Dance, Dance, Dance: Elon Musk’s Remarkable Performance
As bizarre as some of his behavior is, there is absolutely no question that Musk has had a positive, transformative effect on the auto industry.
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, Automotive Design & Production
Ford Techs Get Virtual Reality Training on Mustang Mach-E
Using high-tech gaming systems to speed maintenance and repair training
Quantum Shortcuts Around Traffic
The best way to get around traffic isn’t always to follow “real time” GPS directions.
Frankfurt Auto Show Attendance Plunges 31%
Attendance at the just-ended Frankfurt auto show—considered one of the world’s premier events of its kind—plummeted 31% to 560,000 people, according to trade group VDA.
Neumann Joins Apex.AI Board
Longtime industry veteran Karl-Thomas Neumann has joined the board of directors of Apex.AI Inc., a San Francisco-based startup that specializes in open-source software for self-driving vehicles.
BMW, Microsoft Converse on Voice Control Tech
BMW AG is working with Microsoft Corp. to create an open platform to enhance the “natural” conversation capabilities of the carmaker’s new personal assistant and other voice-actuated systems.
BMW, Microsoft Team on Digital Manufacturing Platform
BMW AG and Microsoft Inc. plan to develop a digital platform for “smart” factories.
Tiptoeing into Industry 4.0
Developers are making it easier to get started.
Michael Anderson
Senior Technical Editor, Automotive Design & Production
Fujitsu Touts Faster Deep Learning
Japan’s Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. claims its latest artificial intelligence software enables the world’s fastest machine learning processing.
Microsoft Connectivity Tech to Debut Later this Year
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance will launch the first applications of Microsoft Corp.’s cloud-based connectivity vehicle technology later this year.
VW, Microsoft Expand Cloud Partnership Beyond Europe
Volkswagen AG and Microsoft Corp. are expanding the cloud-computing partnership they announced last September to China and North America.
About Autonomy: Three Views
Yes, there will be more autonomous technology coming at an ever-increasing rate. Which means all the more considerations must be taken into account.
VW Brand Predicts €1 Billion Revenue from Online Services
Volkswagen AG’s VW brand says it expects to generate €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in annual revenue by 2025 from the global wireless services network it is building.
VW Buys Volvo Truck’s WirelessCar Unit
Volkswagen AG has agreed to buy 75% of truckmaker AB Volvo's connected vehicle services unit for 1.1 billion kronor ($122 million).
Artificial Intelligence Advances into Production
Adopting new technology in design and manufacturing is usually a series of baby steps. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are no different.
Lawrence S. Gould
Contributing Editor
Apple Poaches Another Tesla Exec
Apple Inc. has hired designer Andrew Kim, a senior design manager at Tesla Inc. for the last two years.
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Invests in Chinese Autonomous Tech Startup
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance is making an unspecified investment in WeRide.ai, a Chinese startup company specializing in autonomous vehicle technology.
Chinese Autonomous Driving Tech Startup Raises $1 Billion
Momenta, a Beijing-based startup specializing in autonomous vehicle software, says it has secured more than $1 billion in its latest funding round.
Microsoft Invests in Grab Ride-Hailing Service
Microsoft Corp. is making an unspecified investment in Singapore-based GrabTaxi Holdings Pte. Ltd. as part of a deal that includes collaborating on big data and artificial intelligence systems.
Bimmer 3 Series Gets More Tech, New Look
BMW AG says its goal in developing the redesigned 3 Series sedan was for the car to be the “sportiest sedan” in its segment and raise the bar on driving dynamics.
VW, Microsoft Team on Global Mobility Cloud
Volkswagen AG and Microsoft Corp. have announced a strategic partnership to develop a comprehensive “industrial automotive cloud” for all future VW digital services and mobility offerings.
TPM Comes to Cars
If you are reading this on a contemporary computer running Windows 10, there is a TPM running—a Trusted Platform Module—which is, according to Microsoft a “secure crypto-processor that is designed to carry out cryptographic operations.” At its most basic it is a means by which there are “keys” that allow digital access.
Gary S. Vasilash
Editor-in-Chief, Automotive Design & Production
BMW Reveals In-Car Personal Assistant System
BMW AG says its new Intelligent Personal Assistant technology will use artificial intelligence to build a digital persona with which drivers can interact.
Car-Sharing and Ride-Hailing are Transforming Ownership Models
“With this shift, we believe the auto industry will go through disruptive change over the next 5-10 years and beyond.”
1962 Ferrari Racer Sets Auction Record at $48 Million
An unidentified buyer paid $48.4 million for a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO race car at a RM Sotheby auction on Saturday during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California.
Lynk Sedan Breaks Cover
Geely Automobile Holding Co.’s Lynk & Co. unit has released photos of a camouflaged version of the brand’s upcoming Lynk 03 midsize sedan.
Hyundai and Baidu Sign MOU
Baidu is a China-based tech company that is regularly referred to as the “Google of China,” given that it has a hugely popular search engine site and is doing a wide range of work that focuses on artificial intelligence for a variety of application, as well as working on autonomous vehicles.
Tesla Hires Snapchat Engineer to Lead Autopilot Program
Tesla Inc. has hired Stuart Bowers as vice president of engineering to work on the company’s Autopilot semi-autonomous driving technology and other projects.
