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Runaway Electric Car

Roger B

An interesting  report on a significant software failure in an EV:

'I was kidnapped by my runaway electric car' - BBC News

"Soon after he made the call, three police vehicles arrived and drove in front and behind the car.

He said: "I was 100% concentrating on my steering, so when a police van pulled up besides me and asked if I was Brian and if I was okay, I just yelled 'no I'm not, I can't stop'."

Police asked Mr Morrison to throw his electronic key through their van window before driving off, and then tried forcibly shutting off the engine - but nothing could stop the car.

He was also asked to hold the power button for a couple of seconds which also failed to stop it and the entire dashboard lit up with faults."

So drive by wire and brake by wire both apparently failed. The steering which I assume is mechanical with power assistance remained functional. I wonder how this fits with the 'Motor Vehicle Construction and Use Regulations'?

Should EV's have emergency shutdown buttons like trams do?

Parents

  • I wonder which bit went wrong - after all a lot of similar control systems can be found in ICE vehicles (from cruise control to hands off driving).

    I suppose it makes a change from classic of the shopping bag falling over and a can of beans rolling behind the brake pedal....

       - Andy.

  • in reply to AJJewsbury
    AJJewsbury said:
    I suppose it makes a change from classic of the shopping bag falling over and a can of beans rolling behind the brake pedal....

    When I was newly married, I once had to take Mrs P's cat to the vet. If you put him in a cage in the car, he had a very unpleasant habit so I thought that I would try leaving him out. Problem was that he decided to lie by my feet. Under the brake pedal!

    I saw the BBC article. I strongly suspect that the bit that went wrong was between the ears.

    This is like our recent discussion about household appliances, ICE cars no longer have an ignition switch which opens the circuit to the coil (or grounds the magneto, or both).

    If fly by wire worries you, don't get in a commercial aircraft.

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  • in reply to AJJewsbury
    AJJewsbury said:
    I suppose it makes a change from classic of the shopping bag falling over and a can of beans rolling behind the brake pedal....

    When I was newly married, I once had to take Mrs P's cat to the vet. If you put him in a cage in the car, he had a very unpleasant habit so I thought that I would try leaving him out. Problem was that he decided to lie by my feet. Under the brake pedal!

    I saw the BBC article. I strongly suspect that the bit that went wrong was between the ears.

    This is like our recent discussion about household appliances, ICE cars no longer have an ignition switch which opens the circuit to the coil (or grounds the magneto, or both).

    If fly by wire worries you, don't get in a commercial aircraft.

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