Edmunds: Where Are Our Self-Driving Cars?
Well, it’s been a few years and autonomous vehicles are, alas, still in the future. Right now, there is no car on sale that can drive itself without requiring the driver to pay attention to the road and be prepared to take control of the vehicle. In fact, some automakers have slowed down their timelines.
Here are three reasons why you can’t buy a self-driving car today: How do we determine when a vehicle is safe enough? Expecting individual autonomous vehicles to operate independently is a recipe for disaster. As long as self-driving features require the driver to be ready to take control, the driver will remain liable for any accidents.
EDMUNDS SAYS: You probably won’t be able to buy an autonomous car any time soon. But expect autonomous fleet services to begin expanding in the near future.
Read the article at ABC News.
The World Is Ready to Support Joe Biden On Climate Change
Almost as soon as a winner was declared, the world began lining up to work with the incoming US president on climate change. Joe Biden won the election running on the most ambitious climate agenda in US history.
In the UK, Boris Johnson sent well wishes to president-elect Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris, offering to work closely together on “our shared priorities from climate change to trade and security.” In Fiji, which in danger of drowning under rising seas, the prime minister tweeted his congratulations to Biden: “Together, we have a planet to save from a #ClimateEmergency.”
He has promised that the US will get on track to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector by 2035, reimpose strict fuel mileage standards, restrict oil and gas extraction on public lands, supercharge renewable development, and rejoin the international Paris Agreement, with the aim of keeping the average global temperature from rising more than 1.5° C above pre-industrial levels.
The Environmental Protection Agency will be led by environmentalists, not lobbyists. There’s also talk of appointing a climate body to coordinate federal action, on par with the powerful National Security Council.
Read the article at Quartz.
J.D. Power Announces Best Resale Value Awards for Mass Market and Luxury Vehicle Models
The J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Resale Value Awards, recognizing the best resale value across 25 model-level vehicle segments following three years of ownership, were announced today. This is the third year J.D. Power has given these awards, which are based transaction data using customer insights.
“Our transaction database shows which models have the lowest depreciation costs, hence providing consumers with a key component in the total cost of ownership of the vehicle they plan to purchase or sell,” said Jonathan Banks, vice president & general manager of vehicle valuations at J.D. Power. “Currently, wholesale prices remain strong and we expect prices will be greater than pre-virus levels by year’s end. However, given the volatility of the market, it’s more important for consumers to factor this information into their purchase decision.”
Honda and Toyota receive the most model-level awards, each with five. They are followed by Lexus(four model-level awards) and Chevrolet and Dodge, each with two model-level awards. The GMC Sierra 3500 has the best resale value in the industry.
Read article at J.D. Power.
GM Plans to Hire 3,000 Workers to Spur Electric Car Development
General Motors Co. is going on a hiring binge to accelerate its development of electric vehicles.
The Detroit automaker said Monday it plans to hire 3,000 new employees across engineering, design and information technology to spur efforts to develop more EVs and the software that runs them. That’s about as many workers as GM employs at its engine and vehicle-assembly plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The new hires will be added by the end of the first quarter of 2021, the automaker said.
“We’re going through a transition that started at the tail end of 2018,” Ken Morris, the company’s vice president of electric- and autonomous-vehicle development, said in a statement. “We’re accelerating toward our EV future. This will help us move faster.
Read the article at Bloomberg
Ford Exec Reveals Company Has No Plans to Make All-Electric Super Duty Pickup Trucks
Ford Motor Co. does not intend to build all-electric Super Duty pickup trucks. A light-duty pickup has a gross vehicle weight of 8,500 pounds or less while a so-called heavy-duty truck — a series referred to as Super Duty in the Ford lineup — exceeds 8,500 pounds.
The all-electric 2022 F-150 will be built at the Rouge Plant in Dearborn; the 2021 Mustang Mach-E is being built in Mexico. The site for the 2022 all-electric Transit Van has not been announced.
"Our goal is to build a profitable electric vehicle portfolio," John Lawler, Ford chief financial officer, explained during the forum. "To do that, we need to leverage our strengths and the scale that we have. We're being very strategic about the platforms that we choose."
Read the article at Detroit Free Press.
