Apple Expands Fleet of Self-Driving Cars

[macsimcon]

The entire "level" system is stupid and unhelpful for measuring progress.

The thing that matters is what percentage of miles driven require human interaction. This is somewhere around 10% for what Tesla has released to all customers so far and well below 0.1% for their FSD beta. It's around 1% for Waymo in their beta and well above 20% for everyone else.

And yet autonomous driving is still illegal in all 50 states, and always will be. Why? The oldsters in Congress are afraid of technology and don't understand it. Tesla's self-driving technology is undoubtedly the best out there, I've seen people driving the beta on YT. But it's not much use if it's illegal.

 

[nicho]

There are no level 4 or level 5 autonomous systems out there.

<Article>Driverless bus to run this month in Lianhua Hill Park</Article>

www.szdaily.com

I'm not sure if this really counts yet, though.

 

[bousozoku]

Test it in January in Alaska, Canada, or Scandinavia, then we'll talk!

That being said, I'm sure they do or thinking about it. It just sounds that they mostly test these in the harsh
weather of California. :-D

Maybe, they could test it at Donner Pass in California. At 7056 feet, the weather can be difficult in January.

 

[Abombito]

Apple's fleet of self-driving vehicles roaming the streets of California for testing now includes 69 vehicles...

Nice.

 

[diamond.g]

Tesla is claiming it's in a league all it's own.
GM Super Cruise is most definitely as advanced as Tesla.

Tesla is level 2 autonomous, no matter what Elon says. The "full self driving" is a farce.

There are no level 4 or level 5 autonomous systems out there.

What about Waymo? I thought their system is at least Level 4.

 

[MrTemple]

OK, my car is 15 years old, paid off, and still gets 30 MPH. With the way the world has changed, I've cut my annual driving by over half. My insurance rates are one-fifth what they would be with a Tesla, as is my registration.

So please...tell me how much buying a $100,000 Tesla is going to save me. Tell me about all the wonderful features which make increasing my carbon footprint with that initial purchase worth it.

$100k Tesla? You're out of the loop! You can get an amazing Tesla brand new for $40k (less with rebates in many areas).

And of course you do NOT have to buy a Tesla! (Only if you want that seamless roadtrip experience, which even with that $40k Tesla Model 3 SR+, road-tripping is fantastic.)

If you don't drive at all, it'll take a while to pay for itself.

If you drive a decent amount it doesn't take long at all.

ESPECIALLY if you consider the total cost of ownership of both. Gas/electricity, maintenance, repair, etc, etc.

And DOUBLE ESPECIALLY if you consider the next 10y are going to have crazy nutso depreciation. Gas cars are going to fall off a cliff in prices as gas prices skyrocket and demand for that 'gas subscription' plummets. EV demand is already higher than worldwide battery production, and it's only going to get WAY worse.

Electrics over the next 10y are going to depreciate less than any cars have in the history of ever.

Two to three year old Tesla Model 3s right now are going for about what they were new (after rebate). You can today sell a one year old Model Y for MORE than you paid for it (before any rebates)!

Next 10y are gonna be nuts.

Think about that TOTAL cost. You use a brand new car (that feels like a spaceship from the future) for 3y and then you go to sell it for about what you paid. You're out of pocket $0 for maintenance and about 1/5th what you would have paid in 'fuel' expenses. Also, your insurance won't jump much. Mine jumped 10% from a 2007 Subaru Outback to a 2020 Tesla Model Y. They are so damned safe (both in accident avoidance and in reduced risk of injury) that insurance medical payouts are so, so low, and most insurers will pass that savings onto you (but not all, shop around).

Literally cheaper than your supposedly 'free' 15yo beater.

Literally pays for itself when you look at TOTAL cost of ownership.

So many Model 3s and Model Ys on the road, not because people are rich, but because they can do the math and have the financial privilege of getting a car loan for $40-50k. A car loan that truly is competitive with cars half to a third the price (less with the nutso depreciation nowadays).

I know, I was never going to buy a new car again (such a friggin waste). I bought 10yo Subaru Outbacks, drove them for 5y, sold them and bought a new 10yo one. I did the math and saw this was costing me about the exact same amount as my Model Y over 10y. I ordered the night I did that math.

And that's with 'normal' depreciation. Figuring the crazy low electric depreciation, I've literally profited on my new Tesla purchase. Nuts.