Photo: @MissJilianne via X
For people thinking Tesla EVs are too reliant on their onboard computers, an experiment shows what happens when those computers stop operating. The video reveals that the Model X computer can be rebooted while driving. Tesla warns not to drive while performing a touchscreen reset, as many safety features are unavailable.
Technology is part of our lives, whether we want it or not. Not only that, but technology advances much faster than most of us can adjust, which makes many people fear technological changes. This is actually the main reason people oppose electric vehicles. The long charging times, lack of charging infrastructure, and the battery's alleged short life are merely excuses.
Most electric vehicles sold today are at the forefront of technology, pioneering what is already called the software-defined vehicle (SDV) trend. This means that horsepower and comfort no longer define a car model, nor is it how fast it goes or for how long. It's the software that is the most important and the features it offers. This is already stirring new fears in some people, as many believe relying on software for everything is unhealthy.
Indeed, computers control all the car's functions these days, and all new vehicles use dozens of tiny controller chips. When you press the brakes, a computer decides how much braking force is needed, sometimes making the car brake harder (automatic emergency braking is an example) or softer (to prevent wheels from locking during hard braking) than the driver intended.
The steering wheel system is also controlled by a computer. Although there's a physical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels, most modern vehicles can override the driver to avoid an obstacle or a difficult situation. This offers safety benefits but also stokes fears about the power that technology has over our lives.
It's no wonder some people believe modern vehicles can become metal bricks on wheels when computers malfunction. This has been said about Tesla EVs many times, considering that Tesla builds its cars like computers with wheels rather than cars with a computer.
Still, computers break all the time, and software is often unreliable. That's why mission-critical components are built with redundancy in mind. It's not far from what happens in modern airplanes, where every critical function is provided by three different systems. Even when two such systems fail, the plane continues to function safely.
Tesla is no stranger to computer problems, as owners with failing eMMC know very well. When the embedded storage memory failed, drivers experienced black screens while driving. The same can happen when there's a system overload causing the CPU to overheat. Still, the vehicles were drivable, and we hadn't heard of any crash caused by such a problem.
A Tesla fan took a Tesla Model X on a busy highway in California and forced the infotainment system to reboot while driving to show what would happen. As you can see in the video below, nothing strange happens while the computer reboots, apart from the screens going black for a while. She does the same in a newer model-year Tesla Model S with the same results.
This is possible because the car's driving functions are handled by the Autopilot computer, not the infotainment computer. It's also built with redundancy, so things don't get spooky when some components break. Tesla also makes it very clear not to attempt to reboot the onboard computer (that would be the infotainment computer) while in motion, as many safety functions might be unavailable during that time.
Most electric vehicles sold today are at the forefront of technology, pioneering what is already called the software-defined vehicle (SDV) trend. This means that horsepower and comfort no longer define a car model, nor is it how fast it goes or for how long. It's the software that is the most important and the features it offers. This is already stirring new fears in some people, as many believe relying on software for everything is unhealthy.
Indeed, computers control all the car's functions these days, and all new vehicles use dozens of tiny controller chips. When you press the brakes, a computer decides how much braking force is needed, sometimes making the car brake harder (automatic emergency braking is an example) or softer (to prevent wheels from locking during hard braking) than the driver intended.
The steering wheel system is also controlled by a computer. Although there's a physical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels, most modern vehicles can override the driver to avoid an obstacle or a difficult situation. This offers safety benefits but also stokes fears about the power that technology has over our lives.
It's no wonder some people believe modern vehicles can become metal bricks on wheels when computers malfunction. This has been said about Tesla EVs many times, considering that Tesla builds its cars like computers with wheels rather than cars with a computer.
Still, computers break all the time, and software is often unreliable. That's why mission-critical components are built with redundancy in mind. It's not far from what happens in modern airplanes, where every critical function is provided by three different systems. Even when two such systems fail, the plane continues to function safely.
Tesla is no stranger to computer problems, as owners with failing eMMC know very well. When the embedded storage memory failed, drivers experienced black screens while driving. The same can happen when there's a system overload causing the CPU to overheat. Still, the vehicles were drivable, and we hadn't heard of any crash caused by such a problem.
A Tesla fan took a Tesla Model X on a busy highway in California and forced the infotainment system to reboot while driving to show what would happen. As you can see in the video below, nothing strange happens while the computer reboots, apart from the screens going black for a while. She does the same in a newer model-year Tesla Model S with the same results.
This is possible because the car's driving functions are handled by the Autopilot computer, not the infotainment computer. It's also built with redundancy, so things don't get spooky when some components break. Tesla also makes it very clear not to attempt to reboot the onboard computer (that would be the infotainment computer) while in motion, as many safety functions might be unavailable during that time.
You aren’t going to believe this!!
— Miss Jillybean ???????? (@MissJilianne) August 22, 2023
California blonde turns off the computer on her Tesla while driving on a busy Los Angeles freeway. Is she crazy? pic.twitter.com/nSipQK7wde
Tesla Model X computer shuts down on a busy Los Angeles freeway.
— Miss Jillybean ???????? (@MissJilianne) August 20, 2023
You won’t believe what happened. pic.twitter.com/dJ4xPB2m8e
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