In collaboration with the Berlin-based start-up XAIN, Porsche is currently testing blockchain applications directly in vehicles—making Porsche the first automobile manufacturer to implement and successfully test blockchain in a car. Transactions based on this technology are both secure and can be processed far more quickly than anything that has come... Read more →

Groupe PSA and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated announced advances in Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) communication technology testing as the first step of 5G deployment for automotive applications with direct communication between vehicles. C-V2X directly connects vehicles to each other (V2V), to pedestrians (V2P), and to roadway infrastructure... Read more →

KT Corporation (Korea Telecom), Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., have successfully completed multi-vendor 5G NR (New Radio) interoperable testing compliant with the recently completed 3GPP Release-15 Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G NR global standard. 5G New Radio (NR) is the global 5G standard for... Read more →

From 2019 onwards, the Volkswagen Group brands will use the WLANp standard (IEEE 802.11p) for communications among vehicles and between vehicles and their environment (V2X). The introduction of this technology as standard equipment on volume models ranging from compact cars to commercial vehicles will significantly improve safety on the roads... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Ford Motor Company have found that using a Level 4 connected and automated vehicle (CAV) subsystem could increase vehicle primary energy use and GHG emissions by 3–20% due to increases in power consumption, weight, drag, and data transmission. However, when potential operational effects... Read more →

Audi has unveiled the second-generation A7 Sportback, which is the essence of Audi‘s new design language. The four-door coupé brings the show car design of the prologue studies (earlier post) to production. The drive system features a new mild-hybrid system (MHEV) as standard. At market introduction the coupé will be... Read more →

Tokyo Tech and Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. have developed a CMOS wireless transceiver chip that can process signals at high speeds across a broad range of frequencies, from 70 to 105 gigahertz (GHz), using their own bandwidth-increasing technology. With these developments, they succeeded in achieving wireless transmission speeds of 120 gigabits... Read more →

Mercedes‑Benz unveiled the latest generation of its successful Sprinter model at an event held at a logistics center in the Duisburg, Germany docks. (Duisburg is home to the world’s largest inland port.) As the first fully connected integral system solution, the third generation of the Sprinter demonstrates the development of... Read more →

New analysis of V2X (vehicle to everything) conducted by ABI Research finds that the cost of implementing DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communication) above cellular communications is expected to be $13.50 to $15 lower per Telematics Control Unit than implementing a C-V2X (CellularV2X) solution. The global automotive industry has been extensively comparing... Read more →

On the heels of an quarterly report marked by an underwhelming profit, and amid a general “lack of fitness” according to CFO Bob Shanks, Ford Motor announced that it is accelerating and expanding its activities in 2018 to deliver a broad suite of mobility products and services to personal vehicle... Read more →

Five trends are transforming the automotive industry, according to PWC: electrification, autonomy, sharing, connecting and yearly updating, a combination the consultancy is now labeling “eascy”. In a report exploring the impact on the trends on the industry in 2030—“eascy – The five dimensions of automotive transformation”—PwC suggests that as a... Read more →

At CES, Cisco and Hyundai Motor Company announced the coming production of a next-generation, hyperconnected car. Hyundai will feature this new in-vehicle network in their premium 2019 vehicles. In 2016, Cisco and Hyundai reported plans to develop a vehicle with a new approach to communication. (Earlier post.) The companies said... Read more →

Continental, Ericsson, Nissan, NTT DOCOMO, Inc., OKI and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, plan to carry out their first Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) trials in Japan. The objective is to validate and demonstrate the benefits of C-V2X using direct communication technology defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project... Read more →

Molex and Excelfore have developed a 10 Gbps Ethernet Automotive Network designed to accelerate data bandwidth in intelligent connected vehicles. Integrating highly reliable high-speed data transmission, prioritization, scalability and security, the new Molex network platform featuring Excelfore connected mobility solutions will be officially unveiled at CES 2018. Based on an... Read more →

Renesas Electronics Corporation and Airbiquity announced a secure, high-performance automotive solution with over-the-air (OTA) capabilities, targeting advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and automated driving applications of the future. The companies are integrating Airbiquity’s OTAmatic cloud-based OTA software and data management service delivery solution on Renesas’ high-performance, low-power R-Car... Read more →

Continental and Huawei have conducted field trials to test the efficiency of the Cellular Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X) communication standard (earlier post) in Shanghai with positive results. C-V2X is emerging as a promising wireless communication technology, demonstrating strong potential for use in automated driving and intelligent mobility. (Earlier post.) C-V2X... Read more →

DENSO Corporation and Toyota Tsusho Corporation will conduct the first test using a quantum computer to process data from a traffic IoT platform. The companies will process vehicle location and travel data in real-time from about 130,000 commercial vehicles in Thailand, aiming to establish best practices for quantum computer applications... Read more →

At the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, Renault unveiled the SYMBIOZ autonomous, electric and connected concept. (Earlier post.) The automaker has now embodied many of the elements of the show car in a demo vehicle that is currently performing road tests to demonstrate under real-life conditions the benefits of such... Read more →

BYTON, a China-headquartered automotive brand owned by Future Mobility Corporation, inaugurated its North American headquarters in Santa Clara, California last week, marking further progress in the company’s strategic effort to establish a global presence. BYTON aspires to build “affordable” premium intelligent EVs—smart devices on wheels—for the future. The company is... Read more →

The Volkswagen Group will spend more than €34 billion (US$40 billion) by the end of 2022 on the development of electric mobility, autonomous driving, new mobility services and digitalization. Most of this investment will go into the electrification and hybridization of all Group models. This marks another move to advance... Read more →

Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) announced five new research projects focused on better understanding how drivers use and respond to advanced vehicle technologies, including automated driver assistance systems. The new projects, undertaken in partnership with five US research institutions, will launch as part of CSRC Next, the Center’s new... Read more →

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. and NTT DOCOMO, INC. have been jointly testing the real-time collection and delivery of traffic information using high-definition sensors connected via a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications system for advanced driving support. The system networks sensors that have been mounted on vehicles and installed along roadsides or... Read more →

GM successfully demonstrated its Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) capability on public roads outside Jiading Auto Innovation Park in Shanghai. Conducted in collaboration with Shanghai International Auto City and Shanghai Song Hong Intelligent Automotive Technology Co. Ltd., the demonstration featured testing vehicles that can receive real-time data from traffic lights on signal phasing... Read more →

The Volkswagen Group will support Hamburg and ITS Germany in 2021 for hosting the World Congress for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) as a main partner and chair of the Host Organizing Committee. ERTICO (ITS Europe), organizer of the World Congress, announced the decision to stage the event in Germany with... Read more →

AT&T, Ford, Nokia, and Qualcomm Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated announced the first Cellular-V2X (C-V2X) trials in the US. (Earlier post.) Testing is expected to take place in the San Diego Regional Proving Ground with the support of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), Caltrans, the City... Read more →

The MIPI Alliance, an international organization that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries, has formed an Automotive Birds of a Feather (BoF) Group to solicit industry input from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers to enhance existing or develop new interface specifications for automotive applications. The group... Read more →

At its Innovation Day in Hamburg, Volkswagen Truck & Bus—which includes the MAN, Scania, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus, and RIO brands—outlined its technology roadmap to transform the logistics chain in a sustainable way. Volkswagen Truck & Bus is focusing on automated driving, connectivity, and alternative drive systems. On the development... Read more →

Groupe Renault announced “Drive The Future,” a new six-year plan to deliver annual revenues of more than €70 billion and achieve a group operating margin of more than 7% by the end of the plan, with a floor at 5%, and positive free cash flow every year. Drive The Future... Read more →

Many of the infotainment features in most 2017 vehicles are so distracting they should not be enabled while a vehicle is in motion, according to a new study by University of Utah researchers. The study, led by University of Utah Psychology Professor David L. Strayer, found In-Vehicle Information Systems take... Read more →

In New York yesterday, Ford Motor Company provided a strategic update to investors; the presentation follows a four-month deep dive into Ford’s strategy and business operations led by President and CEO Jim Hackett and Ford’s senior leadership team. Hackett said Ford will improve its operational fitness, refocus capital allocation and... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz Vans, US drone systems developer Matternet and Swiss online marketplace siroop have started a pilot project in Zurich to test an efficient van and drone-based system for on-demand delivery of e-commerce goods. The drone delivers the shipment not to the consumer, but rather to the delivery van, which handles... Read more →

Toyota Research Institute (TRI) outlined some of its progress in the development of automated driving technology and other project work, including the development of robots for in-home support of people. Since unveiling its Platform 2.0 research vehicle in March 2017 (earlier post), TRI has quickly updated its automated driving technology... Read more →

At the North American Commercial Vehicle Show (NACV) in Atlanta this week, Bosch is showcasing its portfolio of automated, connected and electrified technologies for commercial vehicles. At NACV, Bosch will debut its 15-inch freely programmable cluster, the largest digital cluster available for the commercial vehicle industry. The optically-bonded display enables... Read more →

At the North American Commercial Vehicle Show, Navistar International Corporation announced it expects a number of new product offerings and integrations with alliance partner Volkswagen Truck & Bus (earlier post), including plans to develop an electric-powered, medium-duty vehicle for the company’s core (US and Canada) market. Troy A. Clarke, chairman,... Read more →

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is testing connected trucks in platooning operations on public roads in the US. In truck platooning, connectivity and automated driving improve safety within the vehicle convoys, support drivers and enhance efficiency through closer distances between the connected trucks. Having started with successful trials on Daimler... Read more →

A new report by the EU’s Joint Research Center (JRC) explores how connected vehicles and intelligent systems could change transport and the (r)evolution these changes could bring to people’s lives. The report serves as a first input to anticipated policy formulation and also points to the need for further research... Read more →

The first standard designed for the V2X (vehicle-to-everything) application layer in China has been officially released. The standard (T/CSAE 53-2107) was developed by a working group led by General Motors, together with Tsinghua University and Chang’an Auto, with the support of the China Industry Innovation Alliance for the Intelligent and... Read more →

At a press conference in Shanghai, General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said that the company will introduce at least 10 new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China. These include the Cadillac CT6 Plug-In, the Buick Velite 5 extended-range electric vehicle and the Baojun E100 electric vehicle—all of which have... Read more →

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated recenetly introduced its first-announced Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) commercial solution based on 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 14 specifications for PC5-based direct communications, the Qualcomm C-V2X Reference Design, which will feature the 9150 C-V2X chipset with integrated GNSS capability, and include an... Read more →

Continental will accelerate initiatives based on Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technologies (earlier post) and will conduct C-V2X field trials in select regions across the globe. Anticipating to utilize the Qualcomm C-V2X Reference Design with the integrated Qualcomm 9150 C-V2X chipset (earlier post), Continental will build connected car systems for field trials... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has developed hybrid navigation and voice recognition functions that operate through a combination of cloud computing and on-board computing, as part of Toyota’s “connected strategy” based on Data Communication Module (DCM) standard settings. Starting this autumn, Toyota will begin to roll out the new technologies in... Read more →

Ricardo plc and Roke Manor Research Ltd have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop solutions that will make autonomous and connected transport robust against cyber attack. Providing and assuring cyber security is a fundamental requirement if the benefits of future connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) are to be... Read more →

At the end of 2015, Audi AG, the BMW Group and Daimler AG purchased HERE Technologies, a leading software company for high-resolution digital navigation maps and location-based services, from Nokia. (Earlier post.) HERE is designed as an open platform; since its takeover by the automaker consortium, the company has steadily... Read more →

Volkswagen and IBM intend to develop digital mobility services together. Jürgen Stackmann, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand responsible for Sales, said that the objective of the agreement between the two companies—initially set for a term of five years—is the development of personalized digital services for... Read more →

smart has unveiled the smart vision EQ fortwo, embodying a new vision of urban mobility and individualized highly flexible, efficient local public transport: the autonomous concept vehicle picks up its passengers directly from their chosen location. The smart vision EQ fortwo is also a car in which all of the... Read more →

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) and Highways England has commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to lead the first real-world operational trial of platooning vehicles on UK roads. The £8.1-million (US$10.4 million) trial will see TRL lead a consortium of partners including DAF Trucks; Ricardo, which worked with TRL... Read more →

DENSO Corporation, Ericsson, Intel Corporation, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), NTT DOCOMO, INC., Toyota InfoTechnology Center Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corporation have initiated the formation of the Automotive Edge Computing Consortium. The objective of the consortium is to develop an ecosystem for connected cars to support emerging services... Read more →

moovel Group, a subsidiary of Daimler AG, has acquired all of Familonet GmbH based in Hamburg. The team from Familonet will be bolstering the moovel development team at the Hamburg site from now on. The Familonet app, with 2 million registered users, will still be offered in the future. moovel... Read more →

The UK government has issued new guidance on vehicle cybersecurity. The 8 principles—each with more detailed sub-principles—in the guidance set out how the automotive sector can make sure cybersecurity is properly considered at every level, from designers and engineers, through to suppliers and senior level executives. The government is also... Read more →

With the aim of accelerating joint research and development of artificial intelligence technologies in mobility-related fields, such as automated driving technology, Toyota Motor Corporation will invest an additional ¥10.5 billion (US $95 million) in Preferred Networks (PFN). (Earlier post.) Toyota will acquire stock in PFN through the allocation of new... Read more →