VW emissions cheating and driverless cars

by Simon 25 Replies latest social current

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  Simon

  When I first heard about this it sounded like they just had a mode that was optimizing the vehicle's emission levels which sounded good.

  Turns out, they were detecting when a car was being tested to cheat the control system.

  http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34311819
  

  Their shares are down 19% - but larger than the financial fallout is the trust. This is the worlds largest car manufacturer!

  They all seem to be utterly untrustworthy when it comes to vehicle faults whether it's failing airbags, ignition switches, accelerator pedals or emissions.

  But we're supposed to trust them when it comes to driverless cars?

  I think some independent industry-wide controls are needed and we need federal controllers embedded within the companies. The danger of vehicle issues is huge ... they shouldn't be allowed to police themselves.
  
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  LisaRose

  My husband has a Jetta and he was mad about it. It's. It's not just about passing a test and fooling the government, people made buying decisions based on this information, it's fraud on as major scale. I can't believe they thought they would get away with it.
• 

  Simon

  I agree - part of the buying decision for many is how environmental a vehicle is. I read there were already class action lawsuits starting because of the consumer deception.

  What is the solution? Should they be forced to purchase the vehicles back? I think something needs to happen beyond a simple fine. If the vehicles don't measure up to emission controls they should be fixed or destroyed at VW's expense.

  I'd been looking at the Jetta as a possible future car (2 teenage sons both learning to drive) but they are now off my list for any future purchase.
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  _Morpheus

  Thats really cruddie. I bought a prius to save some money on gas bit i also appreciate the reduced emissions. If i found they lied or purposely decived me id be furious
• 

  truthseeker100

  Simon:But we're supposed to trust them when it comes to driverless cars?

  Driverless cars are the way of the future and they are coming faster than most people think and are soon to be more ubiquitous than anyone can imagine.

  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11879182/First-driverless-pods-to-travel-public-roads-arrive-in-the-Netherlands.html

  The biggest hold up lies with the legal ramifications that are likely to occur. For example if your driverless car gets nabbed for speeding or is involved in a collision who is at fault? Not the driver or the car manufacturer maybe the software firm that developed the on-board navigation system. There are also privacy concerns with data logging of where you've been and the list goes on. The lawyers are going to have a field day with this.

  Vehicles are getting too expensive especially in places like china and in many more developed jurisdictions labour to produce them is getting too expensive. Thats why the Asia Trans-Pacific Trade deal is such a big deal right now.

  In places like Canada its going to be a bit more difficult to fully develop the driverless automobile market because of our Northern Latitude. Imagine being in a driverless car in a prairie snow storm. LOL.

  I can envision a day in the not too distant future when hardly anyone will still own their vehicle. It will be much easier and cheaper to subscribe to a driverless taxi service.
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  SecretSlaveClass

  Disappointing to say the least. I've always held the highest respect for VW.
• 

  Simon

  The biggest hold up lies with the legal ramifications that are likely to occur. For example if your driverless car gets nabbed for speeding or is involved in a collision who is at fault? Not the driver or the car manufacturer maybe the software firm that developed the on-board navigation system. There are also privacy concerns with data logging of where you've been and the list goes on. The lawyers are going to have a field day with this.

  That's what I was thinking. It sounds great in theory when they explain that the manufacturer will be responsible (so please don't hesitate to buy our vehicles!) but look at how they behave when their cars cause accidents right now - they blame the driver and anyone else when they know full well that they messed up to save a few cents.

  GM were claiming that a death from an accident due to a faulty ignition was not their fault as "that crash" was a separate accident to the one their vehicle caused because it hit another vehicle just milliseconds earlier. So yeah, totally nothing to do with the crash and careering two tons of metal when they knew it really was.

  In a battle between the car manufacturers and insurance companies the driver will come out well behind.

  In places like Canada its going to be a bit more difficult to fully develop the driverless automobile market because of our Northern Latitude. Imagine being in a driverless car in a prairie snow storm. LOL.

  Yeah, I've been thinking about that. The demo's are always in beautiful pristine California roads, not where the snow makes you have to guess where the road is. The ploughed part suddenly ends and it's "invent your own road time". I guess the only thing that may make up for it is the software's ability to see in different wavelengths, detect lamp-posts and use GPS ... but Canada seems to be one of those places where the roads aren't always exactly where they were supposed to be (why in-car GPS suddenly things you're joining the road you are already on) but if they use the car-tracked paths it should be better.

  There will be cases where the car expects the drive to suddenly take over. Imagine that, half way through a game of Angry Birds you get told "save yourself".
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  _Morpheus

  The sad reality is that eventually the nanny state will presume that its safer for a computer to drive and people will fairly quickly take the lazy way out and let the car do the driving. I will personally become a shut in and never leave my house before i let the car drive. I LOVE driving... But many do not and view it as a chore. They will call it progress and bang the aforementioned safety drum. They will win, sadly. Part of me will die.
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  Simon

  The sad reality is that eventually the nanny state will presume that its safer for a computer to drive and people will fairly quickly take the lazy way out and let the car do the driving.

  It probably will be safer for a lot of people. Imagine all the tailgating jerks in trucks having to be driven in traffic the same speed as everyone else.

  Overall things should be better but I think there is going to be a painful and difficult transition. Just the fact that computer controlled card will auto-brake means morons will probably cut into traffic even more. It might work when all cars are controlled but half-and-half will have issues people haven't even imagined yet.
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  _Morpheus

  A lotta truth in that simon! Its an upside for me on one level, i drive a lot for my profession as utility worker and fools who got their license from a proverbial cracker jack box would be controlled thus making my life easier. I also agree very much on the mess that a 50/50 scenario would create.... But id be willing to endure it provided there was some provision for commercial drivers to maintain full control. There will almost HAVE to be since much of the driving we do is non standard ie: parking in a loading dock or in my case stopping in the middle of road to access a manhole or utility pole. If people taking more standard trips to and from work or to and from the store were computer controlled that may be a best of both worlds for me personally, which is what i really care about ;)