Just a hunch...Gen III released near time Google's Driveless car expected...Hmmm.

[Erleichda]

Reading more about when and how the "Google driverless car" might be expected to evolve. Realizing it is all conjecture, the timeline is eerily similar to that expected (ballpark) for the Gen III. Google using a lot of the Prius right now...is this a match made in heaven? Google tech, Tesla built? That would be ENTIRELY disruptive, and not at all out of order for how Elon has focused on Silicon Valley for his venture. Imagine!

Google's Trillion-Dollar Driverless Car -- Part 3: Sooner Than You Think - Forbes

[ElSupreme]

I don't know if Google will use a Tesla, but I honestly think Elon likes to drive, not have a computer drive him around. I don't think Tesla will really help develop autonomous cars actively. They might give Google some deeper access to the car's control systems but I doubt even that.

[Erleichda]

Great thoughts. Many who are watching think the google car will first have an "on/off" for driverless for use on highways or traffic jams. Perfect for anyone who also likes to drive too. The CES Audi/toyota and upcoming Google versions are not cluttered with equipment inside now, just an Ipad sized control at the dash. Sound familiar? Can you think of a car that could continually be updated as the software for driverless deveops? (the software is THE thing that Google is developing, in fact all of the Google cars can "talk" and learn from each other). Know anyone that wants to change the world? First and foremost the Climate? Driverless is more efficient and saves lives in theory and in early results in practice. I can't imagine there haven't been discussions, it's only that the price is too high for the LIDAR and other equipment ($150k/car)that I don't think it will really happen at Gen III. But who else could do it and bring it in at lower costs than Google and Tesla? Google has said they want to license the tech of course, but realize they need someone to take on making the system. It's a trillion dollar, high-margin company that does...sound like a challenge anyone you know might take-on?

[TEG]

Google seems to favor Toyota hybrid products at the moment... Driverless Prius and Lexus RX...

They have a fleet of EVs (like LEAF, iMiEV, FitEV, etc.) that they could have converted to driverless if they wanted, so it doesn't seem that the driverless car program is tied to their interests in EVs.

They could have ordered and fitted a bunch of Model S by now if they wanted to, but (as far as I know) haven't done so.

Perhaps they are trying to prove the point that their technology works for mainstream, mass produced vehicles, and don't want to seem directly associated with EVs since EVs are still just a niche product.

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To me, one natural "marriage" would be Google Street view with the driverless cars.
They send vehicles all over just to take pictures of the roadsides. Must get boring for the streetview car drivers after a while.
What better app for the driverless car than to drive around a pre-defined route taking pictures of everything along the way.
They probably already have the camera jig on the roof that could be used for both street-view and driverless navigation.

[Banahogg]

- interestingly, a couple of cars were being prepped to be Google self-driving cars (which until now I have seen to be Lexus SUV hybrids). I would not be surprised if Tesla and Google were collaborating at several levels; no proof, just an interesting data point.

From this recent thread:

Random observations from the Menlo Park service center

[yobigd20]

Can Google's driverless car burn a Dodge Viper SRT10 in a quarter mile race? I don't think so. I'll stick to my P85 thank you very much.

[TEG]

Can Google's driverless car burn a Dodge Viper SRT10 in a quarter mile race?

If neither of the cars had drivers, yeah, I would think so!

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From this recent thread:
Random observations from the Menlo Park service center

...a couple of cars were being prepped to be Google self-driving cars...

Well OK then... The "Random Model S sighting threads" will soon need to specify if the car was seen with a driver or not!

[vfx]

...

Well OK then... The "Random Model S sighting threads" will soon need to specify if the car was seen with a driver or not!

Would be fun if they programmed them to take pictures of Teslas on the streets.