Photo: Tesla
Give Elon Musk rules and he will have the most fun with them. As regulators are demanding that all electric vehicles incorporate sounds for low-speed cruising, either forward or in reverse, the Tesla CEO is following up an older idea of his.
What if Teslas could talk? Musk has said before that he imagines a future in which owners will be able to communicate with their cars, in addition to having the possibility of using voice commands, in the manner of Knight Rider’s KITT.
Well, this is not it. Yet. Musk has taken to Twitter to drop an apparent bombshell, saying that “Teslas will soon talk to people if you want. This is real.” Because scatological humor always works, he also promised that “Of course, your car will be able to [wind emoji] in their general direction.”
While on the face of it, it sounds like Musk is promising Teslas will offer playful banter with pedestrians, the video included with the post shows a Model 3 delivering verbal statements that probably function as warning during low-speed cruising. “Well don’t just stand there staring, hop in,” a male voice says in a sassy British accent, as the car moves at a slow pace in a parking lot.
European and U.S. regulators have demanded that EVs moving at under 19 mph or in reverse have certain sounds playing to alert pedestrians of their approach. This would decrease of risk of injury in inattentive or visually impaired pedestrians, because EVs are silent at such speeds. The modification would also remove just one of the many obstacles in the development of fully autonomous vehicles.
In 2019, Tesla modified the underside of the front end of Model 3 to incorporate a speaker grill. Also, as of last year, a Model 3 update includes an audible tone that plays when the vehicle is moving at slow speed.
As for the farting in the general direction of pedestrians, that too is in keeping with what Musk has been promising owners. In addition to the famous Fart App and a farts-filled Easter Egg, Musk said last year drivers would be able to honk using fart and goat sounds sometime in the future. He wasn’t joking, it would seem.
Well, this is not it. Yet. Musk has taken to Twitter to drop an apparent bombshell, saying that “Teslas will soon talk to people if you want. This is real.” Because scatological humor always works, he also promised that “Of course, your car will be able to [wind emoji] in their general direction.”
While on the face of it, it sounds like Musk is promising Teslas will offer playful banter with pedestrians, the video included with the post shows a Model 3 delivering verbal statements that probably function as warning during low-speed cruising. “Well don’t just stand there staring, hop in,” a male voice says in a sassy British accent, as the car moves at a slow pace in a parking lot.
European and U.S. regulators have demanded that EVs moving at under 19 mph or in reverse have certain sounds playing to alert pedestrians of their approach. This would decrease of risk of injury in inattentive or visually impaired pedestrians, because EVs are silent at such speeds. The modification would also remove just one of the many obstacles in the development of fully autonomous vehicles.
In 2019, Tesla modified the underside of the front end of Model 3 to incorporate a speaker grill. Also, as of last year, a Model 3 update includes an audible tone that plays when the vehicle is moving at slow speed.
As for the farting in the general direction of pedestrians, that too is in keeping with what Musk has been promising owners. In addition to the famous Fart App and a farts-filled Easter Egg, Musk said last year drivers would be able to honk using fart and goat sounds sometime in the future. He wasn’t joking, it would seem.
And, of course, your car will be able to ¨ in their general direction
— Buff Mage (@elonmusk) January 12, 2020
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