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Elon Musk Wants Teslas to Automatically Call a Tow Truck When Something Breaks (techcrunch.com)
An anonymous reader quotes TechCrunch:
In September of last year, Elon Musk promised to make fixing service times a priority. On an earnings call, he outlined two ways they're working on it: more spare parts at service centers, and giving Tesla cars the ability to automatically get the process started by calling a tow truck as soon as it detects an issue. Said Elon on the call:
The next thing we want to add is if a car detects something wrong -- like a flat tire or a drive unit failure -- that before the car has even come to a halt, there's a tow truck and service loaner on the way.
False alarm? Don't want a tow truck to show up? You'll be able to cancel it through the in-dash display.
Musk didn't provide a time frame for when this feature would become available.
The next thing we want to add is if a car detects something wrong -- like a flat tire or a drive unit failure -- that before the car has even come to a halt, there's a tow truck and service loaner on the way.
False alarm? Don't want a tow truck to show up? You'll be able to cancel it through the in-dash display.
Musk didn't provide a time frame for when this feature would become available.
To prevent people going to independent repair shops (like Rich's elecrified-garage)? Also how often does this really happen. This like never happened with the 6 or so Volkswagen of my parents (I'm not into cars). Or are Tesla's simply so unreliable? :-/
Like Apple and the entire tech industry since at least 2006.
The company just overrides your freedom to make your own decisisons. Including overriding if you want that.
The device wants to be smarter than you. And it treats you like a passive, dependent retard... *until you are*.
Thanks, but of I tell Google to search for a word it thinks is mistyped, I freaking want it to search for *that*, not partonize me and even freaking completely block me from searching for images of it!
And if I tell my OS to forget ("delete") a file, don't ask me if I'm sure. I would not have done it, if I did not want it!
My Hilti drill doesn't prevent me from fucking up things either. Because it assumes I know what I'm doing. Because I am!!
Won't these features require a total rebuild of the vehicles already out there?
Or did they already have all these sensors and such built in to the design beforehand?
If so, why has it taken this long for this feature to materialize and/or WHY did they add those sensors in the first place if they never thought of this idea when adding them?
Tow operators are largely predatory businesses that are absolutely against consumer's interests. Only AAA is half-decent, and this is because their core business is insurance product that also happen to have in-house tow operation.
I really like the idea of Tesla, but lack of privacy and control over platform is why I would never buy one. I would be very unhappy if my car decided it may be unsafe to drive, pull over on its own, and call tow operator.
I want DocWagon to show up when my body breaks!
I have had two instances of needing service for my Tesla Model 3. One was a defective windshield wiper (replaced free), the second, minor damage from road debris (reasonable cost). In both cases a Tesla Service van was dispatched to my home and repairs done on my premises. So I think they "get" service. I think of it as "You don't go to the garage, the garage comes to you", which is typical of Musk's out-of-the-box thinking. Fanboi? You bet!
Why would I want a tow truck to show up when I have a flat tire? Don't Teslas come with a spare and a jack so you can deal with it yourself?
Sounds to me like he's trying to manipulate maintenance. Where are the right to repair folks on this one? Why do you imagine Musk is any less of a lying skeeve than any other, greedy, sociopathic CEO? It doesn't exactly inspire trust in the quality of Tesla's elitist toys, either.
This will (1) incapacitate the car when something goes wrong, and (2) call TeslaTow(r), the approved repair center for all Tesla automobiles. TeslaTow, conveniently enough, will also be owned by Musk. The Right to Repair people should be alerted about this.
You want a tow? I can get you a tow, believe me. There are ways Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.
Hell, I can get you a tow by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish.
I can't afford a tow or repair too!
Seriously? I've been changing tires on my family's vehicles since I was 12 (aka more than 4 decades). Why would I need a tow truck to change a tire?
linquendum tondere
You know china just caved to trumps deal right?
Fuck no you don't. NPCs don't know things. just repeat what cnn told them.
The next thing we want to add is if a car detects something wrong — like a flat tire or a drive unit failure — that before the car has even come to a halt, there’s a tow truck and service loaner on the way.
Why not just WAIT till it comes to a halt, and then have a prompt come up, "Would you like to summon a tow truck? Y/N" I can't fathom why he would waste any time on such a dumb feature... and then make the feature prone to calling a tow truck at the wrong time to save 20 seconds.
The simple fact that Musk thinks this is a good idea is why I will never own a Tesla even though I certainly look forward to electric cars taking over.
Electric cars are a great idea, but Tesla is made by and for complete idiots.