Hands-off driving legal (limited) in UK

[sevenfourate]

I read a recent article about BMWs, it added up a total of £9000 a year to subscribe to all the optional extras.

£750 a month…..

Oh my good God 😳

 

[Drago]

They try to justify it by claiming the customer always gets the latest software, but that's a crock. When Mrs D's Mjni electric goes to the BMW dealer they update the software as part of the safety check or service, so that justification holds less water than a tissue teacup.

It's just another way to bend their customers over. Hopefully a healthy trade in hacking these functions will emerge.

Edit - just checked, folk are already hacking them.

 

[presta]

£750 a month…..

Oh my good God 😳

It was one of the articles that pop up on Bing home page, so I don't know how reliable it is.

 

[neil_merseyside]

I was once blocked in a car park slot. A van had parked so close it would have involved scratching my car and denting his trying to get in my car. However I just used summon and backed the car out of the parking space. No issues, no delays. Mine came preloaded with the feature

View attachment 685796

So you didn't have the skill to drive the car through a gap it could actually fit through? Seems a (humble?) brag about a remote pollution device gone somewhat wrong to me...

 

[Drago]

I think Andy is suggesting he would have struggled to get into his car without scratching it. He parked it in the space so had he been able to get into the car he would doubtless have been able to drive out of it again.

 

[CXRAndy]

So you didn't have the skill to drive the car through a gap it could actually fit through? Seems a (humble?) brag about a remote pollution device gone somewhat wrong to me...

There was less than 6" inches for me to open my door The van wasn't there when I left my car. How is it pollution, it's electric.

Of course it's a brag, I own several Teslas

 

[neil_merseyside]

There was less than 6" inches for me to open my door The van wasn't there when I left my car. How is it pollution, it's electric.

Of course it's a brag, I own several Teslas

Well the trite reply is if you cycled [1] then a 6 inch gap would be fine as you'd be slim (well not if ripped like Drago) but then again why not just slide over the transmission tunnel (well if it had one) from the passenger side, so this was clearly some special van to actually block both doors it appears. Oh hang on you had a previously unmentioned wall didn't you?
But leaving nit picking aside - all your multiple 'eco' death metal cages still charge from coal/gas mostly, I mean a green supply for home charging isn't really green at all is it? [2]

[1] But then you wouldn't need several 1-2 ton death metal vehicles to get around in - as ever I do wonder why so many people live so far from where they need to be?
[2] Or you have a windy/sunny/electric mountain surplus tarrif

 

[Fastpedaller]

Well funny you should mention that, but, a friend has a Tesla & he's waiting for an upgrade for 'Summon my car' so all he has to do is something on his phone & the car will drive from where it's parked to him.

And if he's not on the pavement, will it run him over?

 

[Fastpedaller]

I think Andy is suggesting he would have struggled to get into his car without scratching it. He parked it in the space so had he been able to get into the car he would doubtless have been able to drive out of it again.

An interesting scenario...... Can this be modified so those owners of houses with really small garages can get out of the car and it will park itself in the garage whilst the owner/driver is already making his cup of tea? Certainly beats having to sleep in the car, cos you can't get out!
This is also a cheaper option....

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvGKxDlXgvQ

 

[CXRAndy]

Well the trite reply is if you cycled [1] then a 6 inch gap would be fine as you'd be slim (well not if ripped like Drago) but then again why not just slide over the transmission tunnel (well if it had one) from the passenger side, so this was clearly some special van to actually block both doors it appears. Oh hang on you had a previously unmentioned wall didn't you?
But leaving nit picking aside - all your multiple 'eco' death metal cages still charge from coal/gas mostly, I mean a green supply for home charging isn't really green at all is it? [2]

[1] But then you wouldn't need several 1-2 ton death metal vehicles to get around in - as ever I do wonder why so many people live so far from where they need to be?
[2] Or you have a windy/sunny/electric mountain surplus tarrif

Why do all that, get frustrated at the tight space, risk scratching paintwork, get annoyed at the other drivers etc etc

When I all had to do was press a button on my phone and the car with its plethora of sensors and cameras backed out, no fuss.

BTW I use 100% renewable sourced electric.

Oh, I do a little bit of cycling too

Death metal has a different connotation for me

 

[Dogtrousers]

I really can't see the point.

First they create a problem - that the driver may stop paying attention - and then they have to pour resources into detecting and monitoring the problem. Wouldn't it be easier not to create the problem in the first place?

Fully autonomous vehicles, especially when it comes to moving freight over long distances, I can see the point. Semi-autonomous private cars - pointless. At the risk of sounding like a miserable old git, I've been driving dumb vehicles for over 40 years. It can be a bit of a drag but it's not actually difficult.

 

[Alex321]

[1] But then you wouldn't need several 1-2 ton death metal vehicles to get around in - as ever I do wonder why so many people live so far from where they need to be?

Because they are people, not robots.

Many of us see cities as ugly, unpleasant places to live, but of course it is where most of the work, and major shops are. From a purely logistical POV, yes, we would be better off living in urban centres. But from a quality of life POV, not so.

 

[Alex321]

I really can't see the point.

First they create a problem - that the driver may stop paying attention - and then they have to pour resources into detecting and monitoring the problem. Wouldn't it be easier not to create the problem in the first place?

Fully autonomous vehicles, especially when it comes to moving freight over long distances, I can see the point. Semi-autonomous private cars - pointless. At the risk of sounding like a miserable old git, I've been driving dumb vehicles for over 40 years. It can be a bit of a drag but it's not actually difficult.

It is an intermediate step towards fully autonomous vehicles.

 

[Drago]

I really can't see the point.

First they create a problem - that the driver may stop paying attention - and then they have to pour resources into detecting and monitoring the problem. Wouldn't it be easier not to create the problem in the first place?

Fully autonomous vehicles, especially when it comes to moving freight over long distances, I can see the point. Semi-autonomous private cars - pointless. At the risk of sounding like a miserable old git, I've been driving dumb vehicles for over 40 years. It can be a bit of a drag but it's not actually difficult.

That's how vehicular safety works. Solve one safety problem while creating the another, that may or may not in turn get addressed. Indicators being used as a substitute for proper observation being the classic example.

 

[Dogtrousers]

It is an intermediate step towards fully autonomous vehicles.

And what's the point of that?
Why have a dysfunctional intermediate point that is WORSE than both alternatives.

Indeed, is the end point of fully autonomous personal (as opposed to commercial) an achievable or desirable end? Is it purely a flashy techy toy that people want to buy because it's cool, and that will generate an income stream for the manufacturers? Or would it be in any way better than what came before? The answer to that is fairly obviously the former.

It's only in my lifetime that we have become addicted to personal transport. It's time to wean ourselves off it.