| flyinfarmer - 4/13/2024 09:56
Maybe this was covered, but would you say you had approached that same intersection in the same manner with the same road conditions previously and the Tesla responded as you expected until this last event? Or was this set of conditions unique to this event? That would do a lot to help understand if this is some type of intermittent problem with the car's control system or rather a design deficiency in the car's control system. That fact that you could recreate this 'exact' set of conditions with another similar vehicle with acceptable results would certainly indicate differing levels of performance between the 2 vehicles. Then the question is what are the industry standard tests that should address this set of operating conditions and how did each vehicle perform in those tests. It could be that both vehicles met the requirements, and your driving style simply requires vehicle performance beyond that which is needed to past the standard tests. And your Honda may have performance well in excess of the industry standards and the Tesla just 'squeaked' by with acceptable results; hence the different real world response to these conditons.
I agree with you and others that there's a good chance you're one of very few or maybe the only one operating a Tesla in an environment like yours. But once the Tesla trucks get going en masse, then there will be quite a few others using them in a similar way.
Glad you and your family didn't get injured. Like the saying goes - it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye (or worse).
I would say re-creating the exact scenario in another vehicle is not possible with the info I have. When I’m driving I don’t make a mental note on where I hit the brakes and I wasn’t watching the speedometer (I was focused on the road) so without knowing speed and where I applied the brakes for sure, all I really have to go off of is how the stopping felt. Feelings are subjective and could therefore be wrong.
That being said, when I tested with another vehicle I did my best to simulate what I thought I had done before (although I gave myself more room and made extrapolations based on how far it took me to stop in the van).
In regards to your first question about whether I had approached the same intersection in the same manner previously, no I had not. I drove more aggressively that day than I have ever driven in the Tesla before. I have driven that aggressively in other vehicles but not the Tesla.
Most of the time my driving style is geared towards balancing time and efficiency. Therefore on the straight roads with good visibility I cruise along at a pretty good clip and always have. But I don’t like working on brakes and I don’t like wasting energy that I put into building momentum so I often let off the gas WAAAAY before I need to so that I don’t waste energy or brakes.
On the other hand I’m also a person that likes to know what I’m capable of and what the vehicle I’m driving is capable of. I feel over the years exploring this boundary has made it so I have been able to extract myself from some precarious situations I have been dumped into without issue. I feel being a truly good driver requires one to know the limits of themselves and their vehicle.
I failed in that regard with the Tesla. I should have tested the emergency stopping on gravel roads even if I was a less aggressive driver. If they worked great several times, I would know right now that I misjudged this situation and it was all me.
But up to that point I had not driven that aggressively in the Tesla so I really don’t know for sure, especially since I can’t truly re-create the environment.
Regardless, going forward I will be much more conservative in all vehicles. It was honestly a very terrifying experience and the shame associated with it is relentless. Yes I believe the Tesla could have done better which is why I made this post but I could have been more responsible by a lot which is why I didn’t want to make this post. |
Tesla update
