Renewable energy and self-driving automobiles

Our lives seem to be increasingly affected by the latest technologies that can turn out be a blessing, or a curse, depending on how we use them, or how they come to rule us.

For the most part, opportunities exist to put newer technologies to good use. However, I reject the assumption that just because we can do something novel with new technology, we should automatically go ahead and do it.

A case in point involves Tesla, the automobile manufacturing company created by the remarkable Elon Musk. It is the leader in the production of all-electric automobiles that in time will greatly reduce our consumption of fossils fuels, in favour of renewable energy sources, which can be nothing but good news for our planet.

Tesla’s goal has always been focused on going green; its mission is emblazoned on its factory walls: “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”

A laudable mission, but one that is somewhat overshadowed by Musk’s belief that “self-driving” cars are as important to our future, with their promise to improve safety and to help ride-sharing arrangements replace car ownership.

So, Tesla offers “Autopilot”, a five thousand dollar optional extra on its vehicles using radar and cameras to detect lane markings, and other vehicles and objects in the road. It is claimed to have the ability to safely steer, brake and accelerate automatically with little input from the driver.

However, in the past year at least three people have now died as owners operate their vehicles with self-driving technology engaged. A Chinese owner was at the wheel of his self-drive Tesla Model S when it crashed into a road sweeper on a highway and took the operator’s life. An Ohio man died when his Model S sedan drove into an all-white tractor-trailer mistaken by his vehicle for a patch of sky.

Last month, a self-driving Volvo SUV struck and killed a woman on a street in Tempe, Ariz. It was believed to be the first pedestrian death associated with self-driving technology.”.

Explanations are being offered up for the deficiencies in the current systems. An authority in the self-driving field recently explained “The systems, as they are now, trick you into thinking they have more capability than they really do. But that’s how people are using them, and they work fine, until they suddenly don’t.” Hardly a reassuring assessment.

In spite of all the hype, I predict that very few of us will pay good money for the self-driving option in our future vehicle purchases. The promoters of self -driving technology argue that vehicles so equipped will be far safer on the roads than current driving practices.

Statistically, that may turn out to be the case but have pity on the unfortunate “driver” who has a driving fatality on his or her conscience and is left with the thought that “I could have avoided that lady on the bicycle, if only I hadn’t been checking Facebook on my iPhone”. That kind of potential eventuality will deter most of us from making that leap to rely totally on a computer chip to keep us, and others in our path, safe.

The other factor affecting the purchase decision is the appeal, or lack of it, of a costly self-driving feature on one’s next vehicle.  I question whether it will be ranked up there with other more appealing “wants” and “needs” in our lives. 

I’m reminded of the visitor to the big-city Ferrari automobile dealer who after a long chat with the salesman confessed that, as beautiful as the vehicles were, he really had no need for a Ferrari; to which the salesman replied that he was really in the wrong place to shop, in that Ferraris are created to satisfy “wants”, not “needs” which almost any vehicle can satisfy.

In the case of self-driving vehicles neither “needs” nor “wants” are sufficiently satisfied to warrant the purchase decision, and therein lies the very limited future I see for driverless cars.

Alan Walter is a retired professional engineer living in Oxford. He was born in Wales and

worked in Halifax. He spends much of his time in Oxford, where he operates a small farm. He can be reached at [email protected].