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Apple once envisioned retractable bumpers for its self-driving cars
Apple once dreamed of self-driving cars with retractable bumpers. In 2015, the company filed a patent for "extendable bumpers" with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The patent was published this morning, but even if Apple were once serious about adding inflatable bumpers to its vehicles, the company has since pivoted and scaled back its Project Titan self-driving vehicle efforts.
Congress could require a car alarm for kids left inside
In the past 20 years, more than 800 children have died of heatstroke in cars in the US. Now, a group of lawmakers wants to require alerts that would remind parents to check for children in the backseat before exiting the vehicle. Legislation announced today would mandate "a distinct auditory and visual alert," and it would require a feasibility study for retrofitting existing vehicles with the system.
Bosch's reworked automotive sensors can help control flying taxis
As companies from Boeing and Uber to Lilium work to develop flying taxis, Bosch wants to make the sensors they'll require more accessible. The company says conventional aerospace technology is too expensive and bulky to use in autonomous flying vehicles. So, today, Bosch announced a plug-and-play sensor box that adapts automotive industry sensors for use in flight.
Waymo will build self-driving cars in Michigan
Waymo just took another major step toward bringing self-driving cars into the mainstream. The Alphabet-owned brand has received approval to establish a factory for its driverless vehicles in Michigan. This will be the first factory in the world to be completely devoted to mass-producing Level 4 autonomous vehicles, the company said.
Bose wants to keep the sounds of the road out of your vehicle
If the sounds of the road are interrupting your road trip playlist, Bose might have the solution. The company announced its new QuietComfort Road Noise Control system designed to cancel out all of the sounds that seep in from outside of your vehicle. The technology, branded with the same name as Bose's noise-canceling headphones, is being made available to vehicle manufacturers around the world to provide a quieter cabin experience inside of cars, trucks and SUVs.
Volkswagen buys Volvo's connected car service
Volkswagen has made clear its ambition for unified internet services for its vehicles -- earlier this year it announced its partnership with Microsoft to build the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud. Now, it's pushing its agenda further, having acquired a controlling stake in Volvo's WirelessCar service.
Jaguar's automatic door could make cars more accessible
Amputees and others with accessibility needs might soon have an easier time hopping into cars. Jaguar Land Rover has created a 'mobility door' that uses a mix of current keyless entry tech and motion sensors to automatically open when you approach. You might only have to swing in when you're ready to drive. You can press buttons both overhead and on the infotainment system to open or close doors, and there's radar to prevent the door from smacking another car or a lamp post.
Hyundai will sell a car that can be unlocked with a fingerprint
Hyundai has unveiled a new car system that lets drivers unlock and start a vehicle using their fingerprints. The tech is built in to the door handle and ignition button of the new 2019 Santa Fe SUV, showcased at an auto show in China last week.
Bloodhound supersonic car project shuts down
Efforts to save the Bloodhound supersonic car project from bankruptcy haven't panned out. The team is shutting down after it was unsuccessful in securing the roughly £25 million (about $32 million) it needed from "potential and credible investors." As a result, the company is now planning to return third-party gear and sell off assets, including the car -- if you happen to have £250,000 ($318,000) sitting around, you could own a piece of automotive history. Don't expect to break records, though. Driver Andy Green warns that you'd need "a few million" to have Bloodhound SSC live up to its full potential.
Ohio's first self-driving shuttle service begins on December 10th
Ohio wants to be a haven for self-driving cars, and it's already acting on those plans... if slowly. Smart Columbus and DriveOhio have announced that the state's first autonomous shuttle service, Smart Circuit, will launch in Columbus on December 10th. It's not a terribly ambitious route. Three May Mobility vehicles will cover a 1.5-mile loop around the Scioto Mile between 6AM and 10PM, with departures from each of the four stops every 10 minutes. There's a human backup driver onboard, too. However, rides are free. So long as you're not in a hurry (the shuttles drive at a modest 25MPH) and can take one of the four available seats, it won't hurt to hop aboard.
Volvo's subscription service is so popular it's running out of XC40s
Volvo made it clear back in June that its Care by Volvo subscription service was going to be a big hit. Now, it's got the stats to back it up: in just four months the company has sold as many subscriptions as it originally anticipated selling in the scheme's first year. And if you want in on the $650 a month deal for the XC40, you'll probably be waiting until next year for your vehicle to be delivered. It'll be a challenge getting ahold of it via traditional means, too, as Volvo has pinched the supply of XC40s going to dealerships.
Hyundai's Nexo fuel cell SUV hits California dealers by end of 2018
Hyundai's second-generation hydrogen fuel cell car will soon be more than just a trade show darling. The automaker has formally introduced the 2019 Nexo SUV ahead of its late 2018 launch in the US, complete with details on its trim levels and availability at dealerships. The vehicle is only confirmed to be coming to two southern California dealerships by the end of 2018 (Van Nuys' Keyes Hyundai as well as Tustin Hyundai), with San Jose's Capitol Hyundai due in early 2019. The upshot? You might get more car than you were expecting.
Waymo’s self-driving vehicles have racked up 10 million miles
Autonomous vehicle company Waymo has just completed 10 million miles of testing on public roads -- and by the end of the month it'll have clocked up seven billion miles in its virtual world. In a press release, Waymo CEO John Krafcik said that while the company has made "great strides" in its history so far, "the next 10 million will focus on turning our advanced technology into a service that people will use and love."
Cadillac outranks Tesla in Consumer Reports semi-autonomous tests
It's tempting to assume that Tesla's Autopilot represents the gold standard for semi-autonomous driving features, but Consumer Reports would beg to differ. The outfit has released the results of its first rankings for automated driving systems, and Cadillac's Super Cruise edged out Autopilot to receive the top rating. Both rivals fared well in terms of abilities -- Cadillac's advantage was in safety.
Boring Company will build a futuristic tunnel garage
The Boring Company has some fairly grand plans when it comes to its tunnelling ambitions. It's proposed a 3.6 mile tunnel from an LA Metro station to Dodger Stadium, and it's recently been selected to build a high-speed transport link in Chicago. Now, it's set its sights on residential applications, and has purchased a property near SpaceX headquarters where it plans to build a private, prototype garage.
Tesla beats Ontario government in 'unjust' EV rebate case
Tesla has won its case against the Ontario government over electric vehicle rebates. Back in June, Ontario's new government axed the province's Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Incentive Program, a scheme which gave EV buyers rebates of up to $14,000 (around $10,700 US). Tesla's problem stemmed from the government's decision to continue, until September 10th, to honor rebates for those who bought an EV through a dealership -- Tesla sells its vehicles directly to buyers, and so claims the decision "unjustly targeted" Tesla Canada and its customers.
Alexa will soon be available in even more cars
Amazon is giving more automakers access to the tools needed to integrate Alexa into their vehicles' infotainment systems. The company released its Alexa Auto software development kit today, making the tools accessible to all developers via GitHub. Integrating Alexa into vehicles gives users easier access to the assistant's skills while they drive, and they can take advantage of functions like weather reports, notifications, smart home controls, media streaming and the many third-party skills accessible through Alexa. Some other functions supported by Alexa Auto -- including navigation, calling and local search -- will be particularly useful for drivers.
Terrafugia's first flying car should finally go on sale in 2019
Terrafugia's Transition flying car has been in development purgatory for years, but it's finally here... almost. The company has announced that the first production models of the Transition will go on sale sometime in 2019. While that does sound like a long way off, it does provide a more concrete release window than you've had in the past. And if it's any consolation, the finished machine will have some useful improvements in return for the extra months of waiting.
DARPA wheels change from tires to tracks without stopping
Travel across difficult terrain usually involves a lot of compromise. Tracks will get you where you need to go, but they're slow whenever you're covering open ground. DARPA, however, doesn't think you should have to make that choice. It's working with Carnegie Mellon University on Reconfigurable Wheel-Track technology that converts wheels from tracks to tires (and vice versa) in the middle of a drive. As you can see in the clip below, the change takes just two seconds -- you could drive off the road and up a hillside without skipping a beat.
Mercedes pulls its plug-in hybrids to prepare for new models
We hope you weren't dead set on buying one of Mercedes' existing plug-in hybrids, as they won't be long for this world. Autocar has learned that Mercedes has stopped producing PHEV versions of the C-Class, E-Class, S-Class and GLE. This doesn't mean that the automaker is dropping plug-ins entirely, as you might have guessed. Rather, it's replacing the whole lot with "third-generation" hybrids that will sell under the company's electric-focused EQ branding.
