You're right if you mean just AutoPilot/Autoteer. I was referring to the auto industry in general where regulatory compliance frameworks have existed for a long time. I'll grant you they likely haven't addressed anything like autonomous driving or Autosteer but they are political animals and can't wait until something goes wrong because they are accountable. Having said that I'm sure Tesla can work through this with the regulators.
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You're right if you mean just AutoPilot/Autoteer. I was referring to the auto industry in general where regulatory compliance frameworks have existed for a long time. I'll grant you they likely haven't addressed anything like autonomous driving or Autosteer but they are political animals and can't wait until something goes wrong because they are accountable. Having said that I'm sure Tesla can work through this with the regulators.
The cars came before the regulations. My mother had been driving trucks for about 5 years before the regulation requiring a driver's license existed. It's the same thing here. The law takes time to react to the reality on the ground.
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Yes, it would be interesting to know if the cars that already implemented auto-lan-keeping (MB and Infinity to name at least two) are being affected too. Otherwise, in some places, it would be considered selective regulation or prosecution.
But something else occurred to me. These other cars have had (inferior) lane keeping for some time. But unless you owned one, you never heard about it. They certainly didn't crow about it. My guess is that this is because their lawyers were afraid of liability or regulation. I like it that Tesla is in-your-face about their advances and refuse to be cowed in advance.
Autopilot is unlike most features as its one of the few, if not the only one, that can be enabled over the air well into the cars life but at a slightly higher price. A moral stance would have been to wait until the feature was approved and available before selling. Other than getting the cash early there is no real justification.
yes customers could gave waited, and paid more in the long run, but then it's also been 'coming soon...' for a year.
yes customers could gave waited, and paid more in the long run, but then it's also been 'coming soon...' for a year.
I found this article this morning claiming Tesla never "technically" applied for regulatory approval in HK.
Teslas autopilot feature was disabled in Hong Kong after the company ignored regulators - Quartz
Teslas autopilot feature was disabled in Hong Kong after the company ignored regulators - Quartz
If I were in the OP's shoes I would certainly be angry and frustrated. What we don't know is what Tesla has done to manage this issue with their customers. In their shoes I would have contacted every single individual via phone and email explaining the situation and what Tesla is doing about it ... working with regulators, getting formal approval ... and the hope that this would be resolved as quickly as possible. That hypothetical communication also should have included a sincere apology for the situation. Then, on a regular basis (bi-weekly or monthly) there should be an email with an update on the situation and what has transpired since the last email.
Probably too much to hope for given Tesla's track record but this is a very manageable situation that can strengthen brand loyalty with the majority of their HK customers. Maybe the communication team can demonstrate some expertise ... and perhaps they've already done some of the above.
Probably too much to hope for given Tesla's track record but this is a very manageable situation that can strengthen brand loyalty with the majority of their HK customers. Maybe the communication team can demonstrate some expertise ... and perhaps they've already done some of the above.
Japanese regulators may be stupid. But if Tesla did work with them, AP would have been approved much sooner. Actually regulators here were really upset as Tesla was trying to ignore the law. Here, in AP or lane keep assist, drivers should be holding the steering wheel.
Several months ago, Toyota showed hands free driving for a short distance on an expressway, and the government publicly criticized Toyota over illegal actions and called the execs to the regulators office.
There is a way to do business in each country. American way is not always the fastest. Tesla will need to learn a lot, and regulators here also need to change.
Several months ago, Toyota showed hands free driving for a short distance on an expressway, and the government publicly criticized Toyota over illegal actions and called the execs to the regulators office.
There is a way to do business in each country. American way is not always the fastest. Tesla will need to learn a lot, and regulators here also need to change.
This is why Japan will end the way of old Detroit by the time they stop screwing around with Fool Cells. There used to be a time when Japan was in the cutting edge of technology.
All this shows is that the regulators are two dumb to see a simple truth and that is on well marked highways AP is safer than a human being behind the wheel by about at least a factor of ten. AP is being driven about a million miles a day and we have yet to hear of an AP caused accident though we know of Autopilot preventing accidents. How many humans can drive for a million highway miles without a single accident? Can they drive for 10,000,000 miles without any accidents as the Tesla fleet drives every 10 days? All this whining about holding the steering wheel is a bunch of BS by some idiotic bureaucrats.
All they should do is to pass a law holding the owner explicitly responsible for any accidents if they abuse Autopilot and cause an accident. But I suppose that has to do with having people take personal resistibility for their actions but god forbid people be treated like adults and be accountable for their actions.
The fact that only Japan and Hong Kong are the only two governments in the world that has outlawed Autopilot shows how stupid and ignorant they are.
Even in the States there have been issues with various agencies being really confused about Autopilot, and Tesla has mostly allowed them to be confused.
http://electrek.co/2015/10/29/dmv-m...he-agency-is-still-confused-about-the-system/
I think we all simply have to accept that the lane-holding element of autopilot is really out of our hands. At any moment it might disappear or get reined in quite a bit.
Regulators are sitting in the middle of two forces.
On the one hand we have manufactures introducing "driver assistance" features at an incredible rate, and on the other hand we have drivers who are losing the ability to drive because they're too distracted by smart phones. When I occasionally ride the bus (into the city from a park and ride) over half the drivers are holding their cell phones. Where they're joggling texting/facebooking with driving.
Things are so bad right now with drivers that despite my love of cycling (electric assist of course) there are places I simply can't ride because the drivers can't be trusted not to run into me in the bike lane.
There is definitely a part of me that really likes the Tesla Autopilot implementation because it at least gives people a few minutes to do their texting, and their facebooking while in stop and go traffic. Sure I'd rather they were paying attention, but at least the Autopilot is better than nothing. At least they won't suddenly drift into my lane.
Hi, MsElectric,
I didn't meant this is a technical discussion that AP is superior to human driving, or whether Japanese government is stupid enough not to allow AP promptly.
It is how Tesla do business in foreign countries. Spending a little more time or working with at least local governments would give Tesla much better image, and smoother roll-out of the cutting edge technology.
Smart guy should know how to work with standard people.
Absolutely hiroshiy. I knew what you were saying and agree. Don't know how the discussion went downhill from there.
Yes, I am a bit unhappy having the features removed from my car. But:
1. I don't blame Tesla as they have to follow the ruling of Transport Department.
2. We bought the license for the software but we don't own the software and Tesla has the right to change the software when there is safety or legal issue.
3. Tesla didn't apply for regulatory approval initially so the authority had nothing to review so pulling the features waiting for approval is appropriate, though frustrating.
4. Hong Kong and Japanese government is not stupid but they do things differently. You have to understand cultural differences.
5. And I agree that Transport Department is too stiff and does not move at the same pace as the change world and technology. Forcing an issue and crying out loud are the ways to deal with them.
1. I don't blame Tesla as they have to follow the ruling of Transport Department.
2. We bought the license for the software but we don't own the software and Tesla has the right to change the software when there is safety or legal issue.
3. Tesla didn't apply for regulatory approval initially so the authority had nothing to review so pulling the features waiting for approval is appropriate, though frustrating.
4. Hong Kong and Japanese government is not stupid but they do things differently. You have to understand cultural differences.
5. And I agree that Transport Department is too stiff and does not move at the same pace as the change world and technology. Forcing an issue and crying out loud are the ways to deal with them.
