Tesla Model 3

[freebeard]

The surprising thing I heard was the current episode of EVTV. Not just about the Model 3 (12¢/kWh at the Supercharger):

• How Jack Rickard predicted in 1998 you could order a car on Internet and have it delivered to your house, then did that with his Model S.
• How others see the Supercharger network as a 'cost', while people won't buy a car if they 'can't drive it to California'.
• How nobody can catch Tesla at this point on batteries, charger network or solar panels.
• How Jack has turned the corner on autonomous vehicles (better than humans on average will be good enough)

But the thing that really caught my attention is the Nvidia PX2.

The world's first Teraflop computer was built in 1996 in Beaverton, OR. It was 76 server cabinets. Every Tesla off the assembly line in the last year or two has had an Nvidia PX2 embedded in it. Those have eight Teraflops. He compares to a 5-year-old Power Mac ($20K fully loaded). It's worth 150 of those.

Mind blown. There has to be a wrecking yard that contains more computing power than some University.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by freebeard

The surprising thing I heard was the current episode of EVTV. Not just about the Model 3 (12¢/kWh at the Supercharger):

• How Jack Rickard predicted in 1998 you could order a car on Internet and have it delivered to your house, then did that with his Model S.
• How others see the Supercharger network as a 'cost', while people won't buy a car if they 'can't drive it to California'.
• How nobody can catch Tesla at this point on batteries, charger network or solar panels.
• How Jack has turned the corner on autonomous vehicles (better than humans on average will be good enough)

But the thing that really caught my attention is the Nvidia PX2.

The world's first Teraflop computer was built in 1996 in Beaverton, OR. It was 76 server cabinets. Every Tesla off the assembly line in the last year or two has had an Nvidia PX2 embedded in it. Those have eight Teraflops. He compares to a 5-year-old Power Mac ($20K fully loaded). It's worth 150 of those.

Mind blown. There has to be a wrecking yard that contains more computing power than some University.

I'm always impressed by your breadth of knowledge and acceptance of change.

From an article I just read about the PX2, it sounds like they won't be required on all vehicles all of the time. Instead, the algorithms for various scenarios can be learned from the initially equipped vehicles, and the behavior downloaded to other "dumber" vehicles.

I wonder what the near-future of computing will look like considering the looming stall in transistor shrinking?

[freebeard]

I'm always impressed by your breadth of knowledge and acceptance of change.

Can I quote you? My friend up-river thinks I'm a Luddite because I won't (join us!) sign up for Facebook. As if that stops them.

The developer kit is $15K, less than the Power Mac he referenced.

I wonder what the near-future of computing will look like considering the looming stall in transistor shrinking?

It's qubits all the way down.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Can I quote you? My friend up-river thinks I'm a Luddite because I won't (join us!) sign up for Facebook.

It's qubits all the way down.

Up the Willamette?

I find myself oscillating between 2 unhealthy self images when cruising Facebook. If I see people traveling on grand adventures or accomplishing amazing things, I feel like a dull person. However, when I post my grand adventures on Facebook, I feel like I'm bragging.

Mostly for those reasons, and also because it's a waste of time, I don't post to FB or browse anymore. Instead I use it to contact people since "everyone" is on there. It's the easiest way to get in touch with foreigners I meet while traveling.

You seem to be an odd combination of both embracing of new technology, yet content with the simpler things like VW beetles.

While I don't always agree with you, you're no Luddite. You can quote me on that.

...and I don't believe in infinite regress theories; not with endless Earth carrying turtles, and not with unlimited computing power.

[roflwaffle]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I believe the Model S has torque vectoring in software, rather than a limited-slip. Through the automatic braking system.

Yup. I think it's why the mpge drops so much when it gets in the hands of Motortrend or CR drivers. Lots of quick launches/stops = lots of wheel spin for the brakes to slow/stop = lots of electrons turning into brake dust.

I'm really hoping for a mechanical LSD of some sort, since that should really improve efficiency and feel, but we'll see. I checked some other manufacturer's CSIs and found some other EVs also had "Both" even though they clearly had an open diff (eg the RAV-4 EV), so it's probably just an error from whoever in Tesla submitted the CSI at the last minute to the EPA, but I can still hope.

[freebeard]

Up the Willamette?

Without giving too much away, it may or may not be the McKenzie.

You seem to be an odd combination of both embracing of new technology, yet content with the simpler things like VW beetles.

I grew up around Mennonites. Closely related to the Amish; who, if they allow cars at all, prefer them 'murdered out, yo'.

roflwaffle — EVTV have the North American distribution of Quaife differential for the Tesla drivetrain. They're needed to eliminate the wheel sensors in a conversion, like their Vanagon double-cab.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

That said, I'm willing to suffer the inconvenience of less precise button pushing and tactile feedback for the sake of reduced cost and infinitely variable function placement.

Reduced cost? I don't know about that. Sure, it's cheap to draw icons on a screen, but you have to connect those icons to electromechanical actuators somehow. So for an example, is it cheaper to roll down your window with a screen icon, a switch by the window, or a handle?

If modern cars had buttons for every function instead of touch screens, they would begin to resemble an airplane cockpit.

What's wrong with an airplane cockpit? My Cherokee's cockpit isn't all that complex - a couple of extra instruments and a navcomm, sure, but no shift lever, no turn signals, no windshield wiper...

You also need to ask how many of those functions of modern cars need to be acessible (or even should be accessible) while driving. Sure, an LCD display for diagnostics &c would be a fine thing (which could be done perfectly well with a laptop or tablet), but it should hide out of sight while the driver concentrates on driving.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Reduced cost? I don't know about that. Sure, it's cheap to draw icons on a screen, but you have to connect those icons to electromechanical actuators somehow. So for an example, is it cheaper to roll down your window with a screen icon, a switch by the window, or a handle?

You also need to ask how many of those functions of modern cars need to be acessible (or even should be accessible) while driving. Sure, an LCD display for diagnostics &c would be a fine thing (which could be done perfectly well with a laptop or tablet), but it should hide out of sight while the driver concentrates on driving.

It's likely cheaper for a car loaded with features to be touch-screen controlled vs mechanical switch. Take HVAC for instance. If the car has temperature control, then it's cheaper use the display to set the temperature than to have separate buttons and LCD display. As far as windows; it's probably cheaper to control by screen since transistors are cheaper than mechanical switches. Nobody uses manual cranks anymore, so that's a moot point. Every car I've had with manual windows has had at least 1 issue, either with the crank stripping, popping off, or the window falling. I've never had a single issue with automatic windows.

There are trade-offs by having most everything be controlled and displayed on a single screen, but the benefits likely outweigh the drawbacks. Besides, the vision of the Tesla is not to drive the vehicle, but to be a passenger. Perhaps the display is a bit premature, but not by much.

As an aside, the only manual control I prefer are seats. Waiting for motors to slowly wind a seat into position is frustrating. When I want the seat back, I want it back now, not 1 minute from now.

Finally, the type of people who buy a Tesla are the type that like automated design. People that want manual everything buy a 1969 Beetle.

[RedDevil]

I bet that one can simply tell the Model 3 to open or close the windows, no?
Or program a whole array of settings to invoke at command: vents off, windows down, sun visors down, seats reclining, Pet Sounds on the stereo: e.g. "beach mode"
System versus object thinking.

I held a broken window crank more than once. Power window buttons do fail too.

[NeilBlanchard]

The biggest downside of the touchscreen for everything, is they need motors for things like directing the air flow at the vents. But for things like the side view mirrors, which already have this on many cars, it has worked fine.