Daimler
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Smart cars are disappearing from North America
Daimler is no longer going to sell its eye-catching small Smart Fortwo electric cars in North America. The company told TechCrunch that the 2019 model will be the last to be available in the United States and Canada, just two years after deciding to stop selling the gas-powered version of the vehicles in the region. Daimler plans to instead focus on launching its Smart line in China. Existing Fortwo owners will still be able to get their cars serviced by Smart or at authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships.
Penske debuts fast charging stations for electric delivery trucks
Today, Penske Truck Leasing opened 14 DC fast charging stations at four facilities in Southern California. According to the company, they're the first high-speed charging stations specifically designed for heavy duty, commercial electric vehicles in the US. And they'll be used to charge semi trucks, like the Daimler Freightliners that Penske has been testing.
Daimler's diesel emissions cheating may include 60,000 more cars
Daimler is already in hot water for its alleged diesel emissions cheating, but it's about to get worse. Bild am Sonntag has learned that German regulators have discovered evidence of cheating software in roughly 60,000 GLK 220 CDI models made between 2012 and 2015. That's not a small amount -- officials had asked Daimler to recall 700,000 vehicles worldwide, so this represents a nearly 9 percent increase based on one model line.
EU believes BMW, Daimler and VW colluded over clean emissions tech
The European Commission believes BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen worked together to delay clean emissions technology. Last fall, the EU Commission launched a formal investigation to determine if the automakers breached EU antitrust rules by restricting competition on the development of emissions-reducing technology. Now, in a Statement of Objections, the Commission has informed BMW, Daimler and VW of its "preliminary view" that they did in fact violate antitrust rules -- meaning they also led to higher emissions and denied consumers the opportunity to buy less polluting cars.
Mercedes unveils its first Formula E race car
Mercedes-Benz said it would participate in Formula E this year, and now you know what it'll bring to the track. The tri-star badge has unveiled its first racer for the all-electric league, the EQ Silver Arrow 01 (no real relation to the Silver Arrow concept), and it's clear it will at least be competitive. The machine will pump out up to 340HP during qualifiers and in FanBoost mode (272HP in normal racing, 306HP in attack mode), and hit 62MPH in a brisk 2.8 seconds. There's a 52kWh battery to keep it humming throughout the entire race.
What to expect from the Geneva Motor Show 2019
The Geneva Motor Show is about to begin and this year the focus will be electrification. From Audi to Volkswagen, the halls of the Palexpo will be filled the future of passenger transportation.
After Math: Mobile World Mayhem
Mobile World Congress is kicking off this weekend in Barcelona, Spain and Engadget's crack team of reporters will be coming to you live from the show floor! But the trade show isn't the only thing making mobile news this week: Chevy's finally adding a "Find my Car" feature to its app, Intel's pumping the brakes on rumors of its 5G modem availability, and Facebook is (unsurprisingly) once again in trouble for scraping sensitive data from its mobile users. In less disturbing news, BMW and Daimler are looking to invest a billion dollars into a different sort of "mobile" project.
BMW and Daimler invest $1 billion in their joint mobility services
German automakers BMW and Daimler AG provided a host of details on their partnerhsip that will that will invest more than $1 billion into mobility services. The companies, which agreed to pool their services last year, plan to invest in handful of programs designed to help simplify and improve transportation in urban areas. The pair have created five joint ventures focused on everything from ride sharing to parking and expect the initiatives will produce around 1,000 new jobs.
In the cab with Daimler’s level 2 semi-truck
When Daimler announced that its Freightliner new Cascadia would be the first class 8 truck to get level 2 driver's assistance (adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist), I was confused. It seemed insane that the vehicles that deliver our goods didn't have the same technology found in many new passenger cars. After riding in the cab of one of the new trucks, it's apparent that this technology is long overdue and sure to help drivers.
Behind the wheel of Daimler’s upcoming electric trucks
Daimler has been very vocal that it's moving to electrify its trucks. From short- to medium-haul delivery vehicles to school buses, the company is making no bones that its future lies in EVs.
Daimler wants self-driving trucks on the roads in ten years
Level four autonomy is the dream of many automakers. A vehicle that drives itself without any driver interaction but has a steering wheel and pedals so that when the human in the car is ready to take control, they can. Daimler wants to put that technology in semi trucks within the next 10 years.
Daimler is testing electric delivery trucks on the west coast
At an event in Southern California today, Daimler Trucks of North America (DTNA) handed the keys to a Freightliner eM2 electric delivery truck to Penske Truck Leasing. The vehicle has been in development for a few years, but in the past nine months, the two companies have worked together to create something that fits nicely into Penske's business.
Some companies are considering ditching WiFi for private 5G
No matter how much it's changed our lives, WiFi can be endlessly annoying because of how spotty and unreliable it often is, even for those of us in small homes. It can prove a bigger headache still for companies that need reliable connections for their devices, particularly across a wide area. So, some businesses are looking towards a newer method of keeping their equipment and employees connected: 5G.
China reportedly tracks EV data including drivers’ locations
The Associated Press reports today that more than 200 EV manufacturers including Tesla, Volkswagen, BMW and others transmit real time vehicle data like position, engine information and battery charge level to centers backed by the Chinese government. Dozens of data points are transferred between the manufacturers and these data centers, a practice required by law in the country. The AP says specifications published in 2016 mandate that EVs operating in the country must transmit data back to their manufacturer, some of which is then shared with local centers in China.
Daimler and Bosch pick San Jose for autonomous taxi trial
Mercedes' parent company Daimler and automotive supplier Bosch announced back in 2017 their plans to get autonomous vehicles on the road "by the beginning of the next decade." Now, the partnership is getting ready to roll out testing, and has earmarked San Jose for a pilot trial in the second half of 2019.
Mercedes will make EV batteries in Alabama
Daimler's Mercedes-Benz facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is getting a $1 billion upgrade, and it includes building a new battery factory for its future electric vehicles. According to the automaker, the plant will manufacture batteries for Benz's EQ line of EVs, starting with its first electric SUV (the EQC) unveiled back in September. Since part of that billion will go towards the creation of manufacturing plants for the cars themselves, it only makes sense that Daimler wants to build their batteries in the same location.
EU probes BMW, Daimler and VW for colluding over clean emissions tech
The European Commission has opened a formal investigation to determine whether BMW, Daimler and VW colluded to avoid competing with each other on clean emission technologies. The EU is assessing whether the companies met to limit the development of catalytic systems that reduce nitrogen oxide diesel emissions and particulate matter ("Otto" systems) from gas-powered cars.
Daimler and Bosch will use NVIDIA to power self-driving taxis
Putting self-driving cars on the streets requires a lot of computing power. Most test cars on the road have PC towers in their trunk that take up space, suck up power and produce a lot of heat. With that in mind Daimler (the parent company of Mercedes-Benz) and Bosch have announced they will be using the NVIDIA Drive Pegasus self-driving AI platform.
Mercedes-Benz will test self-driving cars on public roads in Beijing
Daimler will soon take its Mercedes-Benz self-driving cars to the public streets of Beijing. It's the first non-Chinese company to win a license to test level 4 self-driving vehicles there. Level 4 is the second-highest tier of autonomous driving, in which cars can operate without human input in select conditions. Eventually, you might be able to take a nap while these types of vehicles ferry you around.
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.
