Elon Musk’s Shabbos Car

You think it is okay to take a train on Shabbos?

There is no need for the car to make pre-set stops. First, take a programmable electric car charged before Shabbat. It is programmed to, say travel to the Synagogue from the home at, say, 8:15 am and return at 12:30pm irrespective of whether it is occupied or unoccupied. It opens the doors automatically.
Scenario 1:
Since I haven’t heard anyone raising objections to the following variables on Shabbat:
a) The number of heat emitting bodies (humans) in an air conditioned room set by way of a thermostat.
b) The opening and closing of vertical refrigerator doors.
c) The placing of warm material in a cold refrigerator.
d) Opening a window when there is a thermostatically controlled heater.
Then the additional consumption of power due to the increased mass of the car by passengers (increased current flow) through the car’s electric motors should not be of concern. This differs from opening a hot-water faucet on Shabbat since a water-heater has only on-off possibilities. A fire that was ignited before Shabbat may burn at a greater or lesser rate once Shabbat commences depending on multiple variable externalities. This is what separates halachic Shabbat observance from the sect (whose name I don’t readily remember) who forbade fires to be lit before Shabbat if they would burn over Shabbat. They spent Shabbat in darkness. Also, if it was intended before Shabbat that there would be an inclusive passenger mass of the car, then if the intended passengers did not board it, then would be classified as a reduced current flow / power consumption which cannot be a chillul Shabbat (surely Quantum physics attests to this). In any case the variations imposed by fluctuations in traffic density and time delays at intersections would increase sufficient uncertainty in much the same way that a air-conditioner would work more or less hard on a hot or cool day.
Scenario 2:
The car calculates the mean expected power for the whole trip for the expected mass inclusive of passengers and only applies the total current or less over the entire trip. This is messy and unnecessary for the the reasons given above. For the sake of the trip the car should be “dumb” to all variables and simply perform the job it was programmed to do before Shabbat.
PS: The perceptive will note that I use the acceptable English spelling of “programmed” The author is a resident of the “land down under” – Australia!

If you hold that turning electricity on and off is the equivalent of burning (since the wires and machinery heat up, and eventually are consumed), then the answer is clearly “not allowed” (that being the case, you probably don’t use a “Shabbos elevator” and are not thrilled with modern refrigerators or ovens that increase their level of function in response to what users do).

If you hold that electricity is not equivalent of burning, then the only object is “shvus”, you comfortably use a Shabbos elevator, you will probably allow use of an e-book (at least for learning and davening), and you’ll have no problems of using electric devices such as self-driving cars, and perhaps many more robotic appliances that don’t exist yet. You probably would be able to tell your self-driving car “take me out to ballgame” and drop me off by the main gate, and pay for entrance with an electronic device that doesn’t involve writing (e-tickets already exist),

The use of Shabbos elevators, and appliances that react to use, is the beginning of a “slippery slop” and that there will eventually be a divide between those that allow electric devices, including self-driving cars and ebooks, and those that don’t.

philosopher: A lighting fixture, with or without a Shabbos clock, does the same amount of work with or without you doing anything. A light does not burn brighter if someone is, or is not, using it. Appliances with a Shabbos mode that turn off at predicted time so they can be opened (which increases activity) also “solve” the problem.

A self-driving car, even if set on clock that causes the doors to open and close at certain times regardless of whether anyone is getting in or out, and travel only on a fixed route (even if empty) would still raise an issue since the motor would have to do more work based on the number of humans involved (one should now ask if a “Shabbos mode” refrigerator or oven uses a thermostat which would mean the heavier use put on it the more the motor runs. This will lead to a debate on whether one can use a robotic Shabbos goy.

It should be noted the some reputable people that using electricity does not violate “mavir” and if one holds that way, the only objection to using an electric car or an ebook would be that it isn’t “Shabbos-dik” (shvus).

akuperma, thanks for the explanation regarding a self-driving car. I assumed that there’s too many reactive factors involved that the car would have to consider and react accordingly to the circumstances, like traffic speeds for example, so I didn’t ask that in my question to you. I asked why you consider an elevator to be different than a light set with a timer as an elevator is programmed before Shabbos at a predertimined speed and stops?

You think it is okay to take a train on Shabbos?

If you dont have to pay and you dont have to open or close the doors (In Europe you have to open the doors) and you have no control over when the doors open and close , exactly what Melacha did you do? Its an issue of Ivdu D’chol, Hashghafa and other issues, but techonically its not forbidden D’Orasa

You do not have to swipe a card to exit the NYC Subway

Can women drive a shabbos car, or is that not tznius too? I’m only asking cuz my chosson said I shouldn’t drive anymore cuz its not tznius. But maybe this would be allowed?

Can women drive a shabbos car, or is that not tznius too? I’m only asking cuz my chosson said I shouldn’t drive anymore cuz its not tznius. But maybe this would be allowed?

I have personally seen Rebbitzen Neuman drive and her daughter drives as well

Regarding elevators on Shabbos: I was personally against this for many years, having quite a bit of understanding of electronics. After further research, I discovered that most elevators are not actually lifting, but rather sliding the elevator that is balanced against a counterweight. The net effect of anyone’s specific presence in the elevator is negligible.

As I understand, elevators are designed with a counterweight equal to the elevator filled to ~40% capacity. The elevator is not actually “lifting” or “lowering”, rather just sliding one side over to the other in a mostly balanced system. There may still be some additional strain on the motor, but nothing close to the force required to actually lift a human being.

In an empty elevator with a single rider, the motor would have to hold back the force of the weight, which is attempting to pull the elevator up, whereas lowering the elevator in the same situation would require force to lift the counterweight, but not the person. If the elevator was filled above 40%, the exact opposite would be true. Raising the elevator would require more force, and lowering would require less force.

One is allowed to ride a boat on Shabbos if you dont get on or off

The JFK Airtrain is free as long as you stay in the Airport and its all automatic meaning there is no conductor opening and closing the door