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Electric cars: Germany to ban petrol engines from 2030

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Some say the traditional petrol-driven internal combustion engine is on the way out. 

It would seem inevitable, given that the alternative – the electric engine – is less harmful to the environment at the point of use.

The implications of the rise of the electric engine for the global oil business is beyond the scope of this article, but oil will probably continue to be important going forward because of its role in powering so many other sectors of industry.

But as far as the demands on the oil industry that road-going vehicles will make, it seems there is a definite downward trend emerging.

Perhaps the most significant recent development is the German government’s decision to ban the combustion engine effective 2030.  [Read more…] about Electric cars: Germany to ban petrol engines from 2030

Smart factory: Audi opens advanced manufacturing plant in Mexico

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Audi bigwigs opened what the company claims is the first manufacturing plant to be opened in Mexico by a premium automobile manufacturer. 

Moreover, the company says the facility is one of the most advanced in the world, and is classed as a “smart factory”.

The company says the new development represents the further expansion of its worldwide production network and enables Audi to continue along its path of global growth.  [Read more…] about Smart factory: Audi opens advanced manufacturing plant in Mexico

Bright Box launches self-driving car platform trained with extreme driving in computer games

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Bright Box, a specialist provider of connected car solutions, says its new self-driving car system has been trained using a neural network, deep learning and extreme racing computer games, in particular GTA 5. 

Bright Box, a European company, says its software is the basis for connected-vehicle applications used by the Nissan Smart Car app in Middle East, and KIA Remoto app.

Bright Box says its autonomous car solution also uses data from real-life examples.  [Read more…] about Bright Box launches self-driving car platform trained with extreme driving in computer games

Ansible Motion developing defence against motion sickness for autonomous cars

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autonomous cars

With more people set to be reading or using screens in their autonomous cars, Ansible Motion’s simulation technology could highlight what features could prevent sickness from happening

When self-driving cars become the norm, we’re going to have much more spare time, as we’ll no longer be chained to the steering wheel with our eyes locked on the road ahead.

This is brilliant news as we’ll have more time to read, work and play driving games on our phones instead. But it could have one downside: Motion sickness.

Motion sickness is already a problem for many passengers – and when we all become passengers, it seems inevitable that it’ll get worse. In fact, experts are already predicting that between 6 per cent and 12 per cent of Americans can expect to get sick travelling in an autonomous vehicle.  [Read more…] about Ansible Motion developing defence against motion sickness for autonomous cars

Exclusive: Daimler ‘totally committed’ to winning driverless car race

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Company has ‘no intention of stepping aside’ and letting tech companies take over the car market of the future, says Daimler’s autonomous driving lead engineer 

Mercedes of course has the longest history of any automaker in the world, having built the first ever car in 1879, when Carl Benz created the “Motorwagen”.

It might look like a fancy tricycle, but the Motorwagen was the first wheeled vehicle to feature a gasoline engine – a one-cylinder two-stroke unit which generated 0.75 horsepower, or 0.55 of a kilowatt.  [Read more…] about Exclusive: Daimler ‘totally committed’ to winning driverless car race

The car of the future: Think concierge on the move

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teradata car-of-future

In the 1970s, if you had a car with air-conditioning, you’d probably have been the envy of all your friends, and you’d even have gotten more for your car on the second hand market. Today, it’s pretty much impossible to buy a new car that doesn’t have air-conditioning.

You’re more likely to find that you new car offers not just air-conditioning, but also heated seats (that you can control remotely with your smartphone), climate control, heated windscreens and a whole lot more.

Product innovation has always been top priority for car manufacturers, which is why they are among the top spenders in research and development. The question now is whether this is enough. Product innovation is taking place at such speed that a unique innovation today can easily be copied and manufactured by a rival firm tomorrow.

Product specifications and feature lists no longer offer that unique reason for the customer to choose one car model over another.So where does that leave car manufacturers? How can they find that X-Factor that will make customers desire one of their cars more than their competitors?  [Read more…] about The car of the future: Think concierge on the move

Your artificially intelligent assistant is ready to take a letter

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boss dictates letter to secretaryOne of the many perks of being the boss of a reasonably sized company is having your own personal assistant, someone who you can dictate letters to, someone who keeps your diary updated, answers your phones and helps you organise your time so you are as efficient and as productive as you can be at work.

A good PA is often very highly paid, commensurate with the company and business sector he or she works for, and their image as super-fast typists and excellent organisers is one that is often celebrated and acknowledged.

However, the relationship between the boss and the PA could be about to change forever as a result of developments in artificially intelligent assistant technology. Already there are a number of artificially intelligent personal assistants – let’s call them AIPAs for now – on the market and according to some, they’re quite good. [Read more…] about Your artificially intelligent assistant is ready to take a letter