I keep seeing articles like this LA buses 3/4 million dollar vehicles that dont/cant work. Other articles showing that in hilly areas, the brakes dont work in part from attempts to capture energy stopping function, other cities having problems too, Minnesota To invest big bucks into one as a personal vehicle , without the ability like these cities to bring back a retired Diesel to handle operation while the electrics are being continually repaired just seems crazy for all but the insanely wealthy.

EV delivery trucks were common about 100 years ago. They worked fine then so we just need to reinvent the wheel and other parts.

Yes you can find some issues if you go looking for them. You can find even more boring success stories too but they don't make for exciting print.https://electrek.co/2020/06/30/tesla-model-3-police-cars-faster-roi-police-chief/

Busses in both stories appear to be from same company. It started up in 2017. Sounds like they got in over their heads.

This sounds like an issue with logistics (ie: getting parts).For low speed limited range local use where it can go back to a yard and charge overnight, electric is great. That fits in well with local delivery (fed ex) or city busses.For RVs where most people get out on the freeway and do a few hours of driving then staying someplace with limited electric, we are a lot further away.

EV's I know there are folks better versed than me in here

Reisender
Nomad
Nov 05, 2021
Dadoffourgirls wrote:
GM's Cruise Starts Testing
Thermoguy wrote:
There are already autonomous vehicles driving on the roads in certain towns. Not to mention winter driving, snow, rain, other conditions. It's happening now in testing and the test are going well. With Lidar, Video, thermal, radar, sensors they can tell the difference between a person or an object. So if the choice is to hit a kid or an oncoming car or tree, the car will know which one has the least amount of potential impact for the driver or other humans. There are tests just like this going on right now all over the world. I work in this industry and you would be surprised at the level of testing that is going on. Autonomous trucks will come before your average car because they can move goods across wide areas with little impact. Autonomous shuttles are here now in Vegas and business campuses across the country.

There’s already some pretty cool videos of super cruise on YouTube. Pretty impressive.
Dadoffourgirls
Explorer
Nov 05, 2021
GM's Cruise Starts Testing
Thermoguy wrote:
There are already autonomous vehicles driving on the roads in certain towns. Not to mention winter driving, snow, rain, other conditions. It's happening now in testing and the test are going well. With Lidar, Video, thermal, radar, sensors they can tell the difference between a person or an object. So if the choice is to hit a kid or an oncoming car or tree, the car will know which one has the least amount of potential impact for the driver or other humans. There are tests just like this going on right now all over the world. I work in this industry and you would be surprised at the level of testing that is going on. Autonomous trucks will come before your average car because they can move goods across wide areas with little impact. Autonomous shuttles are here now in Vegas and business campuses across the country.
Thermoguy
Explorer II
Nov 03, 2021
There are already autonomous vehicles driving on the roads in certain towns. Not to mention winter driving, snow, rain, other conditions. It's happening now in testing and the test are going well. With Lidar, Video, thermal, radar, sensors they can tell the difference between a person or an object. So if the choice is to hit a kid or an oncoming car or tree, the car will know which one has the least amount of potential impact for the driver or other humans. There are tests just like this going on right now all over the world. I work in this industry and you would be surprised at the level of testing that is going on. Autonomous trucks will come before your average car because they can move goods across wide areas with little impact. Autonomous shuttles are here now in Vegas and business campuses across the country.
time2roll
Nomad
Nov 03, 2021
I believe commercial will be the first to go driverless for simple depot to depot runs in good conditions.
Maybe in another year or three is my guess.

Probably the first will be a diesel.
BenK
Explorer
Nov 03, 2021
Spot on Thomas201 and add that the level of computing power of a plane is many times higher than any tired vehicle.

Plus, with a car or truck, the sensors do NOT at this time have wipers/etc cleaning the lenses. Made worse by mud, slush, snow, rain, etc.

AI autonomous is not ready for prime time any time soon.

Ditto EV’s towing heavy for the general public. Maybe commercial, but that too is a long way off, IMHO
wing_zealot
Explorer
Nov 03, 2021
thomas201 wrote:
How will a self driving system handle that perfect snow covered road? No tracks, no lines, no plowed ridges? Can it feel the gravel on the right and steer just a hair left? Or keep it just one tire on the gravel berm? Real dense fog? A leaf covered road? The infamous lane and a half roads where I grew up?

Aircraft, in a much tighter controlled environment, still need a pilot, or two.
It wouldn’t need to feel the edge of the road, it’s possible it could drive perfectly in the center of the lane from purely electronic signals.
thomas201
Explorer
Nov 02, 2021
How will a self driving system handle that perfect snow covered road? No tracks, no lines, no plowed ridges? Can it feel the gravel on the right and steer just a hair left? Or keep it just one tire on the gravel berm? Real dense fog? A leaf covered road? The infamous lane and a half roads where I grew up?

Aircraft, in a much tighter controlled environment, still need a pilot, or two.
time2roll
Nomad
Nov 02, 2021
BenK wrote:
How will the OS handle breaking the law ?

Will the OS allow the vehicle to cross a double/double line when a child runs out into it's path?
Might hit the child. You can swerve all you like, the OS reflex is faster and in the mix of things probably has a far better chance to stop. OS is never distracted.

30,000 people die in these situations every year. If OS could cut that to 10,000 or even 5,000 will we give up OS due to those incidents or continue to make improvements?

People are not exactly perfect even if they think they can swerve into another lane... in reality this does not always happen.
BenK
Explorer
Nov 02, 2021
Thermoguy wrote:
snip...

autonomous vehicles are not that far off.

snip...

Am very afraid that will be the case...

Think about this:

How will the OS handle breaking the law ?

Will the OS allow the vehicle to cross a double/double line when a child runs out into it's path?

A human (me as an example) would do so in an instant after knowing can't stop and the only way to avoid killing that kid is to cross that line.

Would the OS in the oncoming vehicles know what is happening and likewise avoid me? A human drive has to make that decision right now.

There are many more instances of that kind of scenario...
Thermoguy
Explorer II
Nov 02, 2021
Just to be up front. I think electric vehicles are the future and I would love to have a Tesla. Really like the new F150 if I could get one I would. That being said, I don't believe an electric vehicle is greener than an ICE vehicle. Truly, I think diesel is the greenest - at least before low sulfur diesel.

EV's are in all of our futures. Hopefully, they can tow a large trailer for a long distance so we can all RV.

Also, autonomous vehicles are not that far off. Look at Super Cruise in the new GM trucks, even Ford has self driving - so not long we can sleep or read forums while our cars take us where we need to be.

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