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Car and Driver
A new study has now provided data on how drivers using Autopilot behave. The researchers created a model based on observations of driver eye focus before and after they disengaged Tesla’s Autopilot in 290 separate cases.
The study was released just before Tesla began distributing a Beta test of its long-ballyhooed and controversial Full Self Driving System (FSD) for Autopilot. Tesla plans to make the Beta version available only to drivers who have demonstrated good driving behavior as determined by Tesla’s remote real time measures, such as jack-rabbit starts, hard braking, and too-close following.
It’s not clear how FSD will actually monitor driver behavior from past implementations of Autopilot, which warned drivers if their hands were not on the steering wheel for too long.
Its conclusion is stark: When Autopilot was active, “drivers looked less on-road and focused more on non-driving related areas, compared to after the transition to manual driving.”
Read the article at Car and Driver.
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Autoblog
When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas and ran up the Gulf Coast in 2017, Houston resident and engineer Rahel Abraham was one of those whose lives were blown into disarray by wind and high water. Floodwaters totaled her 2008 Infiniti G35 convincing her to work on a way to protect cars in disastrous weather.
The result is the ClimaGuard, a military-grade, waterproof, temporary protective enclosure. When folded, ClimaGuard is a 30-pound plastic tarp that fits in a compact duffle bag. One person can get a vehicle secured inside in about ten minutes in a simple process much like putting on a car cover.
Although designed for vehicles, the ClimaGuard will protect anything that can fit inside. Abraham says, “The compact car size could literally fit a living room … You could put two couches in there, a table, you could stack it up because the compact car size is about 14 feet.”
Read the article at Autoblog.
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The Detroit News
Electric Last Mile Solutions Inc., a commercial electric-vehicle startup, is poised to be first-to-market with a commercial Class 1 EV in the U.S.
It said it had received a binding purchase order for 1,000 units of the Urban Delivery from a distribution partner, Randy Marion Automotive Group. Shipments are expected to go out starting Sept. 28.
“From the outset, we stated that our goal was to deliver the first commercial Class 1 EV to the U.S. market, and with the start of production this week we will achieve that milestone,” ELMS CEO James Taylor said in a statement.
The Urban Delivery targets a range of about 125 miles and costs about $25,000 after an available federal rebate.
Read the article at The Detroit News.
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The Verge
Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill sponsored by environmental groups that would eventually prohibit gas- and hybrid-powered autonomous vehicles from operating in the state.
Some AV operators have argued that electric vehicles are a bad fit for self-driving cars because of the extended charging requirements.
In order to make a profit, autonomous vehicles need to maximize their time on the road, delivering people or packages, otherwise they’re likely to be a money-loser, they argue.
Read the article at The Verge.
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The Car Gossip
It’s taken Jim Farley less than one year as Ford Motor Co. CEO to accomplish what his two immediate predecessors couldn’t over six: reverse the company’s long stock slide.
On Day 1, he appointed Ford lifer John Lawler CFO, replacing Amazon alumnus Tim Stone, as part of a modest executive shake-up and streamlining of operations. That same day, Farley unveiled a 10-point plan explaining his vision for the automaker to employees.
Since taking the helm, Farley has nearly tripled Ford’s investment in electric vehicles and decided to have the company make its own batteries, through a partnership with SK Innovation, rather than just buy them from suppliers as it previously had planned. He has reshaped Ford to emphasize commercial vehicles and technology development, elevating insiders to new roles and plucking talent from the likes of eBay and Apple.
Read the article at The Car Gossip.
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By Ed Pierce, Contributing Editor
Editor’s Note: In July, Element Fleet Management Corp. reported solid second-quarter and first-half results, including second quarter and first half net revenues. growth in service revenue and strong cash flow. Fleet Management Weekly caught up with David Madrigal, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for the U.S. and Canada, to learn more about the company’s progress.
Element’s David Madrigal is excited about the fleet market in this era of the ‘new normal.’ The Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer believes his company’s investments in recent years directed at strengthening technology, financials, and processes, have permitted the company to deliver a superior client experience at time when fleet managers need a strong partner.
“Fleet managers today face two-levels of concern. Core, everyday fleet problems like how do they increase productivity? How do they mitigate risks? How do they reduce carbon footprint? And now, they need to layer on top of those challenges the new reality of EV conversion, supply chain disruption, more predictive data, remote worker-caused fleet rightsizing, and more,” says David.
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Car and Driver
The ongoing semiconductor chip shortage that’s affecting production of high-tech products around the world continues to make building new cars difficult for the automotive industry. Without a change, some experts say the chip shortage could last until late 2023.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which exercises DPA, calls it “the primary source of presidential authorities to expedite and expand the supply of materials and services from the U.S. industrial base needed to promote the national defense.”
In this case, according to Bloomberg, the president might invoke the DPA in order to ease some of the supply chain disruptions that have caused the industry to build millions fewer new vehicles than originally planned. The report comes after the White House held a second meeting with stakeholders—including Ford and General Motors, as well as two dozen other companies like Apple and Microsoft, The Washington Post reports—to discuss the chip shortage.
Read the article at Car and Driver.
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