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BMW and Mercedes call it quits on their self-driving car partnership
Less than a year after their initial announcement, BMW and Mercedes are ending what was supposed to be a long-term partnership to develop autonomous vehicles.
Tesla Model S officially breaks the 400 mile EPA range barrier
Tesla has announced that it’s 2020 Model S Long-Range Plus is now EPA rated for 402 miles, cracking a significant psychological range barrier for electric vehicles.
Cyberattack forces Honda to suspend global production for a day
Honda was forced to suspend global production for a day due to a cyberattack that infiltrated the company's internal servers in Tokyo.
CarPlay in your classic Porsche, just what you needed
If you're lucky enough to own a classic Porsche, the German automaker has something special to let you update it in style.
Aston Martin’s rearview mirror shows three video feeds simultaneously
For the last couple of years, automakers of all stripes have been integrating cameras into their cars to make it easier for drivers to see what's happening around them. Nissan and Cadillac, for example, have offered camera-based rearview mirrors since 2015. British automaker Aston Martin, however, thinks there's still a place for the humble mirror.
Honda will show off its in-car AI assistant at CES
At CES 2020, Honda says it will finally show off its long-promised in-car personal assistant. The automaker has been working on its own digital helper since 2018 when it announced a partnership with SoundHound. Aside from the usual claims of "unprecedented" speed and accuracy, the company doesn't say too much about how the tool compares to AI like Google Assistant and Siri. It does note you'll be able to wake it by saying "OK Honda," and that it'll be able to infer context about a question based on your current location, as well as any previous queries.
After Math: The future of transportation is electrifying
As we wrap up a week of LA Auto Show news, two themes become apparent: we are well on our way towards electric drivetrains being the rule rather than the exception, and you should always ensure that your unshatterable windows are indeed unshatterable before heading on-stage for the livestream.
MIT’s color-changing ink could let you customize your shoes
Imagine if, rather than buy your favorite shoes in blue or red, you could buy one pair of shoes and change the color depending on how you feel each day. Maybe you'd decide to add multicolored flames or zebra print. A new, reprogrammable ink might let you do just that. PhotoChromeleon Ink, developed by MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), can change the color or pattern of an object when exposed to UV light.
Google Assistant and Maps are coming to GM vehicles in 2021
GM and Google are working to bring a voice assistant, embedded navigation and in-vehicle apps to Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles beginning in 2021. The companies announced the partnership today, and according to GM, it plans to eventually roll the tech out in all vehicle brands.
Sennheiser will use its audio expertise to create an in-car Ambeo system
Good news for automotive audiophiles: popular audio brand Sennheiser is working with luxury automaker Karma Automotive to create an in-car audio 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.
GM will deliver over-the-air updates to 'most' vehicles by 2023
Today, General Motors unveiled its new electronics system. The platform will make "smartphone-like" over-the-air software updates possible, and it should be rolled out in most GM vehicles by 2023, the company says. We'll see it first in the 2020 Cadillac CT5 sedan, which should go into production later this year.
Take a peek at Infiniti's 'Qs Inspiration' EV concept
You'll be hard pressed to find an established automaker these days that isn't rushing to tap into the growing EV market and Infiniti is no different. The company revealed its Qs Inspiration concept EV sport sedan on Wednesday to serve as a glimpse into the company's "electrified future," per a release and hints at the design of a forthcoming production model.
The Polestar 2's infotainment system is powered by Google
Volvo's all-electric performance car brand, Polestar, tweeted out a teaser link for Google's new HMI (human machine interface) system which is expected to debut in the automaker's upcoming Polestar 2 later this year.
Inside the automotive startup taking EVs off-road
The Tesla Model X is the "least capable SUV ever made," according to Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe. It sits too low to the ground, for one, and yet, somehow, most American garages aren't tall enough for the rear doors to open. It's something that looks great sitting next to a Lamborghini or a Porsche, but it's more style than substance. It's an SUV in name alone. You won't take your Model X to ride the sand dunes for a weekend, but that's precisely what Scaringe wants you to do with anything his startup makes. It's understandable if you don't know who or what Rivian is. The company, founded in 2009, has around 350 employees, and its executive team is composed of designers and executives from Hummer maker AM General, Chrysler, McLaren and others. Its design headquarters are located outside of Detroit; there's also a pair of tech and research centers in California split between the San Francisco Bay Area and Irvine. Rivian is led by Scaringe, a 35-year-old MIT grad. Previously he founded Mainstream Motors, working on a fuel-efficient vehicle before pivoting to EVs in 2012. Even more than other tech companies, this one's plans have been shrouded in secrecy -- it was important to Scaringe that his company have something to show before making promises he couldn't keep.
Inside BMW’s Autonomous Driving Campus
Dr. Dirk Wisselmann, senior expert for autonomous driving at BMW, tells me that the automaker's first level 3 car will have the technical capabilities for level 4 or 5 highway driving. "We can create a software update (for the car) and inform our drivers, 'We are are very confident on this road. We are very sure nothing can happen. You can sleep if you want to.'" He makes sure to note that this is a best-case scenario.
BlackBerry's 'Jarvis' finds security flaws in connected cars
As cars become more reliant on software, it's critical for automakers to make sure their code is as secure as possible. It's somewhat surprising, though, for a company like BlackBerry to come out with a potential solution. At a keynote during the North American International Automotive Show (NAIAS) today, the company's CEO John Chen announced a new cloud-based tool called Jarvis that can scan the complex software required for modern connected and autonomous cars.
BMW used virtual reality to bring its latest crossover SUV to CES
When you're in Las Vegas for CES and want to show off a brand-new car before its debut at the North American Auto Show, what do you do? Well, if you're BMW, you do it virtually. The German automaker "brought" its new X2 crossover SUV to the desert with virtual reality, in a first-of-its-kind (for BMW, at least) demo experience that lets potential customers get behind the wheel and poke around the vehicle's nooks and crannies. BMW sees this as a natural bridge between looking at pictures online and reading brochures, and for the automaker, the medium seems like a logical next step to updating the shopping experience for the future.
Ford will build EVs with Chinese automaker in $765 million deal
Over the last few months, China has been making plans and deals to wean its country's cars off fossil fuels. In July, Daimler agreed to pair up with Chinese automaker BAIC to invest $735 million in EV infrastructure. Ford just entered its own venture, a 50-50 partnership with manufacturer Zotye Auto for a combined investment of $756 million to produce electric cars.
'The Grand Tour' returns to Amazon Prime December 8th
Following a bit of a hiatus, Amazon Prime's The Grand Tour will return with season two December 8th. Earlier this year co-host Richard Hammond was involved in a nasty EV wreck with a Rimac Concept One supercar. He fared "mostly OK" according to co-host Jeremy Clarkson at the time. Clarkson himself was hospitalized this year as well, but for entirely different reasons. Namely, he had a particularly nasty case of pneumonia that almost killed him.
