It looks like Tesla’s Autopilot feature isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
A new report from Consumer Reports places GM’s Super Crusie driver assistance software above Tesla’s Autopilot in a few key metrics.
The main difference is that GM’s system features an eye-tracking infrared camera to make sure the driver is focusing on the road. Tesla is still missing this component since it relies on other metrics to gauge driver focus. While in theory, these sound good, unless there is a camera making sure that the driver is looking at the road, they can easily learn to trust their cars too much and spend time reading or looking at their phones.
Ford is also planning to use eye-tracking in its Active Drive Assist platform when it debuts in the Mustang Mach-E.
The publication takes this further by claiming that Autopilot can shut off abruptly, while GM’s Super Cruise gives more warnings before it hands manual control back to the driver.
Out of a hundred points, GM scored 69, with Tesla trailing at 57 and Ford in third at 52 points. An interesting aspect of this score is that Consumer Reports chose to test the basic Super Cruise system on the CT6 sedan instead of the newer ‘Enhanced’ version that includes automatic lane changing. SlashGear notes that this may be because the new Super Cruise requires additional hardware and won’t come to older vehicles.
While GM might not be the world’s leader in electric vehicles, it is nice to see it retain a powerful position when it comes to semi-autonomous driving. The automaker also plans to roll out the feature to 22 of its upcoming vehicles.
While Consumer Reports is highly rated, there are some discrepancies in its data, according to SlashGear. For example, people can only use GM and Fords’ system on pre-mapped highways, while in theory, you can use Tesla’s on any road. There is also something to be said about the rapid pace of Tesla updates and how all of its cars run on the same system.
Source: Consumer Reports, SlashGear
