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Testing self-driving cars | kare11.com
We wanted to see what the best self-driving features are that a Minnesotan can purchase right now.
MINNEAPOLIS — Self-driving cars may sound pretty cool, but 81 percent of American consumers have never been in one — and 93 percent of Americans have concerns about it — according to a Forbes Advisor poll out just this year.
But what are they actually like on the road? And why are some calling their widespread use “inevitable?”
“It’s really not a technology problem anymore,” said Phil Magney, owner of VSI Labs headquartered in St. Louis Park. “It’s all about how it’s implemented.”
Magney has worked with several major car manufacturers testing self-driving technology for a decade. He believes autonomous driving will become standard in the future, but the current problem is getting past the liability bump.
“It’s going to be really interesting over the next 10 years [which companies] survive,” said Magney.
We wanted to see the best self-driving features a Minnesotan can purchase right now.
Industry experts all recommended three manufacturers: Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla.
2024 all-electric Cadillac Lyriq
MSRP for the Lyriq starts at $53,074 featuring big screens, bright colors, and Caddy comfort along with General Motors’ level 2 self-driving tech called Super Cruise.
“You’ll be able to take your hands completely off the wheel and kind of take a break from the driving experience and just let the car do it for you,” said Ben Dando, new car sales manager at Morries Golden Valley Cadillac.
For now, Super Cruise only works on highways, using sensors, cameras and LiDAR-scanned map data to ensure you’re staying in your lane. It will adjust to traffic speed and make lane changes for you.
Our drive was Cadillac-smooth, and engaging Super Cruise was one touch of a button on the steering wheel.
It’s quite accurate at staying in the center of the lane and adjusting to traffic speeds and turns.
It automatically disengaged a few times, kicking control back to the driver — once under an overpass, likely due to a GPS error, according to Dando, and once on a two-lane merge.
“Sometimes GM disengages it for certain portions of the road to ensure that any merging traffic, or things of that nature, doesn’t interfere with your ability to stay safe,” said Dando.
The vehicle also keeps an eye out for your eyes. If they stray from the road too long, Super Cruise will default control back to the driver with an alert saying they looked away for too long.
GM’s Super Cruise is available in six Cadillac models, the GMC Hummer EV and Chevrolet’s Bolt.
2024 Mercedes-Benz S580
This is the flagship vehicle of Mercedes-Benz, priced at $140,000 — and the manufacturer didn’t cut any corners when it came to comfort. The vehicle is equipped with Mercedes-Benz’s assisted-driving Drive Pilot technology.
Last year, Mercedes became the first consumer car to breach Level 3 autonomy on the Society of Automotive Engineers 0-5 scale. This means the car will drive you without supervision from the driver. Level 3 Drive Pilot only works in highway traffic under 40 miles an hour, and it’s currently only available on major highways in California and Nevada.
Being in Minnesota, we were able to test Mercedes’ Level 2 features.
“It’s cooperative self-driving,” said Nick Griffin, new car manager with Sears Imported Autos. “You’re going to be in control of the vehicle. The vehicle will have systems it can operate into itself, but you are still pushing buttons and paying attention to the road.”
This feature is similar to the Lyriq, but it can work on most roads and not just highways. It keeps you in lane and at speed, but it won’t follow navigation directions or react to traffic lights. That’s still on the driver.
“If it starts slowing down too much and sees an open lane, it’ll recommend a lane change and just do it,” said Griffin during our test drive.
The self-drive experience was intuitive and reliable. Not once during our rush-hour test on 394 and 494 did the system disengage for any technical or decision-making error.
The assistance allows the driver to pay much less attention to the dangerous details of highway driving and comfortably breathe through the tumult (while getting a back massage).
2024 Tesla Model Y FSD
We asked Tesla if it wanted to participate in this story. We received no response from the corporate office’s press department.
Thankfully, Phil Magney of VSI Labs allowed us to sample his Model Y Long Range.
MSRP on Tesla’s website is $47,990 for the all-wheel drive model. Purchasers have the option to include Full Self-Driving for $8,000 upfront, or they can subscribe to the software for $99 per month.
This SUV-ish Model Y lacked some of the luxury features of the Cadillac and Mercedes models we tested, but its single, centralized large screen and Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode were its “wow” factors.
“It’s reconstructing the scene. It’s using all its cameras to piece it all together,” said Magney as the screen showed a Matrix-like digital rendering of everything around us in real-time.
We asked the vehicle for directions to a location, pulled down the drive stalk once, and from there, the vehicle’s software and AI systems will take over.
Traffic light signals, intersections, city roads and on-ramps, the vehicle handles the decisions and drives the car. The driver must keep their eyes on the road and nudge the steering wheel (when prompted) to maintain FSD mode.
“How’s it going to do with the roundabout?” I asked Magney as we approached one in self-drive mode. “This is a complex deal. Yield, enter, turn, and wow. It nailed it.”
The FSD experience was the closest we came to fully autonomous driving among the models we tested.
But its Super Vision still required some supervision.
During our half-hour test, the FSD went straight in a turn-only lane, failed to merge when other cars were in the way and didn’t know what to do once we reached our destination.
Overall, trying the latest self-driving features across brands gave me an appetizer of what’s possible in the near future and beyond.
Autonomous driving is the next major evolution in automobiles.
So, buckle up — it’s coming fast.
Gary Peterson and his friends are collecting donations to help people in their community.
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — A St. Louis Park pumpkin display is raising money for their local food shelf.
Gary Peterson started carving and painting three pumpkins over a decade ago. It’s now grown to over 100.
“I’ve heard people say they’ve come from Hutchinson,” he said.
Peterson along with two of his neighbors have spent the last 14 years growing their display, turning it into a neighborhood event.
“It’s been incredible, I just can’t believe how much this has expanded,” he said. “We did it just because we like to and then people were asking to give us money to cover the cost.”
The trio refused to take people’s money, but then one of them had an idea.
“My neighbor, Steve Leensvaart, just mentioned how about we just do it for the STEP program and the STEP program is our local food shelf in St. Louis Park,” he said.
So, they started to collect donations to help families in need. They’ve raised hundreds of dollars and donated hundreds of pounds of food over the last few years, carving for a cause.
“It is more gratifying every year,” Peterson said.
He estimated they have over 100 unique pumpkins in their yard. They’ve created the displays and come up with new family-friendly concepts for people to enjoy. Peterson said about 30 of their neighbors carved their own pumpkins to be put on display, and it’s been a big hit.
“It’s great. In the last couple of years, it’s turned into more of a neighborhood event,” said Sarah Durch.
“We love this Halloween display, we come every year to see it. We love that the whole community gets involved to craft and carve the pumpkins,” said Jami Gordon-Smith.
“The shading and the details are unbelievable,” said Elizabeth Hanson.
Hanson hopes to take her 2-year-old son trick or treating for the first time but is worried the cold temperatures might keep them indoors.
“We’re going trick or treating hopefully,” she said. “He’s going to be a firefighter, but we’re probably going to have sweatshirts maybe like two pairs of sweatpants underneath. We’re going to be bundled up.”
Gordon-Smith said her family will be out Halloween night no matter the weather.
“Halloween only comes once a year, so you really have to take advantage and enjoy the evening no matter what the weather brings,” she said. “Guess it’s not totally unheard of in Minnesota to have a cold Halloween, but we are going to try and modify and do a lot of layers underneath our costumes and then we might add some hats and maybe some warmer socks.”
Durch also isn’t surprised they’re in for another chilly night.
“Well, what would Halloween be without Minnesota cold? I feel like every time you plan a costume you have to plan for how you can make this work if it’s snowing,” she said.
Peterson said they will have a bonfire and some hot chocolate and cider on Halloween to keep trick-or-treaters warm while they look at their pumpkins.
Click here to learn where you can see the pumpkins and how you can donate.
Jeremy Jourdain was 17 when he was last seen on Halloween 2016.
BEMIDJI, Minn. — The search for Jeremy Jourdain, who was last seen on Halloween in 2016, continues now eight years later.
Jourdain was last seen at a family member’s house in Bemidji, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs. He left the residence near the 500 block of Wood Avenue after midnight and while people followed him, no one was able to find him.
Jourdain was 17 at the time.
Officials said he was wearing a blue and grey sweatshirt, and blue jeans when last seen. He is Native American and is described as 6 foot 5 and 175 pounds.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, you can contact the Bemidji Police Department at (218) 333-9111. Tips can also be sent to 1-833-560-2065, or you can email ojs_mmu@bia.gov.
The organizations say many Asian Americans are planning to vote despite lack of candidate outreach.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Most people have been contacted in some way shape or form by a campaign in the last few weeks. And if the polls are right and the race for president is a dead heat, every vote will matter.
That’s why this is a head scratcher:
According to a September 2024 voter survey by Asian American Pacific Islander Data, 27% of Asian-American voters said they hadn’t been contacted by either political party trying to get their vote. Last spring, earlier in the voting season, it was even more – 42%.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial or ethnic group nationwide.
Their voter participation levels are growing too, with 60% of eligible Asian-American voters turning out in 2020. And AAPI Data reports as many as 90% of Asian Americans they surveyed said they plan to vote this cycle.
“Candidates are not reaching out to Asian Americans, which is a huge mistake,” said ThaoMee Xiong, executive and networking director of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders.
She says even though there are more than 200,000 eligible Asian voters in Minnesota, the Asian vote is under-appreciated.
“Neither the Democratic or Republican parties have been reaching out in huge numbers,” Xiong said. “They’re sending general mailers to everyone but … they need it in their native language.”
That’s why CAAL is partnering with two more organizations to keep voter turnout high and reach anyone candidates or advocates missed.
Xor Xiong is from Asian American Organizing Project, which focuses on engaging metro-area teens and young adults.
“Many of our communities are still facing barriers to go to vote,” he said. “There’s been more times than I like to admit in terms of when I was having a conversation over the phones of voters being surprised that they can take time off to go and vote, or they can bring the kids to the polling locations, or they can even bring someone to translate for them.”
“In Ramsey County, because of the large Hmong American population there, the polls in Ramsey County are federally required to provide interpreters and translated materials,” ThaoMee added.
Their nonpartisan campaign, Get Out the Vote for Asian Minnesotans, aims to get people registered and well-informed.
“Throughout Covid, there was a lot of anti-hate around the AAPI community and we are still feeling the impact of that to this day,” said Amanda Xiong, a community organizer with a group known as CAPI USA. “Even if folks are afraid to go to the polls, due to that, we try our best to then educate them around absentee ballots, voting early.”
“And so yes, there is a huge increase in terms of voter turnout, but then why is it still 70% feel as though they don’t belong?”
In 2021, the FBI reported a 168% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes.
In Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center, the groups knocked on at least 700 doors in one session alone while keeping safety top of mind.
“We make sure that there’s a car following all the door knockers,” ThaoMee said. “We put everyone on text chain … and we are putting a lot of precautionary measures in place for the day of voting.”
After the election, the CAAL plans to conduct surveys and send the results to county election officials. They’ve done this before and say it led to policy changes this year at the legislature including measures to ensure people have easier access to interpreters.
