Cars that drive themselves used to be the stuff of fantasy. Those visions are now a reality, and in Dunedin.
Dunedin game designer Dean Hall has taken delivery of the South Island's first Tesla Model S P100D electric supercar. The model is the world's fastest accelerating production car, according to Motor Trend tests.
When put in Ludicrous Plus mode, it is capable of accelerating from zero to 100kmh in 2.4 seconds, which means the five-seat family sedan is quicker off the mark than the significantly more expensive LaFerrari, Bugatti Veyron and Veyron Super Sport, Porsche 991 Turbo S, Lamborghini Huracan or the McLaren P1.
"I've driven Ferraris and Lamborghinis because I usually rent them when I visit Los Angeles, and the acceleration in the Tesla is nothing like them.''
Mr Hall likened it to the time he got to ride in a Royal New Zealand Air Force A-4K Skyhawk fighter jet.
"I did actually throw up quite badly. It was that intense.
"It's more like a jet aircraft because it's got that instant torque. There's no transmission, no transmission fluid, no oil, no friction, no nothing. Just two electric motors.
"My mum doesn't like the G-forces much. You've got to have your head back on the headrest or you'll just about get whiplash.''
With $262,000 to spend on a new car, many would look at more traditional European supercars, so why did Mr Hall decide to buy the P100D?
"Honestly, the biggest thing that attracted me to this car was the safety features. I didn't come all this way and do all the crazy things I've done, only to die in a car accident.''
The car scored a perfect 5 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration car safety rating.
But the greatest aspect of the car was its technology, he said.
"This is a techie's car. It's a computer on wheels. I'm really into my computers, so it's kind of a natural fit.''
Although many cars have cruise control, the Tesla has adaptive cruise control which allows it to speed up and slow down, depending on the speed of the vehicle in front.
In the next week or so, the car will be calibrated enough (have gathered enough data about how he drives and what the roads are like) to steer itself as well.
And in six months, when the car has fully calibrated itself, autopilot will also become available.
Model S vehicles come equipped with a camera mounted at the top of the windshield, a forward-looking radar, and ultrasonic acoustic location sensors in the front and rear bumpers, providing a 360-degree buffer zone around the car.
The equipment allows it to detect road signs, lane markings, obstacles and other vehicles.
When combined with the adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning technology, the car will effectively have an autopilot that will allow limited hands-free driving.
Already, Mr Hall can use his mobile phone to tell the car to drive from its parking space to his front door with the heating/air conditioning on.
"The car can also look at the diary in my phone and bring itself to meet me at the door, then take me to my appointment. That's the future right there.
"You read about when horses and carts were replaced with cars - this is also just such a paradigm shift. It's kind of weird. It's taken a lot to get used to, to be honest.''
