Why Cadillac edged Tesla in Consumer Reports’ semi-automated driving test

Consumer Reports said Cadillac’s Super Cruise did “the best job of balancing high-tech capabilities with ensuring the car is operated safely and the driver is paying attention.”

Cadillac outscored Tesla Inc in a new ranking of partially automated driving systems tested by Consumer Reports and released on Thursday. 

The highly influential nonprofit organization and magazine publisher, which tests and rates a variety of consumer products from appliances to vehicles, said it compared Cadillac’s Super Cruise and Tesla’s Autopilot with similar systems from Nissan Motor Co. and Zhejiang Geely’s Volvo Car Corp. Nissan’s ProPilot Assist was ranked third and Volvo’s Pilot Assist fourth.

For the full report, click here.

Consumer Reports said it has been testing partially automated driving systems for several years but elected to conduct a formal study intended for publication, because “we are at a tipping point where they are now going mainstream,” according to Jake Fisher, director of auto testing.

The organization said its tests, conducted on a private track and on public roads in Connecticut, were designed to measure the systems’ ability to automatically control steering and speed in certain situations, while helping drivers pay attention and regain manual control of the vehicle when required.

The systems typically use cameras, radar and other sensors, as well as mapping data, to monitor location and traffic conditions and help keep a vehicle centered in the lane at a safe distance behind other cars.

Each system has limitations. Cadillac’s Super Cruise, for instance, only functions on divided highways that have been mapped by parent General Motors. In contrast, Tesla’s Autopilot can be used even on small, curvy roads with poor lane markings, but “operates erratically in those situations,” Consumer Reports said.

{{title}}

{{abstract}}

Read more >

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*