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UK government reveals 'robust' plans to regulate crypto
The UK government has detailed "ambitious" plans to regulate the crypto industry.
Waymo and FCA's expanded deal includes self-driving Ram vans
Waymo and FCA are expanding their arrangement around self-driving tech, and Waymo is going to equip the Ram ProMaster van for autonomously driven deliveries.
Fiat Chrysler and AutoX confirm plans to work on robotaxis
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is joining forces with the Chinese startup AutoX to bring self-driving robotaxis to China. The companies confirmed rumors of their partnership today and announced that the AutoX AI Driver platform will be installed in FCA Chrysler Pacificas. The robotaxis could appear in Chinese cities like Shenzhen and Shanghai in the first half of 2020.
Fiat Chrysler's Android-based Uconnect 5 supports Alexa and wireless CarPlay
Fiat Chrysler's collaboration with Google on in-car Android tech is bearing fruit. The car maker has unveiled an Android-based Uconnect 5 infotainment system that should help it keep up with an influx of modern tech. It includes personalization for up to five drivers, and an interface that takes better advantage of screen real estate with "cards" that provide fast access to features like your media or phone contacts. You can order food or pre-authorize fuel, too. However, some of the biggest changes lie underneath the surface -- this is as much about acknowledging the rapid evolution of car tech as anything else.
Fiat Chrysler's Airflow Vision concept car touts an all-digital cabin
Have you wondered what would happen if Fiat Chrysler embraced fully digital car cabins? You're looking at it. The automaker has unveiled an Airflow Vision concept car for CES 2020 where the interior is effectively all-digital, with six screens handling the experience for the driver and passengers. Virtually the only physical buttons are the starter button and the on-wheel navigation keys. That might not be thrilling if you still prefer tactile input, but FCA is promising that the screens won't be overwhelming.
Jeep is showing off its first three plug-in hybrids at CES this week
This week, CES attendees can check out Jeep's first three plug-in hybrid models: the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, the Jeep Compass 4xe and the Jeep Renegade 4xe. All three are scheduled to debut in 2020, but they aren't quite ready yet, so Jeep is offering a VR-based test drive. The Jeep 4x4 Adventure VR Experience simulates a ride in the Jeep Wrangler 4xe on Hell's Revenge trail in Moab, Utah, and CES attendees can take it for a spin.
The Jeep Gladiator is for truck buyers craving adventure
The Gladiator is essentially a Jeep Wrangler with a bed strapped onto the back. During my tests, I found it to be capable on both dirt and asphalt. But it's not for everyone.
Fiat Chrysler may strike Renault deal to survive changing car industry
Fiat Chrysler hasn't been on the cutting edge of automotive change as of late. Unless you count concepts like the Centoventi, the company hasn't done much with EVs -- and its support for autonomy mostly involves supplying minivans to Waymo. The automaker might make a huge deal that could prepare it for the future, though. Financial Times sources have claimed that Fiat Chrysler is in advanced talks to create "extensive ties" with Renault to help it cope with a changing industry. It might even join the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance in the future, although the tipsters cautioned that nothing was set at this stage.
Fiat Chrysler will pay Tesla to avoid EU emissions fines
Environmental regulations can create strange bedfellows, it seems. The Financial Times has learned that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will pay Tesla hundreds of millions of euros (specific numbers aren't available) to pool the EV brand's cars with its own fleet and avoid fines for violating stricter EU emissions rules in 2020. The move should help FCA meet the EU's CO2 emissions target of 95g per kilometer by lowering its average from a higher-than-usual 123g. Fiat Chrysler has been relatively slow to adopt electric and hybrid cars -- this buys it time to catch up without having to take many (if any) radical steps.
Fiat Chrysler settles with US over diesel emissions cheating
Fiat Chrysler is about to pay a stiff penalty for its alleged diesel vehicle emissions cheating. The automaker has reached a settlement with the Justice Department, EPA and California that will see it make amends for claimed violations of the country's Clean Air Act. It's launching a recall to fix the more than 100,000 diesel vehicles believed to be exceeding pollution limits. More importantly, there's a hefty financial punishment. Fiat Chrysler will pay as much as $800 million to address the case, including a combined $311 million in civil penalties, up to $280 million to address claims from owners (who get an average of $2,800 each) and $100 million for post-fix extended warranties.
Chrysler makes a case for the hybrid minivan
No one marvels at minivans. Well, except maybe at car-stereo events (you can get so many woofers in the back of a van). But in real life, on the streets, the world treats the minivan like a defeat: It's what you buy as an adult when you've given up all hope. Your youth has died, the body has been cremated and its ashes have been mixed with Metamucil and spread at the entrance of a chain restaurant (probably an Applebee's).
Intel’s self-driving supergroup brings Fiat Chrysler into the fold
Intel's self-driving supergroup has added another member to the team: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). The partnership, which already includes BMW, Intel and Mobileye, has ambitious plans to get autonomous vehicles on the road by 2021, and FCA's inclusion is likely to make that goal more achievable. FCA already has a decent chunk of autonomous expertise under its belt -- it partnered with Waymo (formerly Google) in 2016, adding 100 self-driving Pacifica minivans to the Waymo fleet -- but compared to its rivals the group lags behind. The new partnership gives the company access to the research and resources it needs to keep pace in the field.
Dodge repurposes its parking tech to safeguard police
Fiat Chrysler has cleverly re-purposed some not-state-of-the-art tech on its police cars to protect officers. The radar and cameras at the rear of its Charger Pursuit vehicles can now detect movement behind the car when it's parked, alerting officers with a chime, locking the doors, rolling up the windows and flashing the taillights. It also activates the vehicle's rear camera, letting cops know what's going on at their "six."
Chrysler pulls a VW, cheats emissions tests
The Environmental Protection Agency has just notified Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) that the carmaker has violated the Clean Air Act, alleging that it installed software in some of its diesel vehicles that increased emissions beyond what the company claimed. Specifically, the EPA says that "light-duty model year 2014, 2015 and 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 trucks with 3.0 liter diesel engines sold in the United States" are releasing excess nitrogen oxide emissions.
Chrysler unveils its concept minivan for the selfie generation
The future of driving (or more likely, riding) has become less about speed and more about making sure occupants are comfortable and more importantly, entertained. At CES later today, Fiat/Chrysler (FCA) will unveil its Portal concept car. The electric vehicle will have face recognition and voice biometrics for what the automaker says is focused on millennials and will be "more than a tool -- it's an integral part of their lives."
Google shows off its sleeker self-driving Chrysler minivans
Waymo, Google's new autonomous vehicle division, has finally unveiled its latest model: a heavily modified Chrysler Pacifica. The hybrid minivan, which can go 30 miles in pure electric mode, was glimpsed earlier in spy photos at a Google facility. It's now fixed up with the custom computer, sensors and telematics used on Google's Lexus SUV and other self-driving cars. Waymo didn't just bolt the tech on, though. Rather, its engineering team worked together with Fiat Chrysler (FCA) at a special facility in southeastern Michigan.
Fiat Chrysler adding Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is introducing the next generation of its Connect in-car entertainment (ICE) software at CES this year, and it includes support for both Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto. The move follows Ford's announcement earlier today that it too would support both platforms with its Sync 3 ICE platform. FCA produces Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Alfa Romeo cars in addition to those from its namesake brands.
UK regulator proposes crackdown on misleading Facebook and Twitter ads
While Twitter and Facebook are enjoying returns from their native advertising platforms, it's still not easy to tell if a tweet or status update is actually a company trying to sell you something. It's a practice that the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has become increasingly aware of, so it's begun consulting opinion on whether it should enforce stricter rules on promotional messages shared by financial firms. Blogs, social networks and photo and video services are all in the FCA's crosshairs, as it looks to crack down on companies that rely on misleading messages like "Join us now and we promise you'll make a 758% profit on your first stock investment" to sign up new users.
