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Detroit Free Press The GMC Sierra 1500 Denali full-size light-duty pickup will be the first pickup to get the latest version of GM’s Super Cruise that introduces the ability to tow while using hands-free driver assist technology. “The technology just continues to get better with Super Cruise,” said Phil Brook, vice president of Buick GMC marketing. “It’ll be capable of towing as well, which is pretty remarkable … towing with different lengths and different loads.” Super Cruise works by combining the driver’s attention with LiDAR map data, real-time cameras, sensors and GPS. A driver attention system uses a small camera that sits on the top of the steering column. It works with infrared lights to determine where the driver is looking whenever Super Cruise is in operation. Read the article at Detroit Free Press. |
Reuters Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp put its revamped Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car, with 30% greater range, on sale on Wednesday in a fresh push to promote the zero-emission technology amid rapidly growing demand for electric vehicles, including its own. The new Mirai launch comes after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced a goal in October to cut Japan’s carbon emissions to zero by 2050, in line with a European Union target and ahead of a pledge by Chinese President Xi Jinping to make his country “carbon neutral” by 2060. Rather than produce a cheaper car, Toyota said it wants to lure drivers with longer range – enough to drive around 800 kilometres (497 miles) without refueling – added features such as autonomous parking and a lower, sleeker design achieved by moving the hydrogen power unit to the front of the vehicle from under the car. Read the article at Reuters. |
The Drive British motorists with a habit of driving faster than the posted limit might want to exercise a bit more caution, because the police there now have a shiny new tool in its speed-enforcement arsenal: the Laser Tech TruCAM II Speed Enforcement Laser. The TruCam II costs the equivalent of approximately $13,200 and is currently being trialed by U.K. police to automatically focus in on and read the license plates of speeding cars almost half a mile (750 m) away. Essentially acting as a handheld speed camera, the TruCam II uploads speed and license plate data to a database and the appropriate fine is then mailed to the car’s registered owner, no sirens or traffic stops required. Read the article at The Drive. |
Roadshow “Snowbegone Kenobi, reporting for duty.” Imagine hearing that over a dispatch radio. Guess what? It’s a real name, for a real snow plow, called a “gritter” in Scotland. That makes “Gritney Spears” make much more sense. Who else do we have here? Ah, yes, “Gangsta Granny Gritter” was out for deployment, as was “Gritty Gritty Bang Bang.” Let’s not forget about “License to Chill” or “For Your Ice Only.” The James Bond references are strong with the Scots. “Snowkemon Go” is another name worthy of our round of applause. The BBC reports the practice of naming the plows goes back to 2006 when the Scottish Transport Ministry encouraged wee school children to come up with funny monikers for them. It launched its online tracker in 2016. Read the article at Roadshow. |
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McKinsey & Company Autonomous driving is becoming a key buying factor for customers: a recent McKinsey survey of 1,000 people in China, Europe, and the United States, showed that roughly 60 percent of respondents in each region would switch automotive brands to get a vehicle with better AD features. Excluding robo-taxis, the share of new private vehicles with Level 2 entry systems will reach 47 percent by 2025. Typically, customers considering a high-price premium sedan or SUV show less price sensitivity for optional features than customers buying value products or smaller cars. Customer adoption overwhelmingly depends on difficult-to-predict factors such as safety benefits and convenience. Consumers, for example, will be more willing to pay for AD systems that free up time otherwise spent driving. But the exact value of this time will depend on the side activities that drivers undertake while their vehicles are under autonomous control. Read the article at McKinsey & Company. |
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By John Round, AVP of Sales at Wheels, Inc.
Recently, we changed the clocks to standard time, and with the change came shorter days, colder temps and fewer hours outside. I’m an early riser, so some of my winter dread was reduced by the sunny skies that came before 6 a.m. The early sunrise gave me time for my early workouts and kept me on schedule for my new routine of daily Team meetings and conference calls. However, eight months into the shutdown, combined with a looming Chicago winter, my outlook was turning gloomy. Knowing that I was going to have some additional time to fill this winter, I started to look for projects that would fill my weekends. I found some great books, investigated new podcasts, and even attended a few free online classes. As they say, you can never get enough Excel training! My list of self-improvement projects felt good and gave me a sense that I was going to invest my time wisely over the next five to six months. READ MORE |
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MarketWatch Global electric-vehicle sales will grow 50% or more next year, while sales of internal combustion engine vehicles are expected to grow 2% to 5%. That’s the view of analysts at Morgan Stanley, who in a note to clients on Friday also predicted that global EV penetration would top 4%, rising to 31% by 2030. The year 2021 “is shaping up to be a critical year for EV adoption and (internal combustion engine) de-adoption that will dictate the pace of multiple expansion, contraction, consolidation and proliferation” among the stocks, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said in the note. Despite the momentary dips amid stock offerings, EV stocks are enjoying a 2020 stock surge that is more widespread than Nio’s jaw-dropping 2020 gains. Tesla is up 625% this year, while XPeng is up more than 111% and Li Auto around 100%. Read the article at MarketWatch. |
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