News
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We recently interviewed Professor Daniel Sperling – author of Three Revolutions: Steering Automated, Shared, and Electric Vehicles to a Better Future – to discuss the future of transportation.
We're thrilled to be giving away a copy of Professor Sperling's book to one lucky winner. To be in with a chance of winning, just click on the link below. Good luck!
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Nissan unveils autonomous concept car
At this week's North American International Auto Show, Nissan unveiled its new autonomous, electric concept car, the IMs. Check out the video to find out more.
"Advances in electric vehicle technology and autonomous driving have allowed our designers to break free of the platform and packaging rules that constrain traditional passenger vehicles, to create a completely new type of car."
Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president for design at Nissan
youtube.com
Volkswagen and Ford plan collaboration on electric and autonomous vehicles
The two carmakers this week launched a global alliance that will see them explore potential collaboration on autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles and mobility services. They've signed a memorandum of understanding and are exploring opportunities to work together on autonomous and electric vehicles, with work set to continue in the coming months.
ford.com
Chinese passengers can hail driverless cars through Uber-style app
Passengers in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou can now use an Uber-style app to hail an autonomous taxi, according to a report from CNBC this week.
Pony.ai, which last year launched its autonomous vehicle fleet in China, is understood to be testing the service with a limited number of users in Nansha, a district in Guangzhou.
cnbc.com
Opinion
Is self-driving car evolution hitting an inflection point?
"Self-driving cars are already beginning to enter the mainstream, but not everyone is happy about the transition".
Investment site The Motley Fool looks at recent announcements by Waymo, GM and Ford for insight into the 'fast-approaching' future of self-driving cars.
fool.com
Investment
CEO calls on industry to rein in self-driving car spending
"We have to reduce the amount of money everybody's pouring in, because the end consumer basically wants cheap transportation."
Business Insider reports on comments by Magna CEO Don Walker that vehicle and parts suppliers should seek more partnerships and cut back planned investments on electric and autonomous vehicles.
businessinsider.com
AutoX in talks to raise up to US$100 million
Autonomous driving company AutoX is reported to be in talks with investors to raise new funding for self-driving car R&D.
According to the South China Morning Post, the firm is seeking to raise up to US$100 million to expand its fleet, months after it began piloting autonomous grocery delivery services in California.
scmp.com
Jobs
Self-driving and electric cars could help create 100,000 jobs, finds research
New research from Boston Consulting Group and Detroit Mobility Lab has found that self-driving and electric cars will help to create more than 100,000 US mobility industry jobs in the next decade.
However, the authors warn that demand for as many as 30,000 engineering graduates with degrees in computer-related subjects could significantly exceed the expected supply, exacerbating the industry’s existing talent shortage.
driverlessjobs.com
Deliveries
Self-driving grocery deliveries planned for Boston area
Supermarket Stop & Shop is partnering with self-driving grocery store start-up Robomart to bring driverless grocery shopping to customers in the greater Boston area. Customers will be able to summon the self-driving store through a smartphone app, and shop from their doorsteps.
driverlessguru.com
Industry moves
Zoox turns to Intel for new CEO
Following last year's departure of CEO Tim Kentley-Klay, autonomous vehicle developer Zoox has appointed Aicha Evans, former Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Intel, as its new CEO.
driverlessjobs.com
And finally...
Camera shy
When Jit Ray Chowdhury arrived in Las Vegas for last week's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), he planned to snap some pictures of the new tech on display. But little did he know that one photo would end up ruining his brand new camera.
According to the BBC, Chowdhury's camera came to a sticky end at the hands of a laser system for driverless cars. After photographing the lidar unit, being displayed by company AEye, his camera began to leave purple spots on all his photos, reports the broadcaster.
While noting that its lidar system is not harmful to human eyes, the company is reported to have said in a statement that cameras can be up to 1,000 times more sensitive to lasers than the human eye. It has also offered to buy Chowdhury a new camera.
bbc.co.uk