Self driving cars will get their drivers killed

[Fuddyduddy1952]

No it doesn't take a juiced up ice to beat a plaid...a 390 cu.in. naturally aspirated Rambler will do it. Herman (rip) would dust it 10 years ago. SS/A, had to be street legal (install wipers & DOT slicks), and for a WHOLE lot less than $120K. A LOT less.

 

[dodge man]

I agree, while Tesla Plaid is very quick, I’ve seen some pretty low dollar cars that would put one to shame. Granted they are more race car than street cars but whatever. The Tesla guy sounds like a typical excuse maker. I didn’t know it was a pro tree, I didn’t have a full charge, he had a tailwind and I had a headwind etc. As often is the case it comes down to the driver if the cars are fairly even. I’ve done some drag racing, mostly 1/8 mile, you just have to understand that they and in this case the track announcer also, aren’t going to be receptive to an electric car.

 

[MossRoad]

A more realistic race...

 

[Fixastuff]

Am I seeing that first video correctly the Tesla did a sub 10 second quarter mile?

Anyone who doesn't think that is fast for a stock, comfortable vehicle is crazy. (It's faster that many peoples dedicated street legal drag cars!)

 

[MossRoad]

Am I seeing that first video correctly the Tesla did a sub 10 second quarter mile?

Anyone who doesn't think that is fast for a stock, comfortable vehicle is crazy. (It's faster that many peoples dedicated street legal drag cars!)

I didn't see it do sub 10. I saw the one in the video I posted do sub 11. THAT is fast for a stock street car. Anything under 13 is FAST for a stock street car.

I have a 1977 Yamaha RD400 that would turn 11:92 (when I weighed 150# ) and that was fast on the street.

Most FAST muscle cars that old folks are familiar with would barely turn 13s in the 60's and early 70s in stock form.

There is no doubt about it, an upper model Tesla fully stock will whoop the crap out of most other stock cars in a 1/4 mile race. I still don't like them. But that's a fact.

 

[lman]

Yes, you can use these things called turn signal and steering wheel, that what i used anyway. My sister says when she passes someone, she can put her turn signal on and it will wait till the lane clears and move you over, if i understood her correctly.

That must be a little too much effort for some as it seems they stay in the wrong lane. Maybe they're taking a nap.

 

[turbo36]

So it takes a supercharged and juiced redeye to beat a plaid? I wouldn't say he got destroyed, either. Redeye got him off the line, but as said in the video, the plaid wasn't ready or used to the light. But if you look at the video, plaid looks to be either maintaining or closing the distance. I think if the start's were the same, it would have been much closer.

You have to remember that with EV's, there's no torque curve, it's all of it, all the time, period. And I would wager that the redeye will not last as long, especially doing runs on the strip. There's about a billion moving parts on it. On the plaid, there are 4, one motor for each wheel. The redeye must run race fuel, has to purge nitrus tanks and refill, oil changes, coolant changes, all that fun ****. The plaid you just need to plug it in. They are amazingly simple in terms of maintenance.

Mechanically, EV's are superior, there's no doubt. The battery tech is questionable. But there's already an EV thread. This is focusing on the autodriver aspect.

Yes, you can turn up the power on an EV to give spectacular quarter-mile performance, however, they are not designed to dissipate heat so it only takes a few quarter-mile runs before they overheat and have to go into limp home or reduced power mode. That’s why they don’t do very well on a road race course. Also, the super high power draws that are necessary to enable this high end performance is very hard on the batteries and shortens their life significantly.

 

[fatjay]

I agree, while Tesla Plaid is very quick, I’ve seen some pretty low dollar cars that would put one to shame. Granted they are more race car than street cars but whatever. The Tesla guy sounds like a typical excuse maker. I didn’t know it was a pro tree, I didn’t have a full charge, he had a tailwind and I had a headwind etc. As often is the case it comes down to the driver if the cars are fairly even. I’ve done some drag racing, mostly 1/8 mile, you just have to understand that they and in this case the track announcer also, aren’t going to be receptive to an electric car.

I don't know if they put one to shame, vs beat them by a very small amount. And they are probably not comfortable at all, and terrible to drive around town, where the plaid is comfortable and pleasant to drive in general.

 

[fatjay]

Yes, you can turn up the power on an EV to give spectacular quarter-mile performance, however, they are not designed to dissipate heat so it only takes a few quarter-mile runs before they overheat and have to go into limp home or reduced power mode. That’s why they don’t do very well on a road race course. Also, the super high power draws that are necessary to enable this high end performance is very hard on the batteries and shortens their life significantly.

An EV that isn't powered by batteries doesn't have this issue, not all EV's are battery based. You could use a gas or diesel engine to power a generator to power the wheel motors, like the fisker karma.

 

[turbo36]

An EV that isn't powered by batteries doesn't have this issue, not all EV's are battery based. You could use a gas or diesel engine to power a generator to power the wheel motors, like the fisker karma.

What is the point of that type of EV? It’s still burns hydrocarbons.

 

[dodge man]

Very briefly in the last video they showed the Redeye racing a Demon called Demonolgy. That particular Demon is far from stock and the guy is a very experienced racer. He raced a Tesla Plaid that also wasn’t stock. As I recall they split 2 races.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I didn't see it do sub 10. I saw the one in the video I posted do sub 11. THAT is fast for a stock street car. Anything under 13 is FAST for a stock street car.

I have a 1977 Yamaha RD400 that would turn 11:92 (when I weighed 150# ) and that was fast on the street.

Most FAST muscle cars that old folks are familiar with would barely turn 13s in the 60's and early 70s in stock form.

There is no doubt about it, an upper model Tesla fully stock will whoop the crap out of most other stock cars in a 1/4 mile race. I still don't like them. But that's a fact.

The fact is during the 60s-70s muscle car era while true from the factory, exception being the super stock cars, weren't all that fast but they gave you the building blocks (no pun intended) to go fast. Top fuel, the fastest drag cars, 1/4 mile times in the 3s at over 300mph and motor based on Chrysler Hemi, cranking out 11,000 h.p.
We drag raced...and yes one could argue you pay $120,000, buy a Tesla Plaid it rides nice and it's fast...but any idea how fast you can go with $120K building something out of your home garage?
I'm not impressed.

 

[dodge man]

I owned a 70 Dodge Challenger 383 engine, probably on a cool dry day at a track at lower elevation was a low 14 second car but normally ran high 14’s to low 15’s. I owned a 70 Road Runner 440 six barrel, 4 speed, 4.10 Dana, I never raced it for time. Might have been a 13 second car but with the 4.10 rear end was very difficult to get off the line. Both were stock except for electronic ignition. 60’s and 70’s cars weren’t that quick compared to todays cars is correct.

Anybody who has done any drag racing knows it’s all about the money. How fast do you want to go and how much money do you have.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I owned a 70 Dodge Challenger 383 engine, probably on a cool dry day at a track at lower elevation was a low 14 second car but normally ran high 14’s to low 15’s. I owned a 70 Road Runner 440 six barrel, 4 speed, 4.10 Dana, I never raced it for time. Might have been a 13 second car but with the 4.10 rear end was very difficult to get off the line. Both were stock except for electronic ignition. 60’s and 70’s cars weren’t that quick compared to todays cars is correct.

Anybody who has done any drag racing knows it’s all about the money. How fast do you want to go and how much money do you have.

As a teenager I worked at a service station and owner also sold cars. He had a '68 Road Runner 440 4 speed he bought from a friend of mine (spoiled rich kid) because his Dad bought him a '69 Hemi Superbird. Owner ordered a Hemi Cuda in 1970, I drove him to get it and coming back pulled beside me at 50 wanting to race...I slammed 3rd getting the jump but that Hemi spanked me good!
Yes...those were the days and no electric jelly bean cars!
Guy I worked with had a '66 Fairlane with a Holman/Moody built 427. Friend had a '69 Boss 429 Mustang, I had a '69 Hurst SC/Rambler A body, another a '69 Trans Am ram air V.

 

[Fixastuff]

I didn't see it do sub 10. I saw the one in the video I posted do sub 11. .

Watch the video @Sigarms posted 9.3 something! I built a car that would do high 10s/low11s and passengers described it as a Rollercoaster ride.

 

[TheMan419]

I think the self driving cars rely on the cameras to keep in the lane. To get very precise navigation with gps, you need a fairly clear sky and 5 satellites but just to get a rough navigational location you can get by with worse conditions. I don’t think the self driving cars are using precise gps to keep in the lane like precision gps on tractors is.

They are not using GPS to keep the lane. They are using the lane marker/lines. I have lane assist on my car and it will tell you when it is working and not working. It is directly related to if the lines are well marked and if the camera can see them. If there is snow on the ground obscuring the line it will not work.

It is a great feature on long drives on the highway. Annoying in city driving. On my car it does not engage until you hit 40 mph, so most of the time in city it is not active. But when it is and you forget and try to change lanes you feel it fighting with you. If you use your signal when changing lanes it turns that feature off as it is knows you meant to cross the line.

 

[TheMan419]

Self driving is nuts for many reasons. Here's one example: My wife and I were going home one evening, the last traffic light is about 4 miles from home. Speed limit is 45 which I'm doing, and it's 2 lanes there at the intersection with double solid (do not pass) marking. I'm going straight and had the green light, my headlights were on.
Waiting at the intersection was a school bus full of kids. Right as I got to the light, I mean right AT the light the school bus pulls out in front of me.
Now...tell me how a Tesla or any self driving car would react. Slam on brakes? At 45 mph and school bus pulls out impossible to stop.
45mph to zero in 20-30 feet? It's a double solid, no passing unless you want a head-on collision oncoming traffic.
Here's what I did, and I had milliseconds to react. Car coming I had one option: downshift and floor it, so I cross double solid, avoiding the bus, and at 60-65 mph fast enough to get back around into my lane avoiding the oncoming car.
Wife says "fine piece of driving", and alive to tell about it.
Just one of many examples, but what would a self driving car do in that situation?

So here is the thing.... if the bus had been self driving it would not have pulled out in front of you and thus there would have been no need for you to do what you did.

 

[fatjay]

What is the point of that type of EV? It’s still burns hydrocarbons.

Excellent fuel economy combined with the all the time torque of electric. It's similar to the diesel electric locomotives.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

So here is the thing.... if the bus had been self driving it would not have pulled out in front of you and thus there would have been no need for you to do what you did.

That's the dumbest comment I've ever read on Tractor By Net. Thanks!

 

[Jstpssng]

I owned a 70 Dodge Challenger 383 engine, probably on a cool dry day at a track at lower elevation was a low 14 second car but normally ran high 14’s to low 15’s. I owned a 70 Road Runner 440 six barrel, 4 speed, 4.10 Dana, I never raced it for time. Might have been a 13 second car but with the 4.10 rear end was very difficult to get off the line. Both were stock except for electronic ignition. 60’s and 70’s cars weren’t that quick compared to todays cars is correct.

Anybody who has done any drag racing knows it’s all about the money. How fast do you want to go and how much money do you have.

Then bracket racing came along, making building a real car useless.