In the last year, Elon Musk has made ambitious claims about the capabilities of Tesla’s electric vehicles, even revealing that all cars will now be built with the hardware to support full autonomy.
But, according to General Motors’ director of autonomous vehicle integration, Musk is ‘full of crap.’
GM boss Scott Miller slammed Musk’s plans, arguing that the current cameras and radar are not enough for level five autonomy, and that the Tesla CEO is not yet equipped for a fully driverless system.
Elon Musk has made ambitious claims about the capabilities of Tesla’s electric vehicles, even revealing that all cars will now be built with the hardware to support full autonomy. But, according to General Motors’ director of autonomous vehicle integration, Musk is ‘full of crap’
‘If you think you can see everything you need for a Level Five autonomous [car] with cameras and radar, I don’t know how you do that,’ Miller said during briefing for Australian media in Detroit, according to new.com.au.
‘To be what an SAE Level Five full autonomous system is, I don’t think he has the content to do that.
‘We put the customer in the middle of everything; we think it’s irresponsible to say [a car has fully autonomous capability] at this point.’
Tesla’s current autopilot system enables level two autonomous driving, in which the steering and speed of the vehicle are controlled by one or more driver assistance systems, but a human controls all other elements.
But, the firm has previously stated that future software updates to its fleet of vehicles will enable level three to five autonomy on existing hardware in its cars.
Level five autonomy describes a fully autonomous system with no human input whatsoever that can handle all terrains from roads to dirt tracks.
‘The level of technology in doing what it takes to do, Level Four or Level Five, which is cameras and radar, I don’t think it’s physically possible [with what Tesla currently has],’ Miller continued.
‘I think you need the right sensors and the right computer package to do it.
‘We have lidar, radar, and cameras.
‘The reason we have that type of sensor package is, to be deeply integrated into level five, you should have some redundancies,’ he said, indicating the backup measures in place in case of failure.
‘Do you really want to trust one sensor measuring the speed of a car coming into an intersection before you pull out?’ Miller continued.
‘I think you need some confirmation.’
The California-based company aims to make 5,000 Model 3 sedans per week by the end of this year and 10,000 per week in 2018
According to Miller, using the right sensors will ensure the car is obtaining the most accurate picture, news.com.au reports.
This will be a key step in rolling autonomous capabilities out to the public.
‘Could you do that with what’s in the current Model S? I don’t think so,’ Miller said, according to news.com.au.
The comments come on the heels of a report which claimed last month that the Tesla Model 3 has the potential to spy on you as you drive, with the automaker secretly installing a driver-facing camera in the rear view mirror of each vehicle.
The cameras, which Tesla claims are currently deactivated, could be used to monitor the driver’s attention span during autonomous journeys.
Tesla has remained tight-lipped as to the purpose of the cameras, and made no mention of the devices during the firm’s launch of the Model 3.
The Tesla Model 3 has the potential to spy on you as you drive, with the automaker secretly installing a driver-facing camera (circled in red) into the rear view mirror of each vehicle
The automaker confirmed to Electrek that the Model 3 is equipped with a camera, but said it is not currently active.
The camera will only become active after future software updates, a spokesperson said, though the company refused to give further details.
Autonomous driving experts have previously said that driver-facing cameras would be needed for any vehicles performing level three autonomous driving.
This level of autonomous transport uses the driver as backup to the self-driving system, which monitors the vehicle’s environment and makes decisions on the road.
Experts have said that a camera would be needed in more autonomous systems to ensure driver safety by monitoring their gaze and alerting them if it looks like they are not paying attention.
The camera doesn’t just cover the driver, but the entire cabin of the vehicle, Electrek reports.
The cameras, which Tesla claims are currently deactivated, could be used to monitor driver attention span during autonomous journeys. Pictured is the interior of the Model 3
‘That could become a useful feature for Tesla Network, the automaker’s upcoming autonomous ride-sharing network,’ Editor in Chief Fred Lambert wrote.
‘Owners will be able to autonomously send their cars on Tesla’s ride-sharing network in order to taxi people around autonomously and the owners and Tesla will share the revenue from this service.’
It appears several Model 3 features are designed to work with Tesla’s autonomous taxi network, such as the use of an app to unlock and start the car.
The camera in the cabin could monitor occupancy, which could help the service to run smoothly while providing a layer of security to owners who may have problems allowing strangers into their cars.
The camera controversy comes shortly after the first Model 3s came off of the production line this summer.
The first 30 models were handed over to customers during a glitzy ceremony at the company’s factory in Fremont, California on July 30.
Tesla has remained tight-lipped as to the purpose of the cameras, and made no mention of the devices during the firm’s launch of the Model 3 (pictured) last week
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, 46, told the launch event that he expects to churn out 500,000 Model 3s a year.
He has vowed to radically change the way people drive by taking on well-established car giants with the company’s range of sleek electric vehicles.
He said: ‘This is the day we’ve been working towards since the beginning of the company.
‘If you’re trying to make a difference in the world you have to make cars that people can afford.’
The arrival of the Tesla Model 3 has been described as a watershed moment for electric cars, which have long been considered costly, inefficient and impractical.
The five-seat car will be able to travel 215 miles (345 km) on a single charge and will be sporty, accelerating from zero to 60mph in under six seconds.
The Model 3 has received particular praise for its affordability, with a price tag of just $35,000 for US customers.
The cars will likely be available to UK buyers next year, with a predicted price of £30,000 after government grants.