options offered. All technology has a shelf life I suppose.
Last edited by Mike Tango on Wed Jul 21, 2021 7:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
#1860166
The point here though, Mike, is that a small subset of buyers were told that they had the necessary hardware should they ever want to "upgrade" (the software) to run autopilot/FSD/whatever it is called but now find that they also have to pay an additional $1,500 (reduced to $1,000 last night). They reckon that this isn't right - & I do have some sympathy. Tesla are not always squeaky clean in this arena ...

Meanwhile, disasters of disasters, Tesla have now said that the Supercharger network will be opened up to the Johnny-come-lately non-Tesla cars in Q3 of this year. Oh the ignominy ...
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By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1860170
In terms of development cycle when compared to ICE cars I think EV may already have gone from 1889 to 1970 in 20 years the rate of development is phenomenal. I predict they'll do the equivalent of 50 years progress in the next decade.
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#1860171
I am not in the market for an EV, much as I would like one. (Audi e-tron GT if anyone has one going spare)

I am in the market for beer.

Two companies currently in the news with stories that suggest an unsavoury corporate philosophy are Tesla and Brewdog.

As an observer of marketing in all its forms I watch the progress of both with interest.

Rob P
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#1860173
Rob P wrote:.

Two companies currently in the news with stories that suggest an unsavoury corporate philosophy are Tesla and Brewdog.

As an observer of marketing in all its forms I watch the progress of both with interest.


Watching the New Shepard coverage yesterday I raised an eyebrow an inch or three when Bezos specifically thanked Amazon employees for paying for it, given the widely reported not particularly pleasant or altruistic working environment within the company.
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1860194
Jim Jones wrote:However, like so many new cars of all types it’s gone touch screen crazy. I’m sure there’ll be a retreat from this in the next iteration, but now I do a cockpit check before engaging drive to ensure everything is set as I want regarding heating/ cooling, degree of of driver assistance, ICE settings, all on different screens. Doing it on the move is unsafe. There’s a lot to be said for buttons and switches ( they have built in haptic you know)


Jaguar learnt from their mistake. The first iteration of the Jaguar XF had menus for lots of things on a touch screen. You had to navigate your way through. People complained it was distracting. When they introduced the facelifted XF in (IIRC) 2012, they added buttons back on to the dashboard, introducing quick access for the touch screen - e..g. for the heated seats, you press the heated seats button it immediately brings up the heated seats part of the display.
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By Rob P
#1860196
Paul_Sengupta wrote:... they added buttons back on to the dashboard, introducing quick access for the touch screen - e..g. for the heated seats, you press the heated seats button it immediately brings up the heated seats part of the display.


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I suppose actually activating the seat warmers by pushing the button wouldn't be engaging enough for the wired generation?

Rob P
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1860217
Rob P wrote:
Paul_Sengupta wrote:... they added buttons back on to the dashboard, introducing quick access for the touch screen - e..g. for the heated seats, you press the heated seats button it immediately brings up the heated seats part of the display.


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I suppose actually activating the seat warmers by pushing the button wouldn't be engaging enough for the wired generation?


Gosh no, that would mean four buttons, one for increasing the heat/decreasing the cooling and one for decreasing the heat/increasing the cooling for each front seat!

You'd end up with buttons everywhere and have no room for the screen! (the happy position of my S type but the navigation assistance possibilities are quite limited).
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By Rob P
#1860218
Paul_Sengupta wrote:(the happy position of my S type but the navigation assistance possibilities are quite limited).


Thread drift alert!!!


Does your S have the awful 'intelligent' cruise (Adaptive?)

If so how do you get on with it?

Rob P
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1860223
Rob P wrote:Does your S have the awful 'intelligent' cruise (Adaptive?)


No. Neither does the XF.

Rob P wrote:If so how do you get on with it?


I tend not to spend miles following other cars on the motorway....(make of that as you will...)
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By Rob P
#1860226
Paul_Sengupta wrote:I tend not to spend miles following other cars on the motorway....(make of that as you will...)


Lucky you, I seem to spend most of my motoring life in 50mph roadwork sections admiring the uninhabited, tumbleweed-filled, cordoned off sections.

[/threaddrift]
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#1860229
In the 3 the position of the speedo is fine. There is very little interaction you have to do with the touchscreen, much is Auto, wipers, lights, etc. you can activate the seat heaters with a voice command (most of the time!) "My butt is cold". A/C can be turned up or down " I'm cold, hot" "My girlfriends hot" to turn down the non-drivers side and so on.
(16 k miles and 2 years)