In spite of all the manufacturer's claims, Tesla's the real innovator

[artsci]

Most of the car commercials on television these days brag about all of the "innovations" in new models. Zero gravity seats, tire pressure beeps, touch screen displays, etc. I'm sure you've heard it all. It's good for laughs. Nearly all of it is much ado about nothing -- total BS.

Tesla's the real innovator -- it's breaking a century's old motive power mold. That's real innovation, and a disruptive innovation as well.

 

[cinergi]

There's a commercial I've been laughing at recently where they take a car, redesign it, drop it from the sky, some other crazy marketing invention revolution hype, and boom awesome car. Right

The other one is where the guy goes forward in time and takes some tech back and boom crazy car (and destroy time machine as its evidence). Always gets me going.

 

[smorgasbord]

Yes, Tesla's electric drive train is awesome, and what they did with the air suspension seems fabulous.

However, I think Ford's car hatch opening with your foot is brilliant. With Model S, we don't get a heads-up display, automatic parking, adaptive cruise-control, park distance sensors, or even power folding mirrors on a very wide car. If a car was just its drivetrain and suspension, we'd all be driving Ariel Atoms.

Let me be the first to go on record that the 17" touchscreen we all think is so cool today is going to look downright quaint in 10 years. By then thin film OLEDs will be available such that the entire dashboard surface can be touchscreen, with compound curves and all. So, you can have buttons anywhere on the dash you want, and even make the background look like whatever wood species (or carbon fiber or whatever) you want.

 

[AnOutsider]

I wasn't too sure the purpose of this thread, but I guess he wants to outline where Tesla actually innovates?

With Model S, we don't get a heads-up display, automatic parking, adaptive cruise-control, park distance sensors, or even power folding mirrors on a very wide car.

Indeed. If we're talking innovations, those aren't, but they are items that should be on a car in this class. I can excuse them for the first model year, but I expect those to be in the X AT LAUNCH.

Let me be the first to go on record that the 17" touchscreen we all think is so cool today is going to look downright quaint in 10 years. By then thin film OLEDs will be available such that the entire dashboard surface can be touchscreen, with compound curves and all. So, you can have buttons anywhere on the dash you want, and even make the background look like whatever wood species (or carbon fiber or whatever) you want.

Perhaps so, but if the thread is about manufacturers innovating TODAY, that's all irrelevant. In 10 years our cars might be driving (or flying) us.

 

[smorgasbord]

Perhaps so, but if the thread is about manufacturers innovating TODAY, that's all irrelevant.

I disagree. True innovations last.

 

[Robert.Boston]

Perhaps so, but if the thread is about manufacturers innovating TODAY, that's all irrelevant. In 10 years our cars might be driving (or flying) us.

And I, for one, will be sadder for that. My wife and I enjoy driving (at least when we don't have to fight Boston traffic). This is clearly a generational thing, though; neither of our kids have the slightest interest in cars or driving and, I'm sure, will be delighted when they can simply treat personalized transportation as a commodity that doesn't require them to look up from their iPhones for more than a minimal amount of time. :frown:

Personally, I'm perfectly fine with the few-frills Model S 1.0. I would like power-folding mirrors and park-distance sensors (or, better yet, the "around the car" simulated view from cameras), but I would prefer to remain in control of the car -- no AAC, no auto-park. My wife refuses even to use cruise control. Make this gadgetry optional in the future, but I'd prefer to keep those dollars in my pocket and enjoy the experience of driving.

 

[cinergi]

Is there a list of true innovations? So, in addition to the obvious EV stuff:
* Accessory mode by sitting in the car
* Car turns on by touching the brake
...

Things like HUD and ACC are old news (would be nice in the car, but not new / innovative / unique).

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

However, I think Ford's car hatch opening with your foot is brilliant.

To me it just seems sooooooo sloooooowww. They even put "open sesame" in the middle of it in a commercial to skip some of the time.

Besides, it'll just take one law suit from a laden person who falls over while swinging a foot to spoil it.

 

[mknox]

Besides, it'll just take one law-suit from a laden person who fals over while swinging a foot to spoil it.

I just did a spit-take with my Starbucks Latte!

 

[Zythryn]

I disagree. True innovations last.

Innovations become standard over time. The electric starter was incredibly innovative and freed up people from having to spin a crank to start their cars.
I would say starters became pretty ho hum as everybody started including them in their cars.

 

[sfriedrich]

And now in the Tesla, the electric "starter" has fully displaced the old ICE !

 

[dpeilow]

People complaining about a lack of parking sensors on a car that can run on sunlight...


Vorsprung durch technik!

 

[AnOutsider]

People complaining about a lack of parking sensors on a car that can run on sunlight...

Oh, I'm so sorry, you're right. Since it can potentially run on sunlight, I should be happy to pay 110k for a seat and 4 wheels!

indeed.

 

[Norbert]

It would have to be innovative parking sensors, maybe using Lidar and projecting a 3D wire model of the surroundings onto the screen...

 

[Dborn]

I agree whole heartedly with the comment on park- distance sensors - surely a basic requirement in a car of this calibre. Also, folding mirrors are hardly an innovation anymore. They are present on the base model B class Merc for example, and since much of that stuff comes from the Merc parts bin, this is a glaring omission.

Yes, Tesla's electric drive train is awesome, and what they did with the air suspension seems fabulous.

However, I think Ford's car hatch opening with your foot is brilliant. With Model S, we don't get a heads-up display, automatic parking, adaptive cruise-control, park distance sensors, or even power folding mirrors on a very wide car. If a car was just its drivetrain and suspension, we'd all be driving Ariel Atoms.

Let me be the first to go on record that the 17" touchscreen we all think is so cool today is going to look downright quaint in 10 years. By then thin film OLEDs will be available such that the entire dashboard surface can be touchscreen, with compound curves and all. So, you can have buttons anywhere on the dash you want, and even make the background look like whatever wood species (or carbon fiber or whatever) you want.

 

[TEG]

And I, for one, will be sadder for that. My wife and I enjoy driving (at least when we don't have to fight Boston traffic)...

I wouldn't mind having the option to "engage the autopilot" if I was on a long drive and got really tired and didn't feel like I was awake enough to drive safely anymore. Also, some cars with a dashboard breathalyzer could insist on driving you home if they detected that the driver wasn't sober enough to drive themselves...

 

[EdA]

It will be interesting when Tesla has their first commercial.

Cinergi, maybe you could direct it

 

[cinergi]

It will be interesting when Tesla has their first commercial.

Cinergi, maybe you could direct it

"OK, now drive the car over there .. yup, into my driveway. Great. Now leave the key fobs in there and walk away ... perfect. OK, I'll see you later!"

 

[dpeilow]

Oh, I'm so sorry, you're right. Since it can potentially run on sunlight, I should be happy to pay 110k for a seat and 4 wheels!

indeed.

I agree whole heartedly with the comment on park- distance sensors - surely a basic requirement in a car of this calibre. Also, folding mirrors are hardly an innovation anymore. They are present on the base model B class Merc for example, and since much of that stuff comes from the Merc parts bin, this is a glaring omission.

I was 18 years into my driving career before getting parking sensors. Must've parallel parked hundreds of times without bumping anything. If you need such driver aids, go buy a dyno-burner which claims that kind of stuff is innovative. In the meantime let's let the start-up company with a lot on its plate worry about the real innovation and quit moaning.

 

[AnOutsider]

I was 18 years into my driving career before getting parking sensors. Must've parallel parked hundreds of times without bumping anything. If you need such driver aids, go buy a dyno-burner which claims that kind of stuff is innovative. In the meantime let's let the start-up company with a lot on its plate worry about the real innovation and quit moaning.

There's a LOT of things on cars that are not 100% needed and just "nice to haves". You don't use parking sensors (incidentally, neither do I), another guy doesn't use cruise control... That's great, but others do. Others find it a convenience and a luxury, which is to be EXPECTED when buying a luxury car.

You not wanting or needing a feature does not mean that others can not want or need said feature, nor that they shouldn't expect the feature when it comes on other cars in the same price range.

Best car in the world, remember?