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Alphabet bests Uber in self-driving car reliability
It's no secret that Uber's young self-driving car program still needs work, but how does it stack up next to efforts from others? Not so well, it seems. California's Department of Motor Vehicles has published stats showing that Alphabet's Waymo is well ahead of the pack. While Uber's data (not part of the DMV report) shows that its autonomous system disengages about once every mile, Waymo's only requires human intervention once every 5,128 miles. Nissan's system, meanwhile, disengages once every 146 miles.
Why London is a self-driving nightmare for the Nissan Leaf
For the people sitting in the lobby of the Aloft ExCel, a premium hotel in the heart of London's Docklands district, it was a typical day. Some were there on business, others to see the city. A handful of parents were patiently waiting to be ushered in for their weekly mother and baby swimming classes. However, in one corner, just out of view, were some of the top executives from Japanese car maker Nissan. They were busy making last-minute preparations for a self-driving vehicle that has been quietly traversing London's streets as part of the first ever European tests. These secret experiments -- the first Nissan has conducted in Europe -- could shape how Brits travel in the coming years.
Car makers ask Trump to revisit fuel efficiency rules
Car companies operating in the US are required to meet stringent fuel efficiency standards (a fleet average of 54.5MPG) through 2025, but they're hoping to loosen things now that President Trump is in town. Leaders from Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota and VW have sent a letter to Trump asking him to rethink the Obama administration's choice to lock in efficiency guidelines for the next several years. The car makers want to revisit the midterm review for the 2025 commitment in hopes of loosening the demands. They claim that the tougher requirements raise costs, don't match public buying habits and will supposedly put "as many a million" jobs up in the air.
BMW and Nissan launch 174 new dual-plug EV chargers in the US
Nissan LEAF and BMW i3 owners now have a lot more charging stations they can go to. The automakers have expanded their dual-format fast-charging network, adding 174 stations to their current crop with the help of eVgo. These 174 stations spread across 33 states offer dual 50 kW DC chargers that support both CHAdeMO and SAE Combo (CCS) connectors. They can charge not just LEAFs and i3s, but also other electric vehicles, so long as they're equipped with quick-charge ports. Nissan says the 50kW stations only need around 30 minutes to bring EVs up to 80 percent of their full capacity.
Volkswagen's modern Microbus remake, and more in the week that was
The Volkswagen microbus is one of the most iconic vehicles of all time, and now the automaker is set to revive the classic for the modern era. Meet the I.D. Buzz: VW's all-electric, self-driving microbus of the future. In other auto news, Nissan debuted a stylish Vmotion 2.0 sedan packed with self-driving technology, and the Chevrolet Bolt was named the 2017 North American Car of the Year. IKEA is known for its flat-pack furniture, but it's branching out into urban mobility by launching its very first bike. The Sladda is a chainless aluminum cycle that can be kitted out with front and rear racks, panniers and even a towable cart.
Self-driving Nissan LEAFs will hit London streets next month
If autonomous cars are to be made available in the UK, car makers first need their vehicles to do hard miles on domestic roads. Nissan knows this, so today it confirmed that it will deploy a fleet of LEAF vehicles in London next month, giving it the opportunity to publicly test its autonomous drive technology for the first time in Europe.
Uber rival Karhoo back from the dead thanks to Renault
Make no mistake, it's hard going up against Uber. Traditional taxi companies have been forced to evolve or die, while other startups like Hailo have found it difficult to compete the ride-hailing service's incredible growth. Karhoo, a price comparison service for hailing black cabs and the like, also found this out the hard way. Despite raising tens of millions of pounds and enjoying a splashy launch last May, the company quickly burned through its investment and closed in November as it looked "at the next steps for the business." Administrators got involved and employees suddenly found themselves without a job. However, two months later, Karhoo is making a return, thanks to the financial arm of French car giant Renault.
Nissan's SAM uses humans as a backup for self-driving tech
Nissan has big plans for self-driving cars, with as many as 10 autonomous-capable models due by 2020 (including the next Leaf), but according to CEO Carlos Ghosn, the tech can't cover every situation. To fill that gap, Nissan's solution is the Seamless Autonomous Mobility system (SAM). If the car's sensors and cameras detect an unexpected situation that is beyond what it has been programmed for (like a policeman directing traffic via hand signals), it will come to a stop and request help from a remote command center.
Nissan's next Leaf will be ready to drive itself
Today at CES, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn confirmed plans for a follow-up to his company's flagship EV, the Leaf. While speculation has focused on how much range a successor could add to the current model, the announcement emphasized how a new Leaf represents "the next chapter of Nissan Intelligent Power" and will include ProPilot autonomous technology. The car is due "in the near future" -- at a media roundtable Ghosn said "we can't announce new EVs in advance because unlike our competitors, we're already selling them."
Toyota could abandon hydrogen in favor of EVs
Toyota has been vocal in its belief that hydrogen-powered vehicles like the Mirai will eventually replace gas and diesels. But this insistence makes the company's recent decision to launch a long-range EV similar to the Tesla such a surprise. Reuters (via Nikkei) is reporting that the carmaker will quietly reverse its longstanding resistance to pure all-electric vehicles in the very near future. It's believed that Toyota will launch a new EV with a range of around 186 miles on a charge by 2020 as it looks to make all of its products emissions-free by 2050.
US plans electric car charging networks along highways
While the range of modern electric cars is good enough that you can safely commute around town without running out of power, cross-country trips are still challenging. Tesla drivers have access to Superchargers, but what if you're driving a rival EV with a less robust charging network... or you're going somewhere that has no chargers at all? The Department of Transportation is changing that. It's creating 48 EV charger "corridors" in US highways that will address 35 states and cover approximately 25,000 miles. You'll find stations (both current and upcoming) every 50 miles, and states will use common signs to let you know when charging is available at the next exit.
Nissan's latest EV conceals the hottest of hot desks
To prove the versatility of electric vehicles -- and probably just for the heck of it -- Nissan has transformed its workhorse e-NV200 electric van into a mobile office with a 106-mile range. UK-based design shop Studio Hardie took the humble delivery van/London taxi and loaded it up with all the slick amenities of a modern co-working space, from the minimalist leather-and-chrome desk chairs to the "barista quality" espresso machine.
ICYMI: Channel your Wall-E future with self-driving tech
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Nissan created smart chairs that autonomously move themselves while people are seated in them, modeled off of the car maker's ProPILOT driving system. The chairs are being used in Japan to keep people neatly in line outside of restaurants and when one chair has been vacated, it will move itself to the end of the row, while everyone else is bumped up.
Nissan's autonomous chairs politely carry you through queues
Back in February, Nissan took a break from rolling out electric vehicle chargers to develop intelligent office chairs that pushed themselves in. It wasn't a new product, but a proof-of-concept stunt to demonstrate their assistive parking technology. But with new developments to show off comes a new seat demonstration. Voila: The Nissan chair that queues in line for you.
The Chevy Bolt will have a 238-mile range
Chevy has finally announced the range of its upcoming Bolt all-electric vehicle. At 238 miles, the relatively inexpensive EV should squelch some of the range anxiety that's kept drivers from making the switch from gas-powered vehicles.
Uber is offering electric cars in London
It's fair to say that Uber isn't having the best of times in London right now, with a lawsuit against TfL's new taxi rules and disgruntled UberEats couriers dominating the headlines. One thing that could help change the public (and perhaps political) perception of the company is a reinforced commitment to reducing pollution on the city's roads. That's what Uber is doing today with a pledge to make more than 50 electric cars available in its app in London over the next month as part of its UberX service.
Self-driving taxis and buses, and more in the week that was
The age of the self-driving car is finally here: Uber just announced plans to launch its first fleet of autonomous taxis this month, and self-driving buses are now hitting the streets of Helsinki. Airbus is shooting even higher with plans to build an autonomous flying taxi by the year 2017. Meanwhile, Nissan debuted a solid-oxide fuel-cell vehicle, which runs on ethanol and water instead of hydrogen. And Bosch rolled out a world's most compact folding electric bike, which packs down small enough to fit easily in a car trunk.
Infiniti's latest engine is a last hurrah for gas-powered cars
Hybrid and pure electric cars may be the future of transportation, but Nissan's Infiniti badge has found a way to make the most out of gas engines while they're still relevant. When the next-generation QX50 crossover arrives in 2017, it'll carry the first-ever production variable compression turbo (VC-T) engine -- a technology that promises to dramatically improve fuel efficiency without compromising on performance. By automatically adjusting the height the engine's pistons reach, the VC-T motor can optimize its compression ratio for the task at hand. It'll lower the ratio if you're mashing the throttle (to prevent premature detonation and make the most of the turbo), but raise it when you're putting around town and need to wring out better mileage.
Nissan may stop making its own electric car batteries
Nissan has long made its own electric car batteries thanks to Automotive Energy Supply, its team-up with NEC, but it appears to be having second thoughts. Sources speaking to both Nikkei and Reuters understand that Nissan plans to sell its controlling stake in AES, with NEC likely following suit. It'd just be less expensive to buy batteries from an outside supplier, according to tipsters. While it's not certain who would snap up the business, the car maker is supposedly in talks with both Panasonic and "overseas companies" that include Chinese firms.
Nissan made a working prototype of its BladeGlider EV hotrod
Nissan is getting serious again about its futuristic BladeGlider EV. The delta-shaped, single-front-seater (with two rear seats) was first introduced in 2013, but after saying it might sell the car, the automaker quietly dropped the idea. Now, Nissan has revealed two working BladeGlider prototypes in Rio de Janeiro that it built in conjunction with Formula 1 fabricator Williams. With twin 130-kilowatt motors producing 268 horsepower and 521 pound-feet of instant torque (yep), the EV can get to 62 mph in under five seconds and reach a 115 mph top speed.