Navigation issues with v6.0

Based on our first longish trip and many shorter trips since v6.0 software appeared, the new Navigation software still needs work:

* It only proposes one route per destination, and the priority is clearly on minimum driving time. Why not also propose a minimum distance route, or other choices, and allow a selection?

* It continuously reevaluates the route as one travels it, and posts new routes whenever it computed an advantage, causing the distance and ETA to fluctuate wildly. Why not ask for approval for a proposed route and lock it in when approval is given? If approval is not given, why not ask what criteria apply? Minimum time, minimum distance, toll free, other?

* The software treats any deviation from its current route on the part of the driver as a mistake, and labors to get the driver to U-turn. It only gives up and switches to the driver's route after many attempts to push its favored route on the driver. Why not simply put up a dialog? "Looks like you missed a turn. Would you like to a) return to the route, or b) plot a new route? If a new route, what criteria apply?

Navigation has never been so important to us as it is now that we must make it to a supercharger to have a reasonable charging duration. For that purpose, having a posted route with a known distance and expected arrival time is important even for routes that are familiar and frequently travelled. There is no substitute for comparing the battery state of charge or projected range against the distance remaining on the navigation system and monitoring that periodically throughout the trip. But to do so requires a stable trip route. If we can't get the route we need from the system before starting, we need to "teach" it the route we wish to follow during the trip. And it is anything but helpful to have the system constantly proposing new routes as the trip progresses. These things really need attention badly, in my opinion.

What's your experience? Do we have some things to learn about how the system works?

bob_p said:

The route offered by the navigation software should be considered advice - not necessarily the best route. Traffic conditions can quickly change - especially when the route contains stop lights and other possibilities for traffic slow down.

The latest software does a better job of offering a good route - and the dynamic re-routing tries to help when traffic conditions change.

But there still remains considerable room for future improvements - especially if the intention is to implement "autopilot".

As for getting to a supercharger - most of those are located on major highways - and traffic rerouting on trips outside of urban areas is not as likely to have much benefit.

Click to expand...

I can see some value in dynamic re-routing, but only if I as driver approve of it. I'd be happy with a dialog offering me the opportunity as I have seen at times. But I have observed the route to be dynamically varying all over the place under some circumstances, without asking me if I want that. Not acceptable.

Considering that it is common knowledge that EV range can be extended by "shun-piking" or switching to shorter distance, lower speed routes, it seems to me that the software should be more helpful in achieving that end when needed, by offering minimum distance as well as minimum travel time routes.

On your third point, my observations of dynamic route switching/hunting were indeed well outside of urban areas in countryside where a large number of secondary routes were available. I'm very curious if other people are seeing this behavior?

I guess not many are troubled by this, though... Interesting. Or maybe this post has been deep-sixed by the moderators? I noticed it never appeared under "what's new", which is where I go first to monitor new posts...

It seems like it would be easy enough to put up a dialog asking if the turn was missed, or a new route is being followed that should be optimized. Consider it a request on my part.