For most people, in most situations, the various self-driving vehicles on the market work reasonably well other than in certain edge cases. Unfortunately, human beings are edge-case generators, and even the best self-driving system isn’t 100% perfect. Marketing being what it is, car companies have gone out of their way to make the systems sound infallible.
Right at the top of the list of exaggerated names is not Tesla’s Full Self-Driving. It’s not Autopilot. It’s BYD’s “God’s Eye,” which, you’ll be shocked to learn, does not provide the infallible vision of an omnipotent deity. Ford’s “BlueCruise” isn’t perfect, either, but the name doesn’t imply perfection. Actually, because it’s a Ford, the name implies “impending recall” and, yup, there’s a recall.
The Morning Dump does not pick sides. It has no opinions. It is merely a concept. The Morning Dump, though, feels strongly that Stellantis should do something with Chrysler. It sounds like Stellantis agrees.
There’s a new Stellantis, full of joy and energy, though it’s not changing everything. Is it still getting into random fights with the UAW? Of course it is!
‘God’s Eye’ Customers Mad That Either The System Doesn’t Work Or The God BYD Created Doesn’t Want Them To Keep Living
You absolutely don’t have to hand it to BYD for coming up with the most over-the-top name for its Level 2 ADAS system, mostly because its “God’s Eye” system doesn’t work all the time. Also because something called “God’s Eye” is a central plot point in of one of the later Fast & Furious movies.
There is an ongoing debate within the automotive world about how we think about Level 2 self-driving and the vague idea of what Level 3 might be. It’s how we ended up with the even more gossamer notion of Level 2++. The difficulty comes with the fact that these systems work more than they don’t and, depending on the situation, are more attentive and probably better than your average distracted driver.
Better-than-humans isn’t good enough, and the marketing of cars as being self-driving, or being on autopilot, or whatever, has created no small share of problems. Tesla may be on the hook for $243 million related to the overstatement of its abilities, and that’s just one case.
Chinese automaker BYD is in a fight to the death with other electric/tech brands in China, and its big innovation was a self-driving system called “God’s Eye” that it was offering for free in higher-end models, with the goal to spread the tech through its entire lineup.
As Bloomberg reports, it’s not going great:
When Chinese entrepreneur Zhou forked over 1.1 million-yuan ($160,000) in late 2024 for BYD Co.’s crown jewel — the 3.5-ton Yangwang U8 SUV — he bought what he thought was the pinnacle of Chinese engineering. Among the draws: a sophisticated system that would spot dangers on the road and practically let the car drive itself.
The feature, branded as God’s Eye in 2025, appears to fall short on its celestial promise. During a clear afternoon in southwestern China, the 38-year-old was cruising when the vehicle suddenly accelerated to 93 kilometers per hour (58 mph), well above the 60 kph speed limit, and veered onto a roadside median. On another occasion, he said the U8 abruptly jerked into an adjacent lane by performing a “ghost” steering maneuver, nearly colliding with oncoming traffic.
“I took a leap of faith in the technologies and the pride of our local manufacturing,” said Zhou, who has been in a yearlong dialogue with the company seeking a resolution for recurring malfunctions, including navigation signal loss and unintended acceleration. He requested to be identified only by his surname for privacy reasons.
Has this guy considered that the system works fine, and that the God created by BYD merely doesn’t like him and wishes him ill? Has this guy not seen Neon Genesis Evangelion? Get in the damn YangWang, Shinji!
Ford Recalling 339,619 Cars Over Camera, ADAS Tech
Ford’s BlueCruise ADAS system is, as Thomas noted yesterday, a bit imperfect. I tend to think of GM’s Super Cruise as the gold standard, at least for Level 2 that doesn’t use LIDAR. BlueCruise is fine so long as you pay close attention.
Well, it’s fine unless you have a 2025 Ford Explorer, 2025 Lincoln Aviator, 2022-2025 Lincoln Navigator, or 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus. Those cars are being recalled.
Here’s NHTSA on what’s happening:
The Image Processing Module A (IPMA) may experience a computational overload when tracking a high volume of moving objects in dense vehicle and pedestrian traffic environments. This overload trigger a module reset; in certain instances, multiple module resets occurring over multiple ignition cycles can lead to a persistent loss of functionality.
Too many cars or objects can freak out the system so badly that it might just stop working forever. Not great! The company is going to push an OTA update eventually for it, although customers can also bring cars into dealers once the fix is complete.
Chrysler Has A Future, Maybe
With the death of the Voyager, Chrysler is now officially down to one car. Of course, that requires to you think of the Voyager as a different car.
The brand isn’t dead yet, and a new Stellantis has a plan. Maybe. It least it has some enthusiasm for a plan, as Stellantis North America design head Scott Krugger told Vince Bond Jr.:
During an overview of the company’s design operations, Krugger said Chrysler is “very much alive and well” and that his team has been busy behind the scenes. He declined to share any details about plans for the brand’s future ahead of a Stellantis investor presentation in May.
“There’s a lot going on in the studio,” Krugger told reporters during a March 20 presentation at the automaker’s product design office in Auburn Hills, Mich. “There’s a lot of interest in [Chrysler] from the highest levels of this company right now. We know there’s a place for Chrysler.”
This is starting to sound a lot like what I tell my wife when she asks me when I’m cleaning out the junk in my office.
“There’s a lot going on here. There’s a lot of interest at the highest levels in figuring out what to do with all those old iPods!”
Stellantis Employees Mad That Some Managers Are Getting Bonuses
I get why members of the United Auto Workers who are currently employed by Stellantis are a little peeved that they got no profit sharing bonuses because there were no profits. I get that they’re a little more peeved that the old CEO got $24 million in pay as a sort of golden parachute.
That all makes sense.
Now, employees are mad that some managers are getting some performance-based bonuses. Here’s what’s going on according to the Detroit Free Press:
A salaried, nonunionized employee at Stellantis can qualify for a performance bonus in three categories: company-wide, divisional and individual. No company-wide bonuses are going out for the automaker’s poor performance in 2025, but the company confirmed that some divisions and individuals will receive bonuses for their performance last year.
“The compensation package for some non-bargaining unit employees includes a Stellantis Annual Incentive Plan (SAIP) payment, which is driven by three performance pillars — company, division and individual — with specific financial and non-financial annual targets as well as results from the divisions to which they are aligned and personal goals,” Stellantis spokesperson Jodi Tinson said in a statement. “As Stellantis’ overall 2025 performance results did not meet the established targets, the company component of SAIP will not be paid. Payment of the divisional and individual payments remain directly conditional on the results achieved.”
The UAW isn’t happy, with the head of the Stellantis bargaining unit calling it a “slap in the face.”
The Freep reports that neither new CEO Antonio Filosa nor Chairman John Elkann got any bonuses because the company didn’t hit its targets. It’s not clear how senior level some of these employees are but, to some degree, this is just how this works. Incentivizing managers with performance-based bonuses is usually a good idea, and taking away an earned bonus isn’t likely going to help Stellantis dig itself out of a hole.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
It’s the cover of “Fly Me To The Moon” from the ending of Neon Genesis Evangelion by Claire Littley. It’s so jazzy for an eschatological anime.
The Big Question
What’s the best name for a car feature ever?
Top photo: BYD
That distinction goes to MoPar with the Tic Toc Tach!
A supremely cool name for some clever gauge packaging.
Wasn’t God’s eye a James Bond plot?
I think GM’s Super Cruise hits the nail on the head. Doesn’t promise anything but a really good cruise.
Golden Eye? During the meh Pierce Bronson era.
You take that back!
(while in actuality I fully acknowledge this is fondness massively bolstered by the n64 game and the fact that he was Bond during my formative years)
He looked the part but just no Bond vibes.
Goldeneye was one of the best Bond movie. I’d put it in the top 5. The rest of the Bronson Bond movies were weak but I’d take Goldeneye over any of the Roger Moore Bond movies and many of the Craig Bond movies that are overly moody and take themselves way to seriously.
Agreed. Has my favorite Bond car chase of all time- when he steals the T-55 to chase Ourumov through the streets of St. Petersburg. No CGI, actual tanks, and the actual city (minus a few destructive stunts done on an airstrip). Best depiction in cinema of what would happen if you drove a tank like a maniac through a major city, because that’s exactly what they did.
No adas is perfect some robo taxis get closest but their sensor suit is much different then that everyone else is doing for consumers. There is a irony in a company that is basically the jewel of a communist atheist county naming a system god.
The people yelling build your demise I’m sure are loving it.
GM Supermatic is up there for less glass versions of glass transmissions. Subaru starlink is also amusing especially now there is spacex starlink
Let’s not forget OnStar. I have no idea what it’s even supposed to mean or how anyone would have come up with it, but it’s a good name.
And God said; Jesus, take the wheel, but Jesus was too busy with sports betting requests.
…or giving malaria to babies. I’ll show myself out.
Smile on, mighty Jesus.
What the fuck. That’s the first time I’ve used YouTube in a few days and now it’s pushed the comments down below the AI summaries pane. Fuck I can’t wait for this bubble to burst.
YouTube comments are not exactly the peak of civil discourse, but I am subscribed to a fair few wholesome channels and top comments can be very helpful on car videos.
He’s late to appear on that grilled cheese sandwich.
SAN FRANCISCO–For as long as he can remember, 7-year-old Timmy Yu has had one precious dream: From the bottom of his heart, he has hoped against hope that God would someday hear his prayer to walk again. Though many thought Timmy’s heavenly plea would never be answered, his dream finally came true Monday, when the Lord personally responded to the wheelchair-bound boy’s prayer with a resounding no.
https://theonion.com/god-answers-prayers-of-paralyzed-little-boy-1819564974/
“Positraction” because Marissa Tomei.
Chevrolet’s Powerglide transmission sounds amazing.
For more fun, the Mini Openonmeter to track how many hours you’ve spent with the top down.
How about Mazda’s i-ELOOP that used regenerative braking to charge a capacitor. I didn’t pony up for this option on my Mazda 6 back in 2017.
TIL about Openonmeter. Wish my Miata had it!
Something called God’s Eye that doesn’t work, man the jokes write themselves.
What if God was one of us? Driving cars like one of us?
Just a stranger using ADAS, trying to make his way home?
We all know God the Father had a Plymouth Fury. He drove Adam and Eve from the Garden in it.
Jesus owns a Honda but isn’t a fanboy. For he spoke not of his own Accord.
“God’s Eye”? Isn’t that what some of us Gen-Xer’s made from two popsicle sticks and yarn at summer camp? or maybe that was a local thing at Pike’s Peak.
it was a church camp thing everywhere.
Indeed. Take your nostalgia like.
Made many a God’s Eye here in Michigan. I don’t remember if they had a purpose but they did work well as ninja throwing stars.
I had a Mandela Effect moment – I was sure the set of Three’s Company had a giant yarn God’s Eye hanging on the wall of the main set at one point, but it may have been That 70’s Show.
Plenty of cars from the European side that could be rebranded as Chrysler (the larger DSs come to mind), but I’m pretty sure Tavares didn’t lift a finger to get those platforms able to be sold in the USA
Opel freaking Mokka.
Look at what a hit the prior generation was as the Buick Encore.
In that alternate reality we’d all be trashing Chrysler for being nothing more than a badge-engineered ghost brand. Still might be a better outcome
I don’t know about God’s Eye being the most full-of-it name. Full Self-Driving flat-out tells you the car can do something it can’t. God’s Eye sounds like a cool rock that I want right now. Like a Tiger’s Eye, but more outrageous? Sign me up. Put that sucker in a big ol’ ring and I’m there, dude. Or heck, just get me a big polished chonker of a God’s Eye stone to sit on my desk as a paperweight. Yeah. I want that.
As for best-named features, I don’t know if this is the name per se, but I really like Ineos’ Toot Button. It’s a red button with a little bicycle on it that gives a polite toot instead of a full-blast horn. It’s labelled “TOOT.” I want to toot. I want a toot button on all of the cars. I will push the toot button. Toot! Toot!!!
“God’s Eye” could certainly imply that it’s watching over you and assisting, but not leading the way. Full Self Driving will always be the most dishonest name for a “product” in the modern era.
+2, and then all the likes. They’ve changed the name to “FSD (supervised)” in California after they threatened to revoke their ability to sell cars over false advertising. But don’t worry, they’re suing the state. I’d hate to see them be held accountable for lying to consumers, that would be terrrrrrrible. No, anything but that.
Yeeeeeeeah. It’s hilarious [derogatory] to get the warning about features being limited because one camera can’t see around schmutz or glare when the sun is low, but the “Start Full Self-Driving” button for a camera-based hands-free driving system is still totally available to press and use.
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Best name for a car feature? “Cruise Control “. It sounds kind of dirty, if you are into “cruising”
There’s a whole AFI song called “Cruise Control” that goes for the whole “no meaningless sex” pillar of the straight edge ethos. Then two AFI band members turned around and created an entire side project for their smutty thoughts…
Some old AFI is just right background noise for an afternoon pick up for some computer grinding.
May your mother grant you permission to get a mohawk
Music seemed more ‘fun’ in the 80s-early 90s…then Grunge movement shifted everything…
I kind of cringed first time I read “adaptive cruise control”
Fix Or Recall Daily
My favorite thing is when Dodge bros make this joke
If your Dodge is old enough to both have a cracked dashboard and predate Stellantis, I feel like it’s legal
Or if the clearcoat at this stage is more of a memory, something to aspire to, as opposed to a physical thing atop the paint
Clearly no one at BYD has a Hulu subscription. Might find yourself literally “Under His Eye”
Blessed be the fruit !
And also the nuts!
This sounds like a case of God turning a blind eye to some things. Maybe his systems were overloaded at the time.
Looks like the roads have been paying their Indulgences
In my opinion the best name for a car feature is “accelerator”.
Does Gods Eye work if you’re an atheist?
I was pretty jazzed my 69 Charger came with a Motorola Vibrasonic!
Had a dial for reverb delay!
God’s Eye does not want to see you using your Vibrasonic.
What Hoonicus and his ’69 (heh) Charger do together in their marital bed is no business of ours.
I’d say GM’s “positraction” and its Auto Trader enthusiast shortened form is right up there. It’s become Kleenex-like for the general feature no matter the automaker.
This is what happens when engineers manage a software project. Getting into coding isn’t that hard so engineers can ostensibly write code but they fall down at error catching and UI/UX usually. This is why your Android and iOS devices are easier to use than just about every infotainment system installed in cars.
Doesn’t work or want you to keep living, sounds god like to me.
Driving was not one of the things my pastor told me God’s Eye was watching when I was a teenager.
“Both hands on the wheel!”?
Any more than three gear changes and you’re just playing with it?
Are BYD “God’s Eye” customers experiencing problems every day or just on Sundays, because, you know, God doesn’t work on Sundays?
No self driving and no Chickfila. It’s in the bible.
Easy there. People have fought wars over which day God takes off.
And ain’t that a sorry thing.
Lots of philosophies have the concept of an uncaring god. BYD didn’t specify which type of god’s eye they were using.
If you call something ‘God’s Eye’ i would expect it to only exist in old books, and be impossible to find in real life, so BYD are definitely over-delivering here. I barely even use the adaptive cruise control in my car so I have a hard time caring about fancy lane assist systems.
Wow, the Chinese really are the leaders in every area of EV tech, they’re even leading the charge in overstating their ADAS systems capabilities, something we all assumed Tesla was the true industry leader at.
Are the union workers typically sympathetic when they get 5 figure bonuses the same years the OEMs are laying off engineers?
Exactly this. I understand not being pleased when you didn’t get a bonus, but this is a consequence of the collective bargaining agreements. the UAW signed a contract that said “if the company meets X goal, you get Y payout” and hit a surprised pikachu face when they didn’t get a payout and because the company didn’t meet said goals. They get layoff protection while non-unionized workers like engineers don’t. They get a consistency and pay plan that is defined with protections, exactly as the contract says. All this after making the lives for said executives hell by fighting tooth and nail for the contract they currently have, why in the hell would they expect a bonus outside of that agreement?
The ones mad feel entitled to things they don’t actually earn, since they get a big bonus for just showing up for work as defined by the contract.
Jaded formerly salaried side plant engineer
No, they wave it in your face. The year after the most recent strikes the UAW folks got 5 figure bonuses for just showing up to work. As a salaried engineer that worked through the strike, and exceeded expectations on my PR, I got half of my bonus target which wasn’t even a 5 digit bonus to start with.
This is closer to my experience as well. Different industry, but same idea.
“We at the UAW are highly offended that we got EXACTLY what we demanded, but that someone else who negotiated an entirely different deal with different requirements ALSO got exactly what they bargained for!”
Nothing pisses off union employees more than non-union getting exactly what they negotiated, since they don’t have to pay union dues to get it.