Full AP 'It'll come sooner than people think...'

[geoffreak]

It was on the earning conference call in response to an analyst throwing out years like 2018, 2020, 2022. So sooner than people think means sooner than any of the years mentioned and sooner than any competing auto manufacturer.

Another thing he mentioned is that he sees anything beyond 5 years to be an eternity. All his predictions and master plan? Factories version 0.5 through 3.0? He clearly plans to make all of this happen within 5 years (or about 7 years for non-Elons).

 

[TaoJones]

Software this year and a larger battery.

Hardware next year.

In any case, from a practical perspective, it matters little if the cars next year get to Level 4 autonomy (we're at Level 2 now), unless local, state and federal regulators get on board. Note that current AP cars have recognized stop signs for some time. The software to which I refer above for this year includes traffic light and stop sign reaction. But I wouldn't blame Tesla one bit if they deferred all of that until next year, given the givens.

 

[ShadowR55]

Has anybody heard about the Freemont production plant closing for a couple of weeks this month?

 

[ecarfan]

Haven't heard that.

 

[theslimshadyist]

Has anybody heard about the Freemont production plant closing for a couple of weeks this month?

Source?

 

[Saghost]

Ok maybe I should have read the birdie first. I don't believe this at all. AP 2.0 will almost certainly include rear facing add-ons IMHO that would not easily be a retrofit, unless the MS refresh added to the harness etc.

They already have a wide angle high resolution camera looking to the rear, which is presumably quite adequate to the requirements. It isn't hooked up to AP at the moment (or at least, as of the last time someone pulled on apart,) but routing that signal to an AP module in addition to the center screen would be a pretty easy retrofit.

Depending on what they need, if the current rear view camera isn't up to the task, possibly they could replace it with something that is, again with minimal retrofit needs.

If they're putting in rear radar or rear/side radar, that'd be a different animal, and likely only practical if the wiring for it is already in place.

 

[jmsurpri]

The problem with the rear view camera is that it's exposed to the elements. In rainy or wintry conditions it quickly gets covered in grime.

 

[ecarfan]

The problem with the rear view camera is that it's exposed to the elements. In rainy or wintry conditions it quickly gets covered in grime.

Agreed. Tesla really needs to come up with a solution for maintains a clear, usable rear view image in even light rain. The current camera, as is, would be useless for AP in rain and snow.