Tesla Autopilot drove into Wile E. Coyote-style fake road wall in the middle of the road in a camera versus lidar test.
While most companies developing self-driving technologies have been using a mix of sensors (cameras, radar, lidar, and ultrasonic), Tesla insists on only using cameras.
The automaker removed radars from its vehicle lineup and even deactivated radars already installed in existing vehicles.
The strategy has yet to pay off as Tesla’s systems are still stuck at level 2 driver assist systems.
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CEO Elon Musk claims that Tesla’s advantage is that once it solves autonomy, it will be able to scale faster than competitors because its vision plus neural net system is designed to work like a human driver and, therefore, will be able to adapt to any road.
Critics have pushed back against those claims, especially since Musk mentioned Tesla achieving “level 5 autonomy”, which means “in any conditions,” and cameras have limitations on that front that are fixed by lidar sensors.
A new video by engineering Youtuber Mark Rober has provided a very interesting demonstration of that very problem:
In the video, Rober puts a Tesla Model Y on Autopilot against a vehicle using a lidar system in a series of tests in different conditions.
The Tesla on Autopilot managed to stop for a kid mannequin in the middle of the road when statics, moving, and blinded by lights, but it couldn’t stop in fog or heavy rain:
It’s not surprising that the lidar, a laser-based system, is capable of detecting better in heavy fog than a camera system.
The heavy rain was a bit more surprising, but to be fair, the level of rain was quite spectacular.
The last scenario of a Wile E. Coyote-style wall with a fake road painted on it was obviously not realistic, but it serves to illustrate the issue with cameras versus radar or lidar sensors: they rely on the perception of potential obstacles rather than hard data about potential obstacles.
In simple words, the lidar sensors didn’t care what was painted on the wall, they only cared that it was a wall, while cameras can be tricked.
Electrek’s Take
I think it’s clear that no Tesla vehicle currently available will be capable of level 5 autonomy as Elon claimed.
Level 4 is also questionable.
I think you can accomplish a lot with cameras, but I think it’s undeniable that adding radars and lidars can make systems safer.
In DMs with us during Tesla’s transition to vision only, Elon even admitted that “very high-resolution radars would be better than pure vision”, but he claimed that “such a radar does not exist”:
“A very high-resolution radar would be better than pure vision, but such a radar does not exist.”
When we pointed one out to him, he didn’t respond. Also, while they use light rather than radio waves, lidars are basically high-resolution radars, but the problem is that Musk has taken such a strong stance against them for so long that now that they have improved immensely and reduced in prices, he still can’t admit that he was wrong and use them.
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Tesla is teasing a new product release on Friday, August 29th, coming to Europe and the Middle East. It’s likely going to be the Model Y Performance.
On X today, Tesla has teased an upcoming product release coming this friday.
The post is cryptic. It only mentions ‘spoiler alert’ and the date August 29 with what looks like a close up of a vehicle with what appears to be a spoil – hence the “spoiler alert” reference:
There are main suspect is the Model Y Performance due to the spoiler reference.
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Since the Model Y refresh in January, Tesla stopped selling the Model Y Performance. It is due to launch the top performance version under the new design.
When Tesla released the Model 3 refresh in 2024, it took about 4 months for Tesla to launch the new performance version.
Electrek’s Take
The only thing that I find strange with this likely being the Model Y Performance is the fact that they tweeted this from the Europe and Middle East account.
It would be strange for the Model Y Performance to launch there first, but who knows. Maybe Tesla started production at Gigafactory Berlin first.
I don’t think this will have a major impact on Tesla’s business. The Model Y Performance is the least popular version of the best-selling Model Y.
We don’t have the full mix of sales, but I wouldn’t be suprised if it represents less than 10% of Tesla’s Model Y deliveries.
The Model 3 Performance is probably a more popular option within the Model 3 lineup as it is a lot more fun to drive.
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The GV60 Magma will have a distinct look and feel compared to other Genesis vehicles. As the first EV from its new performance sub-brand, the Genesis GV60 Magma will debut with enhanced power, advanced suspension, a sporty new design, and more. For the first time, it was caught on video racing around the Nürburgring, giving us our closest look yet.
Genesis GV60 Magma EV flexes new style at Nürburgring
Magma is “the brand’s expansion into the realm of high-performance vehicles,” Genesis boasted. Among the first vehicles to earn a Magma upgrade is the GV60.
Genesis fine-tuned the electric crossover SUV, giving it a wider and lower stance for improved control. The larger lower air intake contributes to the aggressive new look, while also serving to cool the batteries and motor, both of which have been upgraded for enhanced performance.
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Earlier this year, we got a good look at the GV60 Magma during winter testing in Europe. Although you could see a few new design features, it was mostly covered in camo.
Genesis GV60 Magma testing with other Magma vehicles (Source: Genesis)
After it was recently spotted with less camo at the Nürburgring race track in Germany, we are getting an even better idea of what to expect when it arrives.
The video from CarSpyMedia shows the Genesis GV60 Magma EV with a production body and minimal camouflage.
You can see the high-performance vehicle flexing its power and handling as it rips around the track. Like other Hyundai Motor performance EVs, including the new IONIQ 6 N, you can expect the Genesis GV60 Magma to deliver over 600 horsepower, if not closer to 700.
The current Genesis GV60 Performance delivers up to 429 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in 3.7 seconds.
Horsepower
0 to 60 mph (seconds)
Starting Price
Genesis GV60 Performance
429
3.7
$69,900
Genesis GV60 Magma
?
?
?
Porsche Taycan
402
4.5
$99,400
Porsche Taycan Turbo GT (with Weissach Package)
1,092
2.1
$230,000
Tesla Model S Plaid
1,020
1.99
$89,990
Genesis GV60 Magma vs Porsche Taycan vs Tesla Model S Plaid
Genesis will launch the GV60 Magma EV later this year in Korea, followed by the US, Europe, and other global markets. We will learn prices and final specs closer to launch, but given the Performance models start at $69,900, you can expect a higher starting price tag, likely closer to $75,000.
At that it would be significantly less than the Porsche Taycan Turbo and Tesla Model S Plaid. Will it match the performance?
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Colorado is about to see the US’s first floating solar tracker project hit the water.
Noria Energy has started construction on Aurea Solar, a 50 kW floating solar pilot in Golden, Colorado, that will use trackers. The project will power local water utility operations at the Fairmount Reservoir, which is owned and operated by the Consolidated Mutual Water Company (CMWC).
The system is built with Noria’s new floating solar tracker technology, AquaPhi. Unlike conventional floating solar arrays, which are static, AquaPhi rotates the solar islands so the panels follow the sun. That tracking ability boosts energy output by 10-20%. AquaPhi can be added to new projects or retrofitted onto existing floating solar sites to improve performance.
Floating solar is gaining attention as a cost-effective way to generate renewable energy while saving space. For water utilities, the benefits are twofold: generating clean power on existing reservoirs and reducing water loss through evaporation.
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The Golden pilot is the first in the US to use high-performance solar tracking on water, giving a glimpse of how reservoirs nationwide could double as energy producers. At Fairmount Reservoir, the array will power onsite pumps that regulate water supply for the utility’s customers.
“[This project is an exciting opportunity to] not only produce and conserve energy, but also to improve our water supply by reducing how much is lost to evaporation,” said Jarod Roberts, CMWC’s chief of water resources.
Noria is working with GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit that provides renewable energy access and workforce training, and Hazelett Marine, which supplies mooring solutions for floating solar systems.
The 50 kW project is scheduled to come online in September 2025, when it will support CMWC’s mission to deliver clean, safe, and reliable water to more than 100,000 customers in the greater Denver area, while demonstrating the potential for floating solar tracking across the country.
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