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Most Cadillacs will be electric by 2030, says GM
If you're waiting for big companies to reduce their carbon emissions, you can forget about 2020. Apparently, 2030 is when we'll start to see changes. That's the year Amazon wants to make half its shipments carbon-neutral and Microsoft promises a 75 percent reduction in carbon emissions. Now, GM has another promise for us: by 2030, the majority (and possibly all) Cadillacs will be electric vehicles.
Cadillac will help you shop for cars in a live virtual showroom
Cadillac is moving some of the car shopping process online... if not necessarily the parts you'd want the most. The automaker has launched a Cadillac Live service that lets you check out car features and ask questions through a live video connection to a showroom with iPhone-toting specialists. Effectively, you can conduct the usual dealership tour without having to travel halfway across town. Representatives can also share options like accessories, colors and wheels through a digital interface -- just in case that Escalade on display isn't baller enough.
Alexa is coming to newer GM vehicles in 2020
The US's largest automaker is about to add Alexa to its vehicles. Starting in the first half of 2020, General Motors plans to update 2018 and newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadilac model cars, trucks and crossovers to feature the digital assistant. The automaker says the rollout marks the biggest auto-related expansion of Alexa to date.
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.
Cadillac adds 70,000 miles to its Super Cruise hands-free driving maps
Cadillac's Super Cruise impressed me back in 2017 when I drove with it from New Mexico to California. The hands-free experience made the long trek less of a chore and except for interchanges and in construction zones, the majority of the time my hands were off the wheel. To achieve this the system is geofenced to divided highways that have been mapped by high-definition LiDAR. Now that system of roadways has been expanded to 200,000 miles from 130,000 miles in Canada and the United States.
Cadillac reveals performance sedans with hands-free SuperCruise
Over 15 years ago Cadillac unveiled the V-Series. A luxury Caddy with an engine and handling meant to compete with BMW's M-Series and Mercedes' AMG lineup. Now the automaker is expanding the performance brand beyond the CT6, CTS and ATS line with the new CT4-V and CT5-V.
Cadillac puts its hands-off driver assistant in the new CT5
Way back in October of 2017, I drove Cadillac's CT6 across the southwest using the automaker's driver's assistant feature Super Cruise. It was an impressive hands-free experience that was only available on one vehicle. Cadillac has finally fixed that with its new compact sedan, the CT5.
Cadillac drops teaser pics of its first electric vehicle
Shortly after GM revealed Cadillac will take the lead in its electrification push, the brand has given us a peek at its first-ever electric car. Following a couple of hybrid attempts, the new vehicle doesn't come with a name or any details, but from the looks we'd expect a Model X-fighting luxury crossover. The most important part may be what's under the skin, as this shows off the "BEV3" platform that GM plans to use for a number of electric cars going forward. Cadillac president Steve Carlisle said: "The architectural design will allow the battery packs to fit into the vehicle like ice cubes in an ice cube tray, you can put in as much water as you want to make as many cubes as you need -- the tray still takes up the same space in the freezer." The point of the design is flexibility, so that any kind of vehicle can have a unique design without reducing range. The drive units are similarly targeted for flexibility, with front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations supported.
GM will make Cadillac its 'lead' electric vehicle brand
While Chevrolet launched the Volt plug-in hybrid and pure-electric Bolt, Cadillac has taken a backseat in GM's electric vehicle push. Now as it attempts to find profits in that segment, the company's electrification plans will put luxury first. In an update for investors released on Friday (PDF), the company said: Cadillac will be GM's lead electric vehicle brand and will introduce the first model from the company's all-new battery electric vehicle architecture, GM's foundation for an advanced family of profitable EVs. The flexible platform will provide a broad array of body styles and will be offered in front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel configurations. Its most critical components — including the battery cells — are being designed for maximum usability across all programs. The battery system will also be adjustable, based on vehicle and customer requirements. For a few years Cadillac sold an ELR hybrid coupe that was criticized for being overpriced at $75,0000 -- $35,000 more than the Volt that shared its powertrain. Its follow-up CT6 Plug-In Hybrid hasn't fared much better. The "flexible platform" referred to is called BEV3, a replacement for BEV2 (Battery Electric Vehicle 2), which the Bolt is based on. It appears that the next phase of its plans will roll out with a more carefully-considered plan and an eye toward growing sales in China. Other areas it's focusing on include commercializing autonomous vehicles (see its efforts with Cruise) and pushing trucks in North America.
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.
Cadillac pauses its $1,800-per-month car subscription service
Just one year after launching it, Cadillac is temporarily ending its expensive car subscription service, the Wall Street Journal reported. Book by Cadillac, which charged drivers $1,800 to be behind the wheel of one of the company's cars, will be paused started December 1st. Subscribers will have 30 days to turn in the vehicles they were renting through the service, meaning they'll have to find another ride pretty quickly.
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.
All Cadillacs will have semi-autonomous features starting in 2020
Every model Cadillac sells will be available with semi-autonomous features starting in 2020. The luxury automaker's Super Cruise system for hands-free highway driving will be available across its entire model line in two years; currently, it's exclusive to the CT6 sedan. After 2020, the feature will make its way to other GM lines including Chevrolet, Buick and GMC, according to TechCrunch.
Tesla reportedly nixed Autopilot safeguards for cost and ineffectiveness
Tesla engineers considered incorporating additional safeguards into the company's Autopilot driver assistance system such as eye-tracking technology or steering wheel sensors, the Wall Street Journal reports, but those features were ultimately rejected due to concerns over cost and effectiveness. Both before implementing the system and again following a fatal crash in 2016 that involved what appeared to be an overreliance on Autopilot, Tesla executives explored ways to ensure drivers were looking at the road and touching the steering wheel, according to WSJ sources. However, eye-tracking technology was called into question both for the costs associated with the required cameras and sensors as well as for concerns on how well it would work with drivers of different heights. Cost concerns also led to a rejection of steering wheel sensors.
Cadillac goes green with the CT6 Plug-In hybrid
More and more luxury automobile owners want to go green. Sure, there's a chance they're looking to save a few bucks on gas, but you rarely find people who buy feature-filled powerful sedans and then worry about the prices at the pump. For the automakers, some of that desire to be more eco-conscious is government-mandated. As in the growing Chinese market, where hybrids and EVs will soon be the norm as the country tackles its pollution problem.The CT6 Plug-In is built in that country to capture that market. But it's also here in the US and it's a worth a look.
BMW reportedly plans car subscription service test for Nashville
BMW is getting into the car subscription business, Bloomberg reports. While the company itself only said that a subscription pilot was planned for this year, a person familiar with the plans told Bloomberg that the program will begin in Nashville, Tennessee next week. The service is called Access by BMW and will be available through a local dealership beginning April 2nd, according to the source.
Spotify wants to improve in-car streaming, starting with Cadillacs
More than 70 million people subscribe to Spotify's streaming music, and a significant chunk of those subscribers use the service in their cars. The problem is, the experience of using Spotify in a car can vary pretty wildly from the experience the company has built for other screens. In a bid to change that, Spotify and Cadillac teamed up to create an app that runs on those Caddies themselves and streams music over their built-in LTE connections. Right now, owners of the XTS, CTS, ATS, CTS-V and ATS-V can start using the app, but it'll appear on upcoming 2019 Cadillacs and still more GMC vehicles shortly.
The best gadgets of 2017
2017 hasn't been the easiest year to live through, but we've found joy and comfort in some of the hardware we've tested over the last 12 months. Last year, we saw VR surge in prominence, but our picks this year are more conventional -- not to mention more diverse. The usual suspects include the iPhone X and Surface Laptop for getting helping us get things done, and the Nintendo Switch and the Sonos One for their ability to let us luxuriate at home and on the road. There's some more unexpected stuff on our list, too, like the easy-to-use DJI Spark drone as well as the Mighty, a tiny music player that won over much of the Engadget staff. Ultimately, we appreciated these picks for the ways they made our lives more pleasant, even if only a little.
GM thinks you'll buy stuff through your car's dashboard
As more cars roll off production lines with WiFi and LTE capabilities as standard, brands are falling over themselves to find ways to monetize this connectivity. Jaguar and Shell have partnered for in-car fuel payments, while BMW and Ford are bringing Alexa to your dashboard. Now, General Motors (GM) has unveiled a new on-board marketplace where drivers can buy coffee and gas, and make restaurant and hotel reservations, without getting out of their car.
Apple lists the cars that can wirelessly charge your iPhone
Sure, you know that most wireless charging pads will top up the iPhone 8 or iPhone X, but what about the pad in your car? That's a little more complicated, but Apple is willing to help out. It just posted a list of manufacturers whose vehicles can charge the latest crop of iPhones, and it's mostly good news... mostly. Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo and the PSA group (Citroen, DS, Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall) all have cars that will charge at least the iPhone 8 (and likely X), and can charge the 8 Plus if there's enough room. Be careful if you're a GM fan, though, as you'll have to be extra-picky about your driving machine.
