Install went ok and have been for a drive. Highlights are auto steer (obviously) and an apparent improvement in the resolution of the parking sensor display, which is very helpful. Lowlights are miserable Rdio and the clock app which is just so bizarrely out of place that it is amazing how it made it through beta. Overall though, this being the first update I've experienced it is just fantastic to receive new features of this significance on a car after purchase, and for free! What a great car and company!!
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7.0 in Australia
- Thread starter ZTrekus
- Start date
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- Australia New Zealand
To be fair, only a small number of people ordered the car and got AP hardware thrown in for free before AP was announced. Most of us paid for AP and have been waiting for it to be enabled, so it's neither new (as in unexpected) nor free. Still a very cool feature of course.
Hmm true. But I guess for those who ordered just before AP was announced, this is actually a "new" feature that they wouldn't have expected to come with the car.
Been for a drive. WOW!
Self steering was brilliant. Worked perfectly for 20 minutes. Additional hold feature is really nice, and the smooth transition from forward to reverse is a great touch. I'm not really sure what the americans were driving on to suggest that autopiliot doesn't work very well.
New apps are nice too. Tyre pressure to each tyre is very well recieved
Self steering was brilliant. Worked perfectly for 20 minutes. Additional hold feature is really nice, and the smooth transition from forward to reverse is a great touch. I'm not really sure what the americans were driving on to suggest that autopiliot doesn't work very well.
New apps are nice too. Tyre pressure to each tyre is very well recieved
Not even slightly an acceptable excuse for;
- auto-steer listed as a feature *now* for 12 months before it was actually delivered
- P85Ds being pushed out the door with the wrong seats and incomplete software just to make a Q4 delivery schedule.
- the lies about P85D and above in regards to horsepower, range and performance
- multiple fake "launches" with fake "deliveries" just for show (eg Australian "launch", Model X "launch")
I suggest you make yourself aware of the destructiveness of Elon Musk on the company - he's pushed it to the brink of bankruptcy multiple times by helicoptering in at the last minute and changing things which should have changed much earlier in the development process. The sooner they get rid of him the better it will be for the long term viability of the company.
Blue heaven
Fair Dinkum Tesla
Autopilot first impressions:
This morning at 4am, my ipad said the Tesla downloaded an update.
I knew those things take around 2 hours to install so I went to the car to start the installation at that time.
Then around 2 hours later, I got another notification on the ipad that the update had installed.
This was the long awaited autopilot feature.
So in the morning, I grabbed my daughter to come with me and we checked it out.
The entire dashboard has changed. We used to have an analog type speedo. That has now gone. Instead the predominant display is a car on a road. As the lane markings become visible on either side of the car, so too does the display show a digital representation of them. It also shows the car’s relative position within the lane. So if you straddle the lane for example (as I did) it will also show that.
Also it now shows a sensor wifi type concentric arcs stretching out from 360 degrees surrounding the car whenever an object is within its sensor web. It is dynamic and colour changing etc… Previously it only responded front and back. Now it elegantly shows parked cars and cars alongside you. Also shows a representation of a car in front of you and where he is in his lane too! (Like an auto-targeting in a fighter pilot cockpit... I am guessing of course!)
So then we went onto the nearest freeway. I activated the auto cruise control and then the auto steer. There are two icons that go from grey to blue respectively to show that each have been activated.
It was actually much better than I was expecting and extremely freaky. I literally drove the entire length of the freeway by doing nothing. And as the road would veer around to the left and right, so too did the car. Absolutely terrifying!
I noted this observation to myself about my usual style of driving. When I would drive in the left lane in a tunnel say; and I know that there are no cars in the right hand lane at all or any behind me; then instead of driving so close to the big tunnel wall on the left, I would hog the right hand side of the lane. I would unconsciously do that just to allow enough time and space to react should anything go wrong. But when in autopilot mode, it just hugs the absolute centre of the lane – and it is extremely nerve-racking allowing the car to drive itself at 80khm with a big wall on the left hand side of that lane only inches away. I confess I panicked and cancelled the autopilot at that point just to pull away from the wall a bit.
ALSO the car will change lanes automatically when it is safe to do so when you activate an indicator. This is really quite an awesome feature. The car can cruise along in autopilot in the lane. Then when you hit the right blinker say, the car will change into the right lane automatically when cars have cleared a safe enough path. You have to manually disengage the blinker. I did this twice and it works quite well.
My daughter gave it 5 stars.
Then after a quick McDonalds breakfast stop to reward the kid, we tried out the auto reverse parking. Now I have had auto reverse parking on the Prius and i3. Each one was an improvement on the last. I was expecting the Tesla to actually be worse than the i3 given than it is a relatively huge clunkerdung. I was extremely surprised. You just drive slowly past park cars. When the sensor web automatically detects a spot, a P shows up on the dash in the digital representation shown on the dash.
So you just shift the car into reverse and press the button on the centre screen telling the car to go for it. The rest is automatic. But it re-assures you that everything is ok because on the centre screen it not only shows you a reverse image, but also a projection of where it expects the car to go – which I think is the most re-assuring part.
Anyway, these are my first impressions. I cannot wait to go on a long drive to really use the autopilot.
Note: The autopilot only works where there are lane markings on road (at least one lane marking on one side of the car, eg a centre lane marking). So it will work in dense city driving, but it is not recommended because those lane markings stop suddenly and go all over the place. Also the car doesn’t yet recognize stop signs, red lights or roundabouts. But from on ramp to off ramp on highway driving, it drives like a charm. Extremely impressive. It feels like a ghost is driving the car. Though my heart rate is still up from getting so nervous – that will surely change over time…
-----
Lastly: I noticed in the top left hand corner of the centre display - there is now a padlock (open or closed). It toggles as you click on it unlocking or locking the car which can be done even when the car is in D. Very useful for letting people into the car. Needed to be done.
This morning at 4am, my ipad said the Tesla downloaded an update.
I knew those things take around 2 hours to install so I went to the car to start the installation at that time.
Then around 2 hours later, I got another notification on the ipad that the update had installed.
This was the long awaited autopilot feature.
So in the morning, I grabbed my daughter to come with me and we checked it out.
The entire dashboard has changed. We used to have an analog type speedo. That has now gone. Instead the predominant display is a car on a road. As the lane markings become visible on either side of the car, so too does the display show a digital representation of them. It also shows the car’s relative position within the lane. So if you straddle the lane for example (as I did) it will also show that.
Also it now shows a sensor wifi type concentric arcs stretching out from 360 degrees surrounding the car whenever an object is within its sensor web. It is dynamic and colour changing etc… Previously it only responded front and back. Now it elegantly shows parked cars and cars alongside you. Also shows a representation of a car in front of you and where he is in his lane too! (Like an auto-targeting in a fighter pilot cockpit... I am guessing of course!)
So then we went onto the nearest freeway. I activated the auto cruise control and then the auto steer. There are two icons that go from grey to blue respectively to show that each have been activated.
It was actually much better than I was expecting and extremely freaky. I literally drove the entire length of the freeway by doing nothing. And as the road would veer around to the left and right, so too did the car. Absolutely terrifying!
I noted this observation to myself about my usual style of driving. When I would drive in the left lane in a tunnel say; and I know that there are no cars in the right hand lane at all or any behind me; then instead of driving so close to the big tunnel wall on the left, I would hog the right hand side of the lane. I would unconsciously do that just to allow enough time and space to react should anything go wrong. But when in autopilot mode, it just hugs the absolute centre of the lane – and it is extremely nerve-racking allowing the car to drive itself at 80khm with a big wall on the left hand side of that lane only inches away. I confess I panicked and cancelled the autopilot at that point just to pull away from the wall a bit.
ALSO the car will change lanes automatically when it is safe to do so when you activate an indicator. This is really quite an awesome feature. The car can cruise along in autopilot in the lane. Then when you hit the right blinker say, the car will change into the right lane automatically when cars have cleared a safe enough path. You have to manually disengage the blinker. I did this twice and it works quite well.
My daughter gave it 5 stars.
Then after a quick McDonalds breakfast stop to reward the kid, we tried out the auto reverse parking. Now I have had auto reverse parking on the Prius and i3. Each one was an improvement on the last. I was expecting the Tesla to actually be worse than the i3 given than it is a relatively huge clunkerdung. I was extremely surprised. You just drive slowly past park cars. When the sensor web automatically detects a spot, a P shows up on the dash in the digital representation shown on the dash.
So you just shift the car into reverse and press the button on the centre screen telling the car to go for it. The rest is automatic. But it re-assures you that everything is ok because on the centre screen it not only shows you a reverse image, but also a projection of where it expects the car to go – which I think is the most re-assuring part.
Anyway, these are my first impressions. I cannot wait to go on a long drive to really use the autopilot.
Note: The autopilot only works where there are lane markings on road (at least one lane marking on one side of the car, eg a centre lane marking). So it will work in dense city driving, but it is not recommended because those lane markings stop suddenly and go all over the place. Also the car doesn’t yet recognize stop signs, red lights or roundabouts. But from on ramp to off ramp on highway driving, it drives like a charm. Extremely impressive. It feels like a ghost is driving the car. Though my heart rate is still up from getting so nervous – that will surely change over time…
-----
Lastly: I noticed in the top left hand corner of the centre display - there is now a padlock (open or closed). It toggles as you click on it unlocking or locking the car which can be done even when the car is in D. Very useful for letting people into the car. Needed to be done.
The comments were all very valid, and a great car does not excuse tesla's approach to this
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Once we've all tried the auto steer, will anyone actually use it? I don't know anywhere with completely reliable road markings so it means it will require constant vigilance. In that case, you might as well steer the car as usual - not exactly a hardship, but negating the usefulness of the feature.
Nowhere in my rant did I criticize anything about the car itself. It is an awesome car.
However, if Tesla Motors goes broke (quite likely if Elon and the company's antics continue), it will very quickly devolve into a DRM locked out-of-date brick of a car that nobody can service when it breaks down.
TesAus
Member
Article from Gizmodo on v7 - not sure if it had been posted before:
Tesla Model S Autopilot: Australian Hands-On (Or: The Time I Damaged The Beautiful Car I Was Reviewing) | Gizmodo Australia
Don't worry human takes blame for car damage, not computer!
Tesla Model S Autopilot: Australian Hands-On (Or: The Time I Damaged The Beautiful Car I Was Reviewing) | Gizmodo Australia
Don't worry human takes blame for car damage, not computer!
Most excellent report ZTrekus - thank you.
In regards to changing lanes, did you have to take control of the steering wheel (some patchy reports of this being required in the .77 firmware) or simply use the indicator?
Blue heaven
Fair Dinkum Tesla
I see Elon and Tesla from Jeff_Adams view, some people don't, some are undecided. Your correct in saying Tesla could go broke, but without Elon Musk taking the financial risk and having the incredible drive that so few humans have I doubt the Model S would be anywhere near the stage it's at now.
It was always going to be a wild rollercoaster ride, hang on.
I will bet you US$1,000 that over the next 10 years Tesla will not go bankrupt.
If Tesla does not go bankrupt within 10 years you owe me US$1,000.
If Tesla does file for bankruptcy within 10 years I owe you US$1,000.
How about it?
Good stuff here. I have been putting it in Park to unlock since I'm too lazy to navigate the few presses of the touchscreen.
Yes you have to at least squeeze the wheel. Found I can do that with my right hand whilst I'm flicking the indicator.
One initial issue is that it over-reacts to a car pulling across the road in front of you. Have to be careful this doesn't cause a rear ender, although this maybe can be tweeked with the tacc distance dial, as its more a tacc issue than a self steer issue.
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Based on my extended drive just now on a well marked two lane road you will be thrilled!
If you accept the Tesla History According To Musk this would be true.
It is not. Musk stumped up some cash at one stage in the company's development and then took the company for himself, discarding many along the way. His helicopter changes to the Roadster nearly killed the company before even the Roadster hit production. His management style of blaming everyone else but himself for problems he created is wearing thin with even us very forgiving early adopters.
The company now faces massive cashflow problems due to the debacle in China (1000s of built and unsold cars) and masses of Model X cancellations.
Bet taken. I will be delighted if I lose as it will be a pyrrhic victory.
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