Has anybody else noticed ?

[royoftherovers]

There is currently a small but gradually increasing number of electric cars being seen on our roads today.

This morning on my 7 mile drive back from Chester on the A41 I followed a Tesla Model S in what I call a dismal Grey. I didn`t realise at first but as the journey progressed I became aware that he wasn`t displaying indicators as he crossed into and out of traffic lanes and it reminded me that before the Lockdowns were introduced I had been travelling home to Wirral from  St Andrews in Scotland behind a BMW i3 and then a Nissan Leaf, both of which never ever displayed their desire to indicate their intentions.

I am aware that there are too many drivers on the road who fail to display courtesy in a manner which is stated in the Highway Code, but I am now wondering if Drivers of Electric vehicles are merely trying to preserve their  supply of on-board electricity, which no doubt is being reduced by continual use of Radio, Air Cons and Other items of Connectivity.

 

Any thoughts and can we expect to experience more examples of thoughtless drivers ?

[dutchie01]

I would put this down to coincidence John..

[royoftherovers]

3 minutes ago, dutchie01 said:

I would put this down to coincidence John..

You may well be right Bernard.

[Mincey]

Company car drivers who have left BMW for the BIK benefit of an EV.

[Phil xxkr]

1 hour ago, royoftherovers said:

You may well be right Bernard.

I always taught people, once is a mistake, twice a coincidence and 3 times a pattern 😎

[Spacewagon52]

Something I will watch out for. Down here in the leafy suburbs of Kent, many people have only just graduated from a horse! So may not have much opportunity.

[royoftherovers]

On 4/22/2021 at 2:36 PM, Phil xxkr said:

I always taught people, once is a mistake, twice a coincidence and 3 times a pattern 😎

I did not declare my own view Phil, but I concur with you (again)

[Bluesman]

45 minutes ago, royoftherovers said:

I did not declare my own view Phil, but I concur with you (again)

I would definitely go along with you on that viewpoint John.

[ColinBarber]

On 4/22/2021 at 12:54 PM, royoftherovers said:

There is currently a small but gradually increasing number of electric cars being seen on our roads today.

Did I miss national EV day yesterday then? Maybe you didn't mean today as in the 24-hour period 😉

On 4/22/2021 at 12:54 PM, royoftherovers said:

Any thoughts and can we expect to experience more examples of thoughtless drivers ?

I can't say I've notice any difference of EV vs non-EV drivers, I think you have just been unlucky - or you only take particular notice of a vehicle if the owner misbehaves?

If anything you should start to see an improvement as EVs and modern vehicles increase in numbers. Telsa's semi-autonomous features require correct behaviour - e.g. automatic lane changing is performed by the driver using the indicators - everything else is then performed by the vehicle.

On 4/22/2021 at 12:54 PM, royoftherovers said:

but I am now wondering if Drivers of Electric vehicles are merely trying to preserve their  supply of on-board electricity

It is a real thing but isn't achieved by not using your indicators - they use such a tiny amount of energy that you wouldn't actually benefit in anything more than an extra metre or two.

[Spacewagon52]

This may be of interest,

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56854417

 

 

[ALAW]

This afternoon i was on the M180 to M18 to M62. Funny enough coming to the end of the M180 you stop at lights before entering the M18 low and behold a Tesla overtook me (it was Dismal grey) ive seen a few of these lately and this colour. Anyhow i was behind it at the lights, what I'm noticing is the badge that says dual motor. Interestingly the indicators sprung up to me as remarkably small. I've read in a few places the build quality isnt that good and a lot are in for warranty work. With the associated cost im thinking are these I've seen fleet vehicles or hire vehicles ?. 

[LenT]

10 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

This may be of interest,

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56854417

 

 

Ah!  But are you suggesting that a Tesla without a driver would have worse road manners than a Tesla WITH a driver?

 

[ColinBarber]

9 hours ago, ALAW said:

With the associated cost im thinking are these I've seen fleet vehicles or hire vehicles ?. 

A lot will be through leasing schemes in conjunction with salary sacrifice via your employer. BIK on EVs is only 1% this year and 2% for the next couple of years after that, so big savings can be had.

[First_Lexus]

On 4/22/2021 at 3:19 PM, Spacewagon52 said:

Something I will watch out for. Down here in the leafy suburbs of Kent, many people have only just graduated from a horse! So may not have much opportunity.

^^ In rural Wiltshire we are just now graduating to horses! Don’t think electric cars will catch on here. All science is witchcraft you know...

Sorry, haven’t got time to write more just now. We’ve got to finish the wicker man in time for the full moon sacrifice ceremony tonight. Must make sure the sun rises again tomorrow you know!

 

 

[Spacewagon52]

1 hour ago, LenT said:

Ah!  But are you suggesting that a Tesla without a driver would have worse road manners than a Tesla WITH a driver?

 

No Len. The autopilot is not fit for purpose and I question why it should be allowed to be fitted to the car. Now people can even disable it to run without a driver!

Once the software/hardware is eventually sorted, I think autonomous vehicles will be safer than drivers. 

It might be an age thing, but I find the standard of driving in my town seems to be getting worse now the lockdown is easing. I try to avoid driving on a Saturday morning as this is a time when rules of the road do not apply. 

[m4rkw]

42 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

Once the software/hardware is eventually sorted, I think autonomous vehicles will be safer than drivers. 

I'm very skeptical that this will occur in our lifetimes. Admittedly it doesn't need to be perfect, it only needs to be better than human drivers, but I still think it's a much harder problem than Mr Musk would have us believe. I will be gobsmacked if an autonomous car could traverse the windy narrow streets of central london anytime soon. Long motorway runs seems more achievable. 

[Spacewagon52]

1 minute ago, m4rkw said:

I'm very skeptical that this will occur in our lifetimes. Admittedly it doesn't need to be perfect, it only needs to be better than human drivers, but I still think it's a much harder problem than Mr Musk would have us believe. I will be gobsmacked if an autonomous car could traverse the windy narrow streets of central london anytime soon. Long motorway runs seems more achievable. 

It does seem a far off dream to be honest. Technology is moving at such a pace it is hard to tell what might come along in the next 5 years. 

[m4rkw]

To the original point, I think if someone collects video evidence of a driver deliberately omitting turn signals three times it should be legally permissible to fire paintball weapons at their car. 

Same for cyclists who sail through red lights. Vote Mark for leader!

[LenT]

1 hour ago, Spacewagon52 said:

Once the software/hardware is eventually sorted, I think autonomous vehicles will be safer than drivers. 

If the link below works, this is an example of a safe, successful journey by an autonomous vehicle.  But of course the more that occur, the greater the chances that one will not be so uneventful.

https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/nissan-driverless-car-autonomous-vehicles-travel-milton-keynes-sunderland-394389

And of course driverless pods have been trundling around Milton Keynes for some years now. 

1 hour ago, Spacewagon52 said:

It might be an age thing, but I find the standard of driving in my town seems to be getting worse now the lockdown is easing.

It may well be an age thing as I thought that years before COVID-19 was invented.  So it’s probably just a factor of more drivers returning to driving!

[Thackeray]

14 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

This may be of interest,

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56854417

 

 

I was surprised to read Elon Musk's comment quoted in this article about a recent Tesla car crash where no-one was in the driving seat.

He said that even if the autopilot was turned on, (which he says it wasn't), "standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have."

Many years ago, those early races in the desert of self-driving vehicles didn't depend on white lines on the road. Surely Teslas aren't totally dependent on white lines on the road? In France, for example, there are plenty of roads which don't have white lines. Or is he saying there is something better than "standard Autopilot"?

If Teslas depend on white lines, it rather sounds as if the autopilot has been promoted as being more capable than it really is. Can anyone explain what Musk is talking about?

[ColinBarber]

9 minutes ago, Thackeray said:

If Teslas depend on white lines, it rather sounds as if the autopilot has been promoted as being more capable than it really is. Can anyone explain what Musk is talking about?

Autosteer, part of autopilot, requires lane markings. Normally used for dual-carriage and motorways. Lexus' lane guidance system is similar in that regard but very limited in actual ability compared to the Tesla system.

Full autonomous driving, or even city/town autosteer where white lines at the side of the road aren't required, isn't a launched feature yet.

[dutchie01]

19 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

 

Full autonomous driving, or even city/town autosteer where white lines at the side of the road aren't required, isn't a launched feature yet.

and that will take years if not decades. my current volvo drives me crazy with ghostbraking and steer corrections. If it is not possible on the highway how on musks earth can they do it in innercities with bikes, pedestrians, trams, cars, drunks, and all sorts of unexpected events??

[m4rkw]

2 hours ago, dutchie01 said:

and that will take years if not decades. my current volvo drives me crazy with ghostbraking and steer corrections. If it is not possible on the highway how on musks earth can they do it in innercities with bikes, pedestrians, trams, cars, drunks, and all sorts of unexpected events??

Even when it does work, anyone that can spot an autonomous vehicle will take the ***** pulling out in front of it because they know it'll always brake.

[Phil xxkr]

On 4/22/2021 at 3:19 PM, Spacewagon52 said:

Something I will watch out for. Down here in the leafy suburbs of Kent, many people have only just graduated from a horse! So may not have much opportunity.

That must be a fantastic photo opp David? Too see students graduate from a horse rather than a dais, I wonder are the horses colour matched to mortar boards and gowns? Do tell. 🐎🐎🐎