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Goodyear's smart tire concept 'prints' its own treads
The thunk-whumma-whumpa-whuppa sound of a tire puncturing and losing pressure at freeway speeds is unmistakable. However, if Goodyear has its way humanity might not have to endure the filthy, sweaty, swear-inducing process of swapping rubber on the shoulder of American roads ever again.
Take a peek at Honda's Urban EV dashboard
Honda's upcoming Urban EV is one of the most highly anticipated vehicles being shown off at the Geneva Motor Show next month. As the spiritual (and technological) successor to the venerated Civic hatchback, the Urban EV will reportedly sport a suite of high tech toys, features, and functionality when it goes on sale in the near future (only in Europe, unfortunately). Honda's been dribbling details about the vehicle for more than a year now and -- just in time for Geneva -- has revealed what its dash and instrument cluster will look like. As you can see in the image above, the Urban EV's split instrument cluster will offer what are quickly becoming the standard features for smart vehicles and EVs: Navigation, hands-free calling, a (presumably voice activated) personal assistant, smartphone connectivity, and an array of various EV system statuses. Driver's will also have access to USB, Bluetooth, and even HDMI inputs as well. But perhaps the most exciting feature shown in the teaser image is located on the faux-wood panel immediately below screens. No, not the parking brake button -- it's the volume knob and audio power button that recently returned to new Civics and Accords. Trying to adjust the volume or turn the radio off when either of those functions are virtualized on a touchscreen (looking at you, Tesla) isn't just a pain, it creates a needless distraction when you're driving. By opting for a physical, haptic interface, Honda makes it easier to futz with the sound system without taking your eyes off the road. We'll have full coverage of the 2019 Geneva Motor Show when it opens in March so stay tuned, everybody.
Honda's Urban EV pre-orders start in early 2019
Honda said it wanted to sell its Urban EV Concept sometime in 2019, and now it's official. The automaker has announced that it will start taking orders for a production version of the tiny retro electric car in early 2019, with a European launch in late 2019. There's no mention of launches in other areas, or an official version of the Sports EV Concept.
Audi gives Airbus' flying taxi concept a stylish makeover
Did you think Airbus' Pop.Up flying taxi concept was a little drab? So did Audi. It teamed up with Airbus and Italdesign to unveil Pop.Up Next, a reworked version of the two-seat autonomous vehicle concept. The new version is more stylish than the mostly functional original, and borrows more than a few cues from Audi's current design language. However, it should also be more practical -- it's supposed to be "significantly" lighter than the original, which is rather important for a hybrid passenger drone.
Toyota will stop selling diesel cars in Europe this year
You can officially add Toyota to the list of manufacturers dropping diesel from their passenger car lineups. The brand has confirmed that it's phasing out diesel passenger vehicles in Europe over the course of 2018, starting with cars like the Auris you see above -- your only choices for the hatchback are a modest 1.2L turbo 4-cylinder or 1.8L and 2.0L hybrid solutions. The company will keep diesel commercial vehicles like the Hilux truck, Land Cruiser SUV and Proace van to "meet customer needs," but that's as far as it goes.
Nissan’s debut Formula E design is inspired by the Doppler effect
It's hard to believe that Nissan, which sold more EVs last year than Tesla and every other automaker, has yet to race in Formula E. However, Nissan announced late last year that it would become the first Japanese automaker to join the electric-racing circuit for the 2018-19 season. Now, at the Geneva Motor Show, it has unveiled its season 5 Formula E car with a striking "Doppler-effect" color scheme and all-new powertrain package.
VW's Seat unveils the first fully electric touring-class race car
You've seen electric Formula cars, Le Mans racers and even a Pikes Peak machine, but there's still room for more firsts in EV racing. VW's Seat brand has unveiled the Cupra e-Racer, which it says is the first completely electric touring-class race car. It's built on the existing Cupra Leon TCR design and promises the kind of performance you'd expect in this category: it can muster 402HP of continuous power, and 670HP at peak.
Bentley unveils its first all-electric grand tourer
If you ever wanted a sign that the world is moving toward a greener future, you could find a big one at the Geneva Motor Show. Bentley, a company that makes enormous gas-guzzling vehicles for the one percent, surprised attendees with its first all-electric convertible, the EXP 12 Speed 6E Concept. Bentley has flirted with plug-in hybrids before, with one expected to launch in 2018, but this is the first "pure" vehicle it has made.
805HP GT Concept hints at the future of Mercedes hybrids
If you're Mercedes, how do you follow up the SLS AMG and AMG GT coupes? With this GT Concept, which, as exec Tobias Moers says, is Mercedes "giving a preview of our third completely independently developed sports car." Like so many other current high-performance vehicles, it combines a 4.0L twin-turbo V8 engine with an electric motor and battery to produce a max of 805HP. More importantly, it could signal a halo model pushing the company's hybrid aspirations in a manner similar to the BMW i8.
Land Rover's Project Hero SUV launches a drone to aid rescue workers
It's no secret that drones are useful for surveying situations where it might be too dangerous for a human to tread. This includes tough terrain that search and rescue teams encounter and Jaguar Land Rover built a vehicle to lend a hand. The company's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) unit designed and built a unique version of its Discovery SUV for use by the Austrian Red Cross. Officially called Project Hero, the vehicle features a roof-mounted drone landing system.
Audi's latest Q7 SUV and R8 sports car are powered by electricity
Audi has gone to this year's Geneva Motor Show with new versions of its Q7 SUV and R8 sports car in tow: electric-powered versions, that is. The new Q7 E-Tron Quattro looks very similar to the regular Q7, but it's actually a plug-in hybrid that has an electric-only range of 34 miles, thanks to its lithium-ion battery. It promises instant high-speed acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in just six seconds, uses a V6 diesel engine, and has a 166 miles per gallon potential, with speeds reaching up to 140 mph. The hybrid SUV has four driving modes: EV mode uses pure electricity, obviously, while hybrid mode automatically switches between electricity and diesel. Battery hold mode stores any electrical energy for later use, while charge mode is used while charging the battery. Audi plans to release it in the UK by the end of this year for a price that's yet to be announced, but it's still unclear if and when it will be released elsewhere.
Tesla plans European expansion with service centers and showrooms
Tesla has a relatively tiny European presence with just a handful of showrooms, service hubs and Superchargers, but it's about to get a much larger foothold -- the EV maker has revealed that it will open more than 30 stores and service centers across Europe. There's no indication of just when and where these locations will open. It won't be hard to find Superchargers in the near future, however. Tesla still expects to place the fast recharging stations across most of Europe before the end of the year, making it practical to drive cross-continent in a Model S without any lengthy stopovers.
Apple announces CarPlay: in-vehicle voice and touch access to notifications, maps and music (update: video)
Apple has officially announced CarPlay, its new in-car interface that'll be compatible with new Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo cars unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show this week. Designed "from the ground up" to bridge the gap between your iPhone and your auto, it will offer touch- and Siri-based voice navigation of your smartphone services, including contacts, voicemail, notifications, map directions and music cueing -- it will even support third-party apps like Spotify and iHeartRadio from launch. Voice controls will be activated by a button on the steering wheel, while the in-car touchscreen is populated with those familiar iOS 7 icons for easy access. The service will launch as an iOS update for Lightning-enabled iPhones (that's iPhone 5 and up), with CarPlay-compatible vehicles launching later this year. And if any of the above aren't your preferred automaker, Apple says that you can expect compatible cars from BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota and several more in the near future. Update: At first CarPlay will only allow you to connect through a Lightning cable, but WiFi should be coming in the near future -- at least from Volvo. And, in case you're wondering, the CarPlay connection is based on the H.264 video protocol, and sends user input from the touchscreen back to your iDevice. There's also a video demo/teaser that we've added after the break.
Apple is reportedly launching iOS in the Car next week with Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo
Apple's iOS in the Car has been a long time in coming -- we first heard about the automotive interface last June, and it still isn't ready despite the presence of relevant code in recent iOS 7 builds. The wait may soon be over, though, as the Financial Times hears that Apple will unveil formal car integration deals with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo next week. There aren't more forthcoming details, although the rumored announcement implies that the automakers could name compatible models and possibly show the technology in action. We wouldn't refer to iOS in the Car as Apple's "first in-car operating system," like the FT does -- it's still dependent on an iPad or iPhone to work. Even so, any potential launch next week would represent a big step forward for 1 Infinite Loop's in-car efforts, which haven't advanced much since iPod Out. [Image credit: Steve Troughton-Smith, YouTube]
Volvo announces new 'human machine interface' and it looks a lot like a tablet (video)
Tesla isn't the only automaker with a tablet-like center console. Volvo's latest "human machine interface" will debut at next week's Geneva Motor Show -- however, it could be a bit simpler than what we've seen from the competition. The screen is divided into tiles, with navigation, media and vehicle info up top and secondary features including phone and climate controls further down. As Volvo tells it, this reduces visual noise, keeps typical controls where you would expect them to be and makes using them while driving safer as a result. Climate control remains the default screen but should you select another function, you'll still have access to it onscreen. In fact this goes for all functions: when another tile is selected, it expands to cover a bigger area, but other controls remain accessible on a smaller scale. The outfit says the tech will arrive in its XC90 crossover SUV this fall.
Volkswagen's Golf GTE is the fast plug-in hybrid you might actually buy
There aren't many quick plug-in hybrids with reasonable price tags, but Volkswagen may just lower the cost of eco-friendly performance with its newly unveiled Golf GTE. The hot hatchback mates a 148HP gas engine with a 101HP electric motor, giving the Golf enough combined power to reach 62MPH in 7.6 seconds -- pretty brisk for a plug-in that should still be affordable and practical. If you're not always in such a rush, you can run purely on electric power for 31 miles. The big catch? At present, VW has no plans to release the GTE in the US. Americans will likely have to book European vacations if they want to see the sporty hybrid in person.
Rolls-Royce Wraith picks gears using GPS, keeps your Spirit of Ecstasy soaring (video)
Many Rolls-Royce drivers are used to effortless speed between the big engines and smooth suspensions. The automaker's new Wraith coupe could iron out what few of those wrinkles are left through a clever use of GPS for the transmission. Its eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox relies on positioning to pick gears in advance, gauging the situation down to the exact stretch of road: it can see the need for a shorter gear at the upcoming corner, for example. Other tech upgrades aren't quite as fresh, although we're sure that less traditionalist Rolls drivers won't mind a heads-up display, voice command support and the infotainment system's multi-touch trackpad. The Wraith's €245,000 ($318,745) price and late 2013 availability will likely be too much to endure if all you're looking for is seamless shifting -- they may, however, provide some consolation for missing out on that LaFerrari.
Volvo revamps its pedestrian detection system to automatically brake for cyclists (video)
Cars that automatically stop when a pedestrian is in the way have been in Volvo's fleet for a while now, but the automaker has just unveiled an update to its existing tech that'll stomp on the brakes when cyclists are too close for comfort. Announced at this year's Geneva Motor Show, the revamped system detects how close objects are with a grille-mounted radar and then uses a high-def camera within an auto's rear-view mirror to discern whether it's barreling down on a pedestrian or a biker. When bicyclists swerve in front of an automobile heading in the same direction, the setup immediately alerts the driver and applies full brake power -- a world's first Volvo says. According to the Swedish manufacturer, all vehicles outfitted with the pedestrian detection will have the cyclist spotting technology baked in, and it'll show up in mid-May within the new Volvo V40, S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80. Head past the break for a video of the feature in action.
Tata announces Megapixel hybrid EV, alas, it's just a concept
The Geneva Motor Show means one thing: fantastic cars will be dangled in front of our faces, before being snatched away and being told that it'll never see the light of day, as it's "only a concept." The latest vehicle we'd purchase if they'd let us is Tata's Megapixel, a four-seater compact hybrid EV that promises a range of 560 miles (900km) on a single tank of fuel. A hub motor sits atop each of the four wheels, driven by a petrol-electric engine under the cabin, with a wireless inductive charging panel for topping up the batteries at home. It's designed for the city: with a turning circle of 180 degrees in a 2.8 meter space and sliding doors for easy entry. Inside, there's a rear-projected dashboard with a joystick controller (that reminds us of BMWs iDrive) and a smartphone dock for connectivity. Head on past the break to see the vehicle in action and wonder if it'll ever reach the market, like we're doing.
Harman, Rinspeed partner on Dock + Go dashboard concept
Harman is kicking off the Geneva Auto Show by unveiling its new dashboard concept for cars of the future. The Dock + Go system turns your dashboard into a "learning," Aha cloud-connected platform that'll try to eliminate traffic jams, or at least you're kept entertained in line. Your smartphone will connect over NFC and immediately the car will remember your preferred settings and social networks for access. The navigation will learn your driving habits and tweak the GPS settings accordingly and it'll even measure your alertness level and suggest you take a nap, or at least drive down a less busy street. It can recognize gestures and with a wave of the hand, it can start reading your new emails or tweets and, best of all, when driving past a store, the cloud system can show you vouchers and deals for your road-based impulse purchase needs -- after all, there's nothing better than being offered half-price meat while you're cruising down the freeway.
