BMW tests next-gen LiDAR to beat Tesla to Level 3 self-driving cars::Tesla’s autonomous vehicle tech has been perennially stuck at Level 2 self-driving, as BMW and other rivals try to leapfrog to Level 3.
Almost certainly.
But self-driving also depends on up-to-date mapping data and continually improved algorithms for the autonomous systems to work properly. An ongoing cost to the customer makes the most sense for a service that has operating costs to the service provider.
Only if they’re giving the hardware away with the car. Tesla is charging ~$15k upfront for FSD. It would be absurd to tack a monthly fee on top of that.
Why do you think you should get stuff for free?
Hardware has a cost. Running a service has a cost. Providing updates has a cost. If you don’t think you should be responsible for the costs of the things you use, you’re going to be disappointed pretty often. Venture-capital funded startups can only give away free shit for so long before they have to start giving returns
I mean, does it? Presumably the idea (that Tesla had anyway) is to try and mimic what humans do, and we don’t need mapping data to drive “safely” (for a given value of safe). Of course, humans also get lost, but again, the GPS updates is basically free at this point for the mapping help humans need. (Garmin stopped charging yearly long ago, Open Maps and Google Maps and Wayze all are “free”).
