With no humans or batteries, self-driving cars will hurt both economy, environment

No. That isn't the biggest, roof-mounted boom box you've ever seen. That's an autonomous Ford Fusion with a human back-up driver Uber will use to pick up passengers in Pittsburgh. Once the self-driving car is perfected, Uber likely will fire tens of thousands of drivers. This photo is from The Associated Press.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

GM, Ford, Volvo, Uber, Google and other companies are investing billions of dollars in the race to develop self-driving cars.

But I've seen little discussion of whether they will be gasoline powered, hybrids or all-electric.

Only an all-electric self-driving car makes sense, given climate change and the 53,000 deaths each year from auto emissions.

And when Uber perfects a self-driving car, you can bet the unemployment lines will swell with tens of thousands of drivers let go by the anti-labor, ride-hailing monstrosity.

Only Google has said its self-driving cars will be "mainly electric."

BMW, Nissan lag

The media have been spending so much time reporting on the development of autonomous cars they've neglected to ask BMW and Nissan when they are going to market EVs with a range of at least 200 miles.

Only California-based Tesla Motors has achieved the magic combination of a minimum of 200 miles of range and free juice at the automaker's nationwide network of free Superchargers.

That's why Tesla outsells other EVs, even those that cost half the price.

The Model S and Model X SUV already have Autopilot and Autosteer for highway cruising, and the luxury four-door hatchbacks also park themselves and back out of your garage.

Chevrolet is expected to start selling the Bolt late this year with an MSRP of $37,500 and a range of 200 miles on a full charge, but has refused to say whether free charging will be available to owners on road trips.

And the Bolt will take a full 9 hours to charge at home with a 240-volt outlet, compared to less than 7 hours for a Tesla.

The Maybach 6 all-electric concept from Mercedes-Benz will have a range of only 200 miles on a full charge and an MSRP I'm guessing will easily top $200,000, if and when it is produced in four to five years.  

On an electric road trip to the Jersey shore to sample sea scallops and salt water taffy

ELECTRIC ROAD TRIP: A rare all-electric Tesla Roadster in the parking lot of the Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank, below, where the automaker hosted a reception on Friday afternoon to thank owners for their loyalty. Tesla sold about 2,450 Roadsters in more than 30 countries from 2008-12.

JERSEY STYLE: Tesla Motors served shore specialties, including hero sandwiches with sausage and peppers, pizza and salt water taffy.

A MEETING ROOM WITH A VIEW: Tesla owners met with company employees to discuss the Model S and Model X, and any concerns, including Autopilot and Autosteer, two self-driving features.

STOPPING FOR JUICE AND COFFEE: In the morning, I drove about 114 miles to have lunch in Barnegat Light, a fishing port on the Atlantic Ocean. On the way back to Red Bank, I stopped to add range to my Tesla Model S at a free Supercharger in an outlet mall in Tinton Falls. Me and my wife had coffee while adding about 130 miles of range in about 30 minutes.

IN FOCUS: This photo of the northbound Garden State Parkway was taken with an iPhone while my Model S was on Autopilot and Autosteer, below.

SEA SCALLOPS: My box lunch of fried sea scallops, which were greaseless, at Viking Fresh Off the Hook, a seafood takeout shack in Barnegat Light, photos below.

SCALLOPS REPLACE LOBSTERS: The takeout shack is part of historic Viking Village, which began as a lobster fishing co-op founded in the 1920s by Norwegians.

SHORE TRAFFIC: An accident backed up traffic on Route 72 as we were heading for the bridge to Long Beach Island and Barnegat Light.

-- VICTOR E. SASSON

What's old is new as Tesla Motors brings back the Model S 60 and cuts price, too

The new version of Model S 60 has a revised nose and grille, and a longer range than the version that was replaced in April 2015 by the Model S 70.

Editor's note: I've revised the ranges of the Model S with 60kWh, 75kWh and 90kWh batteries, having relied on conflicting information from the Tesla Motors website and in an email to owners.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Tesla Motors has brought back the Model S 60 at a lower price that includes free Supercharging, which was a $2,000 option in April 2015.

The base price of $66,000 is $3,900 less than the previous version.

The new base model comes standard with a 60kWh battery and rear-wheel drive, and has a range of 210 miles at 65 mph, compared to 208 miles for the original.

Upgrade to a 75kWh battery with a range of 249 miles for $8,000.

The Model S four-door luxury hatchback also is available with all-wheel drive, as well as bigger 75 kWh and 90kWh batteries with a range of 249 miles and 294 miles, respectively.

The 70kWh and 85kWh batteries have been dropped.

The P90D, an all-wheel-drive performance version, has a range of 270 miles.

In the Model S 60, Autopilot, Autosteer and Summon -- autonomous driving and parking functions -- are a $2,500 option with free over-the-air updates. 

Warming my tootsies by the fire as my Model S gulps electricity for trip home

Returning from a trip to Pennsylvania on Sunday afternoon, I enjoyed a cup of coffee in front of a fireplace at Panera Bread in a Hamilton, N.J., shopping center while my Tesla Model S was hooked up to a Supercharger, below.

As I was relaxing in front of the fireplace, my phone's Tesla app said I was ready to resume the trip to my North Jersey home after only 15 minutes, but I waited another 10 minutes or so before disconnecting my car from the free charger.

Heading north in the truck lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike, I took this photo from behind the wheel of my Model S after enabling Autopilot and Autosteer, cruising hands free at 79 mph.

Now with a video: Tesla's Autopilot and Autosteer make highway driving a dream

When the driver of a Tesla Model S enables Autopilot and Autosteer, as I did today on Route 17 in northern New Jersey, the car drives itself, slows and accelerates, stays in lane, and follows curves in the road as well as lane shifts.

The speedometer and steering wheel symbols flanking the digital speed display indicate the driver has turned on Autopilot and Autosteer by pulling back twice on the cruise-control stalk.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

No one can claim driving in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area is fun.

But now Tesla Motors has introduced Autopilot and Autosteer, the ultimate cruise control.

Just two quick movements of the cruise-control stalk in a Tesla Model S enables both auto-drive functions.

In stop-and-go traffic on Route 17 south in Paramus today, I took my hands off of the steering wheel and my foot off of the accelerator, and let my Model S drive itself:

The car slowed and accelerated, and followed a lane shift in a construction zone near the Garden State Parkway.

Take a look at a brief video my wife made as we drove past the Tesla Showroom and Service Center on Autopilot and Autosteer:

Self-drive Tesla defeats Route 17

To change lanes, you simply push down or up on the turn-signal stalk.

Relaxing behind the wheel

I have been using cruise control in my Toyota Prius hybrid on the parkway and turnpike for more than a decade as a way of relaxing.

Speed freaks, tailgaters and other aggressive drivers can just go to hell as I maintain a steady speed to the beat of jazz or soothing classical music.

Now, with Autopilot and Autosteer in my Model S, the North Jersey driving experience just got a whole lot calmer.

The software update I received early Friday includes a simplified digital display, above.

At a Tesla Supercharger on the New Jersey Turnpike in East Brunswick.