Waymo’s self-driving minivans and big rigs arrive in two more states
Texas and New Mexico are the latest states to say hello to Waymo's self-driving minivans and big rigs. The autonomous-vehicle specialist will start by using its minivans to map the highways in readiness for trial runs using its trucks. The tests could lead to a commercial freight operation using the trucks.
New Apple self-driving car patent could turn Siri into your personal chauffeur
Apple wants to patent a new technology that would allow you to use voice commands to tell your self-driving car where you want to go, with the car doing the navigation, driving, and parking for you. The end result would be a Siri-like system for controlling your self-driving car.
Audi Q8 will warn drivers when there are construction workers on the highway
Qualcomm technology and the Audi Q8's digital, driver-configurable instrument cluster make the feature possible. Audi identified construction zone as an important use case because the men and women working on the nation's highways put their lives at risk daily. Other areas of implementation are around the corner.
Most EV buyers have no regrets about going electric, AAA survey says
Many car buyers are still unsure about electric cars, but those that do take the plunge tend to be happy with their purchases, according to a new AAA survey. Initial concerns, such as range anxiety, tend to disappear over time, AAA said. Ownership costs are also fairly close to gasoline cars, according to AAA.
Where we’re going, we don’t need steering wheels, GM’s Cruise believes
The Cruise Origin is the first purpose-built self-driving car from General Motors' autonomous driving division. The Origin doesn't have a steering wheel or pedals and was designed with ridesharing in mind. Cruise did not say when the Origin will go into production. The car was designed with help from GM and Honda.
Electric SUV co-developed by Subaru, Toyota may not appear until 2025
Subaru and Toyota are working together on an electric SUV, but Subaru indicated that it may not appear for several more years. Subaru also isn't too keen on selling electric cars in the United States, citing lack of customer interest. Toyota will also continue to provide hybrid tech to Subaru under the partnership.
Thomas Built Buses on track to deliver Virginia’s first electric school buses
Lawmakers initially plan to replace 1,050 diesel-powered school buses with Thomas Built's electric model. This 21st-century spin on an American classic features state-of-the-art electric technology that gives it 134 miles of range while carrying up to 81 students. It doubles as a mobile power supply.
Uber responds to gig-economy law by testing driver-led bidding system
Uber drivers in California will be able to set their own fares as part of a new feature the rideshare company is testing as a response to the state’s new gig-economy law, which categorizes individual contractors of a company as employees. Drivers can charge their passengers up to five times the regular ride fare.
Tesla strongly rejects claims of acceleration issue with its cars
Tesla has described a recent petition alleging unexpected accelerations among its cars as "completely false." It said that it has already discussed most of the complaints in the petition with the NHTSA, adding that in every case where it had the vehicle's data, it was able to confirm that the car operated as designed.
NHTSA looking into whether 500,000 Teslas have unintended acceleration problem
The reports of sudden unintended acceleration are varied, and they don't follow a set pattern. Some motorists claim their car accelerated while parking, while others claim they couldn't slow it down on the highway. The NHTSA is looking into the reports, but it hasn't opened a formal investigation yet.
Harley-Davidson’s second electric model will be smaller than the LiveWire
If the LiveWire is the Tesla Model S, the Mid-Power will be positioned on the same level as the Model 3. It won't be as quick, it will offer riders less horsepower, and it will come with a smaller battery pack. It will also be cheaper than the $30,000 LiveWire. It's tentatively scheduled to arrive by 2022.
Tesla is recruiting designers in China to create its first city car
Tesla thinks it would be "super cool" to design a vehicle in China for the global market, and it has started laying the groundwork for an engineering center in the world's largest electric car market. It released a sketch that suggests the model might take the form of a city car positioned below the Model 3.
Hyundai’s Genesis brand plans electric future with coupe, hatchback
Two mouth-watering concept cars unveiled by Genesis in 2018 and 2019, respectively, could reach production with electric power. The company released a teaser image that seemingly shows the Mint, a city car, and the Essentia, a sports car, as part of a six-model lineup. Its first EV is due out in 2021.
Toyota just invested $394M in a secretive startup that makes flying taxis
Toyota has shown it is serious about flying taxis with a $394 million investment in California-based Joby Aviation, which is working on an all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The current version can reach 200 mph and fly around 150 miles on a single charge. It’s also super-quiet in flight.
Lucid Motors will finally unveil the production version of its electric car in April
Lucid Motors will finally unveil a production-ready version of its 1,000-horsepower electric car in April in New York. The electric car -- the Lucid Air -- was first seen in prototype form in 2016. Lucid originally planned to start production of the Air in 2019, but is now aiming for late 2020.
Nissan predicts you will get sick of seeing giant infotainment screens
It asked designers to take a minimalist, functional, and polished approach to creating a new generation of car interiors. The Ariya concept introduced in 2019 points the way forward with a decluttered infotainment system. It's an electric crossover expected to reach showrooms without major changes by 2021.
Volvo joins forces with China Unicom to develop 5G for its cars
Volvo aims to release in-car 5G in the early 2020s, though it hasn't provided a more specific timeframe. It predicts quicker connection speeds will allow cars to talk to the infrastructure in real-time, so they'll be able to detect traffic or find a parking spot, for example. BMW is also developing in-car 5G.
Toyota to recall nearly 700,000 newer vehicles that could stall mid-drive
Toyota is recalling nearly 700,000 vehicles across multiple models. The recall due to a faulty fuel pump, which, if it fails, could lead to a stall and potentially an accident. The recall affects 2018-2019 vehicles, with affected owners set to be contacted by first-class mail in March 2020.
Tesla Model Y prototype spotted testing in the California mountains
A Tesla Model Y sighting confirms the electric crossover hasn't changed significantly since its unveiling in 2019. Largely based on the Model 3, it's tentatively scheduled to enter production in 2020. Tesla has a lot riding on the model, which could become its bestselling car.
A talking Tesla? It’ll probably just be one more broken promise from Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off a new feature on last week: A talking car. But will Tesla owners ever see it in real life? Announcing new Tesla features with delayed follow-through, or none at all, has a bit of a pattern for Musk. Here are a few more of his broken promises.
Tesla is teaching its cars to talk to pedestrians in a British accent
"Well, don't just stand there, hop in," a red Model 3 tells a pedestrian during a demonstration filmed by Elon Musk. The feature sounds frivolous, but it's useful in ride-hailing applications, and it will help autonomous cars communicate with other road users. There's no word yet on when Tesla will roll it out.
GM is serious about electric Hummer, wants LeBron James to sell it
Once known for gas-guzzling SUVs, the Hummer name could return on an electric vehicle, according to a new report. General Motors is planning to show off the electric Hummer in a Super Bowl commercial, and has signed NBA star LeBron James to star in the commercial, the report claims.
Nissan Leaf gains more driver-assistance features, new infotainment tech for 2020
The 2020 Nissan Leaf is more expensive than the 2019 model due to the addition of extra equipment. As a trade-off, all variants come standard with more electronic safety features (like emergency braking), and many trim levels benefit from a bigger touchscreen for the infotainment system.
Scooter startup Lime exits 12 cities and lays off workers in profit push
The pressure is continuing to show in the increasingly saturated scootersharing market. Lime is the latest operator to announce it's exiting some cities and laying off a number of workers. The move follows similar decisions made by rival operators in the last 12 months.
Blix drops e-bike prices in shift to selling exclusively online
Blix Electric Bicycles has announced a business shift to selling its e-bikes exclusively online. As of January 9, Blix e-bikes have lower prices, reduced by $100 to $800 from previous levels. Blix intends to create showrooms where potential buyers can see and test-ride Blix e-bikes prior to purchasing online.
Fisker delays EMotion sedan to focus on Ocean, develop new battery tech
The EMotion concept introduced at CES 2018 remains on track for production, but it's now scheduled to arrive after the Ocean shown at CES 2020. Fisker wants to focus on cheaper, more volume-oriented models first, and it's also waiting until solid-state battery tech is ready for production.
Damon’s Hypersport shape-shifting motorcycle made me feel like a kid again
The Damon Hypersport electric motorcycle transforms between riding positions with the press of a button, has a 200-mile range, and a 200 mph top speed.
Sub-$40K Fisker Ocean electric SUV rolls into CES after long-awaited debut
Fisker will finally show its Ocean electric SUV to the public at CES 2020. The Ocean will have a range of up to 300 miles, as well as a California Mode that Fisker claims will provide a convertible-like experience. Production starts in 2021, with customer deliveries in 2022.
Faraday Future plans shuttle service between Los Angeles and Las Vegas
Faraday Future argues driving between the two cities takes about as much time as flying via LAX, and it's far more pleasant. The FF91 would let passengers travel first class without the security lines and annoying kids. The FF91 has enough range to make the trip without stopping for electricity.
Bosch’s facial-recognition tech keeps you safe, entertained behind the wheel
Facial recognition technology detects if a driver is drowsy, distracted, or eating, and it also keeps an eye on passengers sitting in the back. On a happier note, it identifies the driver and adjusts a variety of parameters, like the climate control and the radio. It's on its way to production.
In America, houses charge EVs. At CES 2020, EVs charge houses
Bidirectional charging has always ben one of the great promises of EVs, but very few chargers have supported it -- until now that is. The Wallbox Quasar is a handsome residential charger that lets your EV power your home. It will cost $4,000 when it comes out later this year.
Harman wants to harness 5G to make streets safer for pedestrians
Harman wants to use 5G connectivity to allow cars to scan for signals from nearby people and objects. This could help prevent collisions between cars and pedestrians, Harman claims. The company unveiled this concept at CES 2020, but was light on details about production potential.
Mercedes Benz Vision AVTR: A sustainable Avatar concept
Mercedes-Benz has delivered high-tech showstoppers at CES for a decade now. This year, it brought the Vision AVTR, a collaboration between designers for Mercedes and the 2009 blockbuster film Avatar. The show car is a symbol of the company’s plans to tread more lightly on the Earth in the coming decades.
Faraday Future FF91 first drive: Raw power
Faraday Future has burned through a billion dollars building the FF91, which will go on sale to the public before the end of 2020. We were the first to test drive the car -- the sandstone-colored version, code named G2-18 – and it feels worth every penny.