In a revised mandate for new car and van sales in the UK, the Department of Transport of the UK government announced September 28 that 80% of all new cars and 70% of all new vans sold in the country must be zero-emission by 2030. The threshold will be increased to 100% for both cars and vans by 2035. This also means that no petrol and diesel cars and vans will be allowed for sale in the UK after 2035. The revised mandate comes soon after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delayed the previous gove...

Swedish electric car company Polestar announced on September 26 that the company is nearing the completion of its upcoming model Polestar 3 as the team wrapped up two weeks of extreme hot weather testing of the model in United Arab Emirates. The company plans to launch the production of the Polestar 3 in the first quarter of 2024. Once the Polestar 3 has been commercially launched in the market, the company will have three models on the road, including two new sport utility vehicles (SUVs), P...

Geely’s premium electric car unit Zeekr has signed partnerships with four local companies to expand its retail presence in the Middle East region in addition to Israel, according to a news report published by CnEVPost on September 29. Zeekr has entered into partnerships with AW Rostamani Holdings in the United Arab Emirates, Wallan Trading Co. in Saudi Arabia, Blue Lake Motors in Qatar and Y.K. Almoayyed & Sons from Bahrain to sell its electric cars, the report mentioned, citing a ...

Honda Motor has announced partnerships with EVgo and Electrify America, plus roaming network partners, for access to their charging networks in North America, according to a press statement dated September 28. As part of the agreement with EVgo and Electrify America, Honda and Acura electric vehicle owners will have single-app access at thousands of fast chargers across the US. “Honda aims to provide our customers with easy access to the most fast-charging options of any automaker. With acc...

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Japanese carmaker Honda announced September 28 that its first all-electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) — the Honda Prologue — will be available for presale later in 2023 in the US, and deliveries will begin early 2024. Unveiling the Prologue electric SUV’s specifications for the first time on September 28, Honda said that the Prologue will be offered in both single-motor (front-wheel-drive) and dual-motor (all-wheel-drive) configurations with three trim levels — EX, Touring and E...

UK’s leading electric vehicle charging service provider, Ubitricity, announced September 26 that the company is now operating more than 10,000 EV charge points across Europe. The important milestone was reached during the takeover of nearly 1,500 AC fast-charge points as part of Ubitricity’s entry into the Dutch market. According to the press note issued by the company on September 26, the takeover of the Dutch charge points adds to Ubitricity’s growing Continental European network acro...

US electric-vehicle maker Lucid Group announced on September 27 that it has officially opened the first-ever car manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia. The new facility is Lucid’s first international plant, which is slated to produce’s electric cars for Saudi Arabia and export to other markets. Lucid refers to the new factory as its second Advanced Manufacturing Plant (AMP-2). The company said that it received significant support from the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA...

Google has announced the integration of new apps in its Android Auto platform, according to its blogpost dated September 13. Customers will be able to avail Webex by Cisco and Zoom for in-vehicle meetings. Both are rolling out on Android Auto with audio-only capability. Scheduled meetings can be joined from the car using the in-car display. For entertainment purposes, Prime Video is now available on Google Play for select Renault, Polestar and Volvo Cars brands, with other brands soon to foll...

Huawei has filed a patent for a motion sickness prevention system, GizmoChina reported September 26. The system offers passengers accurate visual information about the vehicle’s movement. The system generates real-time images of the vehicle’s movement relative to the road, which are then displayed on the vehicle’s infotainment system, allowing passengers to see themselves moving along with the vehicle. Significance: Motion sickness is a very common problem for passengers and Huawei’s ...

After a week into the persisting standoff with the Detroit Three – General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Stellantis – the United Auto Workers (UAW) announced on September 22 that it is expanding the ongoing strike to 38 parts distribution locations across 20 states in the US. In its second wave, the UAW strike aims to target the aftersales and service facilities, which is expected to have a direct and immediate impact on the carmaker’s dealerships, and therefore customers. While the UA...

The State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Standardization Administration of China has officially approved its own national DC fast-charging standard, according to a press note issued by the CHAdeMO Association on September 20. According to the note, the government body in China released the three key standards for ChaoJi-1, the next-generation DC charging technology using the GB/T communication protocol, on September 12. Interestingly, ChaoJi-1 uses the new, harmonized c...

Tata Motors-owned British luxury-car brand Jaguar has signed an agreement with Tesla to provide drivers of its next-generation electric vehicles with access to Tesla’s extensive Supercharger network in the US, Canada and Mexico, Jaguar announced September 21. The carmaker said that all new Jaguars sold in the region from 2025 will have full integration of Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) without the need for an adapter. Jaguar said it will also source adapters from Tesla...

Zeekr, a luxury electric car unit of Geely Holding, has partnered with Plugsurfing, one of the leading electric vehicle charging service providers in Europe, according to a press note released by Plugsurfing on September 19. The charging services will be provided under Zeekr's in-house service named Zeekr Charge. The partnership has come prior to the commencement of first deliveries later in 2023. The note said that Zeekr customers will receive a welcome pack from Zeekr Charge with a cha...

Taking yet another step toward greater customer convenience, German luxury-auto maker Mercedes-Benz is joining forces with Mastercard to introduce embedded in-car payments at the point of sale. With the new partnership, Mercedes-Benz customers will get to use a fingerprint sensor in their car to make convenient and secure digital payments at more than 3,600 service stations in Germany. Mercedes-Benz is the world's first automaker to integrate Mastercard Secure Card on File for Commerce Platforms...

German auto component supplier Continental has supplied unique V-shaped displays to the Hyundai Kona. The display offers a two-in-one solution as it combines the two screens of the instrument cluster and center information display under one glass surface. Moreover, the new Hyundai Kona features over-the-air (OTA) software updates for new functions, design and interaction possibilities in the vehicle, which can be managed via the V-shaped display, a press release dated September 25 said. The V...

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Mercedes-Benz in the US, with its Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) Voice Assistant smart-home function, has equipped all Mercedes-Benz vehicles to operate as an intelligent control center for the home — all while drivers keep their hands safely on the steering wheel and their eyes on the traffic, a company press release announced September 21. The automaker said smart-home technology is shaping the future of more intelligent homes. From temperature and lighting equipment to garage ...

UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has moved back the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars in the country by five years to 2035, the UK government announced September 20. “This means some measures that were planned are no longer needed to fulfil them,” the government said in a note, adding that the UK will remain the country with the most ambitious, stringent decarbonization targets in the world even after these changes are made. Notably, the delay in the earlier planned ban on the...

Hyundai is offering complimentary ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 chargers to customers who buy or lease select electric vehicles, it said in a press release on September 21. The South Korean automaker will also offer up to $600 off on installation using the Hyundai Home Marketplace. “At Hyundai, we are focused on offering a wide range of high-quality EVs for our customers to choose from, but we know that the charging infrastructure and the process of preparing their homes is at the forefront...

ToneTag has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to develop a voice-enabled payment system used via the car’s infotainment system, Moneycontrol reported September 16. The Pay-by-Car payment system can be used to pay for fuel at stations. Indian state-owned Bharat Petroleum Corp. (BPCL) has been roped in to offer users the option to pay via the contactless system. ToneTag has showcased the usage of the system in an MG Hector vehicle. It could soon be offered in...

Geely-owned Swedish legacy-car maker Volvo Cars announced September 19 that the company will stop producing diesel engine-powered cars by early 2024, as part of its commitment to become a climate-neutral company by 2040. The company made this announcement on the sidelines of the Climate Week NYC, it said in a note on September 19. “In a few months from now, the last diesel-powered Volvo car will have been built, making Volvo Cars one of the first legacy car makers to take this step,” the ...

Oil and gas major Shell announced September 19 that it has opened its largest electric vehicle fast-charging station globally in Shenzhen, China. Located about 2.5 km from the Shenzhen Airport Terminal, the EV charging hub accommodates 258 public fast-charging points, the company said, adding that the facility will be jointly operated by Shenzhen Shell — Shell’s local unit in China — and BYD Electric Vehicle Investment Co. Ltd., which is a joint venture between Shell and BYD. ...

South Korea's tier 1 supplier of automotive switches, Mobase Electronics Co. Ltd., announced a strategic partnership with UltraSense Systems, innovators of automotive touch experience solutions with cutting-edge HMI Controllers and In-Plane Sensing modules. As part of the collaboration, Mobase will adopt the UltraSense TouchPoint Q TapForce HMI controller in its latest solid-surface infotainment button bars for South Korean and other global automakers in production later in 2023, with further...

Sports-car maker Porsche said that with its new Privacy Center in the My Porsche portal, it has created a central, clear and easily accessible place for customers to specify with just a few clicks which data they want to share for which purpose. With this latest development, the automaker is trying to apply equal standards to digital products and services, and to how customer data is handled. Porsche ensures that its customers themselves who determine which data they share for which purpose —&...

Nissan North America is set to recall 153,376 model year (MY) 2019–2021 Altima and MY 2020–2021 Sentra vehicles, according to a notice by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on September 13. The reason for the recall is a damage to the camera harness that causes distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. If the rearview camera does not properly display an image, it can reduce the driver's rear view and increase the risk of a crash. AutoTechInsigh...

Europe’s largest carmaker Volkswagen plans to completely discontinue the production of electric cars at its Dresden-based factory in Germany, according to a news report published by Electrive on September 18. The automotive news portal credits German publication Automobilwoche as the original source of the story. The report, however, does not specify the timeline for the shutdown of electric vehicle production at the chosen site. Notably, VW currently produces the ID.3 at its Dresden plant ...

Polestar will offer Prime Video as part of in-vehicle infotainment in the Polestar 2, it said in a press release on September 13. This comes after the automaker began offering YouTube since June. “The successful launch and integration of Android Automotive [operating system, or OS] in Polestar 2 has proven that we can leverage the best navigation and voice control in the business to make life with a Polestar easier. The Google Play store has also gained a rich variety of apps that offer int...

Xiaomi announced the nearing completion of its auto production base in Tongzhou, Beijing. Lei Jun, Xiaomi's chairman, and the company's top executives, recently concluded summer road tests in Xinjiang, China, for the upcoming Xiaomi car, with plans to ramp up production upon obtaining necessary permissions, according to a press release on September 12. The Tongzhou facility houses six major units: Die casting, stamping, body assembly, painting, final assembly and battery production....

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Swedish automaker Volvo is equipping its cars with Prime Video, which will be available to download from Google Play in all markets where Google apps and services are available. Among the first original equipment manufacturers to offer Prime Video on its cars, the company said this will add to its customers' entertainment choices, according to a press release dated September 13. The automaker also said the popular video app YouTube is also coming soon to Volvo cars with Google built-in. The s...

XPeng Motors will look to build 3,000 supercharging stations by the end of 2025 and 5,000 supercharging stations by the end of 2027, Pandaily reported September 7. According to the report, XPeng’s supercharging network already covers 100 cities in China. Over 230 stations are equipped with S4 supercharging nationwide, and the 3-km service range of the S4 supercharging network has offered services to nearly 100,000 vehicle owners. Significance: Unveiled in August, the XPeng S4’s supercharg...

Dongfeng Motor is set to recall 1.19 million vehicles from December 30 in China, Reuters reported September 7, citing the State Administration for Market Regulation. Vehicles to be recalled include some brands under Dongfeng's joint venture with Nissan Motors produced between July 23, 2018, and Sept. 26, 2021. A lack of tight sealing of the engine exhaust gas recirculation valve, which could result in the internal bearings being corroded by chlorine-containing condensate, has been cited as th...

In a press release announcement on September 8, Hyundai Motor America said that it is collaborating with St. Louis County, St. Louis County Police, the City of Jennings and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis to provide free anti-theft software upgrades to affected Hyundai owners in the parking lot of the Urban League at 8960 Jennings Station Road on Saturday and Sunday, September 9 and 10. The step comes in response to persistent thefts targeting certain Hyundai vehicles without push-but...

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BP Pulse has partnered with EV Network (EVN) and NEC Group to launch UK’s largest public electric vehicle charging hub on the NEC Campus in the West Midlands, UK, it said in a press release on September 7. The NEC Hub attracts about 7 million visitors annually and the Gigahub is expected to serve them as well as other road users in the area. “The transition to electric vehicles is evolving at pace which is why [BP Pulse] is focussed on accelerating the development of the UK’s EV in...

Sports-car maker Porsche aims to enhance the personal digital experience of its drivers through Porsche Connect Partner Services (PCPS) using new services from third-party providers — including the use of personalized car data. The company said customers will get an option to turn their Porsche into a platform for innovative data-based services that make day-to-day driving easier; for example, with a digital logbook or an insurance tariff based on the kilometers actually driven. S...

To create in-vehicle experiences for global models of the Toyota and Lexus brands, Rightware has entered into an agreement with Toyota for the use of its Kanzi One human-machine interface (HMI) software. As proven by the current generation of Toyota vehicles globally, the combination of Kanzi One and the unmatched automotive experience of the Kanzi Services team gives Toyota the flexibility and design capabilities to enhance their brand and delight drivers, said the company in a September 6 pres...

Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and Tata-owned, luxury-car brand JLR announced a partnership on September 6 to work together to offer 5G capabilities to select next-generation JLR vehicles across its brands including Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar. With its ongoing collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, JLR intends to support advanced and integrated digital cockpit and infotainment systems to its new vehicles. With the Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF from Qualcomm Technologies, JL...

Samsung group companies Samsung SDI Co. Ltd., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Samsung Display Co. Ltd. have announced a collaborative effort to showcase a holistic range of automotive solutions at Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) Mobility 2023, a company press release said September 4. The showcase is set to redefine the landscape of connected mobility and captivate consumers and enterprises globally. In its sixth appearance at the show, batt...

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EVgo has partnered with Amazon to debut an Alexa-enabled electric vehicle charging experience, it said in a press release on August 31. Drivers with Alexa-enabled vehicles and automotive accessories such as Echo Auto will be able to use Alexa to help navigate to nearby EV charging stations. “The customer experience begins well before a driver arrives at a station. Enabling voice-initiated, hands-free navigation to charging stations enhances the customer experience, providing peace of mind f...

Tesla has enabled access to its Supercharger for non-Tesla electric vehicles in Australia, Electrek reported August 30. The company has already opened 30 out of the 63 Supercharger stations to non-Tesla vehicles. For customers with a Supercharging membership, the price to use a Supercharger stall on a non-Tesla EV is A$9.99 per month. For non-members, Tesla charges A$0.78 per kWh, and Idle fees are up to $1.00 per minute. Significance: The Non-Tesla Supercharger pilot program is currently ...

Xperi has announced that it will show how it powers connected entertainment in cars at Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) in Berlin, according to a company press release dated August 30. The DTS AutoStage video service Powered by TiVo will be demoed with BMW. “The pace at which innovation and change is happening in the market is very exciting and we’ve proven our ability to evolve quickly with these needs. We believe that the technological advancements we’re pursuing with ou...

Hyundai is set to recall 37,997 model year (MY) 2021–2023 Elantra vehicles over a software issue that could potentially cause the car to accelerate after the brake pedal is released, USA Today reported on August 25. This can potentially lead to a crash. A report by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that the motor-control unit software may detect a transmission or drive-motor synchronization fault while driving, triggering a fail-safe condition that te...

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Luxury-car brand Mini offers an exclusive look at its central control unit — the Mini Interaction Unit, a round organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display — developed with Samsung Display Corp., the first of its kind in the automotive industry. The heart of the new Mini family is the iconic Mini Interaction Unit, which incorporates the most advanced next-generation display technology OLED from Samsung Display Corp. Mini and Samsung Display put...

Tesla has launched the Tesla Universal Wall Connector, Electrek reported August 15. The connector is like Tesla’s Magic Dock, a new adapter integrated into Supercharger stations. Priced at $595, the charger will be shipped from October. The Magic Dock is a receptor for the Supercharger handle, but sticks to the connector when used by a non-Tesla user. It can be used by non-Tesla electric vehicle buyers in North America. The Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) chargi...

BMW and AirConsole announced the addition of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" from Sony Pictures Television to the AirConsole game portfolio at their joint Gamescom booth. The game is currently under development and will be an all-new version of the world’s biggest quiz show designed specifically for in-car gaming, the automaker said in a press release dated August 22. The combination of the ease of use of AirConsole’s smartphone game controller with iconic elements from the original game...

German automotive supplier Continental Group is presenting its wide range of products at the upcoming Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) Mobility 2023 event. With the tagline “Making future mobility happen, today!” it will showcase a unique portfolio of software-based and sustainable mobility solutions. Their key products range comprises of innovative high-performance computers (HPCs) and solutions for rapid, cost-efficient implementation of digital mobility, sustainable vehicle...

According to a report published by Mint on August 20, India's Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari is set to unveil the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) on August 22. The launch marks a pivotal step in the government to improve road-safety standards across vehicles weighing up to 3.5 metric tons. The primary objective of the Bharat NCAP is to provide prospective car buyers with a reliable mechanism to assess and compare the safety features of ...

Škoda Auto has announced the expansion of the in-car infotainment Offers app. Now available in eight markets, the free app offers over 100 discounted items. The offerings range from refreshments and meals, to travel and car care, all directly accessible from the user’s vehicle. Special deals are included from the Škoda Auto e-shop, the company said August 21. The automaker said with the rollout of version 5.1, the app’s offerings have broadened to cover a host of services. The Offers ap...

Volkswagen of America has announced multiple technological enhancements to its 2024 model year (MY) lineup, in a press release dated August 21. Every Volkswagen model with automatic transmission now offers standard IQ.Drive driver assistance technology. The full-feature set outside of Emergency Assist is also standard on all models with manual transmission. The German automaker said that Volkswagen Car-Net Safe & Secure will be available without extra cost for five years for MY 2024 vehic...

Following the Automated Valet Parking service made available to EQS Saloon and S-Class Saloon models, German luxury-car maker Mercedes-Benz is now ready to expand the feature to the new E-Class. The APCOA parking garage P6 at Stuttgart Airport in Germany is the first parking garage worldwide offering Automated Valet Parking to Mercedes-Benz customers, the company said August 15. According to the automaker, with this highly automated parking function, searching for a parking space and par...

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According to a report in The Verge dated August 20, Tesla owners with iPhones can now use Siri to trigger Apple Shortcuts automations without turning to paid third-party apps such as Tessie to do so. The Tesla app’s newest update, version 4.24.0, dropped with a release note saying “Access your vehicle controls and climate from the Apple Shortcuts app.” To use Siri with Shortcuts, customers will have to invoke Apple’s digital assistant and say the name of the automation. The ...

Mazda has announced that its CX-5 sport utility vehicle (SUV) will feature touchscreen functionality for the first time, in a press release dated August 1. The vehicle comes with a 10.25-inch full-color center display connected to the latest Mazda Connect infotainment system. It can be controlled with a multifunction commander knob and is integrated with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In the interior, the CX-5 comes with a six-speaker sound system as standard. Other standard features include...

NaaS has partnered with Hyundai Motor Group (China) to develop a charging-management service for Hyundai car owners, it said in a press release on August 16. The partnership will enable Hyundai owners to check charging and charger-installation status in real time through a smart service app or at the center console. “Charging facilities as a significant component of new infrastructure serves a crucial role in improving the penetration of EVs. Partnered with new energy industry chain players...

SoundHound AI Inc. announced August 17 that its advanced AI technology, including innovative Edge+Cloud connectivity, multiple language capabilities and a custom-branded voice assistant, is live in a new line of smart vehicles from Turkish mobility provider, Togg. Togg’s in-vehicle AI-powered voice assistant is capable of tracking and understanding the context of speech in real time (even before the user has finished speaking), as well as addressing multiple questions and filtering results ...

Ford has announced that it would offer BlueCruise hardware as standard on 500,000 vehicles for the model year 2024 in North America across Ford and Lincoln models, according to a company press release dated August 14. “BlueCruise is an experience-it-to-believe-it technology, and people are amazed at how BlueCruise can help make driving less stressful and more enjoyable — especially in traffic or on long drives. We believe in this technology and how it can help transform the highway d...

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California, US-based charging point operator (CPO) ChargePoint, announced August 8 that the company plans to make significant investments in the application of advanced technologies, ranging from networking to information security, with an aim to deliver charging station reliability of nearly 100%, once fully implemented. ChargePoint said that the new technology will be combined with natural language processing (NLP), enhanced driver communications and a class-leading training certification t...

US carmaker General Motors announced August 8 that it plans to expand its vehicle-to-home (V2H) bidirectional-charging technology to offer it with its entire retail portfolio of Ultium-based electric vehicles that will be launched by 2026. The first GM EVs to receive the bidirectional-charging technology will include the previously announced 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST, followed by the 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV, 2024 Cadi...

Top music, media and technology company Stingray announced a global deal with BYD to offer its popular Stingray Karaoke product to its electric vehicle portfolio. This collaboration will allow BYD to integrate Stingray’s interactive and engaging karaoke product as an embedded app in its models sold across a dozen countries in 2023, with the rest to follow in subsequent years, the company said August 7. Stingray Karaoke’s massive international song catalog is browsable by title, artist, ly...

The Japanese government plans to roll out a new mandate aimed at more than doubling the power output of electric vehicle chargers installed on the country’s highways in order to reduce charging duration and encourage the adoption of EVs, according to a news report published by Nikkei Asia on August 7. The report stated that Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry looks to set new standards applied to quick chargers for EVs and plug-in hybrids. These standards will require charging...

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Carmakers in India may soon have to use 20% recycled materials of the total weight of metals they use to produce a vehicle from 2026–27 under an upcoming policy, according to a news report published by The Economic Times Auto on August 2. The policy — Extended Production Responsibility (EPR) — is currently being prepared by the central government, it said, adding that the quantum of recycled materials will progressively increase as more vehicle scrapping centers become operational acros...

Ford Motor Co. announced August 1 that it has resumed production of its popular electric pick-up F-150 Lightning at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center plant. The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center has resumed operations after a six-week shutdown, which was aimed at expanding and retooling the plant to triple the manufacturing capacity of the F-150 Lightning. Post capacity expansion at the plant, Ford estimates that the company will be able to produce the F-150 Lightning at an annualized rate of 150...

Southeast European energy company OMV Petrom announced July 27 that it plans to install more than 400 ultrafast-charging points along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) by November 2025. The company said that it will develop the regional network along the highways passing through Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. To this end, the group of companies formed by OMV Petrom Marketing (OPM), OMV Hungária Ásványolj Kft/OMV Hungária Kft (OMV HU) and OMV Slovensko sro (OMV SK) have received...

General Motors has launched Hands Free, Eyes On, a consumer education program to encourage consumer confidence in the use of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for safe deployment of these technologies, such as Super Cruise, and to avoid concern and confusion about the benefits of ADAS as they become more widely available, according to a press release dated July 28. The core elements of safe deployment include: 1. A commitment to testing and validation 2. Integrating a comprehens...

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According to a press release July 27, Yokohama Rubber has announced that it is supplying its Advan V61 tires as original equipment (OE) to Mazda Motor Corp. for use on the automaker’s new crossover sport utility vehicles (SUVs), the Mazda CX-90, sales of which will be launched in Australia and other markets. The tire size being supplied is 265/55R19 109V. The Mazda CX-90 SUVs launched in the US market are equipped with the Geolandar X-CV tires for high-performance crossover SUVs. The A...

Expanding to different cities, ParkMobile is soon starting to offer its digital parking services for 1,300 on-street and off-street parking spaces in the city of Hackensack, NJ. This will allow residents and visitors of Hackensack to pay for parking and extend their time via the ParkMobile app, a company press release dated July 27 said. In 2023, ParkMobile is focusing on the integration of its mobile parking payment system in cities such as Hackensack, and expanding the compan...

In a U-turn, General Motors Chairperson and CEO Mary Barra confirmed that the company plans to introduce a next-generation Bolt under its Chevrolet brand, according to a press note issued by GM on July 25. The confirmation came on the sidelines of the company’s quarterly earnings conference call July 25. Speaking to the analysts during the call, Barra said, “Our customers love today’s Bolt. It has been delivering record sales and some of the highest customer satisfaction and loyalty sco...

Seven leading global carmakers — BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz Group and Stellantis NV — plan to establish an electric vehicle charging joint venture with an aim of accelerating the transition to EVs in North America, the companies said in a joint announcement July 26. The press note issued by the companies said that the all-new JV company will include the development of a new, high-powered charging network with at least 30,000 chargers to make zero-emissio...

Mazda has recalled 227,335 vehicles over an issue where the rearview camera image may not display properly by showing a flickering or distorted image, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice dated July 14 read. Affected models include select model year 2014–18 Mazda3 and model year 2016–21 CX-3 vehicles. In this case, if a rearview camera does not display properly, it can reduce the driver's vision and increase the risk of a crash or injury. Dealers will replace the rearvi...

Volkswagen-owned German luxury-car maker Porsche announced July 26 that it has opened its first Porsche Charging Lounge outside Bingen am Rhein, a town in Germany. The pilot charging site is part of Porsche’s larger plan of setting up its own fast-charging stations along Europe’s most important routes, offering a premium charging experience to its customers. The company said that the pilot charging site has been set up just two minutes away from the motorway junction A60/A61. The cha...

India’s pioneering and leading deep-tech digital mapping, geospatial software and internet of things (IoT) company MapmyIndia said its Mappls MapmyIndia app has become the No. 1 app across all categories on the Apple iOS App Store, besides being the No. 1 app in the Navigation category, according to the company’s press release dated July 25. The release added that Google Maps is No. 7 on the Apple iOS App Store. Additionally, the Mappls app is also the No. 1 app in the Maps &...

Smart parking and mobility-solution provider ParkMobile partnered with the Borough of Merchantville in New Jersey to offer a digital parking-payment option for 105 on-street and off-street parking spaces. Users can now pay for parking via the ParkMobile app, the company said July 26. The company has a strong presence in New Jersey, with over 3.2 million users in the state. The app is available for iPhone and Android devices, and can be accessed on a mobile-web browser. To pay for parking...

Access Europe has announced that it will provide the Radioline audio entertainment app for Great Wall Motor’s (GWM's) European vehicles, according to a press release dated July 25. Integrated with the Access Twine for Car (Twine4Car) platform for in-vehicle entertainment, the Radioline automotive app will bring a plethora of audio content within a single-branded infotainment system for drivers and passengers. “The aim of [Access] Twine4Car is to enable auto manufacturers to quickly integr...

French electric vehicle charging point operator (CPO) Driveco has partnered with Hubject, global leader in eRoaming and Plug&Charge services, to simplify and enhance the EV charging experience for consumers across Europe, the two companies announced July 21. According to the press note, Driveco chose Hubject to facilitate the search for cross-border charging stations across Europe. The move is aligned with its strategy to deploy more than 60,000 charging points in Europe by 2030. It is...

Gridserve, a leading charging point operator (CPO), has opened an all-new electric vehicle charging hub in Cornwall, UK, the company announced July 24. The new charging hub is located near Saint Austell, UK, which already is home to a Taco Bell, Costa, Rowe’s Cornish Bakers and Saltrock clothing. The Cornwall charging hub accommodates six high-power, 350-kW-capable EV chargers as well as six low-power, 22-kW-capable AC chargers. Gridserve is known for providing destination charging ser...

Maruti Suzuki has announced that it is recalling 87,599 vehicles manufactured between July 5, 2021, and Feb. 15, 2023, according to a company press release dated July 24. The affected models include S-Presso and Eeco. The recall is due to the possibility of a defect in a part of the steering-tie rod used in the vehicles, which in a rare case, could break and affect vehicle steerability and handling. Affected vehicles will be inspected and the faulty part will be replaced free of cost. ...

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Alarm.com has announced that it is available on Android Auto, becoming one of the first smart-home security platforms to do so, according to a company press release dated July 18. Android Auto customers will be able to connect intelligent Alarm.com smart home and security controls from the car display. “Alarm.com has long been focused on using smart home systems to provide seamless transitions when coming home or heading out. We’re pleased to pair our app expertise and the power of the fu...

Portugal-based charging point operator (CPO) Powerdot has teamed up with Biedronka, a leading supermarket chain in Poland owned by the Portuguese group Jerónimo Martins, to equip the latter’s 600 store parking lots with fast chargers for electric and hybrid cars by the end of 2024, the company announced July 11. Powerdot said that each charging station that it plans to install across the parking lots will be capable of simultaneously charging up to three cars. It further said that each ava...

US electric-vehicle maker Tesla has officially launched its operations in Malaysia, as it joins several other EV manufacturers already active in the Southeast Asian country that has been drawing investments lately while competing with Thailand and Indonesia, according to a news report published by Nikkei Asia on July 20. Citing Isabel Fan, Tesla's regional director, the report mentioned that the company's focus is for Malaysia to be part of the development of the regional EV industry, adding ...

Renault Group introduced four new in-car apps, taking the total available apps that are free for download on the openR link multimedia system to 11. The new apps include SongPop for Renault, Karacal for Renault, Kabriol and Les Incollables for Renault, the company said July 20. SongPop for Renault was jointly developed by Renault and videogame creator Gameloft (Vivendi). It is an entertaining, interactive music quiz created specifically for the brand’s cars. It is also the world’s first g...

India-based electric vehicle charging-network operator Glida, which was previously known as Fortum Charge & Drive India, is planning to set up about 3,000 EV charging points across India by March 2025, according to a news report published by a local newspaper Business Standard on July 12. The report cited Glida Executive Director Awadesh Kumar Jha, who spoke to the publication in an interview. The company, which is also backed by the Finnish government, currently operates 450 chargin...

The state of Ohio in the US has shared the future locations of 27 new electric vehicle charging stations that will come up as part of the country’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program, Ohio Governor’s official website announced July 13. “Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the future locations of 27 new EV charging stations that will be installed along Ohio interstates, making Ohio the first state in the nation to announce charging station sites that will be develope...

With the rapid rates of electric vehicle adoption continuing in major markets globally, legislative agendas supporting aggressive transitions to phase out mainstream internal combustion engine (ICE) usage, and supply chains gearing up accordingly, the narrative around electrification technology is shifting toward one of maturity and scale. Click the link above to download the full article.

Google has released Android Auto v10, with a new user interface (UI) for Google Assistant, 9to5Google reported July 13. The major change includes a new “glow” look, which is like the voice assistant on Android smartphones with a glowing bar at the bottom. Earlier, the voice assistant used to appear at the top of the screen of Android Auto with a black bar and an Assistant logo. The update is not yet available on smartphones. Significance: Google generally issues small updates, so these mi...

The UK government has proposed new regulations that will require charging point operators (CPOs) to maintain a 99% reliability rate of their electric vehicle charging networks spread across the country, along with offering a real-time update on their availability, according to a news report published by Electrive on July 13. The proposed regulations, which are published as a draft, are expected to be rolled out as a mandate for CPOs and their public charging networks in the UK, it said. The C...

Škoda stated that it would unveil several new assistants and enhancements to existing systems in upcoming models, in a press release dated July 12. This included a new remote-parking assistance system and an upgraded driver-alert system. “Our development teams work tirelessly to consistently ensure Škoda vehicles have the highest possible level of active and passive safety with each new car or generation we launch. This ceaseless endeavour traditionally forms one of the pillars of our tec...