What is the problem? That someone will beat you at a fake test by using unknown versions of both technologies or?

Is anyone using Luminar lidar in production? I know they sold it to Volvo, but it is right now disabled in EX90 since it is not ready, and they are promising to enable it by the end of the year.
When they enable it, it is very, very unclear that it will be better than current FSD without Lidar (it will probably be worse).

Maybe that answers the question? Specifically, Tesla did not think Lidar technology was worth it for them when they were making their decisions. Will it be needed 5 years from now? Who knows.

 

On the subject of FSD, today one of my coworkers road with me to our San Jose office in my model 3. He's highly skeptical of EV'S in general, and very skeptical about Tesla and FSD. Believes it's just a hyped up version of auto steer. Well, he was totally blown away, especially the way it maneuvered around slower traffic, made perfect lane changes, and perfect turns, and drove like a regular human.

Tesla is so sure about the current version of FSD that they encourage people to use it on test drives

 

This whole we dont believe in LIDAR will advance our FSD goals, is reminiscent of how USS were tossed for camera vision and then Juniper brings back a front camera.

 

The front camera just adds to vision, for spotting potholes and a better view of the road. Yes there should have always been a front bumper camera from the beginning, but that's how Tesla has always does stuff

 

Say it with me Minimum Viable Product and Failing fast and failing forward.

Its becoming huge in the car industry, and imo is silly.

 

Well, Tesla can get away with it 🤣 They have always taken the Microsoft approach, push half done product to their buyers, and incrementally make improvements. Which is why I never bought a Tesla until I was satisfied with the product. Even then, I watched the evolution of their 'Parking Assist' over a year, which was primitive in early 2023, but quickly evolved.

Most early Tesla adopters understood this, and were fine with it

 

For sure they can get away with it, but it one does wonder as to what other pieces of the underlying vehicle that one cannot see have also faced the same mo. Different convo all together.

JP just said theirs 50% more downside. FUD for a cheaper entry point?

 

The early model S was literally cobbled together, I'm shocked they ran at all, and the early models are still on the road. One of the engineers in the company I work for was on the Model S motor design team, and coolant would leak into the motor on the early models, and the way they fixed it? Coolant line delete 😅.

The way I see it, if customers are ok with it, than I'm ok with it. It's kind of like Toyota selling anemic four cylinder hybrids, if customers are fine with it, than Toyota should continue to build and sell them. It's the very reason I opted for a Polestar over a Model 3 in 2022.

But that said, today's Tesla has to deliver quality products or they won't survive. They can still incrementally improve on them. Tesla is under enormous pressure right now, so the days of misaligned body panels and trim falling off can't happen like it did in the past

 

Even though my car will be here on Friday I checked out a black car again this past Saturday with the exact spec as the one I ordered but a different color and it was in way better shape than a lot of the ones delivered a few years ago. No scrapes under the front bumper, no weird blemishes in the paint from what I saw, no interior panels that were out of alignment, etc. so they have definitely gotten better.

I think with the Model S the panel fitment is what it is and the trunks are all misaligned to a certain degree. The one thing I did notice on the car was the back door moulding from the door to the rear quarter panels were off a good bit and the front doors, both driver and passenger doors, were sticking out more than normal where it almost looked like the doors weren't closed. Those are the fit and finish things that you don't see with other car manufacturers but like I said, it is what it is with the Model S since it is such a low volume seller for Tesla.

This time around I am going to inspect my car very thoroughly since I had so many body panel issues, both inside and outside, with alignment, scratches, paint chips, etc. that if I don't like it, I will reject it and get the black one. I'm not accepting a substandard car anymore from Tesla.

 

I wasn't following posts very well.. Are you getting a new Tesla? Which one this time? Congrats. It's funny with all the tension/pressure (TSLA was the top loser on my watchlist yesterday and still dropping. ) I can see a new Tesla for me in near future. Lol. How are CL folks responding to all this crap? Selling? Switching brands/choices?

 

Hasn't it always been Musk's philosophy to have nothing extra, and always bare minimum? Lidars still need cameras, most cars already have cameras, hence why add something when (he thinks) it is just duplicatory. When I get those free FSD trials, I really am amazed at what Teslas with hardware 4 can do

 

He's replacing his Plaid with a brand new one.

I'm not switching to another brand of EV for now. When I do eventually replace my Model S, it will either be a Plaid or a Taycan GTS Sport Turismo (assuming the charging infrastructure is significantly improved).

 

100 percent, don't take delivery if there is anything significant you catch. I inspected my Model 3 in and out for 20 minutes before taking delivery, and would have rejected it had I found anything. I almost hope you get the black, I saw a black Plaid the other day and it was awesome looking. Harder to keep clean though

 

Just PPF the whole car and it's much easier to keep it clean. 😀

 

I sold all my TSLA @$351, made decent money, although they were short term, so I had to pay higher taxes, and had to get creative . I re-bought about 100 shares when it dropped to around $260, those I'm going to hold on to, and the rest of the proceeds I put it in an S&P 500 index fund, which are all down, but not too bad.

As far as switching brands...nope. I already have the cars I need right now, I don't foresee buying anything for the next 5 to 10 years, unless I have an accident and one of my cars gets totaled, stolen etc. Also economy looks like it's headed for the crapper, so there's that as well