The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that General Motors (GM) and Lyft, Inc., the ride-hailing service, will begin testing self-driving Chevrolet Bolt EVs within a year. In January, General Motors invested $500 million in Lyft to create a long-term strategic alliance to create an integrated network of on-demand autonomous vehicles in the U.S. “We see […]
J.D. Power Study Shows Consumer Interest Builds for Automated Vehicle Technologies
Young consumers are much more trusting in automotive technology. Will help drive acceptance of crash avoidance technology and automated vehicles. Trust in automation technology is very much age dependent, as younger consumers have a notably higher level of confidence in the technology than their older counterparts, according to the J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Tech Choice […]
Volvo to Launch Autonomous Driving Trial in London
Volvo Cars announced an ambitious autonomous driving (AD) trial in the U.K. next year to speed up the introduction of autonomous vehicle technology. “Autonomous driving represents a leap forward in car safety,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive. “The sooner AD cars are on the roads, the sooner lives will start being saved.” Samuelsson […]
UN Calls for Active Safety Systems to Be Standard Equipment in Automobiles
Measure promotes the adoption of active safety systems such as electronic stability control and autonomous emergency braking. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution which represents the strongest ever commitment on road safety made by UN Member States. The resolution supports the ambitious road safety targets now included in the Global Goals for Sustainable […]
Moody’s Sees Short Term Gain, Long Term Challenge for Auto Insurers from Self-Driving Cars
A new report from Moody’s Investors Service says that accident avoidance features in vehicles, such as automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure prevention will lead to lower accident frequency in the next five-to-ten years, a benefit for auto insurers. Longer term, however, self-driving cars could translate into significantly lower premiums and profits for […]
NHTSA to Host Public Meetings on Automated Vehicles
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced it will hold a pair of public meetings this spring to gather input as it develops guidelines for the safe deployment of automated safety technology. The meetings, to be held in Washington, D.C., and California, will gather information on a series of issues […]
GM and Toyota Expand Autonomous Vehicle Development Efforts
Both General Motors and Toyota announced efforts last week to accelerate the development of autonomous vehicles. General Motors announced it is acquiring Cruise Automation to add Cruise’s software talent and rapid development capability to further accelerate GM’s development of autonomous vehicle technology. “Fully autonomous vehicles can bring our customers enormous benefits in terms of greater […]
Consumer Groups Call For Transparency, Public Involvement in Development of Government Self-Driving Car Policies
In the wake of the news that a Google self-driving car crashed into a bus, a coalition of consumer groups called on the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “to commit to maximum transparency and public involvement” as they develop policy and safety standards covering autonomous self-driving vehicles. Google recently […]
AAA Survey Finds Americans Afraid of Self-Driving Vehicles
Three out of four drivers report being afraid of self-driving cars. Despite fear, AAA survey finds demand for semi-autonomous features in new vehicles. Three out of four U.S. drivers report feeling “afraid” to ride in a self-driving car, according to a new survey from AAA. With today’s heightened focus on autonomous vehicles, this fear poses […]
Report: Car Sharing Will Keep Growing, But It Will Not Disrupt the Automotive Industry
Boston Consulting Group projects car sharing will reduce new-vehicle sales by only 1 percent in 2021. Report projects autonomous vehicles will have greater impact on the industry but not until late 2020s. According to a new report from The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) while car sharing is taking hold in large urban areas in both […]