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GM begins autonomous vehicle manufacturing and testing in Michigan

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On the heels of the signing of the Save Act legislation to support autonomous vehicle testing and deployment in Michigan, General Motors says it will immediately begin testing autonomous vehicles on public roads.

GM also announced it will produce the next generation of its autonomous test vehicles at its Orion Township assembly plant beginning in early 2017.

General Motors chairman and CEO Mary Barra, says: “Revolutionizing transportation for our customers while improving safety on roads is the goal of our autonomous vehicle technology, and today’s announcement gets us one step closer to making this vision a reality.

“Our autonomous technology will be reliable and safe, as customers have come to expect from any of our vehicles.”  [Read more…] about GM begins autonomous vehicle manufacturing and testing in Michigan

Faraday Future unveils electric car as Continental boss talks of job losses

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faraday future ff 91
The new electric vehicle from Faraday Future – the FF 91

The much-publicised electric car company, Faraday Future, revealed its new hybrid vehicle at the Consumer Electronics Show this week. 

The presentation was said to have had a slight glitch in that when the autonomous, self-parking technology was called on, it didn’t immediately answer.

The hiccup may have been unplanned for Faraday’s billionaire owner, Jia Yueting, especially as the company has invested a lot of money in developing autonomous technology, but with a total of $600 million backing the vehicle venture, there’s plenty of money to smooth out small problems.  [Read more…] about Faraday Future unveils electric car as Continental boss talks of job losses

Collaborations with technology providers offer European automakers new growth opportunities

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adas lane departure

Future business models must be based on individuality, as vehicles become the new living space, argues Frost & Sullivan’s mobility team

Improvements in advanced driver assistance system sensors are driving automation features in original equipment manufacturer vehicles, according to a new report by Frost & Sullivan.

By collaborating with leading technology providers in the autonomous driving space, OEMs have an opportunity to transform into mobility service providers and introduce levels 4 and 5 autonomous cars earlier than expected, says the business consultancy.

With several suppliers already at work on over-the-air upgrades, the adoption of this feature is expected before 2025, even for conventional cars.  [Read more…] about Collaborations with technology providers offer European automakers new growth opportunities

Evolution of the machines: How connectivity is transforming the car

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harman connected services

By Andrew Till, vice president, technology, partnerships and new solutions, Harman Connected Services

The connected car revolution is here and soon we could see these machines evolving during their own lifecycle thanks to over-the-air software updates.

Connectivity is rapidly transforming the way we consume goods. It’s even challenging the very concept of ownership, as the template set by mobile devices spreads to other aspects of our lives through the Internet of Things.

One of the biggest potential markets for this new way of doing business is the automotive industry.  [Read more…] about Evolution of the machines: How connectivity is transforming the car

Apple more or less confirms autonomous car project in letter to US government

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By David Shepardson, Reuters

Apple is wading in to the debate over regulation of self-driving cars, declaring it is excited about the potential for automated transportation and calling on US regulators not to restrict testing of such vehicles.

A five-page letter from Steve Kenner, Apple’s director of product integrity, to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is the company’s most comprehensive statement yet about its interest in self-driving vehicle technology.

The November 22 letter followed more than a year of industry speculation about the computer and iPhone maker’s plans for expanding into transportation.  [Read more…] about Apple more or less confirms autonomous car project in letter to US government

ISO and SAE to develop technical standards for intelligent transport and vehicle systems

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An illustration of an intelligent transport system which integrates road vehicles. Picture courtesy of Nissan
An illustration of an intelligent transport system which integrates road vehicles. Picture courtesy of Nissan

The International Standards Organisation and SAE International, the engineers’ association, have entered a “pilot agreement” for the joint development of new technical standards and harmonization of existing standards. 

The new Partnership Standards Development Organization (PSDO) cooperation agreement will apply in two areas, Road Vehicles (ISO TC22) and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ISO TC204).

David Schutt, CEO of SAE International, says: “This important agreement is a response to the transformational changes taking place in many global industries, including mobility engineering. Increasing technological complexity must be addressed through collaborative efforts in standardization to avoid duplication and reduce cost across the global network of automotive business partners.  [Read more…] about ISO and SAE to develop technical standards for intelligent transport and vehicle systems

Consortium of car companies to build massive power network for electric vehicles

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A consortium of companies which includes some of the leading automakers has agreed to build what they say will be an “ultra-fast, high-power” charging network along major highways in Europe. 

The joint venture includes BMW, Daimler, Ford, and Volkswagen, which owns the Audi and Porsche brands.

The group says it will build a direct current network of approximately 400 charging points for battery electric vehicles.

In a joint statement, the consortium says this is an “important step” towards facilitating mass-market battery electric vehicle adoption.

The network itself will be based on the Combined Charging System standard technology, and will expand the existing electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Europe.

Individual charging points will enable motorists to use DC current to fast-charge their vehicles with 350 kW of power, say the companies.

At the moment, the country with the highest number of charging points is the United States, followed by the Netherlands and Germany.

This is according to OpenChargeMap.org, which says there are approximately 80,000 charging stations across more than 40,000 locations around the world.

Minority Report style highly personalised advertising moves one step closer

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Cloudian, a provider of hybrid cloud object storage systems, has launched a system which recognises cars and displays advertising appropriate to the vehicle, and possibly its owner.

Cloudian says its HyperStore technology-enabled roadside digital advertising project in Tokyo has transitioned from a proof-of-concept to production use.

Spearheaded by Cloudian, Dentsu, and Intel, the project employs artificial intelligence-based vehicle recognition using HyperStore’s object storage and deep learning capabilities to present relevant display ads to drivers based on vehicle make and model.  [Read more…] about Minority Report style highly personalised advertising moves one step closer

BMW demonstrates future autonomous and connected logistics technologies

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BMW i models at the Port of Bremerhaven, Germany

BMW has been showing off and testing its latest technologies for the future of autonomous and connected vehicles for the logistics industry, although the innovations are intended for application in its own supply chain. 

The company says it will increasingly rely on innovation, digitalisation and sustainability for logistics in the future.

A fully-networked supply chain, autonomous transport robots and the use of existing vehicle information for the delivery process will make logistics even more flexible and efficient, says BMW. [Read more…] about BMW demonstrates future autonomous and connected logistics technologies

Audi shows off its smart factory technologies

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Audi has been demonstrating its advanced manufacturing technologies, much of which went into building its newly opened smart factory in Mexico, where the automaker’s Q5 vehicle is being produced.  [Read more…] about Audi shows off its smart factory technologies