So, with a few days getting used to EAP, I have a couple of observations. First, I noticed that it isn't available to engage in turns, only on straightaways. I'm starting to think that the reason isn't the turn (because it is correctly seeing the lane lines) but that it is sensing the torque of your hand on the steering wheel (which you need to make the turn) and so it's sensing that you're doing something so it won't take over for you. On a straightaway, you have little, if any, torque on the steering wheel and then it allows you to engage assuming that it can see the lane lines.
Second, the car is so sporty that I have a hard time slowing down for turns (as long as I have good visibility and I know that it's safe). It is SO fun, composed and predictable. There is a low traffic, curvy road near my house that has a lot of diverse turns. I was playing around with EAP on it the other day to see what the limits are. In one section in particular, the speed limit is 40 (mph) but there is a yellow caution speed sign that recommends 25. There is good visibility and I can easily take it at 60+ if I'm driving but EAP runs very wide at even 40. I've realized that if I want EAP to take the turn safely, I need to slow down to 25-30. Since it correctly knows that the speed limit is 40, it won't slow down on its own until it's too late and it's already run wide on the turn. This requires manual input on the driver's end to either take over or slow down the cruise control.
Third, I've seen a lot of other people post similar experiences, EAP gets confused sometimes at merge lanes and turn lanes where it tries to run in the middle of the two outer lines. So, if I'm in the right lane approaching a merge lane, as soon as the line between me and the merge lane disappears, EAP will often (but not always) drift to the right to stay in the middle of the new wide lane. If there is no other traffic, then this isn't a safety/courtesy problem but it probably makes it look like I'm drunk or texting because of it wandering around. It's not as bad when approaching turn lanes but it will often drift a little bit into the turn lane until the new lane line appears and then it will adjust back into the correct lane.
Fourth, I can't figure out the pattern on this one but I've had it attempt to cut people off when using the lane change. It's only happened a couple of times but my memory of it is that it happens when the car in the adjacent lane is just behind me. One time in particular the car was probably less than a car length behind me. It's almost as if it doesn't sense the car there. I quickly took control and put it back into my lane but that's much too close at highway speeds. I've used it several times and it usually either speeds up or slows down and courteously moves into the other lane.
Fifth, it works at night but it's not as rock solid. It seems to drift around the lane a little bit more than it does in the daylight.
I've been playing/testing with EAP a lot. I've only had the car for 4 days and I've already put 400 miles on it. I liken this to finding an open parking lot the first time you're getting used to driving in the snow. I always do this even in familiar vehicles during the first snowfall of the season just to get used to what the limits are. That way I can make the mistakes in a safe environment when there are no consequences. With EAP, I want to know exactly what it can and can't do so that I can know when to trust it and when I need to be very vigilant.
Definitely not complaints, just observations. I'm totally amazed by the technology and I think it's going to be fantastically fun to watch it improve.
Second, the car is so sporty that I have a hard time slowing down for turns (as long as I have good visibility and I know that it's safe). It is SO fun, composed and predictable. There is a low traffic, curvy road near my house that has a lot of diverse turns. I was playing around with EAP on it the other day to see what the limits are. In one section in particular, the speed limit is 40 (mph) but there is a yellow caution speed sign that recommends 25. There is good visibility and I can easily take it at 60+ if I'm driving but EAP runs very wide at even 40. I've realized that if I want EAP to take the turn safely, I need to slow down to 25-30. Since it correctly knows that the speed limit is 40, it won't slow down on its own until it's too late and it's already run wide on the turn. This requires manual input on the driver's end to either take over or slow down the cruise control.
Third, I've seen a lot of other people post similar experiences, EAP gets confused sometimes at merge lanes and turn lanes where it tries to run in the middle of the two outer lines. So, if I'm in the right lane approaching a merge lane, as soon as the line between me and the merge lane disappears, EAP will often (but not always) drift to the right to stay in the middle of the new wide lane. If there is no other traffic, then this isn't a safety/courtesy problem but it probably makes it look like I'm drunk or texting because of it wandering around. It's not as bad when approaching turn lanes but it will often drift a little bit into the turn lane until the new lane line appears and then it will adjust back into the correct lane.
Fourth, I can't figure out the pattern on this one but I've had it attempt to cut people off when using the lane change. It's only happened a couple of times but my memory of it is that it happens when the car in the adjacent lane is just behind me. One time in particular the car was probably less than a car length behind me. It's almost as if it doesn't sense the car there. I quickly took control and put it back into my lane but that's much too close at highway speeds. I've used it several times and it usually either speeds up or slows down and courteously moves into the other lane.
Fifth, it works at night but it's not as rock solid. It seems to drift around the lane a little bit more than it does in the daylight.
I've been playing/testing with EAP a lot. I've only had the car for 4 days and I've already put 400 miles on it. I liken this to finding an open parking lot the first time you're getting used to driving in the snow. I always do this even in familiar vehicles during the first snowfall of the season just to get used to what the limits are. That way I can make the mistakes in a safe environment when there are no consequences. With EAP, I want to know exactly what it can and can't do so that I can know when to trust it and when I need to be very vigilant.
Definitely not complaints, just observations. I'm totally amazed by the technology and I think it's going to be fantastically fun to watch it improve.
