Could the motoring industry have a major disruptive factor on its hands? The answer falls into the category of “what if you put Newton’s universal laws of gravitation into a cement mixer and hoped that something good would result?” In other words, not really.
Let’s face it; it’s hard to beat Tesla. In fact, make that darn hard. Tesla has taken software expertise and coupled that, seamlessly, into a powerful performance machine that’s quite unlike anything you’ve ever driven.
There could be no other reason for Tesla Model 3 being the best-selling car globally and the number one in the US and UK. This is some honor and it has led to some of its features being copied for other suppliers. Musk, buy the way, is quite happy that others use patents.
One of Tesla’s most awe-inspiring features is the auto-driving capabilities, but even that has become a little “old hat” these days. It is the myriad mix of software features that will leave you breathless. It has become more like driving the latest state-of-the-art computer.
Main features
Okay, let’s look at Tesla’s main features. There’s a battery unlike any others, which has been developed for superior performance. The space-age doors on the SUV fly up and not to the side. The Model X has a terrific towing capacity like that of a gas-powered vehicle.
Get to handle the huge touchscreen that you could probably configure for a trip to Mars. There are 360 parking vision capabilities and a host of other breath-taking features that you could spend all week fiddling with, just for fun.
Feel the smooth, quiet, wild drive on tires that will have you tearing along the highway are a standard feature on all makes. Go from 0-60 mph in the blink of an eye. Heated seats and driving wheel. Things that open and close silently that you never knew could open and close. Everything for a reason.
Get the greatest Tesla app for your phone. The two go together like birds of a feather. Listen in, and you could probably hear them communicating with each other. There is in-car entertainment like you’ve never seen.
Handle the Star Trek’s Enterprise
The Model 3 has a glass roof, making you part of the action on the road. The operator’s platform in the Tesla semi goes even further, making you really feel like you’re handling the Star Trek’s USS Enterprise.
Charging functions and apps that let you know where the next charging station is and will take you on the shortest route to get there.
Right, so Daimler and Nvidia. There was an announcement earlier this year that Daimler plans to make the driver-less feature part of the Mercedes brand.
It went on to announce that there is a collaboration between the companies and a major software developer – something it had no option in doing if it ever wants to become a serious competitor of Tesla.
Tesla, you see, has its roots in Silicon Valley. The speed with which new software introductions are finding their home in Tesla vehicles is awesome. Competitors have complained that it’s “too fast,” whatever that may mean.
Relying on more powerful chips has become the name of the new auto game. With Tesla, new chips and hi-tech software capabilities now occur under the same roof as the building of the vehicle.
It’s no secret that Daimler is shaken by all this, probably trying to reason with themselves why they didn’t think of Tesla’s standards first.
They have a 17-year catch-up to fulfill. So, by the time they’ve caught up, Tesla would most likely have moved on. As far as comparisons with Tesla’s features go, then, that’s probably a non sequitur. The basics will be there, for sure. But what of Tesla’s further innovations?
Most motoring pundits reckon that would-be competitors will always be playing catch-up.
