I don't want Elon Musk for President

[surfafrica]

The point is that for kids $5,000 goes a long way in Uber's or Lyfts.  Heck thats 625 rides at $8 per.  No fender benders, no drunk driving, no Death (or less of a chance).  Sign me up!!!!   

Now you're talkin'!

https://www.wired.com/2016/10/uber-flying-cars-elevate-plan/

[PonoBill]

Other than briefly owning a pile-o-crap to tow a camping trailer I lived in, I didn't own a car until I was nearly 30. Motorcycles, bicycles, public transportation and walking.  I still don't understand why anyone living in an urban center would own one--makes no sense except as conspicuous consumption.

Self-driving cars will most likely be shared. There's no reason not to other than for the hyper-fastidious.  Uber and Lyft will become Uber, Lyft, Tesla, Ford and GMC. Not to mention all the other brands. The way to radically accelerate the performance of self-driving cars is to network knowledge.  Tesla is offering a framework to share data and is willing to make it's anonymized data shared. Once self driving cars have access to trillions of miles of driving experience and the hardware and software to use it the performance will become super-human. Already is close.

[pdxmike]

Okay ,  you guys have  got  me  thinking . I  am  planning  on  getting  a  new  car  soon and  have  pretty  much  decided  on  a 4runner that  I'll  be  keeping  for  at  least  10 years . Now  Im thinking that  5 years  from  now  I'll  be  getting  an electric  car  with  auto  pilot . Maybe  I  should  lease  the  4runner  instead  of  paying  cash ?
..

Buy the 4runner ASAP unless you're convinced Trump won't win.  I heard him say he's going to stop 4runners from entering the country.

[PonoBill]

PDX drops the mic.


Actually, I've always considered that a really lame meme. PDX puts the mic gently down on the podium.

[headmount]

What's been posted about people's inability to drive is so pertinent.  And then there's the crazy factor.  The other day someone was careening down the opposite lane on the Dairy rd extension of the highway across the island.  Ended with a three car fatality collision... here on Maui. 

So Shirley tells me I don't need to look merging because it's our designated lane.  Turning my head isn't easy anyway but  I say in my sweetest voice, because I always love it when she tells me how to drive. "Honey, I'm not assuming anything." ...

I think people's resistance to self driving cars rests in their paranoia about how they drive.  "I'm bad but how could a computer be better?"

Of course downwind paddlers are the worst, especially running stop signs in Wailea.

[surfafrica]

Big win for Chevy and EVs in general.  I love my Leaf and will be ready for the Model 3 when my old Mazda kicks it (yep, I'm in line).  My buddy just put a down payment on a Bolt.

http://www.motortrend.com/news/chevrolet-bolt-ev-2017-car-of-the-year/

[supdiscobay]

Looking forward to the Model 3.  We waited in line too!  Didn't really want to wait until late 2017/2018, but the new Chevy Bolt is so ugly, I will wait for the model 3. Even with its "fat lip" front facia.

[PonoBill]

The leafs and Volts are a big boon to the DIY electric vehicle folks. the batteries I was going to stick in my Electric TR3 would have cost about 15K, but I can get a battery from a wrecked volt for less than 2K. There are enough volts on the road to make a good supply. the Leaf battery is also feasible.

[PonoBill]

I starting to think maybe I do want Elon. His presentations are awkward and totally brilliant. The solarcity/tesla merger was approved by more than 85 percent of the shareholders despite analysts constantly negative comments. The guy is simply a great leader. His answer to the potential for Trump killing subsidies is superb, as well as the reasons why the new Solar Roofs will probably be less expensive than a conventional roof, even before the cost of electricity is considered--even considering the more complex and expensive labor required to connect the cells to a backplane.

Painful to watch the kludginess of the support for his talk, but the reason is simple and interesting. He refuses to waste time rehearsing. The polished stuff Apple does rings so hollow by comparison. He doesn't just speak without a net, he doesn't practice the tightrope walk before stepping on the wire.