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Mercedes-Benz said today that it has approvals for turquoise-colored automated driving marker lights in California and Nevada. The exemption permit for California is for testing vehicles and initially limited to two years. The Nevada permit applies to Mercedes-Benz Model Year 2026 production vehicles. Thus a marketing component – styling with lights – is now part of the ongoing debate about the effect of autonomous vehicles on the safety of other road users and pedestrians.
“With the development of automated driving marker lights, Mercedes-Benz is once again setting new industry standards,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Purchasing. “The more automated driving vehicles populate the road, the more important communication and interaction between the vehicle and the environment become.” Continue reading
Forecast is Finally Normal for 2024 US Auto Market
Cox Automotive said today that it is forecasting that balance will reappear in the US auto market during 2024. This should be better for American consumers and fleet buyers who will find more choices, better deals, and better access to online buying tools. Cox predicts that 2024 will be the best year for car buyers since the pandemic.
“Our research suggests that Americans are putting more emphasis on buying/owning personal transportation, in contrast to 2018 and 2019, when consumers put a higher value on access to transportation,” said Jonathan Smoke Cox Automotive Chief Economist. “And after tumbling in 2021 and 2022, satisfaction with the car buying process is expected to improve in the year ahead, thanks in part to better inventory and the return of discounting, but also from improved processes at the dealership that save time and make car buying more efficient.” Continue reading →