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What to expect from an online-only CES 2021
CES 2021 will officially take place from January 11th to 14th, but it’ll look very different this year. In the meantime, here’s an idea of what we can expect from CES 2021. We’ll likely see some continuation of trends from previous years too. But, CES 2021 promises to be a relatively slow show.
Ford is saying goodbye to cars and hello to batteries
Ford made waves recently when it announced it would stop producing cars (except for the iconic Mustang) -- in favor of SUVs, trucks and other large vehicles -- for the United States. It wasn't a big surprise and if anything it was expected since SUV and truck sales are growing while car sales plummet. But there's another big change going on at Ford: the move to electrification.
Ford replaces CEO Mark Fields with self-driving chief
Ford has fired CEO Mark Fields and replaced him with self-driving car chief Jim Hackett, the company announced this morning. The news comes amid turmoil in the company, including a steep 25 percent drop in car sales so far this year and layoffs of 1,400 salaried employees, with possibly more to come. The news confirms a New York Times report from earlier today.
Volkswagen to compensate dealerships after diesel scandal
As part of a settlement after its previous diesel scandal, Volkswagen is working to ensure franchise dealership owners that they will indeed receive compensation.
ICYMI: The CGI car stand-in and smart pill dispenser
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The Mill Blackbird is a vehicle chassis that car commercials can use as a stand-in, rather than getting to film with an actual new car. The Pillo is a smart medication dispenser that can recognize family members and automatically give their pill dosage. It's up on Indiegogo now. And we wanted you to see both the Converse sneakers made to play guitar with, and the autonomous light show that drums. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Mercedes replaces robots with people on its assembly line
We've all heard stories about how the robots are taking our jobs. While that may be true, Mercedes-Benz is replacing some of its high-tech workers with real live humans. As it turns out, robots can't keep up with the degree of customization that the automaker offers on its S-Class sedans. To be fair, there are four different types of caps for the tires alone, not to mention options for carbon fiber trim and temperature-controlled cup holders.
The Blade is a 3D-printed supercar
3D printing technology has already revolutionized the aeronautics industry. Manufacturers can create lighter, stronger components at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional production methods. Now a San Francisco-based startup called Divergent Microfactories is trying to do the same in the automotive industry. To that end, the company debuted a 3D printed supercar dubbed "Blade", reportedly the first such vehicle to ever be additively manufactured.
iRacing is the real driving simulator
I've never been to northern California's legendary Laguna Seca road course. In meatspace, at any rate. But thanks to dozens of realistic racing game recreations, I know the track's serpentine layout and its infamous corkscrew corner like the back of my hand. I've barreled through it hundreds if not thousands of times since 1999's Gran Turismo 2, so it darn well ought to be familiar by now, right? And it was, right up until I loaded onto iRacing's version of it.
Fisker founder resigns over 'major disagreements' with management
Fisker Automotive founder Henrik Fisker has resigned from his post as the firm's executive chairman. An email said to be sent by Henrik cites several unspecified "major disagreements" with the company's executive management on business strategy as the primary reason for abandoning ship. Reports suggest the decision was sparked by the firm's purported consideration of selling a majority stake to China's Geely Automobile, which would put much-needed cash in its coffers. For its part, the company says that it's strategy hasn't changed, and that it doesn't expect its namesake's departure to have an impact.
Coda sheds 15 percent of workforce, has reportedly sold fewer than 100 sedans
Despite having shaved off greenbacks from its all-electric sedan's price tag, it appears business isn't going as well as hoped for EV-maker Coda Automotive. After getting word from an anonymous source regarding layoffs at the automaker, Plug In Cars has received a confirmation of the staffing slash from Coda's senior vice president of Government Relations and External Affairs, Forrest Beanum. "CODA has released approximately 50 employees or 15% of our workforce across all functions to streamline our operations and right-size the Company," Beanum said. According to the exec, Coda is committed to continuing development and distribution of its products, and that the measure was an effort to better position the firm for the future. Plug In Cars' anonymous source also made mention of sales, which have reportedly slowed practically to a halt after the auto was was recalled by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration in August thanks to safety equipment issues. To make matters worse, it's said that Coda has sold fewer than 100 cars since sales began last spring.
Hyundai to wire cars with Broadcom ethernet tech, put infotainment and security systems on one network
Cars wired with ethernet may conjure thoughts of roving internet hotspots, but that's not what Hyundai and Broadcom have in mind in this case. Traditionally, infotainment consoles, safety systems and the like are built on multiple in-car networks, but the duo will rig vehicles with modified ethernet cables to unify some of the disparate systems on a single network. Dubbed BroadR-Reach, the tech uses a single pair of unshielded wires to offer 100Mbps connection speeds and could scale up to 1Gbps. Though Hyundai and other automakers joined with Broadcom's standards group for the technology last year, the firm is now the second car manufacturer to pledge that its autos will get the tech. As of now, there's still no word on which models will be lined with ethernet or when they'll roll off assembly lines.
Zipcar CEO talks mobile app improvements, predicts connected vehicle future
We wondered why Zipcar CEO Scott Griffith was slated as a keynote presenter at CTIA's MobileCon -- after all, what does renting cars have to do with mobile? Apparently, quite a lot. Griffith stated in his keynote that Zipcar's app and mobile services have taken a much more central role in the organization. The company is developing its own in-car device holder so that customers can hook up their phones for hands-free functions, and more importantly, the Zipcar smartphone app is due for a major update. The current version can be used to schedule rentals and remote unlock vehicles, but future iterations will transform it into more of an "in-car assistant." It'll let you know more information about the car, help you around town with a personal recommendation service, stream your iTunes playlist, and detailed trip feedback like fuel-levels and car conditions will be far easier to report. Zipcar hopes to add new members through the app as well -- just take a photo of your driver's license and get an approval "in minutes." According to Griffith, the connected car will change our urban landscape, especially with the combination of services like Lyft, Uber, bike sharing, and public transit. It's not quite the flying car, but the nerd in us is sufficiently pleased.
Elon Musk says Tesla will be 'cash flow positive' soon, announces early repayment of DOE loan
After Tesla Motors' recent SEC filing painted a picture of production delays, revenue shortfalls and stock sales to raise cash, CEO Elon Musk has gone on the record to say everything's a-okay. The omnipresent executive said that "if the calendar were simply shifted a few weeks to the right" Tesla would have actually exceeded its vehicle delivery targets for the quarter, and said that the share release was merely held to mitigate risk from suppliers. He also claimed that the Department of Energy's request for early repayment was not a poor reflection of the EV maker's financial state, but actually a hearty endorsement -- the government branch expects Tesla to make loads of cash, and wants it to repay the loan early rather than hoarding it. As such, Musk announced the Model S builder had initiated its first early payment today and would pay off the principal loan prior to its March 2013 due date. We'll have to see if that's enough to keep the automaker's name out of any future presidential debates. [Image credit: Tesla Motors]
Tesla behind on Model S production goals, aims for extra cash with stock sale
Sure, topping off a Model S in 30 minutes with a Supercharger is awfully handy, but production delays of the sedan will keep some future owners away from quick charge times -- and most importantly -- their cars for a little while longer. In a freshly published filing with the US Securities Exchange and Commission, Tesla revealed that it hasn't reached its goal of producing 400 Model S vehicles a week, which places them four to five weeks behind their 2012 delivery expectations. To date, just 255 of the autos have rolled off the assembly line, 132 of which have made their way to new homes. According to the Palo Alto-based outfit, ramping up production has been slower than expected for a number of reasons, including supplier delays and taking a deliberately measured pace for quality assurance purposes. Before the year draws to a close, Musk and Co. anticipate meeting their goal of churning out 400 cars each week, and a total of 20,000 by the end of 2013. Currently, the automaker has racked up around 13,000 reservations and thinks it'll be working to fulfill even more throughout 2013. As a result of the manufacturing lag, the firm has slashed its revenue forecast by as much as $200 million, estimating it'll rake in anywhere from $400 million to $440 million this year. In an effort to add cash to its coffers, the company is putting up roughly 5 million shares of stock for sale. Who's buying, you say? Tesla mentioned its CEO Elon Musk is interested in putting down a cool million bucks.
Texas man foretells dire outcome: messages 'I need to quit texting,' before driving into ravine
Despite our love of gadgets, we're not willing to give any slack to people that text while driving, and for one good reason: it's freaking dangerous. You've heard the grim stories before, but few incidents resonate to the heart of the matter like that of Chance Bothe from Texas. Despite his better judgment, the young man was texting a childhood friend while trying to bring the conversation to a close by saying, "I need to quit texting, because I could die in a car accident." That message was followed by one more, an unfortunate, "b right there." Regrettably, that final text caused him to miss a slight curve in the road and careen into a ravine. Chance is alive today -- thanks in large part to the fact that the accident was witnessed -- but the recovery hasn't been easy. In addition to a broken neck, a number of fractures and severe head trauma, he's already undergone two facial reconstructions. In the wake of the accident, Chance's friends and family have founded UnSend, an organization that dedicates itself to raising awareness about the dangers of texting and driving. Chance, too, is using his experience to educate others: "They just need to understand, don't do it. Don't do it. It's not worth losing your life."
Audi dealership lets you gesticulate your way to a new car using Kinect and multitouch
If you're shopping for your dream wheels, but hate poring over brochures, Audi's got good news: you can now wave and touch to customize your prize ride. The experience starts at the Audi City showroom in London, where you kick off the process by choosing one of the German automaker's 36 models. Then, you can browse the vehicle on a 210-inch HD display with a Kinect to read your gestures as you swipe around to take the tour. From there, a 32-inch 3M multitouch display helps you customize your machine, even letting you use physical RFID-equipped cloth and paint samples to dial in the specs. Once your Teutonic buggy is just so, you can save everything on a USB key, print out a custom brochure and even share the enthralling details on Facebook or Twitter. The company hopes to add 20 similar stores around the world, and if you're near Picadilly Square you can try it out yourself -- just keep one hand on that non-virtual wallet. [Image credit: Wallpaper]
Daily iPad App: Edmunds for the iPhone delivers car buying information
I reviewed Edmunds for the iPhone a few months ago and found it quite useful. Anyone who's car-shopping will find it provides all the information you need. Edmunds has now brought that experience to the iPad. The device's large screen and improvements in the app make it the best version of Edmunds for iOS yet. The app provides comprehensive information like safety data, pricing, reviews from both Edmunds and consumers, thousands of photos (interior and exterior) and other details on more than 24,000 models. The app also includes helpful videos for some vehicles and searches are saved for easy reference in the future. You can browse a local dealer's inventory as well as pricing information for the car you currently own, should you want to sell it outright. Edmunds is free and ad supported. Fortunately the ads weren't distracting. I have some nits to pick, however, and they are similar to my comments on the iPhone version. First, a search function would let me pull up information without swiping through screen after screen. I can see all the brand names on one page, but if I select a type of car or some other parameter the list gets very long. By the time you get to Volvo or Volkswagen, you are going to have very tired fingers. I'd also like to be able to enter a search term like 'Navigation Systems' and get reviews sorted by brand of car. A split screen function would also be useful, so I could compare data side-by-side. That should be possible on the iPad's big screen. Having said that, I think Edmunds has produced the best iOS app for car buying and selling. All the information is there for the browsing, and the app is easy to navigate. I'd love to see the features I've described in future versions, but I think the Edmunds app should be your first choice for reliable, unbiased car information and reviews. The app is a 9.1 MB download and requires iOS5 or greater. I've grabbed some screen shots so you can see the app before you download it. %Gallery-148542%
Has James Bond gone green? Bulletproof electric roadster in the works
Warding off assassins while saving the environment just became a cake walk with the Jo-Mojo, an upcoming creation by Lativian armored vehicle company DARTZ. This two seat convertible roadster brandishes an 80 horsepower electric engine capable of pushing zero to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 125 mph -- yet most of its "mojo" is outside the hood. Custom seating, color-changing chameleon paint finish, bulletproof tires, and others are just a few of the many "drooling" features. The sunroof is given a task with flexible solar panels built-in, good for juicing up the batteries while idle or on the go. Aimed to hit the market at the end of Q2 2012, its estimated price tag starts at 30,000 euros (~ $40,000), within range of most low-end luxury automobiles. Check past the break for a video slideshow of this snazzy piece of metal by Gray Designs, DARTZ's partner in the venture.
Electric DeLorean DMC-12 prototype goes round and round (and round) in test drive video
It's already clear that you're selling everything you own in an effort to purchase a 2013 DeLorean DMC-12 EV (and in turn, apply for a home tax deduction when you begin to live out of it), but what hasn't been clear is exactly how it'd perform on the wide open road. Truthfully, we still aren't entirely certain of that, but thanks to a raucous new video of a prototype on the track, we do know that it looks like the most (PG) fun you can have while sitting atop four wheels. We aren't going to hold you here any longer -- hop on past the break and mash play. 60mph in 4.9. 88mph in however long you want.
Rear window LED hack minds bad drivers' manners, has nothing to do with Hitchcock (video)
Typically, road rage responses range from a flip of the bird to some gentle highway drag racing. For an enterprising hacker by the name of Gagandeep Singh, however, those on-road hijinks have given way to a more eloquent, albeit LED-lit resolution. Conceived as means of informing errant drivers of their transportation follies, Singh rigged up a 40 x 16 LED matrix display and affixed it to his car's rear window. Using an AT89C51 micro-controller, hard-coded messages and animations are then fed to the 2cm x 2cm grid, much to the chagrin of reprimanded drivers following close behind. Eventually, this helpful hack'll hookup with a mobile phone over Bluetooth, delivering real-time updates (and insults?) to the display. Until then, you'll just have to make due with Singh's step-by-step DIY at the source. Jump past the break for a scrolling view of this corrective driving tech.
