Mechanical Engineer Answers Car Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED
Mechanical engineer and Stanford professor Chris Gerdes answers the internet's automotive questions. Why aren't solar powered cars a thing yet? How do self-driving cars see? How can Teslas crash when on auto-pilot? Is hacking a big threat to autonomous cars? Chris answers all these questions and much more!
Director: Lisandro Perez-Rey
Director of Photography: Florian Pilsl
Editor: Jordan Calig
Expert: Chris Gerdes
Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi
Associate Producer: Paul Gulyas
Production Manager: D. Eric Martinez
Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila
Casting Producer: Nicholas Sawyer
Camera Operator: David Smith
Sound Mixer: Simon Gordon
Production Assistant: Nathan Sandoval
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen
Additional Editor: Paul Tael
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
00:00 Automotive Support
00:11 When to Buy an EV
00:46 Solar Powered Cars
01:33 Retrofitting Cars
02:22 LIDAR
03:20 Steering Wheels
04:33 Flying Cars
05:06 Miatas
05:46 Autonomous Car Reaction
06:24 DeLorean
06:51 Boxy Cars
07:56 1970s Cars
08:31 Spoilers
09:12 Confusing Autonomous Cars
09:50 Green Wheels
10:24 Ferrari vs. Porsche
10:48 Tesla Autopilot
11:19 Self-Driving AI
12:21 Manufacturer Accountability
12:57 Hydrogen Cars
13:29 Neural Networks
14:06 Hacking
14:41 Four Wheels
15:22 EVs For All
15:51 Accident Prone
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I love how we've all collectively decided to just keep calling it Twitter...
Did twitter's name change or something? I know they changed the logo to an x, but as far as I'm aware it's still twitter.
@@arthurwintersight7868the name was changed to "X"
@@anonymousshoe842 - Lies. 🙂
I think the official name is "X formerly known as Twitter "
elon is a brat and we shouldn't bend to his whim just because he owns Twitter lol
I really wished they asked him some more technical questions cause they got a literal Ivey league professor to explain commen sense stuff. Half of these questions are solved in a single google search
He has to dumb things down otherwise most people's eyes glaze over.
U can say the same thing about the videos they did with the surgeons and doctors on here. They are all basic questions but its just that more people know about their cars better than their own bodies
And people care about their more cars than care about their bodies)@@longdang3379
@@longdang3379 People may understand some mechanical aspects, but most people don't understand mechanical engineering, which involves applied calculus, differential equations and quite a lot of advanced physics. Source, I'm a mechE
I’d say much more than half tbh
I think people can’t differentiate between a mechanic and mechanical engineer
I would believe this to be true in America lmao. Here in Turkey, even your grandma would know the difference.
Ehhh its a mixed bag. I was a mechanic before I became a mechanical engineer. So I kinda know how to think like a mechanic when designing things.
People really think it's just a mechanic with an engineering degree
Mechanics correct the deficiencies of design engineers
I feel like you just made that up. Nobody is confusing an engineer and a technician lmao
there was not enough variety of questions in this episode, it was mostly about EV and autonomous vehicles.
almost like it’s on purpose😂
It’s propaganda if you ask me. Like they want everyone to drive an electric car when there are way better ways to make the earth cleaner such as huge countries like China polluting so much that cars are irrelevant. Or why no one is looking into something like Porsches clean efuel. Instead people are pushing for self driving cars so now actual people are going to be idiots over time because they can’t do anything. It’s already happened with Tesla drivers getting to comfortable driving with auto pilot that normal cars are like trying to speak a different language you don’t know.
Gotta keep pushing the message.
they cant make the difference between a mechanics and a mechanical engineer
@@leviswranglers2813 what message
7:56 also survivor bias. You don't see the millions of older cars anymore because they broke and crushed. So you just see the ones people looked after.
Also, the amount of parts that have been replaced in most 70s cars that are still running. People don't really think about "Oh I replaced this 10 years ago" or "I upgraded the XX a few years ago". All of that adds up. in reality, a car lasting over 100k miles in the 70s was unheard of. Some older people still will tell you to get rid of a car over 100k miles. However today, if a car DOESN'T make it well into the 100k mile range, it's a dud.
People that think 70's cars are more reliable than cars today are absolute morons to be polite about it. Cars today are absolutely massively better engineered in every conceivable way.
@@shane864nah, my golf 4 will outlive 90% of cars built this year 100%
@@conorf8091bro a golf 4 is not a 70s car
On modern oil and fuel there are many engines built in the 60s/70s that will last longer than at least a good chunk of what's built today. The best engines of today are better than the best engines of that time period, but there are some standouts.
You can clearly see that he loves his job. Awesome!
Apples
@@DrewpyAnimationsoranges
Really? I got the sense he despises it. Maybe even ashamed of it.
I wish i could love my job 😭
Agreed
Don't know why people hate on the MX5/Miata, they aren't supposed to be a fast car, they're supposed to be a well handling *fun* drop top. Look at a 60's British sports car... SMH
People who need to overcompensate, perhaps? 🫢
nobody whos a car guy/girl would hate on the miata. What else gives you n/a, stick shift, lightness, quirkyness, playfulness, great looks, roadster in summer or winter at a reasonable price and running costs afordable for the average middle class person? Yeah, nobody So those who hate compensate (true!) their inferiority complexes
Literally any 10-20 year old GM product with a LS and Tremec, and that's a lot of cars. Not like 30k for 350-450hp is a bad deal@@wackrapsatire
@@loganamurray64 but do you hate the MX5/Miata?
Literally any gm of the last 20 years is a lightweight roadster?? Learned something new. @@loganamurray64
That guy in the Lidar hugging the wall standing perfectly still like we won't notice him. 😂 We see you.
Nice catch lmao 😅 I didn’t see it
Low-key proof of concept. ;)
I think the perception that 70s cars lasted longer has a lot to do with survivorship bias. As an European, there were quite a few cars that didn’t last in the 70s, early Golfs, Alfasud, Lancia Beta, Fiats that started to rust on the dealer lot..
Yeah. when did you last see a 70's car on the streets, being used as a daily. They rusted away long ago. Exhaust system was replaced every other service because rust....
I grew up in the 1980's. all those cars were junk until they got EFI in mid late 80's. We would get stuck EVERYWHERE with vapor lock on carbs and all kinds of things. @@douglasberg2881
Scrappage schemes have had a huge hand in the thinning of the 2nd hand car market, a huge shame really due to the amount that were just left to rot on abandoned airfields and such
70s cars is survivorship bias. 80s and 90s cars not so much so long as they were well engineered and built. 2000s and later a majority of the vehicle is made with a limited cycle use in mind meaning that parts are only designed to last so long. Usually long enough to last somewhere in the 5-10 year ballpark. Why? Because a majority of car buyers hold onto a car for 5-6 years, give or take. Engineering a car to last longer is just throwing money away for the car companies for no real reason.
@@douglasberg2881 I see them every day. Where do you live that you don't see classic cars? 2002s, GTVs, old Chevy/Ford trucks, they all make great dailies.
appreciate his patience and willingness to explain even super basic questions
A lot of these were very simple questions that need no more than 10 minutes of searching on google. I hope you actually give this highly educated professional actually questions that cant be solved with a few serches
The trouble is that billions seem to believe everything on the internet, whether true or not.
fr and they only talked about cars
@hubertlysiak7023 the video is called "answers car questions" not sure what you expected
Complex questions requires complex answers.
Basically a paid comercial by Ford and Tesla for stupid people
As a professional auto technician of 20+ years and shop owner now the biggest problem is the owners never changing their oil and waiting till their car does move to bring it in. Not talking about EV’s
Especially these GDi engines
FWIW, 10,000 mile synthetic oil change recommendations are probably to blame for that, says the old car guy who’s never had any problems because of 4000 mile oil changes even with synthetic😂jk but liquid crud and maybe even small teeny tiny metal particles don’t help lubricate a car engine for 10,000 miles despite magical modern synthetic oil🤔😒🙄
They should've gotten an toyoto, or honda, "change oil every 4k miles" @@IndyAvocadoKid
Those 15,000 mile oil changes are crazy, the oil must be so good. After all, it lasts the entire life of the engine!
And manufacturers telling you to go f yourself if you want to do even basic maintenance without taking it to a dealer. An oil change on something like a BMW is an hour-long process of jumping through ridiculous hoops that have no purpose, with proprietary tools and computer processes, meanwhile on more conventional cars an oil change only takes one wrench and 15 minutes. I have to imagine getting underneath a Bentley probably just gives you a gold-plated padlock and a middle finger.
MX-5/Miata owner here, always happy to see them getting called out for being awesome!
It's really awesome that more girls are getting into the car scene!
@@MrAminalCrackers How do you mean?
They're boring
@_mickmccarthy Miata is known to some as woman vehicles
@MrTmenzo 😂 Amazing, yeah I guess it's not surprising that there are men out there that are so insecure they feel the need to have a "manly" car.
personally you just can't replace the drive feel of a manual miata. no way to replace that drivers feel with an electric alternative.
Finally, an honest assessment of the longevity of vintage cars. The '70s are an ideal time for long lived cars as many low-maintenance components were introduced. Electronic ignition, reliable drivetrains, and many other refinements were standardized throughout the 1970s. The plastics in modern cars are short-lived and the computer modules are overcomplicated and not robust enough to last. Old cars just keep going with basic maintenance and occasional small repairs with basic hand tools
Basically a paid comercial by Ford and Tesla for stupid people
7:56 Another thing to consider is survivorship bias. The adage of "things are not built like they used to" often evokes this bias when in reality the surviving technology makes up a tiny fraction of the total. That said, I do agree that modern cars are nearly impossible to maintenance yourself due to increasing complexity and increasing complexity can result in more ways for things to go wrong.
Yeah, the fact is that the *vast* majority of 2022 cars are still on the road. The vast majority of 1970s cars were rusting in a scrap heap decades ago.
@@leeprice1332022 is just two years ago
Drove a ford with lane assist it was the most terrifying drive of my life, at no time did i feel in control of the car. Anytime you moved slightly in your lane you'd feel the car start to fight you, in winter this is a scary feeling.
There's an off command. Turn it off, and you won't have to worry about it.
@@thespadestable was a rental thankfully
I experienced this in a 2018 Subaru Forester. I hated that.
There are two basic types: one that "bounces" you back every time you come near a line and one that tries to always keep you in the middle. As long as you have to keep your hands on the steering anyway the second one is just working against you all the time.
As I see it, a major problem of flying cars is that EVERY traffic accident could be a fatality. Too many people have accidents at ground level. What's going to happen when the sky is full accidents waiting to happen.
Then only allow autonomous flying cars with system that tracks them like planes. This way collision would be almost impossible since all cars would know each other position.
Auto Pilot not self driving self driving is not possible auot pilot is that is what many tech experts are now saying.@@ashreen4330
@@ashreen4330 Than we will have "Roads, but more dangerous and expensive" Forget about crashes, lots of people can't change their engine oil or tyres.
@@ashreen4330technically you’re correct, but the real reason flying cars will never be a real thing is because nobody can afford a high tech computerized flying car that costs $500,000 😂jk but it’s the financials that’s the problem, unless you can get a 60 year flying car loan😂jk
@@IndyAvocadoKid😂jk😂jk😂jk
the maintainably actually also has a big impact on the ecological footprint. Modern cars are often "repaired" by replacing a whole module consisting of many parts instead of only the broken part. That creates more waste but is more costefficent for the manufacturer but also more expensive for consumers. Why? Because companies love money.
Yes, but cars and their parts are highly recyclable, most pieces of a car don’t end up in a land fill.
Basically a paid comercial by Ford and Tesla for stupid people
@@Nun195No, they end up in junkyards where rain washes all kinds of elements and carcinogens into water supplies. Same reason that modern brake pads don't contain as much metal as they used to, or why lead-free ammunition is required for hunting in some areas. Plus all the emissions involved in recycling materials like plastic, which is often comparable to the amounts released in the manufacture of new components anyway.
People can't even follow the lines on the road; flying cars will not be a thing until every driver is disciplined. That's something you can't fix in an R&D lab. Also, managing the logistics of sky "roads" would be a nightmare. 😂
Flying cars would probably have to be paired with some massively centralized AR system that each car has to "see" where the lines are in the sky. It'd be an insane undertaking to start this kind of thing.
@@AngryLink They wouldn't necessarily have to "see" any lines or any other cars. The GPS coordinates of the "air roads" could be pre-programmed into the car's flight computer, so the car should theoretically be able to fly 100% autonomously. Just like commercial airliners do today
The idea is that there wouldn't be a person driving, they would be fully autonomous
lets forget about driving them or even regulating them. imagine commuting with the fuel/energy costs of a plane or helicopter. imagine parking but everyone has the equivalent of a personal helicopter.
We have flying cars. They're called helicopters.
LMAO at the Miata question. I just picked up an NC MX 5 and get laughed at by everyone as a hairdresser. Can people also start hating on the NSX to drive down those prices as well. Thanks in advance lollll
5:08 tf you mean. Miata’s have always been cool if you were a true car enthusiast
Miata daily driver here. Miatas have always been cool, fun to drive cars. It's just that most people are now just starting to realize it lol.
I was waiting for this one, very cool! Can't wait for a part 2 also! 💪🏻
Glad you picked the correct answer for Ferrari vs Porsche 💯
Jeremy Clarkson convinced me also, a Ferarri is mostly unusable. Of course Miata Is Always The Answer
Love it! Let's have more episodes of this! 10:48 So happy to see this topic being discussed. Wrote my master's thesis on this subject with Polestar - it's a true rabbit-hole that we unfortunately still lack a lot of research in.
Another thing to remember with older cars vs newer cars, there is more in a newer car that can "total" it, meaning cost of repair exceeds value of the vehicle. Crumple zones and air bags being huge sfety features that save lives, are also much more costly to repair or replace. Air bags can go off at fairly low speed that may not result in a lot of physical damage, but having them go off will most likely total a car that is more than a few years old.
Problem with your theory is that an older car can be written off with very little damage. Almost any accident requiring repairs and bodywork will write off an older vehicle due to the cost of labour alone. "Safety features", computer modules, etc don't even need to be considered.
@stupidas9466 I have had to argue with a few different insurance companies over this. One company wanted to total my Jeep over $1700 in damage- I told them to go pound salt and fixed it myself.
Have you ever watched videos of classic cars in crash tests? They total themselves just fine without airbags.
@AisuruMirai That's a funny comment since modern vehicles have engineered in crumple zones to make them collapse easier since older cars were built so strong the vehicle often survived better than the occupants did.
Yep. Older cars hold up better in low speed accidents or fender benders than new cars.
6:27 I actually am terribly disappointed, that his answer wasn’t just “Well the way I see it is, when build a drift Maschine, why not do it with style”… but smart guy with great answers!
Yeah, he was perfectly set up for that response, but I can't say I would catch every single pop culture reference.
Considering the way the question was written, this was quite probably the proper answer, disappointing indeed.
This man is an excellent speaker and presenter. I really enjoyed listening to him, even when he explained things I already knew.
Basically a paid comercial by Ford and Tesla for stupid people
Most people who have asked these questions aren't real car guys/gals. They are just people who are caught up with what's new and modern by today's standards. Most people proclaiming to be car guys/gals are people who just like a iPhone on wheels... That's just my two cents
Real question, is it even possible to buy a new car that isn't an "iPhone on wheels," besides the Morgan "Three-Wheeler?" I don't think the Big three even make a car without an infotainment system.
don't think this is a hot take, no one claimed to be car guys when asking questions. it's just the general public mostly
its ok to be aware that trends are a thing and people don't put that much thought into everything. good take.
Basically a paid comercial by Ford and Tesla for stupid people
One more question. Why are newer cars much more poorly engineered? For example, maintenance items like lightbulbs, filters and such being so much more difficult to access. Even engine timing chains at the rear of the engine, necessitating engine removal for replacement. My dad was told by someone in the assembly industry that vehicles are engineered to be quickly assembled so as to cut costs, but some of these things just seem stupid.
It's the age of stupidity. Mainly that's why.
Companies realized that if they can sell you a money pit vehicle you’ll give them a lot more money. Very sad to see that this works for cheap companies while saab went out of business because their cars were too reliable and nobody had to spend money to fix them
It’s because the accessibility of lightbulbs and filters are low priorities for consumers when deciding what car to buy and manufacturers are aware of this and so optimise for other features.
@@Monaleenian yes
Think about one thing an older vehicle can achieve that a newer vehicle can’t. Acceleration, top speed, comfort, efficiency, towing capacity, SAFETY. New cars do everything better. Saying newer cars are engineered worse because you need to remove a couple more bolts to access something is what is actually stupid, and you should appreciate that there are people working to constantly improve them.
Still daily-driving a '91 Accord coupe with 320K - just the nicest car to drive. Soon to get its third paint job - only thing it needs.
1993 Accord with 350k here,
@@benruss4130 Brother-man! Couple years ago, I also had a V-12 MB coupe, and a '59 MB rally car - and the Accord was still nicer and my go-to to drive around town! Were you original owner of the '93 (my brother bought mine new)? I've found a guy on EBay that puts together complete AC retrofit kits - so I'll do that before hot weather - hard to get the banned refrigerant anymore!
@@mccanlessdesign nah, a friend bought it in Canada and then brought it to the US. My approach with the AC has been don't fix what ain't broken and it's working so far.
On the point of manufacturer accountability, if an airplane crashes while under autopilot, its still the pilot's responsibility. "Pilot in command" is the phrase they use regardless of if the autopilot is on or not. Imo the same rules should apply to self driving cars. One person in that car should always be acting as "pilot in command".
pilots are trained for many thousands of hours. 200 could be considered a long time when it comes to cars.
The funny thing about this is that Teslas are level 2, but all news coverage is talking about every Tesla crash like a cross between a robot uprising and Elon personally trying to kill people for sport.
Auto pilot in planes does not mean the plane is flying itself. Once the plane hits cruising altitude auto pilot just takes over watching more menial settings and information while the pilot is still engaged with making sure of and directing safe flight with the major systems
Didn't realize John Lithgow moonlights as an Engineer!
That's his day job, actually. He moonlights as an actor.
Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, Rage against the dying of the light...
Same color hair and that's it
Remember guys. When we reach Level 5 autonomous vehicles your car will drive back to the dealership when you miss your passenger subscription. (Leasing and buying cars will not be an option.)
Level 5 will never happen. self driving engineers have stated that themselves.
@@redemptionjack4657 Thank God
@@Zeke2p9 I know the second they said auot pilot I calmed down immedatly.
@@redemptionjack4657 lol "never". good luck with that
@Jessev741 If you disagree with me, I can get links to quite a few engineers and MIT engineers who have said Level 5 will never happen.
"Human driving errors, to the programming erros" very well said
My '64 Dart hit 300,000 miles, and was still running when I sold it in 1982. Imagine that. :D
Heh, old all metal car with no electronics plus no computer aided design to make sure some things fail 6 months out of warranty so repairs are needed😂jk but cars were really overbuilt in the old days, no computer aided design meant engineers just had to guess when a part might fail, now they pretty much know when a part will fail…🤔🙄😒
My father's mercury comet needed an engine overhaul at 900 miles. Small samples aren't statistically meaningful.
@@IndyAvocadoKid as long as you didn't mind replacing the point and plugs every 15k miles and adjusting them every 5k miles.
HOw many miles per rebuild? No engines or transmissions made then last that long without a rebuild. NONE OF THEM. SO be sure to be honest and not make things up.
@@SophiaAphroditeJust because you don't want to believe it, that doesn't mean it isn't true. My car had 289,122 miles on the odometer when the engine chucked a rod out the block. Original engine and transmission. It would've lasted longer if I didn't beat on it so hard; and that's nothing, a lot of semi trucks have made it to 1 million miles without an engine rebuild. If your cars aren't lasting over 200,000 miles, consider more frequent oil changes and being a little nicer to the car.
On the solar powered car, not even a mention of the Aptera? It can charge 40 miles in a day, has a range of up to 1000 miles on a single charge, can charge with the sun, 100v wall power, or a fast charger. On a 50kW charger, it can add 500 miles of range per hour. The 40 miles per day solar charge, that can give you free commute miles every day. To top it off, the 1000 mile range version is only $50,000 which is less than the more popular brands. The company has had funding issues, but the first editions should be out this year.
that would require an explanation of efficiency, to an audience that can barely grasp power itself.
Aptera came to mind as well when that was brought up. I still think $50k is too much for what it is but we will see. been following them for a while, hope they make it to production!
Love the car, but too unusual in looks and semi reclined driving position to appeal to the sheep like mentality of the general public.
1:32 actually did the math for this at one point and found that if you want to make a solar powered car you could use in traffic I believe the math mean that you'd need about 4 square meters of solar panels to move something that weighs about 500 kg with driver at an acceptable rate in daily traffic. to make something like that do highway speeds you'd need a super smooth body and basically no frontal area. possible, but very very hard to pull off, and that's before you get to regulations.
it’s being done in San Diego right now by Aptera. But not in the conventional way you may be thinking. Check em out.
@@michaelsantopolo fully aware of aptera. While their system is impressive it's not designed for continuous use. Yes it can charge to the number of miles per day most people commute under ideal conditions, it still can't really drive indefinitely on solar alone. It's still a car that will most likely need charging, but it is extremely efficient so that is nice and impressive.
People are not aware how much energy is needed to fuel a car.
@@ZoltanZsiros or they think solar is more powerful than it really is
I think things will change - you'll soon get parking lots that have a solar roof and charging ability. But also hopefully more diverse traffic modes - as cities invest in public transportation, bicycle lanes... So we are less dependent on cars in the future. But I still think the Aptera is viable - for not far or infrequent longer trips. Car is maybe not the right word though - because it's a small aerodynamic three wheeler.
Not going to mention pre determined obsolescence, huh? Manufacturing something to wear out at a specific time to increase sales.
Always been the case.
@georgerogers1166 No, it hasn't it really only started with the light bulb funny enough.
@@SpiritofTexas1590 Candles had the same issue.
@georgerogers1166 you're gonna have to explain that in more depth to make sense. Mine is the first documented event of a mass-produced item having planned obsolescence incorporated into its design
@@SpiritofTexas1590heh, lights bulbs lasted too long back then, one even became a legend because it’s over a century old now😂
bro is showing us his time machine like it's not causing a paradox
I was looking at that thing too!!
I still find it amazing that an average person with some experience can drive a car in a snow storm, encounter things never seen before and know how to react to nearly any situation, but all the computers in the world would be absolutely crippled by that exact situation. The human brain for the win!
Man vs machine!
how is that amazing though? it's only because of your ignorance, no offense. computers are so basic at the lowest levels of engineering (AND and OR gates made of transistors) that is flat out remarkable that computers can do any of what they can do... technology is increasing at an exponentionally exponential rate. the transistors will get there (yall beter start kissing some robot overlord but)
@@timothybaker3303 Your comment makes no sense and individual transistors have nothing to do with the system of relations that is machine learning.
Because you can't program for every situation. With actual artificial intelligence, not just LLMs, that'll be a thing
@@timothybaker3303Bro don't talk when you don't know what you are talking about. Computers are the most complex man made machines
7:56 - Here's the question most people wanted to see on this video. And he gave a very reasonable answer without ever mentioning about "planned obsolescence" or "consumer engineering". It's actually very straightforward!
It is and it is the first answer that should be given. Computerization and increasing complexity reduce the longevity of cars. That said, planned obsolescence is real, most obvious on smartphones, but everywhere in general
So many of the underlying issues show just how amazing human brains are. So much engineering just to create a parallel system!
The average car in the 1970s lasted ~100,000 miles. Today, the average car lasts... 200,000 miles. It's not true that older tech is better. It is true that older is easier to maintain in some ways.
not to mention survivorship bias. even discounting all the poorly designed vehicles that haven't stuck around, all the classic cars that are around today are because someone either stashed it away or is constantly doing upkeep.
Seriously. It is clear when you think about just how rare it is to see cars broken down on the side of the road these days.
Thank you
@@jvwMUSIC yep, old cars need a stupidly high amount of upkeep compared to modern cars
I'm assuming the questioner was not alive in the 70s. How many Vegas do you see today? Pintos? Chevettes? Lots of disposable garbage.
I also would like to point out that a very low percentage of 70s cars have survived. Their question about how long modern cars can be maintained when they become classics is valid. Modern Parts are more difficult to repair than in the past. However, most new cars will last more miles/years with less maintenance than a car in the 70s did
CVT transmissions will put that to the test. 50,000-100,000 miles with prefect maintenance records. Automatic 7-12 speeds also aren't prefect. Manual transmissions are a thing of the past.
@user-yd7me7ns1o I mean my parents' lumina back in the day had automatic transmission failure at 80kmi and my brother's stratus failed at 20kmi. And those were simple old school
@@user-yd7me7ns1o Automatic transmission reliability isn't tied to the number of available gears it has. ZF 8 gear transmissions are far more reliable than older Getrag 6 gear transmissions for example. It all comes down to how the engineers managed to design the gearbox internals and also how often the gearbox is serviced with frequent oil changes and replacing the occasional failing electrical solenoid.
You didn't mention ultrasonic sensors in the car vision question. There are usually far more of these than any of the other mentioned sensors.
One of the best ones so far.
My 94 ranger just ticked over 150k miles and still going strong. Almost all original parts!
I like it how you still call it twitter
Elon, as the marketing and branding expert he is, surely realizes how badly X works as a name. Surely he wouldnt want to destroy a decade old brand basically carved into internet history. Surely he has enough smart people with a spine around him to tell him that is not a good idea. I know its more of a youtube algorithm thing to have twitter in the name but i hope the editor does it a bit out of spite as well, because i for sure would.
One of my recent jokes I've been telling: "I visited the new Twitter website the other day, but I wasn't able to close it. Clicking the big X just took me back to the homepage!"
Mfs really malding over a name even after all these months 💀. Call it whatever you want. Use it or don't. No one cares
@@UltraProchy Don't call me Shirley.
I will never stop calling it twitter😂
1:30 If you want to see what it takes to make an actual solar powered car, look at the cruiser class of the Bridgestone world solar challenge. Those things are specifically designed to drive long distances on solar alone (challenger class) or solar assisted (cruiser) and you can see the design compromises that need to be made to make it feasible
I like this guy; invite him back for a part II at some point. Also would like to ask him how to mechanical engineers come up with a part to solve a problem. What influences the design?
good question
Another thing that people need to consider if they plan on doing road trips with electric vehicles is that there are far more gas stations than there are charging stations and that you actually need to plan out your route more heavily in advance because of this. You don't want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere Utah on a mountain somewhere with no charging station nearby. Especially if the weather is bad. It can also take several hours to fully charge your vehicle which can be a severe issue if you're facing an emergency situation. Also not everywhere is safe, people aren't always good. So do you really want to spend several hours in a unfamiliar and potentially dangerous location waiting for your car to charge? These are questions you have to ask if you plan to travel far distances with an electric vehicle. For many, it's easier, more comfortable, and safer to purchase a hybrid car that can help save on gas and be a bit more environmentally friendly when traveling long distances.
GREAT answer to the Trolley Problem question. The Trolley Problem proposes an extreme hypothetical in which either answer results in definitive loss of life. Just reject the premise. Follow "duty of care" and "mitigating damages" that are already in place. Do your best to just stop the car.
Amazing video. Alot of info, and great presenter.
I want at least two more videos about this topic!
A Subaru Outback has a hole drilled all the way through the roof rack on either side and just that added one MPG to the car
We need a part 2!
Very well done! I give you top marks for being respectful to these questions. Id have disregarded anything with more than 1 grammatical error.
Maybe don't be such an elitist
0:51 Engineering Explained made a video on solar powered cars. Basically, the energy cannot be replenished quick enough.
Most car companies at the moment seem to have given up on side cameras if the camera breaks good bye safety honestly a stupid idea.
Glad someone said this
@hi-ld4gg Glade you agree and I am glade to find some one else who sees the danger of side view cameras.
why would it break
The Volkswagen XL1 had it and it had over 260 mpgs
@@hubertlysiak7023 What's easier to stop working? A stationary body of plastic and mirror or a whole electrical mechanism of cameras and screens?
love these series
Before we even watch my guess is that older engines don't have nearly as tight of tolerances. This causes far more energy to be lost as heat. However the engine can keep running with larger margins of wear and tear.
I really think we should develop better interchangeable batteries. That would deal away with all the charging times that are keeping this techonology to expanding faster and further.
Basically a paid comercial by Ford and Tesla for stupid people
Basically a paid comercial by Ford and Tesla for stupid people
My initial hypothesis as to the question posed by the title is a significant amount of survivorship bias.
That’s very true! I bet if you look at it statistically, old cars don’t really last longer than new ones, we just think they do
@@ADMINM-ld7vu there’s something to be said for the reliability of analog tech - computers are finicky as we all know - but although that may play a PART in their longevity, I still wager survivorship bias is the majority of the reason. 👍
Great questions, great answers! Thank you!
7:56 there is also planned obsolescence that can be noticed in any kind of product, warranty ends and everything breaks down so that you have to buy a new one, that makes them more money
9:12 A software tester walks into a bar. Runs into a bar. Crawls into a bar. Dances into a bar. Flies into a bar. Jumps into a bar. And orders: a beer. 2 beers. 0 beers. 99999999 beers. a lizard in a beer glass. -1 beer. "qwertyuiop" beers. Testing complete. A real customer walks into the bar and asks where the bathroom is. The bar goes up in flames.
The best idea for solar panel is not charging the high voltage battery and use solar panel to run Air conditioning and charging 12v battery!
Autonomous vehicles do drive impaired: They are impaired by the limitations of their sensors, their training data, the algorithms that are used to make decisions, and the implementation of those algorithms in software. All autonomous systems have limitations and flaws. There is no perfect autonomous system. The simpler the automated task, the easier it is to approximate perfection. The more complex the automated task, the more difficult it is to approximate perfection.
My buddy had a 68(?) Ford truck and under the hood was a wooden box/tray...and apparently that's where you used to keep/hold tools for maintenance! Idk if that's common or it was self installed because of the space you had?
If the Miata (or any car) has a 50/50 weight ratio to start, how does the weight of a large driver (and perhaps full tank of gas) affect the ratio? Or is it negligible? Or something like a 53/47 ratio feels the same as a 50/50 ratio?
I can't speak to other cars but the Miata's 50/50 weight distribution is calculated with fluids in the car and with a driver in the seat. To minimize the effect of the gas tank losing weight as it is emptied, the tank is put in the middle of the car (roughly). On some cars a driver's weight may be negligible, but another reason the Miata is such a good car is because it's very light weight so the driver's weight does matter. What Mazda did to balance the car for the driver was put the intake manifold, coolant reservoir and battery in the passenger side.
Thank you for that answer.
How will the increased weight of battery powered vehicles affect infrastructure like bridges (especially, long ones) and parking garages?
I'm also curious about the impact of the massive increase in demand for lithium for the giant batteries, like are ev's really sustainable?
@@jedharrington6234 MFW the "clean" car that will save the planet drops 100 kg of toxic substances in the soil.
I think we will need a new technology like sodium batteries or solid state. Probably something we haven't even heard of. And we haven't yet addressed the unreliability provided by what few existing charge stations that exist. There are answers, I just think it's going to take longer than people think. @@jedharrington6234
Semi trucks exist.
Absolutely fantastic, more please.
This being a general car video is better than most EV feasibility study videos done by news outlet out there.
Because cars in the 70s only had an engine and transmission?
Basically a paid comercial by Ford and Tesla for stupid people
I'm happy to see he's an Ubuntu Linux user 😁👍🏼 3:00
A spoiler has the job of throwing further away, the dirty, drag inducing air vortexes immediately behind a vehicle, it’s also explains why on hatchbacks, the spoiler is high up and why on sedans it is on the lip of the trunk lid. What was being described in the video was also a wing, just an inverted one for the reasons described. People unfortunately, commingle both spoiler and wing, and they serve a different purpose. There’s also a very limited angle of attack on a spoiler, because after a certain point, it is in Wayne territory, and a completely different function
Being an engineer, I love when an engineer speaks about something so enthusiastically
This isn't just cars. This is everything. Appliances, electronics, etc.
It's called planned obcelancse. Forces people to just keep spending money. I have a friend that has a 30 year old washing machine. Still works with very little maintenance.
Someone with brains. Mechanical engineers get paid very well, and it is for a reason.
debatable
Yeah his info seems really out of date.@@rukus9585
@@rukus9585agree
you aint worked as an engineer then.
5:28 that 50/50 weight balance is like your favorite sneakers that give you amazing feeling, comfort, grip and you want to wear them everywhere, to your wedding, in the shower, when swimming and on and on :))
These were some quality answers
it isn't like all the other car manufacturers were being sticks in the mud about the Tesla charger. the Tesla charger was proprietary until last year when they decided to create an open standard around their hardware, using the software protocol of the other charger that everyone else uses, CCS. nobody else could have used the Tesla chargers without massive fees until then.
Basically a paid comercial by Ford and Tesla for stupid people
They may be more durable, but having seen the safety tests, reconsideration is advisable.
He actually pronounced Porsche, correctly. Bless this man.
Love the Delorian.
and looks fkin badass back there
@@sasukevsas it sure does!
only to find out they butchered it and turned into an ev. Thats like the car version of leatherface
My dad is a mechanical engineer- this video reminds me of him
Makes sense.
Aww. 😭
Mine is a psychopath- this video reminds me of him
@8:30 you can tell he had fun doing that Cristopher Walken impersonation
Kudos, to Bridgestone for thinking outside the " Wheel " on new hyper-allergenic tires, fantastic idea! It's a win-win for people and the environment.
why would you electric swap a delorean smh
To finally get 1.21 gigawatts 😂
@@Slick85 lol good one😂😂
Not going to lie, the question "why isn't everyone driving electric cars" kind of got on my nerves. Not everyone wants a silent, boring computer on wheels with no character. The fact that you can't do much to EV's tuning wise or just changing parts or fixing issues without a degree in electronics etc. And have to bring it to dealership or wait for software update. Like the lack of hands on that you can have with EV makes me feel like I don't even own it but am just renting it. For that reason alone I'll always chose a regular car over EV. There's plenty of people for whom car is more than just means of transportation.
If people really wanted to make cars “green” they would: - make a efuel to keep current gas running cars on the road but have them cleaner - push that you have a right to repair your own car without it being so hard to operate on so you don’t need to scrap it - realize that you can never replace diesel (because there is no research in efuel) - and think for two seconds about the grid
remember tesla can charge you thousands of dollars to "unlock" a sports settings to have a faster top speed. It was always there in the car you just have to pay to unlock it.
@@suzuplaza yeah tesla is THE ONLY ev manufactur
@@ukrainium_92biodiesel has been around for a long time.
@@ukrainium_92good points, plus making EVs that don’t cost over $40,000 would be good too, because that used to be sports car money not long ago, when EVs were economy/commuter type vehicles, not nitro fueled dragsters…
Great responses here and fully on board with a autonomous drifting Delorean!
Really love this Prof !
It sounds like self driving cars need at least level 3 automation systems to be safe. Otherwise drivers just aren't paying enough attention and they become hazards on the road.
It's also a marketing thing. Too many people ignore the warnings about what _level_ of self-driving their cars have, and too many companies would rather not specify "but only if your hands are on the wheel at all times" in the brochure, so you end up with people thinking they _can_ just let the car drive itself while they zone out, because that's what the marketing implied was possible. And unfortunately the marketing is often misleading on purpose because they know full honesty won't be as appealing.
It's been shown that more driving aids encourage worse driving.
self driving cars are wet bladerunner-type technocracy dreams for middle aged men. Never gonna happen large scale.
Honestly self driving cars are to us what flying cars were in the 1950's they won't happen anytime soon and Waymo is facing tons of legal issue honestly self driving is all but dead at the moment.
I dig these interesting videos. Of all the questions they go through, I wish they would've chosen something different to Why cars don't solar charge and why they have 4 wheels. Looking forward to the next
i think a diesel-electric drive conversion for the Toyota Landcruiser would make an obcene amount of money in Australia. it could save on fuel and improve performance both on and off road.
So you can get stuck in the outback with a flatlined battery and perish? No thanks…
@@aygwm that would depend on how well the install is done. with either a massive integrated battery similar to the tesla or an array of car/truck batteries. with it being a dedicated diesel electric drive it would have a high quality alternator to make sure there is minimal chance of failure.
When we first started electrifying homes plugs were just two prong, then came three prong and eventually three prong gfci. So you can count on the current Tesla plug design to evolve.
That software bit is technically a lie; Once a car has software, an update isn't usually necessarily. Louis Rossman explained it better. Adding internet to cars was a grave mistake.
Computer stuff in cars has been a pain
Computer stuff in cars has been present for 40 years, time to grow up.