Boston.com recently had talks with automotive authorities about why you should consider driving or avoiding a specific model.
Showing posts with label Auto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Auto. Show all posts
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan - What Car experts Has To Say
Boston.com recently had talks with automotive authorities about why you should consider driving or avoiding a specific model.
Monday, April 10, 2017
Ford Brags - Claims Hybrid Police Mustang Car Helps Catches Bad Guys and Saves Gas Too
The next time the cops chase you down for speeding, they could be driving a fuel-efficient gas-electric hybrid car that looks like the Ford Mustang.
Lady Lost In Happiness For Loosing Her Mercedes Benz Keys 20 years Ago To Sell It For Over 20 Million Naira
A young lady practically was given a Mercedes SL500 sports car for her birthday in 1996, She however, lost the car keys shortly after she was given and had since refused to drive it ever since.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
CHECK OUT THE 2018 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE TRACK-HAWK FIRST LOOK
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
See Photos of the Newly Proposed 2017 Honda Civic Type R with hot hatchback
Honda's latest track version of its hot hatchback was unveiled today at the Geneva Motor Show. Expected to begin production later this year, the 2017 Honda Civic Type R is based on the newly re-engineered standard Civic hatchback, though it's been thoroughly tweaked to make it suitable for the track as well as the road.
The 2017 Honda Civic R obviously maintains much of the styling of this year's
standard version as well as many of the cues from the concept previewed at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. It has a distinctly aggressive appearance with massive air scoops and that huge rear spoiler, which almost seems put of proportion with the rest of the car.
Honda said that the new Civic R has a stiffer chassis covered by a lighter, a more heavily built body shell that boasts a wider use of adhesives in key areas, giving it 38 percent better torsional rigidity compared to the last year's Civic R. There's also better aerodynamics thanks to a front air curtain, smoother under-body, a lighter rear wing, and the vortex generators on the roof line's trailing edge.
This one fines sha....
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Meet the Sophisticated Porsche Panamera that come with a Shooting brake
Dimensionally the Panemera measures 5 metres long, 1.9m wide, 1.4m tall and has a wheelbase of some 2.95m. It is identical to the standard vehicle at the front, but from the rear doors backwards, the Sport Turismo is a unique design, with an elongated window line and higher roof that mean it is less coupe-like in profile. Starting at the B-pillars, the Porsche has changed the shape of the car's rear with a more pronounced shoulder, elongated window line and an adaptive spoiler.
You can find out more details about the new Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo over at Porsche at the link below.
Another cool feature on the Stuttgart family mover is an adaptive roof spoiler. Yep.
The four or five occupants will be sitting in a big, heavy estate that can be propelled by a variety of engines in a variety of trims with five different model variants.
There's also a new adaptive rear spoiler (the first of its kind in the segment) that automatically deploys at speeds of 90 km/h or higher when the auto is in Sport and Sport Plus driving modes. Customers can still order a 2+2 setup with electronically adjustable individual seats in the rear.
When one opens the optional panoramic sliding roof, this spoiler automatically adjusts itself to 26 degrees to minimize wind noise. At speeds of over 170 km/h, the wing is set at plus one degree for a blend of stability and aerodynamic efficiency. With the seats folded, this can be expanded to 1,390 litres (1,295 litres for the plug-in hybrid).
After the successful debut of the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid - which uses a twin-turbo V6 engine combined with an electric motor - the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is another compelling demonstration of the performance advantages of hybrid technology. Alternatively, the cabin can be set out as a pure four-seater with electrically-adjustable seats in the back - flawless for exacting chauffeur-driven passengers.
The European market launches the Porsche Panamera on Oct 7. The 4-E Hybrid retails for 112,075 euros while the 4S Sport and the 4S Diesel sells for over 120,000 euros.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Checkout the New Power Muscle Bentley Bentayga Mulliner: A Luxury SUV With A Class
The Bentley Bentayga ‘Mulliner’ is said to be the most exquisitely appointed luxury SUV created and will appeal to owners searching for the peak of go-anywhere motoring, with a good performance and comfort. This model introduces striking optional duo tone paintwork for the first time on ‘Bentayga’ the elegant finish is achieved by choosing the perfect proportional balance point for the split, the resulting effect making the cabin and bonnet appear as though floating. The split also serves to enhance the luxury SUV’s trademark super-formed muscularity and accentuates its powerful presence. new Mulliner 22″ ‘paragon’ seven-spoke wheels with floating wheel centers, unique exterior badge, and color-coded lower bodywork with bright chrome lower-bumper-grilles, complete the exterior enhancements.
source - Autoreportng
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Incredible!!! See new "Limo-like Keke napep" rocking the streets of Lagos
In the coming months, technologically improved Tricycles might be storming Nigeria as Lagosians have started importing them.
The tricycle which is well covered like a mini-bus costs a whooping sum of N750, 000 as against the conventional one that goes for a sum of N650,000.
It comes with an extra seat, doors, windows, standard roof and more space with a small cooling fan to boost ventilation.
The interesting feature of the tricycle is that it doesn’t use fuel. It is powered by electricity. The tricycle operator told a Tori News correspondent it could move around town for a period of two days after being charged for just four hours.
The new Keke Napep is very rare in Lagos as commercial riders are watching earnestly before investing in such. The improved Tricycle rode around 6th Avenue in Festac Town towards the Apple junction area amidst amusement by passers-by and commutters.
Unfortunately, the disadvantage of using the ‘Limousine Keke’ surfaced as the jolly ride involving some Tori News reporters was cut short when the battery of the transportation system suddenly went flat.
It had to be apparently towed to when it could be charged around 7:30pm. The reporters were left stranded as they took pictures to share with the world.
The bad news again is that the ‘Limousine Keke Napep’ is imported. Such a simple tricycle can be conveniently developed in Nigeria if our brothers in the South-eastern part of Nigeria can simply focus and be financed by the government.
See more photos:
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
See the 2017 Lamborghini Centenario, One of the Fastest Cars Around
Incidentally, a man named Ferrucio Lamborghini several years ago foresaw today’s reality that is redefining human advancement. Emigrating from dream land to reality land, he worked on birthing automotive vehicles that would bedazzle observers and prospective owners through his Lamborghini automobile company. The profound relevance of commemorating this distinguished innovator led to the 2017 Lamborghini Centenario, which is generating a lot of positive reactions in the automobile space. You will soon realise why.
Autojosh
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Auto - Next McLaren Super Series gets Supre New 4.0L Twin-turbo V8
The new 4.0-litre V8 will feature a twin-turbo system, replacing the current 3.8-litre setup. There’s no mention on outputs but McLaren says the engine is potent enough to see 0-200km/h in just 7.8 seconds, with the quarter mile coming up in 10.3 seconds.
The engine, codenamed M840T, features ultra-low inertia twin-scroll turbochargers. These, according to McLaren, are able to spool up quicker than previous designs, helping to reduce turbo-lag and improve throttle response. McLaren Super Series line director Haydn Baker said:
“Power, torque and throttle response are all significantly enhanced compared to the first-generation Super Series, yet with fuel efficiency and emissions also notably improved.”
Also confirmed is an all-new exhaust system. McLaren supercars have been criticised in the recent past for not sounding ‘supercar’ enough. McLaren is rectifying this with a system that will provide a soundtrack that matches the performance. A sports exhaust option will also be offered.
For the ultimate wow factor, the new Super Series will come with engine compartment illumination. Upon unlocking the vehicle the engine bay lights up to present the cast-aluminium intake and the top of the new V8.
The second-generation Super Series will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show on March 7. Stay tuned for more.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Power House BMW M760Li xDrive 2017 review
BMW is never one that miss a anniversary with a grand prime, BMW celebrates 30 years of V12 engines in its range-topping 7 Series this year – it was back in 1987 that the V12-powered 750i was born. A little tenuous, perhaps, but it does give the brand a neat link to this, its latest flagship, the extensively named M760Li xDrive.
Let’s talk through that nomenclature: M because this model is born from the new M Performance line-up; 760 because, well, there’s a 6.6-litre V12 engine under the bonnet (we don’t get that bit, either); L for long-wheelbase configuration; i for a petrol model and xDrive denotes four-wheel drive.
Of all those numbers and letters, it’s the M badge that is most important. Especially because of the work BMW’s M team has done on the engine. It’s a beast, producing 602bhp and 800Nm of torque – enabling this car to get from 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds. That, officially, makes it the fastest production BMW ever made. Yes, in a long-wheelbase luxury saloon that’s 5,238mm long and weighs 2.2 tonnes.
• Best luxury cars
The guys and girls at M have also been hard at work on the dynamics, giving the four-wheel-drive system a rear-drive bias, tweaking the aerodynamics and tuning the sound from the V12. There’s also the latest Executive Drive Pro Suspension with active roll stabilisation to adjust the feel of the car according to the conditions and your mood, plus all the safety, connectivity and infotainment kit you’d expect from a flagship – as well as a few more tasty treats on the options list.
The engine, though, doesn’t really have the punch the title of ‘fastest ever BMW’ suggests. You need to have the car in Sport mode for better throttle response (it’s a little languid in Comfort), but there’s never really the punch that you might expect – it’s more like an aircraft on take-off than that first kick in the kidneys of a rollercoaster.
That’s not to say it isn’t fast – it is – but there’s a slight lack of drama and excitement, including the sound, while the gearbox is a little hesitant when you kick down, too. The slightly cheaper Mercedes-AMG S 63L might not match the BMW’s performance on paper, but it actually feels faster in a straight line and sounds a whole lot more thrilling. The Mercedes doesn’t hide its weight quite as well, though, with the BMW feeling more agile than these cars have a right to.
Away from the track – and let’s be honest, we doubt any owners will use their M760Li xDrives as track day specials – the car plays its luxury hand well. On a cruise you’ll enjoy an impressive level of refinement and a plush ride.
However, there is an M badge on this car and the interior doesn’t do a lot to remind you of that. Yes, it’s a thing of beauty and quality that’s more than a match for anything else, but it’s similar to any other 7 Series. We’d have liked a few sportier M-style flourishes inside, at least as no-cost options.
The exterior is a bit more exciting, though. The 7 is already a great looking luxury car – and you can have it in two flavours: M with a tastefully sporting bent and special 20-inch alloys or Excellence with more chrome and luxury exterior trim that’s aimed mainly at the lucrative Chinese market.
Monday, January 23, 2017
Auto - See Why You Don't Have To Be Insecure About Packing Your Ford Mustang
For anyone who lives near a major city, you know there are many stress points. Traffic is one of them, but the real hair-pulling exercise happens when you need to find a parking spot.
Ford recently announced a new app called FordPass — which will debut in the 2018 Ford Mustang — that could solve this problem. For someone like me who hates how much time it takes to find a spot and then find the terminal to pay for parking, the app is a welcome perk.
Ford is making a big push to become not just a car company, but a mobility company. It makes sense. Your car is already a moving computer, with safety features and a hotspot. The redesigned Mustang, which debuts this year at dealerships, is going to be the most connected muscle car ever, with lane-keeping features and even a way to adjust the sound of the exhaust system (loud or soft, depending on where you’re driving).
FordPass will be part of a new ecosystem. For example, it will use FordPay, a recently announced service that stores your credit card information securely. Eventually, it could pay for more than a parking spot. My guess is that this ecosystem will play right into the long-term plans for autonomous driving, letting you pay for your food at Burger King and eventually even collect money when you send your self-driving Mustang out to pick up people who rent it for the day — something that might not actually take place until 2022 or later.
Read also - The 2018 Mustang comes with Driver-Assist tech and 10-speed Transmission Option
For now, the Mustang will use FordPass for parking, although there are no details yet about an upcharge. Let’s say you know you need to head downtown for the day. You might use the app while you are still home to find and hold a spot, similar to how you might book an Uber for the morning. It’s all taken care of for you, so you just go to the spot and park, then show your phone to the terminal when you leave. Ford reps say you can pre-pay for a set period, as well. And the feature that lets you search for and reserve a spot will work in 160 major cities.
You can also bookmark a spot as a favorite and use it each time you go to a downtown area. FordPass will also work with airport parking. A Harris Poll mentioned in a press release says people tend to waste an hour per week looking for parking spots in downtown areas. The FordPass app works with ParkWhiz and FlightCar and will go live in April.
What’s not clear is how this will evolve over time. Parking garages in places like Minneapolis are not exactly high-tech in terms of using sensors that know how long you actually parked and which stalls are open, even if there is an ecosystem for paying at an automated terminal. If sensors tracked where you park and when you leave (similar to the Amazon Go store) you wouldn’t need to use a terminal.
Once it comes out, the real test will be whether the app is easy to use and helps you find spots near your destination. If it adds too much complication, we may just put up with the stress of finding parking the old-fashioned way.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
The 2018 Mustang comes with Driver-Assist tech and 10-speed Transmission Option
On Tuesday, Ford announced its 2018 Mustang, a refresh from the previous generation that debuted in 2015. Although Ford couldn’t share important details like fuel economy and price, the Mustang refresh seems like a thoughtful one.
It has driver assist technology, a more aerodynamic design, and performance upgrades for both the 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, as well as its 5.0L V8 engine on the GT.Ars spoke to Corey Holter, Ford’s Marketing Manager for Car and Cross Vehicle Marketing, about the updates to the car. He emphasized that the EcoBoost has been successful in bringing new customers into Ford’s mix, especially millennials, people of color, and women.
Read more - Hyundai Announces New SUV Running On a Fuel Cell
Read more - Hyundai Announces New SUV Running On a Fuel Cell
Before we saw the car, a spokesperson for Ford told us that the redesign of the interior and exterior of the 2018 Mustang would attract new female buyers, which admittedly put us on our guard. As a tech publication, we're all-too-familiar with the old “pink washing” gambit used so often by phone companies—that markets a product to women by slashing its specs and pandering to a perceived “female” aesthetic.
Luckily, that doesn’t seem to be the case here. The front end of the new Mustang is lowered from the previous design, and the grille is a bit wider. The press materials describe the car as "athletic." And, honestly, the new Mustang will probably appeal to both men and women. When I asked Holter what Ford did specifically to appeal to women (because honestly I couldn’t find what was supposed to appeal to me specifically and not to a man), he said there was nothing specific besides the women Ford has on its design team who “wanted to make sure [the car] had an appeal to everyone.”
Read more - Hyundai Motor India Rolls Out 7-Millionth Car
The exterior redesign hasn't purely been aesthetic either. Holter said that it has made the car more aerodynamic, which will contribute to bringing down those all-important fuel economy numbers. He added that Ford doesn’t yet know what the fuel economy will be for the EcoBoost or the GT, but the American automaker expects to see an improvement in efficiency from the previous generation.
Both EcoBoost and GT engines are more powerful, but the V8 engine “has been thoroughly reworked,” according to Ford’s press release. The car “is more powerful and revs higher than any Mustang GT before,” due to its “dual-fuel, high-pressure direct injection and low-pressure port fuel injection.” This, too, should improve the car’s fuel efficiency, Ford said.
While both cars come in a manual option, the 2018 Mustangs are also the first models to include a 10-speed automatic transmission that shifts “faster than any other automatic we’ve had,” Holter said. He noted that automatic transition was becoming a more popular option with younger Mustang drivers in the US—about 50 percent of GT Mustang owners go for automatic transmissions, while about 90 percent of EcoBoost Mustang drivers go for automatic transmissions.
Both cars will also benefit from a tech upgrade. They have a 12-inch, customizable digital instrument cluster above the steering wheel, with displays for normal, sport, and track mode. Besides that, the driver can alter suspension and steering preferences. In the GT, drivers can adjust the sound of the exhaust system. “There’s a muffler on each valve, and they’ll open up a little bit if you want to make it louder,” Holter explained. “When you start the car up it gives you that vroom.” But if you’re cruising, the car will quiet the exhaust unless you select a louder ride.
The 2018 Mustangs will also be the first of the lineup to have collision-warning capabilities, distance alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. According to Holter, there’s a significant amount of computing power in the car to make all of that work, including “at least 25 computers,” as well as radar sensors and cameras. Holter noted that Ford didn’t have a partner for the driver assist features—all of that has been developed in-house.
Ultimately, Holter said, Ford wanted to make a “daily driver that you can go to a track with and have fun.” While Ford doesn’t have pricing details available just yet, hopefully that dream will pan out when the car goes on sale in fall 2017.
Customs says Importers will Receive Vehicles at Nearby Locations
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said it will create bonded vehicle parks and terminals nationwide and licence major dealers to operate same and facilitate the creation of more jobs for the automobile industry.
The acting Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the service, Mr. Joseph Attah, told Daily Trust yesterday in an exclusive interview that such terminal operators will neither pay duties for the imported vehicles nor pay demurrage for a period of 28 to 30 days after manifesting the vehicles at the seaports.
He said: “Customs is going to grant licenses to genuine car dealers to operate bonded car terminals. What this means is that they will not necessarily need to go to Lagos to clear vehicles.
“When a dealer imports his vehicles and he manifests them for the destination in the inland areas, the dealer will only provide some logistics and the Customs will escort them down to the terminal without paying the customs duty yet.
“Of course, there will be Custom outpost around the terminal and the vehicles will stay in the terminal between 28 and 30 days without paying the duties yet.
“If such dealer is lucky and buyers come for the vehicles, they could sell and then go to the Customs desk, pay the duty, get the genuine Customs papers and drive off without being stopped for issues,” Attah explained.
Dissecting the impact, the Customs’ spokesman said it helps the end users to buy genuine cars without going outside the borders; the car dealer will have his job strengthened by having a terminal.
The elimination of demurrages for about 30 days will translate in lower cost of buying vehicles, and ancillary services, banking, mechanic villages, vending points, and others will spring up around every bonded terminal in many parts of Nigeria to create more jobs and drive the Nigerian economy, Attah noted.
On affecting the services’ revenue generation, the Customs spokesman said the restriction of vehicles importation to the seaports will boost its revenue earnings because false declarations, smuggling and informal trade patterns typical of the old land border system will be curbed.
Mr. Attah said similar policy on rice boosted local production, disclosing that the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria team led by its national president visited the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), retired Col. Hameed Ali and appreciated the policy banning the importation of vehicles through the land borders.
He said the bonded terminal operation will also boost the collaboration of Customs, the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in unifying vehicle duty payment and registration of imported vehicles which is slated to begin by March 2017.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Meet the 2017 Bentley With 700 Hp and 750 Pounds-feet of Luxury
Bentley has dropped details on its latest and most powerful Continental -- the Supersports. The Anglo-German automaker claims it is the fastest and most powerful four-seat luxury car ever, backing those claims up with a whole lot of horsepower and torque.
The 6.0-liter W12 engine makes 67 hp and 130 pounds-feet of torque more than it previously did, pumping out a nice, round 700 hp and 750 pounds-feet in total.
That's enough to rocket the new Continental Supersports to 60 mph in a claimed 3.4 seconds. That time stretches to 3.7 seconds with the convertible. Top speed is said to be 209 mph for the coupe and 205 for the drop-top. Braking power is provided by 16.5-inch carbon-ceramic brakes up front and 14-inch units at the rear, according to Bentley.
Read also - Hyundai Announces New SUV Running On a Fuel Cell
The additional power comes from higher-capacity turbochargers and a revised intercooling system. The engine’s internals -- crankshaft and connecting-rod bearings -- have also been beefed up to handle more power. An eight-speed automatic is the only transmission available. Also, the suspension has been lowered and is now a bit stiffer -- all the better to keep you planted at 200-plus mph.
“The Supersports name is legendary at Bentley,” Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer said in a statement. “From the very first Supersports of the 1920s to the Continental Supersports of 2009 -- and now, with the third iteration of this iconic model -- it is a name which excites, impassions and thrills.”
Both the coupe and convertible get new front- and rear-bumper designs with a carbon-fiber splitter and diffuser, new side-sill extensions, gloss-black front wing vents and hood vents finished in carbon fiber. The Continental Supersports Convertible will offer neck warmers for top-down motoring during those cool outings.
Read More - Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan - What Car experts Has To Say
Options include a titanium exhaust system, which will shave about 10 pounds off the coupe and convertible’s 5,027- and 5,412-pound, respectively, curb weights. Bentley also offers plenty of personalization. There is an X Specification pack available that consists of eight unique duo-tone paint treatments and carbon-fiber heel plates and mirrors. Twenty-one inch forged wheels sit at all four corners.
Inside, there is new dash trim, along with plenty of carbon fiber, leather and suede. Through Bentley’s vast array of available materials, the options are technically endless -- as long as your bank account is, too. Pricing and availability for the new 2017 Bentley Continental Supersports have yet to be announced.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Hyundai Announces New SUV Running On a Fuel Cell
Hyundai will expand its fuel cell car lineup with the new Sports Utility Vehicle. The South Korean promised the second generation of the Hyundai Tucson IX Fuel cell vehicle would be much more efficient than the first model.
The current version of the Hyundai Tucson ix powered by a fuel cell is only available in California. It is not clear if the new Tucson will have the same restrictions, though.
Hyundai is expected to present its new SUV by mid-2017 and bookings will probably start to be available in the last three months of the year.
According to Nikkei, the news site, not only will the company release the new fuel cell SUV, but they will also launch a new commercial bus in the coming two years. The latter will also work with fuel cells.
Hyundai Tucson IX Fuel cell vehicle price and release date
The new SUV will hit the road in January 2018, and it will boast a range of 348 miles on a single hydrogen tank which surpasses the current model by a 30 percent of efficiency.
The new Tucson will cost an approximate of $50,000. The new vehicle will best the 312-mile range of Toyota’s Mirai, placing itself just second behind the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell with its 366 miles on a single hydrogen tank.
The South Korean company is betting on clean energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, something that will undoubtedly reduce the amount of pollution its cars release in the environment.
Hyundai will expand its fuel cell car lineup with the new Sports Utility Vehicle. The South Korean promised the second generation of the Hyundai Tucson IX Fuel cell vehicle would be much more efficient than the first model.
The current version of the Hyundai Tucson ix powered by a fuel cell is only available in California. It is not clear if the new Tucson will have the same restrictions, though.
Hyundai is expected to present its new SUV by mid-2017 and bookings will probably start to be available in the last three months of the year.
According to Nikkei, the news site, not only will the company release the new fuel cell SUV, but they will also launch a new commercial bus in the coming two years. The latter will also work with fuel cells.
Hyundai Tucson IX Fuel cell vehicle price and release date
The new SUV will hit the road in January 2018, and it will boast a range of 348 miles on a single hydrogen tank which surpasses the current model by a 30 percent of efficiency.
The new Tucson will cost an approximate of $50,000. The new vehicle will best the 312-mile range of Toyota’s Mirai, placing itself just second behind the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell with its 366 miles on a single hydrogen tank.
The South Korean company is betting on clean energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, something that will undoubtedly reduce the amount of pollution its cars release in the environment.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Meet Waymo The Google's Self-Driving Car Company
The self-driving car project that Google started seven years ago has grown into a company called Waymo, signaling its confidence that it will be able to bring robot-controlled vehicles to the masses within the next few years.
"We are getting close and we are getting ready," Waymo CEO John Krafcik said Tuesday after unveiling the company's identity.
To underscore his point, Krafcik revealed the project had hit a key milestone in the journey to having fully autonomous cars cruising around public roads.
Krafcik called that trip taken by Steve Mahan, former director of the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center, an "inflection point" in the development of self-driving cars. It came a year before a Budweiser beer truck equipped with self-driving technology owned by ride-hailing service Uber completed a 120-mile trip through Colorado while being steered by a robot while a human sat in the back of trailer.
In doing so, Krafcik and other supporters of self-driving cars believe the technology will drastically reduce the number of deaths on the roads each year because they contend robots don't get distracted or drunk, nor ignore the rules of the road, like humans do.
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| theplaceng.com: Waymo google self driving car |
A common sight by 2020?
While Google's self-driving cars were still in the research-and-development stage, its leaders indicated the vehicles would be commonplace by 2020. Krafcik declined to update the timetable on Tuesday, saying only that "we are close to bringing this to a lot of people."
Waymo's transition from what once was viewed as a longshot experiment to a full-fledged company marks another step in an effort to revolutionise the way people get around.
Instead of driving themselves and having to find a place to park, people will be chauffeured in robot-controlled vehicles if Waymo, carmakers and Uber realise their vision within the next few years. Waymo's name is meant to be shorthand for "a new way forward in mobility."
The newly minted company will operate within Google's parent company, Alphabet, which was created last year to oversee far-flung projects that have nothing to do with Google's main business of online search and advertising. Those projects, which Alphabet CEO Larry Page likens to "moonshots," have lost $8 billion since 2014, with the research into self-driving cars accounting for a significant chunk of that amount.
Google began working on its self-driving technology in 2009 in a secretive lab called "X'' run by company co-founder Sergey Brin. Since then, its fleet of cars has covered more than 2.3 million miles in the San Francisco Bay Area, Austin, Arizona and Washington state. In their travels, the self-driving vehicles have been involved in 35 traffic accidents. Google has said its self-driving vehicles were at fault in only one collision with a bus earlier this year.
The self-driving project had been expected to be spun out of the X lab since Krafcik, a former Hyundai USA executive, was hired as its CEO 15 months ago.
As its own company, Waymo will now face more pressure to generate a profit under Alphabet's management instead of simply focusing on research. Rather than make its own cars, Waymo intends to license its technology to traditional automakers and trucking companies.
"We are not in the business of making better cars," Krafcik said. "We are in the business of making better drivers."
Earlier this year, Waymo's precursor licensed its self-driving technology to Fiat Chrysler for 100 Pacifica minivans currently in production. Financial terms of that deal haven't been disclosed.
The pressure to make money risks alienating some of the engineers who worked on the self-driving cars as a project that didn't have a mandate to turn a profit. As it headed down the road to becoming Waymo, several key players quit the project. The defectors included its former director, Chris Urmson, and a co-founder Anthony Levandowski, who is now working on self-driving technology for Uber.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
This Volkswagen Arteon Sketch Previews A Premium Future For The Brand
Another piece of Volkswagen's post-dieselgate comeback is falling into place with the Arteon sedan. Set to replace the CC and the ill-fated Phaeton, the Arteon will serve as a halo for the VW brand, sitting above the Passat in both pricing and equipment.
While the CC drew its name from the acronym for Comfort Coupe, the Arteon is a smooshing together of "Art," to describe its silhouette, and "Eon," which is Volkswagen's new way to define its premium models. The Arteon is previewed in this sketch released Monday and will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.While the CC was never a sales leader for Volkswagen, it became a cult car that brought new buyers attracted to its style – despite the sedan's small rear seat, limited headroom, and compromised luggage space.
The Arteon was designed from the ground up to deliver the design of the CC without the compromises. VW says the sedan will have frameless windows like the CC, a larger trunk than the CC, and a "highly expressive, horizontally accentuated brand look." The new sedan will ride on a mildly evolved version of the MLB architecture used by the European Passat and other vehicles.
This new model takes some of its inspiration from the Sport Coupe GTE concept from last year's Geneva show, though the production Arteon will ditch that car's V6 gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain in favor of the Passat's engine and transmission options. In Geneva, the Arteon will have 19-inch alloy wheels, LED Matrix headlights, and Audi-style active indicator lights. Its interior will combine an active information dashboard with a head-up display, and it will also set a new standard inside Volkswagen for autonomous capability, though more details aren't known.
Monday, November 28, 2016
Hyundai Motor India Rolls Out 7-Millionth Car
In 1996, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) had the privilege to become one of the early-comers in India. Back then, only a handful of automakers – Maruti Suzuki, Hindustan Motors, Premier, Tata and Mahindra – had some presence in the Indian automotive industry, which has grown multi-fold over the years. Daewoo had just one product on offer – the Cielo – and so did Ford, Opel and Honda. While Opel and Daewoo perished in India, Hyundai marched on to become the second-largest carmaker in India.
In 1998, Hyundai launched its first offering for the Indian auto industry – the Santro hatchback. It was one of the most popular cars India has ever seen and helped create a rock-solid image for the carmaker. Today, nearly 18 years down the line, HMIL has reached the milestone of rolling out the seven-millionth car from its production plant in Chennai. Do the math and you’ll see that the company has been rolling out one million cars every 18 months in India. (Although HMIL rolled out its one-millionth car – a Santro – back in 2006, it has grown substantially since then, and the South Korean carmaker produced six million cars in the next 10 years.) The seven-millionth car was a white Creta SUV with an automatic transmission. Y.K. Koo, the company’s MD and CEO, and Ganesh Mani S., the vice-president, drove it out of the factory floor.
Congratulating the employees for achieving this milestone, Koo said, “HMIL has always set new benchmarks in terms of quality and customer delight by introducing new products with new technology and design to the Indian market, demonstrating superior manufacturing prowess. Our ‘Made in India’ products have impressed global and Indian customers alike. We now have to move to realize our vision
as announced during our 20th year of foundation on May 6, 2016, of being the market leader, great place to work, most loved and trusted brand with modern premium brand essence to touch 10 million units within the first half of 2021. I thank each one for his commitment towards making Hyundai, the most loved and trusted brand in India.”
With this feat, HMIL has attained the second-best position – behind China – amongst its overseas peers in the Hyundai Motor Group.
