Category Archives: autonomous vehicles

Honda Shows Prototype Electric Autonomous Work Mower

“Our development of the prototype zero-turn Honda Autonomous Work Mower comes at a time when technology is shaping the future of the landscaping industry,” said Hirokazu Hara, vice president of New Business Development, American Honda Motor Company. Continue reading

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Hands-Free Driving Ford Mustangs Now in Spain

BlueCruise uses Ford’s Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC), which can automatically keep pace with traffic within legal speed limits  down to a complete stop. Hands-free mode allows drivers on approved Blue Zone sections of motorways to drive with their hands off the steering wheel if they continue to pay attention to the road ahead. Before transitioning to hands-free driving, BlueCruise-equipped vehicles confirm that lane markings are visible, that the driver has their eyes on the road and that other conditions are appropriate. Continue reading

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Woven by Toyota Now a Wholly Owned Toyota Subsidiary

A review of the software development structure in the Toyota Group was announced this month. As a result, the three companies of Toyota, Woven by Toyota, and Denso will now strengthen collaborative efforts and are restructuring their organizations and human resources across all three companies “to enhance the value of mobility through a software-centered approach.” This is part of an ongoing industry trend to enhance competitiveness through services such as recharging and other connected car offerings. Continue reading

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Automated Driving – BMW to use Amazon and Qualcomm

“In the next decade, consumer habits and expectations will drive more changes in the automotive industry than we’ve seen over the past 30 years,” said Dr. Nicolai Martin, senior vice president of Driving Experience at BMW Group. “This is just the beginning of a new era of highly automated driving, fueled by innovations in technology and engineering. By collaborating with AWS, the BMW Group, along with our partner, Qualcomm Technologies, is building our new automated driving platform.” automated driving and parking functions.” Continue reading

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Circus Time – Cruise AV Collision with San Francisco Fire Truck

“First and foremost, our primary concern remains with our passenger and their well-being. We have been in contact to offer support and will remain in touch. In terms of what occurred around the scene of the collision there are many aspects that looked typical from the AV’s perspective and several factors that added complexity to this specific incident,” Greg Dietrerich Cruise General Manager, San Francisco Market said on 18 August. Continue reading

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Apple Software Veteran Peter Stern Joins Ford Motor

Ford and other former members of the old-style auto blacksmithing business – cast it, stamp it, weld it, machine it and put it together –  has been confronted with the need to cost effectively deal with so-called connected vehicles. The traditional way of pitting suppliers against one another and buying at lowest cost has failed since the software of the many individual computer modules on current vehicles isn’t always compatible with other computerized systems – creating in effect an electronic Tower of Babble. Continue reading

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Consumer Rights Nil in New Autonomous Vehicle Bills?

The Center for Auto Safety says one of the proposals, the SELF DRIVE Act, “neglects to include any consumer protections that prevent the use of binding arbitration clauses in contracts involving autonomous vehicles.” As is common in Washington the legislation is misleadingly named. However, there is a need to explore the issue as there are arguments on many aspects of technology and systems that can save lives and reduce traffic congestion even though AutoInformed remains skeptical about the ability of politicians to do so with a regard for We the People  as opposed to We the Congress who are paid large sums by corporate interests. Continue reading

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Magna Buys Veoneer Active Safety Business

“Our electronics team, now with more than 7200 employees, including 3500 in engineering, can better accelerate (sic) the development of premium features and functions at scale. Magna will also benefit from an expanded geographic footprint and customer reach in key automotive regions around the world with nine facilities and 30 engineering/sales locations dedicated to active safety,” Kotagiri said. Continue reading

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Honda Shows New Prototype Autonomous Work Vehicle

Honda aims to commercialize its AWV. Honda looking for partners to participate in field testing, as well as to improve functions and enhance services, especially in the areas of: Product distribution Product support and aftermarket sales, as well as software and attachment development. The AWV use Honda’s mobility technologies, and common components from its automobiles and other products. Continue reading

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Ford Motor Establishes Latitude AI for Autonomous Driving

Ford Motor Company said today that it has established Latitude AI, a wholly owned subsidiary, develop “a hands-free, eyes-off-the-road automated driving system.” The move follows in the wake of a $2 billion loss posted for 2022, partially the result of a Q3 2022 decision that saw Ford shift its capital spending from the L4 advanced driver assistance systems being developed by Argo AI to internally developed L2+/L3 technology. Continue reading

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Autonomous Vehicles, Entertainment: Mercedes-Benz Debuts a New Operating System in the Automobility Cosmos

This is only one aspect of a program intended to bolster the stated Mercedes-Benz desire to remain a preeminent luxury brand. Moreover, both are advanced aspects – or aspirations – of what the auto industry and its products are heading toward: a software defined vehicle and user experience, as well as the comprehensive use of data collection and artificial intelligence that will enable autonomous vehicles, along with ongoing software over-the air updates for entertainment feeds, traffic  alerts, subscription services, EV charging availability and range, among other aspects of a connected car from a connected car company and its connected dealers and other connected vendors. Continue reading

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Another Tesla Self-Driving Recall

The recall is a result of long standing investigations at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the controversial auto pilot system. Tesla, what seems to us arrogantly, did not agree with the NHTSA analysis but went ahead with the recall anyway. It is the latest pr disaster from the firm that no doubt will have social media, uh, all atwitter. Continue reading

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Do No Harm – Center for Auto Safety Drafts AV Bill of Rights

Simply put the draft – covering a wide and formidable list of potential issues – says AVs should “Do no harm!” The draft is an ambitious attempt to learn from the more than a century of automobility and apply the knowledge at the outset of what is expected to be widespread AV use sometime in the, oh, next decade or three. Continue reading

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Renault and Nissan, Mitsubishi Alliance to Restructure

The transactions contained in the agreements would be subject to regulatory approvals, and completion is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2023. In the tangled web of individual country industrial policy this brings some measure of stability to a global, multi-national, politically diverse enterprise as the movement to electrified vehicles and other earth-saving technologies continues. The 24-year-old Alliance covers 100% of the world’s major global vehicle markets with Euro 85 billion in annual purchases. It already shares 60% of its vehicle platforms, and up to 90% of EV architectures, noted Jean-Dominique Senard, Chairman of the Alliance Board at the press conference. The upside for all is survival in a difficult environment, in our view. Continue reading

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Almost Autonomous – Mercedes-Benz 2024 S‑Class, EQS?

If Mercedes is able to deliver model year 2024 Mercedes‑Benz S-Class and EQS Sedans late in 2023, then its optional DRIVE PILOT system would be the first and perhaps the only SAE Level 3 system in a standard-production vehicle authorized for use on US public freeways. Mercedes‑Benz also aspires to expand to California later this year with the certification documents already filed with state authorities. General Motors, among other automakers, is also actively pursuing  autonomous vehicles. Several GM brands are partially there already with its Super Cruise system. Continue reading

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