Insights on Automotive

Ah, the barons of self-driving cars, and their Great Charter. Magna International, a Canadian auto-parts supplier, has partnered with Lyft to supply the ride-sharing service with kits to turn regular vehicles into self-driving cars.

There’s no need to be alarmed, but that semi only being supervised, not driven, by a human.

“Travel my way, take the highway” – lyrics Uber probably didn’t quote about their work in Arizona. For several months, Uber’s self-driving trucks have been carrying cargo on Arizona highways, according to a recent company statement.

Well, that’s a first. In its annual Energy Outlook, BP’s researchers forecast a fundamentally changed transportation industry, with more travel but less private cars and increased efficiency standards.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, VW is not shy about its regard for the company behind iPods, iPhones, and iPads.

The future, according to carmakers, does not include using your built-in navigation system as a stand for your smartphone and its Google Maps app.

While the Marketplace is open, GM is still getting vendors. In December, GM rolled out “Marketplace” to over 2 million GM drivers with an initial pack of features for ordering food, reserving hotel rooms and restaurant tables, and locating gas stations from your GM vehicle.

And they’re not the only ones taking note of the standout platform. Prodigy, an Alchemist Accelerator automotive sales company, recently announced that it has closed a $5.4 million seed funding round.

In Karczewski v. DCH Mission Valley, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the district court’s dismissal of an American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III claim regarding the availability of temporary hand controls in vehicles for test drives.

Drivers, start your litigation. GM is understood to be the first autonomous car maker sued over an accident allegedly caused by a self-driving car.

Self-driving cars apparently have a solid reputation management team. According to a new AAA study, the amount of US drivers who are fearful of autonomous vehicles is on a significant decline.

Late last week, the New Jersey federal court dismissed with prejudice a case where a customer challenged under the antitrust laws a car manufacturer’s requirement that he agree not to export a Jaguar Land Rover shortly after buying it.

This is one survey request you might want to open. This week, the US Department of Transportation published several notices for public comment involving automated cars, trucks, buses, and light rail.

Automakers have tasted tech and they are ready for their next course. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance recently announced a new venture capital fund, named Alliance Ventures, that will be dedicated to startup technology investment.

The name’s Fisker, Henrik Fisker. The Los Angeles-based Danish expat known for designing the Aston Martin DB9, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the BMW Z8, and many more iconic cars is staging a comeback in the electric car industry.

Neural networks driving autonomous vehicles—a giant leap for self-driving cars and a big question for regulators.

And the third time seems to have charmed critics. Toyota Research Institute has released details about Platform 3.0, which is built on a Lexus LS 600hl hybrid luxury sedan, and will officially debut the autonomous research vehicle at CES 2018.

As 2017 came to a close, so did the auto industry’s sales streak.

Buy next year’s holiday décor, the sweater you actually wanted, and self-driving tech for 50 percent off!

Several automakers are already building up the heavy-duty electric vehicle market.

How do Teslas fit into country music? Elon Musk recently made new production promises on Twitter, saying that his company would make a pickup truck after the release of the Model Y, an electric SUV slated for 2019.