A multitude of functions which Tesla hope will take the strain out of daily commuting have been unveiled in a new television advert (see below). Demonstrating the capabilities of their flagship Model S the video shows off the summon function which allows the car to be started remotely and for it drive to a preset destination. Self driving may still be in its infancy but being able to leave work and have your car drive itself from where it is parked to where you are sounds hugely appealing.
Many competitors in the self driving market have struggled at various stages in the development of certain functions. One major obstacle has been to get the vehicle to change lane autonomously. In the below video the Tesla Model S is seen driving at reasonably high speeds while self steering, navigating the curves on the road and changing lanes with very little driver intervention. Following the flow of the road the car automatically calculates a safe distance to the car in front and maintains a safe speed.
The last demonstration in the clip shows the vehicle performing a flawless parallel parking manoeuvre which many drivers find difficult to carry out themselves. The aim of the advert is to highlight the stress and hassle that could be removed from daily drives to and from work with the help of both the technology and the Model S.
There are many people who feel that self driving technology in general is still under regulated and that more rigorous testing is needed before it becomes safe and ultimately popular with general consumers. The Australian authorities have been more cautious than their American counterparts. They have not passed some of the features as road safe until further investigations are completed. The autonomous self parking or Summon feature is one of the functions currently on hold down under and has raised some controversy and is yet to be approved. Tesla is currently waiting for a ruling from the regulatory bodies to enable them to move further into the Australian market.
Another question that has been raised is the lack of knowledge and experiences that motor mechanics outside of main dealerships will have to service the vehicles. Most service technicians are comfortable working on most used cars but special training would be required to service the technology in self driving cars.
There will no doubt be further complications on regulatory fronts faced by many automotive manufacturers as they seek to implement new technology in an industry that is constantly under scrutiny to ensure that our roads are as safe as possible for motorists and pedestrians.
Tesla are very keen to get approval to help them gain a competitive edge especially as Porsche look set to push them on the electric car front after announcing their intention to release an electric model in the near future.
Watch the video below to get a sneak peak at the capabilities of the Tesla Model S we have covered above and make up your own mind.