The FBI Warns That Car Hacking Is a Real Risk

It’s been eight months since a pair of security researchers proved beyond any doubt that car hacking is more than an action movie plot device when they remotely killed the transmission of a 2014 Jeep Cherokee as I drove it down a St. Louis highway. Now the FBI has caught up with that news, and it’s warning Americans to take the risk of vehicular cybersabotage seriously.

In a public service announcement issued together with the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, the FBI on Thursday released a warning to drivers about the threat of over-the-internet attacks on cars and trucks. The announcement doesn’t reveal any sign that the agencies have learned about incidents of car hacking that weren’t already public. But it cites all of last year’s car hacking research to offer a list of tips about how to keep vehicles secure from hackers and recommendations about what to do if you believe your car has been hacked—including a request to notify the FBI.

“Modern motor vehicles often include new connected vehicle technologies that aim to provide benefits such as added safety features, improved fuel economy, and greater overall convenience,” the PSA reads. “Aftermarket devices are also providing consumers with new features to monitor the status of their vehicles. However, with this increased connectivity, it is important that consumers and manufacturers maintain awareness of potential cyber security threats.”

The FBI and DOT’s advice includes keeping automotive software up to date and staying aware of any possible recalls that require manual security patches to your car’s code, as well as avoiding any unauthorized changes to a vehicle’s software and being careful about plugging insecure gadgets into the car’s network. Most of those tips stem directly from last year’s research demonstrations: After hackers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek hacked the Jeep in July, Chrysler issued a 1.4 million vehicle recall and mailed USB drives with software updates to affected drivers. And the next month, researchers from the University of California at San Diego showed that a common insurance dongle plugged into a Corvette’s dashboard could be hacked to turn on the car’s windshield wipers or disable its brakes.

The announcement also notes that drivers should be careful about offering physical access to their vehicles to strangers. “In much the same way as you would not leave your personal computer or smartphone unlocked, in an unsecure location, or with someone you don’t trust, it is important that you maintain awareness of those who may have access to your vehicle,” the announcement reads. (If only the FBI felt quite so strongly about keeping intruders out of your iPhone.)

Not much in the FBI’s warning is new information, says Chris Valasek, one of the two Jeep-hacking researchers. But he says the imprimatur of the FBI could make the threat of car hacking real for anyone who hasn’t considered the growing risk of digital attacks on connected vehicles. “It seems super delayed,” says Valasek. “But it’s good advice…people take the FBI seriously.”

Valasek says the most significant part of the announcement may be its request that anyone who suspects their car has been hacked to get in contact with the FBI, along with the car manufacturer and the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. Until now, Valasek says, he and his fellow Jeep hacker Charlie Miller have themselves been bombarded with messages—credible and not-so-credible—from people who believe they’re car hacking victims. “Charlie and I get emails all the time from people who say ‘my car’s been hacked!'” he says. “The FBI is more than welcome to take that over.”

Source: http://www.wired.com

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Autonomous cars aren't perfect, but how safe must they be?

As autonomous car technology rapidly progresses, makers of the cars face the difficult question of how safe they must be before they're ready to move people on highways and city streets.

Right now, companies such as Google, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz are testing the cars in a small number of cities to demonstrate they can be safer than human drivers. They also must figure out what level of risk is acceptable to both government regulators and a potentially skeptical public.

Government statistics show that human mistakes are responsible for 94 percent of the 33,000 traffic fatalities each year. Autonomous cars won't get drowsy, distracted or drunk, so in theory they could eliminate those mistakes and save an estimated 31,000 lives a year.

But as a Valentine's Day fender-bender involving a Google autonomous Lexus and a public bus shows, cars that drive themselves can make mistakes.

"We cannot expect any technology, any solution to be perfect all the time," says Raj Rajkumar, a computer engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University who has led autonomous vehicle research for 15 years. "We live in a very uncertain world where lots of things happen."

Given that, regulators and would-be passengers may have to accept that the cars will cause a limited number of crashes, including deadly ones, if overall they save thousands of lives.

"We should be concerned about automated vehicles," says Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina law professor who studies the technology. "But we should be terrified about today's drivers."

Google is testing a fleet of 56 autonomous cars on the streets of Mountain View, California; Austin, Texas; and Kirkland, Washington. The cars have driven themselves almost 1.5 million miles, with a person as backup in the driver seat. The company also uses a simulator to test the cars in a variety of scenarios. Other companies such as Nissan, software firm Cruise Automation and parts suppliers Bosch and Delphi also are testing on public roads. Test cities also include San Francisco, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh.

Chris Urmson, head of Google's self-driving car program, wrote in a January blog that during the past two years, drivers took control 13 times when its cars likely would have hit something. He noted that the rate of human intervention is dropping and he expects it to keep falling.

In the bus crash, Google for the first time admitted its car was at least partly responsible. The computer and human driver assumed the bus would yield as the car moved around sandbags. Instead, the bus kept going and the car hit its side. Google has updated its software.

In about a dozen other crashes on city streets, Google blamed the human driver of the other vehicle.

Google wants to make cars available to the public around the end of 2019, assuming its data shows the time is right for deployment.

A Virginia Tech University study commissioned by Google found that the company's autonomous cars crashed 3.2 times per million miles compared with 4.2 times for human drivers. But the study had limitations. The human figures were increased to include an estimate of minor crashes that weren't reported to police. All autonomous car crashes in California, however, must be reported. The study also didn't include potential crashes that were avoided when human backup drivers took control.

U.S. traffic deaths have declined steadily for most of the past decade, from 43,510 in 2005 to 32,675 in 2014. But estimates show they spiked 9 percent in the first nine months of last year due mainly to increased miles traveled, texting and other distractions.

If autonomous cars are the answer to sharply reducing those figures, they'll first have to gain the public's trust. A January poll by AAA found that three-quarters of U.S. drivers are "afraid" to ride in an autonomous car. A University of Michigan poll found similar results in Japan, China, India and elsewhere.

Unlike Google, which wants to test cars without human drivers, automakers and parts companies are rolling out autonomous features as they are ready.

The AAA poll found that drivers are somewhat comfortable with the individual features of autonomous driving such as automatic emergency braking. Separate studies have shown those features can cut crashes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says autonomous braking alone would prevent 700,000 rear crashes per year if installed on all cars.

On Thursday, transportation officials and automakers said they agreed to make automatic braking standard in nearly all cars within the next six years.

General Motors has plans to soon test autonomous cars by carrying employees around a technical center near Detroit. Still, John Capp, director of global safety and vehicle programs, sees humans behind the wheel for the foreseeable future.

"We can't afford to tarnish safety by doing experimentation on the roads," he says.

The burden of proof will be on companies to show that the technology is safe, Adam Jonas, a Morgan Stanley auto analyst, told investors recently.

But even with that evidence, some governments may still be reluctant. "No mayor wants to be the first elected official blamed for the death of a citizen by a robot," Jonas wrote.

Yet cities, seeing potential job growth and safety benefits, already are competing for wider use of the cars, he wrote.

In Austin, Mayor Steve Adler says Google cars in his city haven't caused any crashes, and he believes they bring safety benefits. "We don't get perfection with regular drivers either," he says.

Adler sees allowing the cars in small, controlled areas that expand as the cars prove themselves safe.

Colby Huff, a radio host from Springfield, Illinois, wouldn't ride in one. While others would welcome the car handling a daily commute, Huff doesn't think programmers are infallible.

"There's just too much that can go wrong in something that weighs a ton or so," he says. "It's not worth my family's safety to trust a machine."

Source: http://phys.org

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China’s Baidu to test driverless cars in the U.S.

Baidu Inc. will soon start testing autonomous cars in the U.S., part of the Chinese tech giant’s effort to introduce a commercially viable model by 2018.

The move, disclosed by Baidu’s chief scientist Andrew Ng in an interview, is a significant step for the company, which is trying to get ahead in the race to build autonomous cars and is now calling on the resources of its Silicon Valley tech center to advance the effort.

At the same time, Baidu is advocating for better coordination with the U.S. government, which the company says is necessary to get self-driving cars on the road.

Central to the push is Ng, an artificial-intelligence scientist who conducted groundbreaking research at Stanford University and at Alphabet Inc.’s Google. He’s also a co-founder of online-learning company Coursera Inc.

Late last year, Beijing-based Baidu became the latest technology company to publicize its intention to develop self-driving cars. As cars increasingly come to resemble robots, nontraditional car makers are gaining a wider berth into the automotive industry.

Source: http://www.msn.com

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BMW Counters Apple Threat With Self-Driving, Electric Car Push

(Bloomberg) -- BMW AG plans for a self-driving, electric car to supplant the 7-Series sedan as its flagship model in the coming years, responding to the challenges posed by the likes of Apple Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc.

The BMW iNext, to be rolled out early next decade, embodies the company’s vision of the future. The electric car will drive itself, link to cloud computing services and interact with the driver beyond knobs and buttons. It marks a further shift from the Autobahn thrills that have made BMW the world’s largest maker of luxury vehicles.

The effort to keep ahead of traditional rivals and automotive newcomers with high-tech, clean-running vehicles will largely be funded by gas guzzlers. That includes rolling out more high-performance M models, new derivatives of the 7-Series as well as the X7 -- a big, new sport utility vehicle -- in 2018.

“We are taking advantage of the growth potential in the high-margin segments,” Chief Executive Officer Harald Kruegersaid at a press conference in Munich, his first major strategic statement since becoming CEO last May. “The evolution will continue to fund the revolution in the coming years.”

A decade after taking the top spot in the global luxury-car market, BMW is at a crossroads. Years of rolling out new models ranging from coupe-like SUVs to seven-seat wagons have left the company with few niches that could spur growth. While traditional rival Mercedes-Benz pushes to reclaim the crown, car-sharing service Uber and newcomers like Tesla Motors Inc. and possibly Apple add to the pressure.

“BMW’s strategy review touched on the topics that all carmakers are dealing with,” including connectivity, autonomous driving and vehicle emissions, said Sascha Gommel, a Frankfurt- based analyst at Commerzbank. “All of these technologies are costly.”

BMW is particularly exposed. Unlike Daimler AG’s Mercedes and Volkswagen AG’s Audi, the parent of the BMW, Rolls-Royce and Mini brands isn’t part of a broader group. That means its current lineup needs to fund the investment, while at the same time meet demands by regulators for cleaner cars. To offset the emissions of M performance models, BMW plans plug-in hybrid variants of its bread-and-butter models.

The company aims to find the balance to maintain its pretax profit margins at a minimum of 10 percent through 2020. The process will include weeding out poor-performing models like the Mini coupe, as it walks a fine line between profit, growth and investment.

The stark contrast between what regulators want and what customers are willing to pay for is evident in the sales of BMW’s M and i subbrands. Sales of high-performance M models surged 39 percent last year to more than 62,000, double the sales of the i3 and the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.

‘Take Risks’

In the near term, growth will likely slow. BMW predicted earnings will rise only slightly in 2016, compared with a forecast of solid gains last year. Revenue from the automaking segment will also grow slightly, assuming the political and economic environment remains stable.

Krueger’s “Next” strategy marks the biggest shift since 2007, when then-CEO Norbert Reithofer pushed the upscale carmaker to invest billions to reduce fuel consumption, produce its first electric vehicle and pioneer the mass production of carbon fiber. The challenges now are much more diverse, and the payoff remains uncertain.

“We need to act swiftly in the digital world and be prepared to take risks,” including adding more services like ride-sharing, said Krueger. “Maximum flexibility is needed to stay our course in an uncertain environment.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Elisabeth Behrmann in Munich at ebehrmann1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chris Reiter at creiter2@bloomberg.net Benedikt Kammel.

Source: http://www.msn.com

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2017 Acura NSX: Hypercar technology at a supercar price

This has been a very long time coming, a long time waiting for some proper seat time in the successor to one of the most important sportscars of the '90s -- and of the early '00s, for that matter. It's the new 2017 NSX, thoroughly modernized and precision-engineered to an incredible degree. In fact, some might say over-engineered with its four-motor hybrid system, electronic all-wheel drive and nine-speed dual-clutch transmission. That's a lot of moving pieces, but only one thing matters: How does it feel to drive?

The answer to that question is: "Very well indeed." But, before we delve into the necessary driving impressions, let's take a moment to discuss just what it is that makes this thing go.

The details

Though the NSX is far from a traditional looking car, its powertrain is even less-so. The original NSX was powered by a mid-mounted V-6 that, at its peak, put 290 horsepower to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. The new NSX also has a V-6 somewhere in the middle, but that's about where the similarities end.

The new motor is 3.5 liters, twin-turbocharged to make an even 500 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. That's a huge bump over the original -- but not enough for Honda's engineers. They've also grafted on a small electric motor onto that V-6, then paired that with two more electric motors up on the front axle. Yes, that's four total sources of oomph (one internal combustion, three electric) with a combined power output of 573 hp and 476 ft-lbs.

Do the math and you'll see that's basically twice the power of the original in a 3,800-pound package. Yes, it has all-wheel drive, but the vast majority of that drive is restricted to the rear wheels. So, too, the car has a strong rearward weight bias: 58 percent on the back axle.

Power gets to those rear wheels via a nine-speed, dual-clutch gearbox and is modulated across the axle with a proper, mechanical limited-slip differential. Suspension is adaptive, magnetorheological damping able to be toggled into one of two modes, one for comfort, the other for somewhat less comfort.

My first full day in the car would start out in the less-comfortable option.

On the track

Thermal Springs was the venue, situated just outside Palm Springs, California. It's a tight course, with a series of orderly turns that make the most of the available real estate. Thanks to a longish back straight I was quickly able to get a feel for the (optional) carbon ceramic brakes, which did not disappoint despite temperatures hovering in the mid-90s. Initial bite is strong and clean, unlike most hybrids I've driven, and brake pedal feel stayed firm -- although, given the car's brake-by-wire system, that feeling is largely synthetic in nature.

Steering, too, is firm and quick, so quick that you can do an entire lap without your hands leaving 9 and 3 on the wheel. Not a fan of shuffle-steering? This is the car for you. However, after a few sessions I couldn't help but feel like the steering was too firm, as if the car were resisting my inputs rather than assisting.

Steering weight is one of the many parameters the car modifies as you cycle through the four driving modes: Quiet, Sport, Sport+ and Track. On Track you get maximum power and the most liberal interpretation of stability control, as well as the stiffest suspension and the most firm steering. Unfortunately, unlike the simpler (and far less expensive) BMW M4, in the NSX you cannot select individual parameters to create a custom driving mode. So, there's no way to get maximum power and handling from the car without also selecting the firmest steering. That's a little disappointing.

Source: http://www.cnet.com

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Mercedes-AMG heaps on more performance frosting with GLC43

When it was called the GLK-Class, Mercedes chose not to give it a high-performance AMG trim. Now that this compact crossover has been redesigned and renamed the GLC-Class, that decision has been reversed, and the result is the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GLC43, debuting at the New York International Auto Show.

Meant to slot in above the base GLC300, the GLC43 follows the same formula that every other -43 has up to this point -- give it more power, slightly more aggressive looks and plenty of AMG badging. It's even got the same power output from its 3.0-liter, turbocharged six-cylinder engine as two other models -- 362 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque.

Whereas the GLC300 is available in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive flavors, the GLC43 is AWD-only. Its 4Matic system even shares the same rear bias as the C43 Coupe -- 31 percent front, 69 percent rear (heh). Adjustable sport-tuned air suspension is also standard on the GLC43 -- just like it is on the E43.

AMG-specific bits abound, inside and out. It's got larger inlets and a "diamond" style grille up front, quad tailpipes out back, AMG-specific wheels, larger brakes, a sportier steering wheel and other AMG-specific interior elements. Just like -- you guessed it -- every other -43.

Mercedes' decision to shoehorn this motor into anything with a three-pointed star is commendable, but it's all starting to melt together into one congealed mass. It's almost like I've written damn near the same story already. Oh, wait, I have. Thrice. Over the course of a single winter. At least the E43 had a different horsepower figure.

Source: http://www.cnet.com

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Toyota teases glowing new Prius ahead of New York Auto Show

One of the bigger announcements at the New York International Auto Show won't be a trillion-horsepower hypercar -- it'll be a sedate, environmentally friendly Prius of some sort. Not every piece of big news has to involve going 200 mph, after all.

We're about a fortnight away from New York, and Toyota released a teaser to build some hype around "the next mechanical marvel in the Prius lineup," or so sayeth the three lines of text accompanying said teaser image.

Details are incredibly scant, but from the teaser's silhouette, we can see a set of wraparound LED taillights that look just a bit different than those on the current Prius hatchback. Automotive News believes it's a new plug-in hybrid variant, but anything is possible.

Except, of course, a trillion-horsepower Prius hypercar.

Source: http://www.cnet.com

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Uber tests secret safety hotline for passengers in trouble

There's a secret way to get in touch with Uber in an emergency.

Since late last fall, Uber has been testing a critical response hotline in the 22 cities across the US for passengers or drivers to call in an emergency.

Riders or drivers who dial 800-353-8237 (UBER) will be put directly in touch with a customer support representative on the phone. If it's a true emergency, the call will be transferred to 911.

The secret safety hotline comes to light after an Uber driver allegedly shot eight people, six fatally.

In the case of the Kalamazoo, Michigan, shooting, an Uber passenger called 911 to alert them to the driver and filed a written complaint in Uber’s system.

While the written complaint wasn’t immediately classified as violent or urgent, the option of a hotline could have theoretically led the passenger to place a call to Uber, much like they had already done to 911.

The hotline gives the passenger the power to determine what is critical and not just rely on Uber’s system as it stands today.

Uber believes that 911 is the best option for passengers or drivers to call in an emergency.

"In the United States, 911 is the panic button and it's the panic button that we want people to use," Uber's Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan said in a press conference following the shootings. "It's the panic button that law enforcement wants people to use. And we don't want to try and replace that."

The pilot program debuted in these 22 cities simply added an option in the Help menu. When looking to report an incident, riders or drivers would click report an issue before seeing an option for the Critical Safety Response Line.

For those not in the pilot zone, including Kalamazoo, the number to contact Uber isn't shown in the app at all.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Uber did not acknowledge the 4-month-old safety hotline, despite news site Quartz reporting that they had tried to get in touch. On Wednesday, Uber told Inc that it didn't have a national driver hotline, although later clarified its statement to acknowledge this one that's been in testing.

While it's still considered a "pilot", the number can be dialed by anyone in trouble — whether it's readily available in your app or not. During this trial period, Uber has trained staff in Chicago and Phoenix to handle the influx. The hotline, though, is only to be used for emergency safety situations, like someone leaving behind an insulin pump in the car, versus someone forgetting a jacket or complaining about a long route.

"We are always looking for ways to improve communication with riders and drivers," Uber told Business Insider. "In select U.S. cities, we have a pilot program where riders and drivers can call an Uber support representative directly for assistance with an urgent situation after a trip."

Source: http://www.msn.com

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General Motors buys self-driving-car software company

General Motors (GM) said Friday it has turbocharged its efforts to win the self-driving-car race with an acquisition.

The automaker — which is competing against tech giants Google and Apple in the race, not to mention other car companies — said it had purchased San Francisco-based Cruise Automation, a software company dedicated entirely to self-driving car technology.

The Detroit-based manufacturer declined to say how much it paid for the startup, which has backing from Silicon Valley venture investors Y Combinator and Signia Venture Partners.

“Fully autonomous vehicles can bring our customers enormous benefits in terms of greater convenience, lower cost and improved safety for their daily mobility needs,” GM President Dan Ammann said in a statement.

The deal carves out a new lane GM in California's burgeoning self-driving technology sector, where rivals Ford Motor, Tesla, Toyota and others are also operating.

GM CEO Mary Barra has vowed to keep the automaker ahead in the self-driving car race, acknowledging that the company must be agile and willing to adapt its business model to survive the coming revolution in the auto industry.

The company recently invested $500 million in ride-sharing firm Lyft with plans to eventually introduce a fleet of autonomous vehicles. GM is already testing self-driving versions of the Chevrolet Volt semi-electric vehicle on its sprawling Tech Center campus in Warren, Mich. The company also plans to introduce automated technology that allows a new Cadillac to steer itself on the highway later this year.

Cruise Automation will operate as an independent, San Francisco-based unit within GM's recently formed Autonomous Vehicle Development Team, led by Doug Parks, one of Barra's long-time confidants.

GM expects to close the deal in the second quarter.

“GM's commitment to autonomous vehicles is inspiring, deliberate, and completely in line with our vision to make transportation safer and more accessible,” said Kyle Vogt, founder of Cruise Automation. “We are excited to be partnering with GM and believe this is a ground-breaking and necessary step toward rapidly commercializing autonomous vehicle technology.”

Of course, the race is far from over. GM global product chief Mark Reuss said the company plans "to invest significantly" in Cruise's team.

Source: http://www.msn.com

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China's electric cars sales to double in 2016

China's production and sale of electric cars will more than double this year, the industry minister said on Sunday.

More than 300,000 electric cars were sold in China last year, Miao Wei, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology told reporters on the sidelines of the annual meeting of parliament on Sunday.

The reliability, mileage and lifespan of electric batteries needs improvement and China needs to speed up the installation of electric car charging stations, Miao said.

Source: http://www.reuters.com

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Google to urge Congress to help get self-driving cars on roads

The head of Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google self-driving car program will urge the U.S. Congress on Tuesday to grant national auto safety regulators new authority to speed the introduction of self-driving cars on American roads.

Chris Urmson, director of Google's self-driving cars program, will tell the Senate Commerce Committee that legislators should grant new authority to the U.S. Transportation Department to help get fully autonomous vehicles on the road, according to his prepared testimony, which was reviewed by Reuters.

"We propose that Congress move swiftly to provide the secretary of transportation with new authority to approve life­saving safety innovations. This new authority would permit the deployment of innovative safety technologies that meet or exceed the level of safety required by existing federal standards, while ensuring a prompt and transparent process," according to the prepared testimony.

Major automakers and technology companies are racing to develop and sell vehicles that can drive themselves, but have complained that state and federal safety rules are impeding testing and ultimate deployment of such vehicles. California in December proposed draft rules that would bar autonomous vehicles without human controls and a licensed driver.

Google was disappointed by California's action. "If every state is left to go its own way without a unified approach, operating self-driving cars across state boundaries would be an unworkable situation and one that will significantly hinder... the eventual deployment of autonomous vehicles," Urmson's testimony says.

Urmson's testimony says many federal safety rules would not be needed with fully autonomous vehicles, like a rear-view mirror requirement.

In January, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it may waive some vehicle safety rules to allow more driverless cars to operate on U.S. roads as part of a broader effort to speed up development of self-driving vehicles.

NHTSA said Friday in a report there are significant legal hurdles to allowing fully autonomous vehicles without steering wheels.

NHTSA will write guidelines for self-driving cars within six months, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in January. The agency last month said the artificial intelligence system piloting a self-driving Google car could be considered the driver under federal law.

Google wants to offer fully autonomous vehicles for use on U.S. roads "soon."

But it had a recent setback. One of its self-driving cars struck a municipal bus in California on Feb. 14. Google said it made changes to its software after the crash to avoid future incidents.

Source: http://www.reuters.com

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Lyft and GM roll out car rental program to attract more drivers

Drivers for ride-hailing app Lyft will no longer face the imperative of owning a car under a rental program launched on Monday with General Motors Co.

The initiative is the first to come out of a two-month-old partnership between the automotive giant and ride service upstart, and is Lyft's latest move to get more drivers on its app as it continues to trail ride-hailing behemoth Uber.

To kick off the program, GM will provide a fleet of 125 Chevrolet Equinox cars to drivers in Chicago by the end of the month, the companies said.

"We have now made car ownership optional on both sides of the market," said Lyft President and co-founder John Zimmer. Passengers don't need to own a car if they use Lyft, he said, and now drivers do not need to own a car to work for it.

Drivers can rent the cars for up to eight weeks. Depending on how many rides drivers complete, the cost will range from $99 a week plus 20 cents per mile to free for drivers who complete at least 65 trips a week, Zimmer said.

The Express Drive program will also roll out in Washington, D.C., Boston and Baltimore by midway through the year, the companies said. Lyft and GM will pay for maintenance and insurance.

Lyft had more than 150,000 applicants from the four cities who were not approved to drive because their cars did not meet requirements such as having four doors.

Zimmer said there is no revenue sharing between the companies, but declined to offer more details about the program's financial structure.

Lyft has tried car rentals before, in October rolling out a program through Hertz. Uber also offers car leasing and rental programs.

The program with GM is part of a $500 million investment the auto giant made into San Francisco-based Lyft in January.

The partnership's larger focus, however, is to develop an on-demand network of self-driving cars, an area of research that tech companies such as Alphabet Inc's Google and Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] and auto-makers including Ford Motor Co have devoted resources to in recent years.

Both companies say the rental car program is the first step toward building a network of autonomous vehicles because it will establish the infrastructure to house, maintain and organize a large fleet of cars.

Source: http://www.reuters.com

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GM buys Cruise Automation to speed self-driving car strategy

General Motors Co (GM.N) announced Friday it is buying Cruise Automation, a San Francisco self-driving vehicle startup, the latest move by the auto company as it competes with Silicon Valley to develop self-driving cars that could be used in ride-sharing fleets.

GM and Cruise did not disclose the value of the deal. Technology website Re/Code cited sources as saying GM paid $1 billion. A GM spokesman declined to comment on that figure.

GM intends to use Cruise’s technology and people to accelerate its effort to develop vehicles that can operate without a human driver, potentially as part of ride-sharing fleets “as soon as possible,” GM President Dan Ammann said in an interview.

“We will be committing considerable resources to recruit and grow the capability of the team,” Ammann said.

Cruise has been working to develop hardware and software that could be installed in a vehicle to enable the car to pilot itself on a highway, without the driver steering or braking.

GM initially planned an investment in the company but moved within five weeks to buy Cruise outright, said venture partner Nabeel Hyatt of Spark Capital, an investor in Cruise.

"They moved faster than most Silicon Valley companies would move," he said.

Cruise, which has 40 employees, was launched in 2013 and has raised $20 million in venture capital, founder Kyle Vogt said in an interview.

Vogt impressed Silicon Valley venture capital fund Signia Venture Partners by demonstrating an Audi A4 that could be controlled by a game console, said Signia principal Sunny Dhillon.

More recently, Cruise was working on a system that could make a car "fully driverless," Vogt said.

A flurry of investments by traditional auto companies reflects a fear among industry executives that the century-old business of building and selling cars that people drive themselves is at risk, even though global vehicle demand is strong.

In January, GM said it would invest $500 million in ride-hailing company Lyft Inc and followed that by forming a new car-sharing operation called Maven. The company has also established a separate unit for self-driving vehicle development.

Other automakers are moving into ride sharing and self-driving vehicles, as are some traditional auto suppliers.

Germany’s Continental AG (CONG.DE) and Delphi Automotive Plc (DLPH.N) among others are seeking technology companies to buy for intellectual property and programming talent.

Source: http://www.reuters.com

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Mazda readies CX-4 crossover for Beijing Motor Show debut

Mazda's family of crossovers will grow when the Japanese automaker debuts the new CX-4 next month at the Beijing Motor Show. Based on the Koeru concept that was shown last fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the CX-4 should look sleeker and ride lower to the ground for a sportier handling characteristics compared to Mazda's current crop of crossovers that includes the CX-3, CX-5 and CX-9.

In Frankfurt, the Koeru looked fleshed out and nearly production ready with its blacked-out A-pillars creating a floating roof illusion to give it a svelter appearance. The Koeru also wore the latest iteration of Mazda's "Kodo: Soul of Motion" design language with a Mazda6-like front end that features a large, heptagonal grille, and light fixtures that resemble that of the CX-3 and CX-5.

Official powertrain details for the CX-4 still aren't available, but it's safe to expect Mazda's latest fuel-efficient SkyActiv equipment to be present under the hood. We'll surely know more about the mechanicals next month.

If the prospect of a lower-slung Mazda crossover sounds interesting, you're in for a bit of disappointment, as Automotive News is reporting that the CX-4 will be produced and sold only in China when it launches. However, the company is said to be mulling the possibility of bringing it to other markets later on.

When reached for comment, Mazda North American spokesman Jeremy Barnes couldn't elaborate on the prospects of the CX-4 landing in the States. "While we are always evaluating new segments in which Mazda does not currently compete in the US market, we do not comment on future products, so can neither confirm nor deny whether the Mazda CX-4 is slated to come to the US," he said. Given how hot the crossover market is here, I wouldn't be surprised to eventually see the CX-4 in showrooms here some time down the road.

Source:http://www.cnet.com

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Driverless cars to be tested on UK motorways in 2017

The government's latest budget will include new measures and incentives to support the growth of autonomous car technology in the UK.

Unveiling the budget on Wednesday, chancellor George Osborne will announce that driverless cars will be tested on UK motorways as soon as next year.

According to The Guardian, which has been briefed on the budget, the chancellor will claim that the technology could represent "the most fundamental change to transport since the invention of the internal combustion engine."

The announcement is one of a number of measures that Osborne says will put Britain in a position to "lead the world in new technologies and infrastructure."

Funding for driverless car trials will come from the government's Intelligent Mobility Fund, announced earlier this year, which has £100 million budget to invest in a range of new innovations in transport.

Currently, £20 million of the fund has been allocated to eight autonomous vehicle projects, ranging from driverless shuttles for disabled people to the development of autonomous vehicle testing centres.

The first fully autonomous vehicles are due to come to London in July. The electric pods, developed by the GATEway group, will be located at Greenwich Peninsula, where they'll service local residential areas and the O2 Arena. The system has been used at Heathrow Terminal 5 for the last five years, where they run on tracks. Each pod can carry six passengers, although one will be a steward who can send out an alert in case of emergency.

In Milton Keynes, two-seater electric LUTZ Pathfinder pods are being trialled in pedestrian areas. They have a maximum speed of 15mph, although they're designed to go more slowly if they detect congestion. Following piloted trials to help the puds understand the layout of the urban environment, an extended program will see 40 fully autonomous pods used in both Milton Keynes and Coventry.

The Venturer Consortium is carrying out similar work in Bristol, involving full-sized road vehicles. Meanwhile, in February's Pathway to Driverless Cars report, the Department for Transport praised the Oxford Mobile Robotics Group’s autonomous Nissan Leaf, while Nissan has announced that its first driverless car, the Qashqai crossover, will be built in Sunderland.

Source: http://www.wired.co.uk

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Meet the 707-HP, Hellcat-powered Jeep Trailcat

If a Jeep was ever to get a Hellcat engine transplant, the obvious recipient would be the performance-minded Grand Cherokee SRT (it's happening next year, by the way). With 475 horsepower on tap and four drive wheels, the SUV is plenty quick.

In the interim, Jeep has taken its supercharged 707 horsepower monster from the high-end Challenger / Charger and dropped it in a Wrangler because why the hell not?



Surprisingly enough, the 6.2-liter Hemi V8 looks right at home under the hood of the new Jeep Trailcat. Of course, Jeep had to lengthen the vehicle by a full foot to get it to fit but whatever. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission that powers massive 39.5-inch BF Goodrich Krawler T/A tires on 17-inch beadlock wheels.

Other goodies include Fox shocks, a two-inch lift kit, Dana 60 axles front and rear, a lowered windshield, seats from a Dodge Viper and a custom vented hood, just to name a few.


As you may have guessed, the Jeep Trailcat is a concept (for now) – one of several Jeep unveiled for the 50th annual Easter Jeep Safari taking place later this month in Moab, Utah. That means the Trailcat will likely never make it into production.

Personally, I'd like to see it line up against this V8 LSX-powered Jeep Willys.





Source: http://www.techspot.com

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BMW celebrates 100th birthday with the Vision Next 100 Vehicle, a forward-looking concept

BMW is celebrating 100 years of manfuacturing this year. In fact, today is the company's 100th birthday but rather than reflect on its past, the German automaker is looking far into the future with a new concept car known as the Vision Next 100 Vehicle.

Unveiled earlier today at the Munich Olympic Hall, the Vision Next 100 Vehicle is – as you'd expect – loaded with autonomous features.

The car offers two drive modes. In "Boost" mode, a human pilots the vehicle much like we drive cars today. Switching to "Ease" mode lets the driver kick back while the car takes over driving duties. In this latter mode, the steering wheel retracts and the front seats move a bit to make it easier to carry on conversation with passengers. Even the car's interior lighting changes to reflect the driving mode.



As CNET points out, the vehicle's entire front windshield doubles as an augmented reality display where all gauges and other driving aides are displayed. In Boost mode, the display will even draw out a proper driving line when taking turns. When in Ease mode, the display transforms into something like a tour guide, highlighting local attractions and so forth.

BMW's Vision Next 100 Vehicle is also outfitted with something called The Companion. It's a gemstone-shaped object that serves as a visual representation of the car's artificial intelligence system. The Companion functions differently based on the drive mode and can even signal to pedestrians that it's safe to cross the street.



BMW said the vehicle is emissions-free but failed to delve any deeper into its powertrain. As is customary with concept vehicles, it's probably safe to assume that most of these forward-looking features won't make it into a production vehicle anytime soon. Even still, it's refreshing to see that BWM envisions a future in which drivers are still part of the equation (if they so choose to be).







Source: http://www.techspot.com

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Singapore's first Tesla Model S owner hit with $11,000 fine for excessive emissions

Tesla owners in the US are eligible for various incentives for purchasing an electric vehicle. It's quite the opposite situation in Singapore, however, as one local recently found out.

Joe Nguyen has spent the past several months trying to import the Tesla Model S he purchased in Hong Kong to his home country. Nguyen anticipating receiving a rebate of S$15,000 (~$11,000) as the car has no exhaust pipe and thus, no emissions. Instead, he was hit with a fine of S$15,000 courtesy of the nation's Carbon Emissions Vehicle Scheme (CEVS).

A spokesperson for the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) told Channel NewsAsia that the Model S in question was tested under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) R101 standards. That test determined that the Tesla vehicle used 444 watt-hours per kilometer driven.

The LTA spokesperson provided the publication with the following explanation.

"As for all electric vehicles, a grid emission factor of 0.5 g CO2/Wh was also applied to the electric energy consumption. This is to account for CO2 emissions during the electricity generation process, even if there are no tail-pipe emissions. The equivalent CO2 emission of Mr Nguyen’s car was 222g/km, which is in the CEVS surcharge band."

Or in other words, they're factoring upstream emissions – the environmental impact of producing the electricity to power the car – into the equation. Autoblog also points out that the top-of-the-line Tesla Model S P90D is rated to consume around 210 watt-hours per kilometer driven.

Update: Tesla has reached out and provided us with the following statement on the matter.

The Model S that our customer imported into Singapore left our factory in 2014 with energy consumption rated at 181 Wh/km. As the Land Transport Authority has confirmed, this qualifies as the cleanest possible category of car in Singapore and entitles the owner to an incentive rather than a fine.

Model S achieves this result because CO2 emissions in gas-powered cars are far higher than in electric cars. In Singapore, electricity generation releases roughly 0.5kgCO2/kWh. Based on energy consumption in Model S of 181 Wh/km, this results in 90 g CO2/km. Driving an equivalent gas-powered car like the Mercedes S-Class S 500 results in emissions of approximately 200 gCO2/km. And because of oil extraction, distribution, and refining, approximately 25% more has to be added on top of that to calculate the real carbon footprint of gas-powered cars. That means an electric car like the Model S has almost three times lower CO2 per km than an equivalent gas-powered car. Moreover, as Singapore increases the percentage of grid power from solar and wind, the CO2 from electricity drops with each passing year.

We are having cooperative discussions with the LTA to ensure a proper understanding of these issues and to make sure that they are correctly testing our customer’s Model S. Based on the positive nature of those discussions, we are confident that this situation will be resolved soon.

Source: http://www.techspot.com

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GM acquires autonomous vehicle startup Cruise Automation

General Motors said on Friday that it will acquire Silicon Valley startup Cruise Automation Inc., a company that specializes in autonomous vehicle technology. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed although Fortune claims GM is paying more than $1 billion in cash and stock.

Cruise was founded in 2013 and is one of a handful of companies that have a permit to test autonomous vehicles on public roadways in California. The startup will operate as an independent unit within GM's recently formed Autonomous Vehicle Development Team, the automaker said in a statement.

GM President Dan Ammann said fully autonomous vehicles can bring its customers enormous benefits in terms of greater convenience, lower cost and improved safety for their daily mobility needs.

To date, Cruise has raised roughly $20 million in venture capital according to The Wall Street Journal.

For GM, it's yet another investment in new age automotive-related endeavors. Earlier this year, it invested $500 million in Lyft – the private transportation company best known for its signature pink mustache. GM also purchased some assets from Sidecar, the ride-sharing and business-to-business delivery service that went under late last year.

In related news, rival Ford said on Friday that it has established a new subsidiary – Ford Smart Mobility LLC – that will focus on new mobility services, connectivity, autonomous vehicles and more. Jim Hackett, former Steelcase vice chairman and CEO, is leaving his position on Ford's board of directors to serve as the new subsidiary's chairman.

Source: http://www.techspot.com

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