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Schedule for Autopilot features
- Thread starter si123ca
- Start date
I'm guessing not enabled and will require the same update as everyone else. Sadly, based on Tesla's track record for "promised" software updates I don't expect it be enabled until about June of next year.
I'll be thrilled if Tesla proves me wrong...
As I had mentioned earlier in the thread, they're advertising and selling a car with an option called "Tech Package with Autopilot" that I shelled out an additional $4,250 for, plus the price of the car with a good portion of the reasoning being that it will have autopilot. If they don't plan on enabling these options by Q1 2015 at the latest IMO, they need to stop advertising the option. Otherwise they're going to have some legal battles on hand from irritated customers who were promised and paid for the autopilot feature that would be available in "several months" (quoted from order page).
To me, that means March or April at the absolute latest. Technically it has been saying several months since October, which would mean January, but I'll go from delivery of the first P85Ds as my mark since those will be the first ordered since it showed autopilot on the order page.
I like Tesla and all, but at some point it would become false advertising...
Yeah, ok, good luck with all that.
Elon also promised v6.0 of software with the air suspension auto lowering reenabled by last January and that didn't happen until much later. Like I said, their track record with timing promised software updates is not good. I hope they improve their record by coming out with all these features as promised - I want them as much as the next guy.
Mike
Elon also promised v6.0 of software with the air suspension auto lowering reenabled by last January and that didn't happen until much later. Like I said, their track record with timing promised software updates is not good. I hope they improve their record by coming out with all these features as promised - I want them as much as the next guy.
Mike
There is a difference between random software improvements and something that is being advertised and paid for by people looking to buy the car partly or mainly because of the advertised feature.
Not quite the same as auto-lowering or shuffle.
Auto lowering air suspension was a paid for, advertised option that was taken away. And the uproar on here was large when it happened.
I hope the autopilot features come out right on time. But you can rest assured that if the testing isn't complete and/or any regulatory requirement hurdles aren't yet met it will be delayed until they are. And no threats of "false advertising" will change that.
Mike
I never saw auto lowering advertised on any of the ordering pages or order agreement when I bought my P85. Auto lowering wasn't a part of the software until 5.9, back in April some time, so, auto lowering was never "taken away" because it was never an option that could be set in the first place, not that I ever saw anyway. The thing that was neutered with an update was the ability to stay at the Low setting if I recall correctly, as they investigated the impact of this on the safety of the battery.
In any case, no where in your paperwork do you have a paid option for "auto lowering." A single minor *unpaid* extra feature like auto lowering is definitely not something that would make or break the deal on a $100k+ car.
However, on my order agreement, "Tech Package with Autopilot" is listed as something I have paid for, and was a large part of the reason for ordering the car. There is a huge difference between this and a simple extra software feature. No matter how you try to spin it, auto lowering is not anywhere near as significant as autopilot.
breser
AutoPilot Nostradamus
I think you two are somewhat talking past each other. NOLA_Mike is talking about the cars lowering suspension based on speed. wk057 appears to be thinking of the GPS based automatic lowering. The speed based suspension lowering was disabled due to a safety reason.
In my opinion I see a world of difference between Elon mention a software change and the change being mentioned as a whole section in the order page, plastered on the store windows and taking up a whole wall in the stores (this marketing stuff showed up about a week or two ago). I don't recall the smart-air suspension mentioning speed based lowering on the order page but I could be wrong, certainly it wasn't something that was as front and center as the Autopilot functionality is.
Autopilot features are not going to just appear in a given release and be complete. The order page says
Emphasis mine.
The consensus seems to be that the features will be added to software updates across 2015. I'd be very surprised if there's anything new in the software on the P85D delivered in December. There might be some expansion of the features before the 85D vehicles start shipping. My original thinking earlier in this thread was that the safety features would come out first with the convenience features coming later. I'm not sure that's accurate now that Tesla got the 5 star rating from Euro NCAP. I expected they'd need more than the safety features they had in the sensor equipped cars to get that. So my bet on the first features is January sometime. Why not February? Because I'd expect that demonstrator cars to hit stores in Late January, they'll want to be able to demonstrate some of these features.
They'll probably prioritize based on which features they can manage to get to a production ready state by then. If possible I'd expect some sort of Adaptive Cruise Control feature, since there's a hardware control for it on the cruise stalk. How far that functionality goes will depend on what they can get done. Will it interface with the speed limit signs and maintain a speed relative to the speed limit or will it just maintain following distance?
I suspect that the features that are on the cars shipping with Autopilot hardware right now aren't just to get 5 stars in Euro NCAP but also to get some feedback on how well the lane detection and speed limit reading works in real world scenarios. From what I've seen on this forum I suspect they're getting some good feedback (truck speed limits, vandalized signs). The features as they exist today don't have to work, at worst they annoy you with wrong information. But if the car is going to steer itself lane detection has to work, and if it's going to control speed it needs to be able to accurately detect the speed limit signs.
Elon said 12 months from now for these features back in June of 2014. Elon's notorious for giving optimistic dates so I'm betting on the bulk of the features being done by the end of 2015.
Quote from 5.9 release notes: "To set the speed at which the Smart Air Suspension automatically transitions to LOW ride height, go to Controls > Settings > Vehicle." 5.9 wasn't released until April '14.
In any case, my point is that there is a huge difference between a simple one item feature like auto lowering and something that was a) advertised as a key feature, b) specifically a paid add on option, c) listed specifically in the Motor Vehicle Purchase agreement. This can not be said about auto lowering.
On the order page is says:
Several months does not mean a year. Several months is Q1 2015, eariy Q2 at the absolute latest.
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Essentially, I'm not arguing against Tesla being probably one of the worst when it comes to delivering on software promises. This much seems certain since many pretty small features and promises are still missing. I actually have a thread about this...
My point is, they shouldn't be advertising it if it is not going to be done in the time specified. It shouldn't be on the purchase agreement. They're setting themselves up for legal headaches if they don't come through.
breser
AutoPilot Nostradamus
I agree.
As much as I'm not fond of companies advertising vaporware. You should be aware that Tesla hasn't promised a single specific feature on that page. They promise that the car will have the sensors and that all cars will get the safety features and cars with the Tech Package will get the convenience features. The only specific convenience features they mention are traffic aware cruise control and automated parking. However, both of these are limited with the words "such as."
I'm sure we'll have some of these features come early next year. Just don't expect them to have every possible feature that the hardware could support (or even what they demonstrated at the event) ready by early next year.
Well, I think the term "Autopilot" says more than anything else.
Expanding the current definition to include a car (since it usually applies to planes):
autopilot n. a device that steers [...] in place of a person.
I don't think there is much ambiguity there, and this is the word in the purchase agreement.
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If I wanted to really nitpick, technically the purchase agreement has no time frame at all. It says I'm purchasing a vehicle with autopilot.
And in that same agreement, "Prior agreements, oral statements, negotiations,communications or representations about the Vehicle sold under this Agreement are superseded by this Agreement." Since the agreement says I'm buying a vehicle with Autopilot, it better damn well steer itself after a reasonable wait for the update. I think Tesla would have a hard time in court against this, unlike any of the other extra/unpaid/unadvertised features people have been waiting on.
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breser
AutoPilot Nostradamus
What good is suing going to do? The best you can hope for from suing them is some sort of monetary compensation for the missing feature. Tesla can easily argue that the Tech Package was increased by $500 to account for the new features. So you might be able to get $500 back. You're not going to be able to get Specific Performance on something like this. By the time the suit wound it's way through the courts you may end up with the feature anyway (even if the feature was delayed till the end of 2015). So suing them is a total waste of time.
I find it a tad disappointing that we're even having a discussion about legal resolution to an issue that hasn't happened.
Edit: I just want to point out that I really want these features as well. Since I'm replacing a brand new car to get them.
Auto lowering based on speed was an advertised feature since 2012 or earlier, and was included with the very early cars including sigs. It was later taken away for safety reasons, and then re-introduced in 5.9 with an ability for the driver to set the speed at which lowering occurred. Tesla stopped advertising the feature at some point, I don't know the timing. But it was most definitely an advertised feature of the smart air suspension.
Canuck
Well-Known Member
I don't. In fact, you'd likely lose on a simple summary judgement motion by Tesla. You are purchasing a vehicle with autopilot but Tesla makes it very clear under the heading "autopilot" that: "It will take several months for all the features to be completed and uploaded to the cars." Several months can be years away.
I'm not sure where this deadline comes from. The word "several" is intentionally vague. It could be up to 9 months (Google "how many is several?"), and that's if there are no delays. I think they could launch basic autopilot features in Q3 or Q4 2015 without being accused of false advertising.
I'm very interested in the timeline as well. For me, autopilot is the final piece of the puzzle to justify the expense of a Model S.
Wow - I guess we could occupy our time waiting on these features continuing to bicker about when and why they'll show up on a certain date or quarter but this is my last post to you regarding this speculation on software release dates.
IN MY OPINION we will be lucky to see the advanced Autopilot Features before June of next year. I hope I am wrong but I base my opinion on Tesla's track record of promising software features (much simpler software updates in your opinion and by your own admission) by a certain date and then delivering them late (sometimes SEVERAL months late).
It's MY OPINION and no matter how you try to spin it, my opinion is not likely to change regarding this issue.
Mike
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