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News Roundup: Volkswagen Shows Off Sedric the Level-5 Autonomous Car in China, Major Players Weigh In on California’s Proposed Driverless Testing Policies, and More

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A look at some of the biggest news stories to come out of the driverless and connected-car world this past week:

Major players weigh in on California’s proposed self-driving testing policies

Representatives from major players in the autonomous drive game, such as Apple, Uber, Tesla Motors and Ford, have been sending comments to California officials on what changes they would like to see made in the Golden State’s proposed policies for testing self-driving vehicles. In particular, Apple wants to change the way companies report “disengagements,” which we assume refers to accidents or collisions. Tesla wrote that they disapprove of the idea of barring testing of vehicles that weigh more than 10,000 pounds. Uber said it should be allowed for people to pay to ride in an autonomous vehicle with a driver behind the wheel in order to provide the company with honest feedback. Tesla also warned that restrictive policies would encourage developers to leave the state. Read more from Business Insider.

 

What to do with the ‘ocean of data’ connected and driverless cars will create each day?

Barclays analyst Brian Johnson said recently that as more and more cars are outfitted with sensors, cameras and LiDAR, the more data they will begin to generate. In fact, a single autonomous car will be capable of generating as much as 100 gigabytes of data per second. “Assuming the entire U.S. fleet of vehicles - 260 million vehicles - has a similar data generation, it would create an ocean of data. To put it in context, one hour’s worth of raw data across the entire U.S. fleet would be around 5,800 exabytes in size,” Johnson said. One exabyte is equivalent to one million terrabytes. That presents a wealth of problems when it comes to the storage, management and analysis of that much data. Many big companies like Tesla, Delphi and Intel have ideas about how to tackle this problem. One idea is “edge analytics,” where information is analyzed close to the sensor itself rather than being sent elsewhere through the cloud. Read more from CNBC.

 

Volkswagen wows with ‘Sedric’ Level 5 autonomous concept car in Shanghai

We first saw “Sedric” the Level-5 autonomous car in March, when Volkswagen showed off renderings of the concept car. Now, Volkswagen is showing off the real thing. The company recently took Sedric to China to show it off at the Auto Shanghai 2017 show. The car is capable of full Level-5 self-driving, and in fact executives said all a passenger has to do it climb in, press a single button to start the car, and then control it throughout the rest of the trip via voice commands. The car has no brakes, controls or pedals. In fact, the car features no “cockpit” at all. See more from Automotive Tires and Parts.

Photo: Interior of Volkswagen’s ‘Sedric’ car / Credit: Volkswagen

 

Volkswagen Shakes Off Diesel-Gate, Powers Big D20 Rebound

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After two consecutive weeks down, and losing more than 4 percent of its value, the Driverless Transportation Weekly Stock Index (D20) roared back into the black this past week, largely led by Volkswagen.

Eighteen price gainers, compared to only two price losers, guaranteed the D20 a lift.  The D20 rebounded to 190.49, adding 3.3 percent and easily beating both the Dow and S&P 500.

The Dow crept up 0.5 percent to close at 20547.76, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.8 percent to end the week at 2348.69.

Ahead of the expected Volkswagen earnings announcement on April 28, several analysts have upgraded their price targets for the Germany-based automaker. Other indicators are pointing up for the beleaguered automaker as Volkswagen finally appears to be emerging from the self-inflicted cloud of Diesel-gate. Volkswagen jumped $2.29 per share last week to close just below $30 a share at $29.99. This 8.3-percent price jump led all D20 stocks for the week.

Visit the Driverless Transportation D20 Stock Index page to learn more about it and its component stocks.

Up-and-Comers:

Uber and Lyft are being sued for patent infringement by a holding company called Hailo Technologies, LLC. This particular Hailo is not the ride-hailing business by the same name that Daimler purchased in 2016 — it is a U.S.–based company that owns a U.S. patent issued in 1999 that describes a system that dispatches vehicles for rides and incorporates a payment system.

News Roundup: California DMV’s New Proposed Driverless Car Regulations, How Alexa and Cortana May Soon Take Over Your Car, and More

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Jennifer van der Kleut

A roundup of some of the biggest headlines to come out of the driverless and connected-car industries over the past week:

Many applaud California DMV’s newly proposed regulations for testing driverless cars

This past Friday, March 10, the California Department of Motor Vehicles released new proposed regulations for the testing of driverless cars in public, which look remarkably like laws recently passed in Michigan. Many are applauding all the changes made since releasing a significantly stricter version back in September. DMV reps say they listened closely to a wealth of feedback from stakeholders after the September draft and implemented many of them. In particular, the new regulations reverse their previous requirements that driverless test cars must have a human driver in the car while testing in public, and that prototype vehicles must include a steering wheel and pedals (which reportedly made Google/Waymo executives very happy). However, if the vehicle does not include those conventional features, the manufacturer must show the DMV they have approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A mandatory 45-day comment period is currently in effect, ending April 24, after which a public hearing will take place. DMV representatives said they hope the regulations will officially go into effect by the end of the year. Read more from Bloomberg Technology.

 

Automakers turn to personal assistance tech like Cortana, Alexa to develop better connected-car voice commands

While systems like Ford’s Sync are already appearing in cars on the market today, many industry analysts say the technology still contains many flaws, with limited available commands and continuous voice recognition difficulties. As connected-car technology becomes more and more in demand, automakers like Ford, Volkswagen and Nissan are turning to personal assistant apps like Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana to improve in-car voice command systems. VW announced they are trying to combine Alexa with their Car-Net system and apps so that, while driving, you can ask Alexa to do things like add items to your ongoing shopping list that is synced between your car and your personal device. Reps say you’ll even be able to ask Alexa through your Amazon Echo at home to tell you how much gas your car has in it. Ford said it is integrating Alexa into its current Sync system, with some paired features debuting this summer. Nissan said they are partnering with Microsoft, but have not announced a launch date yet. Read more from CAR magazine.

 

Whoa! Intel buys Mobileye for more than $15 billion

In the biggest acquisition of an Israeli tech company to date, Intel announced this week that is acquiring Mobileye for an astounding $15.3 billion, after partnering with them since late last year. Mobileye is known for its computer vision systems for autonomous cars, including sensor fusion, mapping and front- and rear-facing camera technology. They are also working on crowdsourcing data for high-definition maps, as well as getting involved in policies and regulations surrounding autonomous driving. Intel has been getting involved with driverless technology as of late, most recently partnering with Mobileye and BMW and pledging $250 million to invest in the technology, particularly how much data autonomous cars can generate. The sale of Mobileye to Intel is expected to take about nine months to close. Read more from TechCrunch.

News Roundup: Volkswagen Unveils ‘Sedric,’ Its New Level 5 Autonomous Car, Truck Drivers Push Back Against Autonomous Trucks, and More

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Jennifer van der Kleut

A look at some of the most interesting news to come out of the driverless transportation industry this week:

Volkswagen unveils ultra-modern-looking Level 5 autonomous car

No, this isn’t a giant Pokémon on wheels-it’s Volkswagen’s new fully autonomous concept car, named “Sedric” (a mashup of the term “self-driving car”), just unveiled this week. Volkswagen is hailing it as a Level 5 autonomous car, “capable of operating any driving mode in any environmental condition, allowing passengers to sit back and enjoy the ride.” The concept is evident by the car’s interior, designed to look more like a mobile lounge than the interior of a car. The car will be optimized for shared mobility, meaning passengers will have a “universal mobility ID” and be able to hail a Sedric from anywhere with their smartphones. Sedric will automatically recognize and remember each passenger when it arrives, allowing the passengers to talk to them in any language naturally, including with slang. Passengers will also be able to choose whether to look at the world passing by through the windshield, or choose entertainment like a movie or TV while they ride. Read more and see photos from SlashGear.

 

Trucking companies push back against autonomous trucks

The Alliance for Driver Safety and Security recently voiced its opposition to claims that autonomous trucks will soon take over the industry and cost truck drivers their jobs. Representatives say that the “accountability” of human drivers is too important to fully hand over to a machine, and that drivers should not be worried about losing their jobs to technology anytime soon, at least in the next few years. “A change to driverless vehicles will occur gradually-if at all,” the Alliance said recently. The organization represents major trucking companies like J.B. Hunt, Knight Transportation and KLLM Transportation, among others. “Truckers, after all, are not just operators but also cargo monitors and a key point of communication for logistics providers,” they explained. Read more from Supply Chain Dive.

 

Toyota unveils new autonomous concept car

The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) unveiled its new autonomous concept car, called the Toyota Advanced Safety Research Vehicle (TASRV), at the company’s annual Prius Challenge in Sonoma, California recently. The vehicle consists of Toyota’s plug-and-play autonomous system on a Lexus LS 600hL. Toyota representatives say the “flexible” system will be easy to upgrade often as the technology continues to advance. The on-board technology in the TASRV “focuses heavily on machine vision and machine learning and includes an array of layered and overlapping LIDAR, radar and camera sensors that reduce the need to rely on high-definition maps.” Toyota reps said they believe the technology will have invaluable applications throughout the industry as it helps bring driverless technology to areas without high-definition mapping. The car will also be able to share data with and gathered from other cars. Read more from Kelley Blue Book.

Volkswagen and Tesla Motors Help D20 Break a New Barrier

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The Driverless Transportation Weekly Stock Index (D20) rose 1.4 percent to break the 180 barrier for the first time and close at 180.75 last week, thanks in part to gains by Volkswagen and Tesla Motors.

Thirteen price gainers compared to seven losers ensured that the D20 hit a new high.

The D20 was led by Volkswagen (VLKPY), which jumped 8.3 percent to $31.64, particularly after the debut of the I.D. Buzz autonomous-capable VW Bus at the Detroit Auto Show.

Volkswagen’s gain was supported by Visteon (VC), which rose 5.1 percent, and Tesla (TSLA), whose six consecutive weeks of gains have pushed its stock price to $237.75.

The D20 outperformed the Dow and the S&P 500 this week.  While the D20 rose, the Dow lost 0.4 percent to close at 19885.73 and the S&P sunk 0.1 percent ending the week at 2274.64.

Visit the Driverless Transportation D20 Stock Index page to learn more about it and its component stocks.

Up-and-Comers:

Starship Technologies has raised an investment round of $17.2 million with Daimler as the lead investor. U.K.-based Starship’s product is a six-wheeled insulated cooler that can autonomously deliver food, hot or cold.  Starship founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Fiis, also founders of Skype, hope that their rolling delivery drones are a hit on sidewalks around the world.

News Roundup: Autonomous Volkswagen Bus Debuts at Detroit Auto Show, Britain Makes Progress Toward Insuring Autonomous Vehicles, and More

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Jennifer van der Kleut

A roundup of some of the biggest headlines to come out of the driverless, connected-car industry this week:

 

Volkswagen wows at Detroit Auto Show With ‘I.D. Buzz,’ Its New Autonomous VW Bus

Volkswagen is calling it its most “emotional” car ever, as it spells nostalgia for long-time fans of the old VW bus. The I.D. Buzz is VW’s new autonomous car that is debuting at the Detroit Auto Show this week. The bus can seat up to eight people and has trunks in both the back and the front. When the driver switches to autonomous mode, the steering wheel retracts into the dashboard. VW says the I.D. Buzz should hit the market by 2024. Read more and see a video on Deadline Detroit.

 

Google files patent application for autonomous ride-sharing technology

News outlets are reporting that Google filed a patent application on Dec. 22 titled “Determining Pickup and Destination Locations for Autonomous Vehicles.” The patent is reportedly for a new type of technology that would determine the best location for an autonomous vehicle to pick up or drop off a passenger, and if it determines it is not safe, suggest an alternate location. Google’s application says the technology is necessary because self-driving vehicles may not always be able to operate everywhere a human driver would. Many industry analysts have been speculating for some time that Google will plan to use self-driving cars for ride-sharing, much like Uber, and this appears to lend credence to that speculation. Read more from eWeek.

 

British government makes strides toward insurance for autonomous vehicles
The British government last week said it is making progress toward determining guidelines for insurance for autonomous vehicles. In an announcement on Jan. 6, the Department For Transportation said it plans to implement protections for victims of collisions in which it is determined that autonomous vehicle technology was at fault. The report states that the victim will have a “direct right against the motor insurer, and the insurer in turn will have a right of recovery against the responsible party, to the extent there is a liability under existing laws, including product liability laws.” Britain is making big strides in the path toward determining the best course for insuring autonomous vehicles, even moving ahead of the U.S. For example, in January 2016, a number of Britain’s leading auto insurance companies joined together to form the Automated Driving Insurance Group (ADIG), headed by the Association of British Insurers, to determine guidelines for which party should be responsible in crashes of autonomous vehicles-the drivers, or the vehicle manufacturers. Read more from Road Safety GB (Great Britain).

Lower Cost Estimates for Volkswagen’s Diesel-Gate Leads D20’s Second Consecutive Record-High Week

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Fourteen gainers and six losers helped set a record high for the second consecutive week as the Driverless Transportation Weekly Stock Index (D20) closed up 1.2 percent at 166.90.

The Dow rose 1.5 percent to close above 19,000 at 19,152.14, while the S&P 500 gained 1.4 percent.

Volkswagen (VLKPY) was the price-percentage gainer by jumping 6.8 percent and ending the week at $26.48.  Announcements including that a smaller number of vehicles were involved than the original diesel-gate estimates suggested, and that the costs to deal with it will likely be lower, have helped the battered Volkswagen stock price rally.

Stock Market Analysts have been downgrading Continental’s (CTTAY) Stock, making it this week’s D20 price-percentage loser. Continental’s stock price dropped 3.1 percent to close at $34.82.

Visit the Driverless Transportation D20 Stock Index page to learn more about it and its component stocks.

Up-and-Comers:

Self-driving car startup Nutonomy is set to begin road tests in the Seaport section of Boston before the end of 2017. It will be using its self-driving vehicle that is based on the Renault Zoe electric car.  Engineers will be riding along while testing its software systems in a urban environment.

Blackberry Surges on Rumor They May Ditch Hardware for Software

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In anticipation of Q2 2017 earnings, scheduled to be announced this Wednesday, Sept. 28, Blackberry (BBRY) surged this week, jumping up 9.7 percent to close at $7.91.

Rumors continue to surround the Canadian company about its transformation to a software company and potential exit from the phone handset hardware business.  Will there be a large announcement on Wednesday?  We will have to wait and see.

Seventeen price gainers, one unchanged, and only two losers helped the Driverless Transportation Weekly Stock Index (D20) rise 3 percent this week, climbing over the 160-point mark to finish at 161.46.

The D20 easily outpaced the Dow’s 0.8-percent gain and the 1.2-percent jump in the S&P 500.

TomTom (TOMS) had a good week after announcing that it had been chosen by Volkswagen’s (VLKPY) heavy truck division, MAN, to provide mapping capability to its new RIO connected-vehicle offering.

TomTom’s stock, listed on the Amsterdam exchange, climbed 7.7 percent to close at €8.29 while Volkswagen’s ADR shares inched up 1.6 percent and ended the week at $26.76.

Visit the Driverless Transportation D20 Stock Index page to learn more about it and its component stocks.

 

Up-and-Comers:

San Francisco-based Aria Systems, which has built a secure, cloud-based platform for generalized recurring billing, has entered the on-demand transportation market by offering Aria for Connected Vehicles.  Among other features, this platform will allow Car Manufacturers to offer a secure way to bill consumers for hourly on-demand access to vehicles.

Dog Days of Summer Dampen D20

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The dog days of August have halted the D20’s six-week run of consecutive gains.

The Driverless Transportation Index’s (D20’s) six consecutive weeks of gains are over, but just barely.  The D20 lost 0.11 points or less than 0.1 percent of its value, closing the week at 158.51.  In a pretty quiet week all around, the Dow and S&P 500 followed suit by losing 0.1 and 0.01 percent of their values, respectively.  With 10 price losers, nine gainers and one unchanged, no D20 component stock lost more than 3 or gained more than 3.5 percent.

Since Aug. 28, 2015, the D20 has gained 6.42 percent in value, while the D20 8-22 graphicDow has added 11.47 percent and the S&P 500 has grown 9.8 percent.  The cumulative percentage change in the graph shows that the D20 never fully recovered from 24 percent plummet that started at the end of 2105 and continued through mid-February in 2016.

Much of the D20’s loss can be blamed on Volkswagen’s (VLKPY) Diesel-gate and Mobileye’s (MBLY) 41-percent drop during that time period.

Visit the Driverless Transportation D20 Stock Index page to learn more about it and its component stocks.

Up-and-Comers:

Uber has made another step towards autonomous vehicles with its purchase of the privately held start-up named Otto.  Otto’s executive team, which is made up of ex-Google autonomous vehicle and mapping veterans, Anthony Levandowski and Lion Ron, is focusing on self-driving kits instead of the whole autonomous vehicle.

In a unique purchase agreement for a start-up, it is rumored that Uber has agreed to share 20 percent of the profits of building an autonomous trucking business with the previous owners of Otto.

Cars You Can Expect to See at CES 2016 in January

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Jennifer van der Kleut

Cars have long been taking over the annual Consumer Electronics Show. While the show was once used as a way to show off the latest performance enhancements, it is now more about the latest connectivity, technology and driver assistance features, including autonomous drive.

As we near showtime in January, news outlets like AutoWeek, CNet and CleanTechnica are giving a preview of what auto companies will be unveiling or talking about during the show:

Ford Motor Co. (Official Show Vehicle): The Ford Mustang GT will be the Official Show Vehicle, and Ford Kia Soul EV be showing off its electronics and connectivity. They are also expected to be discussing autonomous vehicle research, such as the driverless Fusion Hybrids they are currently testing at Mcity in Michigan.

Chevrolet: Chevy is expected to unveil the full production-ready version of the electric Bolt at CES, after a preview version garnered a lot of attention at the Detroit Auto Show earlier in 2015.

General Motors: CEO Mary Barra will give a keynote speech entitled “Redefining Personal Mobility.” The company has declared GM will be the undisputed leader in autonomous cars.

Kia: Kia is expected to show off its autonomous Soul EV.

Hyundai: Hyundai is expected to show off its autonomous, fuel-cell-powered Tuscon.

Mercedes: Mercedes has been a little more mysterious about what it plans to show off, after making headlines showing off its F 015 concept car at last year’s show. Industry analysts speculate Mercedes could unveil its Concept Intelligence Aerodynamic Automobile, or at least a rendering of it, or perhaps its autonomous electric E200 and E300 vehicles.

Faraday Future: The somewhat illusive electric carmaker that analysts are comparing to Tesla has already promised to unveil its first car at the show, which it promises to have in production by 2017.

Toyota: Toyota is expected to debut a new map-generating system, which AutoWeek believes will be similar to Google Maps.

Volkswagen: VW is expected to debut a new electric car. Some rumors say it could be the long-awaited electric microbus.

Audi: Audi is expected to unveil its A8 with autonomous driving capabilities. Audi made headlines last year when its autonomous A7 “drove” itself from Palo Alto, Calif. to Vegas for the show.

AutoWeek says the total number of automotive companies exhibiting at CES is around 12, which is a record, and that a whopping 10 percent of exhibitor space is devoted to car companies.

AutoWeek also reports that CES will feature 10 Tier 1 suppliers, including Valeo, Visteon, Qualcomm, Autoliv, Bosch, Continental and, for the 20th year in a row, Delphi.