August 21, 2023
Cruise, the daughter of General Motors specializing in autonomous vehicles, started offering a paid robotaxi service in San Francisco but now agreed to reduce its fleet by 50% while the California Department of Motor Vehicles (CDMV) is investigating some bizarre and dangerous incidents. Just a few days ago, after months of debate, California’s Public Utilities […]
August 02, 2023
In May of this year, vehicle lease company ALD Automotive announced that it had successfully acquired 100% of LeasePlan, one of the world’s leading fleet management and mobility companies. More than enough reasons for us to talk with Johan Portier, the new Country Managing Director of ALD Automotive/LeasePlan in Belgium. This transformative acquisition represented a […]
July 31, 2023
Five years after 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg was killed, hit by a Uber self-driving car in Tempe, Arizona, the human driver, Rafaela Vasquez, was convicted by a court and sentenced to three years of supervised probation without imprisonment. Eventually, Vasques pleaded guilty to endangerment, avoiding the prison she feared most. Initially, Vasquez was charged with ‘negligent […]
July 27, 2023
BMW has launched a new test site for highly automated driving up to level 4 and self-parking in Sokolov, in the former mining region of Karlovarský in Czechia. The ‘Future Mobility Development Center’ (FMDC) was built on 600 hectares of a former surface mine site with 2.2 million cubic meters of recycled soil previously excavated. The […]
July 24, 2023
Ford has managed to become the first car manufacturer to launch hands-free semi-autonomous highway driving at full speed in Europe, with the introduction of BlueCruise on the UK Mustang Mach-E. 95% of British highways are covered in the so-called ‘Blue Zones’, but the functionality doesn’t come for free. UK owners of a MY23 Ford Mustang […]
July 10, 2023
VW plans to put self-driving cars on the streets of Austin, the capital of Texas, later this month. It is the first time that the company is tackling such a project in the USA. A total of ten units of the VW ID. Buzz with autonomous driving technology will be deployed. Tests in Germany are […]
June 07, 2023
According to several French-language newspapers, the Brussels Region will automate its metro network. These ‘driverless’ trains have been discussed for about a decade, but now the goals are becoming more concrete: the first route to run without a human driver will be line 5 Ceria-Erasmus in the summer of 2026. Eventually, all metros should run […]
May 25, 2023
Ridesharing company Uber is going to offer robotaxis in the US. Uber’s partner is Waymo, a subdivision of the Alphabet group, Google’s parent company. An initial collaboration is scheduled for later this year in Phoenix City. The exact number of self-driving taxis remains undisclosed. The association surprises as the two companies were entangled in a […]
May 19, 2023
Mercedes has unveiled its new VAN.EA architecture. The modular underpinnings can house a variety of van models, from medium to large, and must significantly boost electrifying its utility department. The first models on the new platform are expected in 2026. The VAN.EA platform, which will be produced in sites all over the world from Mercedes, […]
May 12, 2023
A route with self-driving buses from Stagecoach, UK’s largest bus and coach operator, will start operating in Edinburgh next week, a first in the UK. However, a driver will always be on board to monitor things and take back control of the bus in an emergency. This is also required by UK law. The project, […]
April 21, 2023
The self-driving shuttles riding around on the domain of the Terhills Resort in Maasmechelen are now completely autonomous. The presence of a safety steward is no longer needed. The shuttle project is unique in Belgium and exceptional in Europe. The vehicles were officially introduced in May last year in the presence of the Flemish Ministers […]
March 31, 2023
Carmakers and suppliers are looking into several innovations to meet the growing demand for convenient and more accessible charging infrastructure. For example, Chinese charging service provider NaaS is joining the likes of Volkswagen and announcing the development – and launch – of a self-developed automatic mobile charging robot. The compact robot on wheels, looking for […]
February 28, 2023
Some buzz ahead of Investor Day, a keynote held by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on the 1st of March 2023, has American media reporting on a cheap electric model and maybe even a hydrogen version. That’s quite a U-turn for Musk, who depicted fuel cells in the past as ‘fool cells’ because of their lack […]
February 23, 2023
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Axxicom Airport Caddy are launching an experiment with self-riding wheelchairs this week. The wheelchairs, equipped with smart technology from WHILL Autonomous Mobility, are already being used successfully at major airports such as Tokyo International Airport in Japan. The wheelchair service should improve customer satisfaction and contribute to Schiphol’s objective to make […]
February 17, 2023
After identifying malfunctions in its driver assistance software, Tesla was forced to recall 362 758 cars in the United States. Models equipped with the Level 2 software of Full Self-Driving (FSD) can act in a potentially dangerous manner at intersections. In Europe, Tesla only tests FSD in the company cars of its staff. According to […]
January 27, 2023
Is this future of its Sportback models? Audi has unveiled the fourth iteration of its concept series Sphere. The ActiveSphere is the most adventurous of all, taking the previously featured functions of lounging whilst driving… offroad. “This is a new type of crossover”, says Chief Designer Gael Buzyn. After the roadster Skysphere, the sedan Grandsphere […]
January 25, 2023
On Tuesday, the Colruyt Clevon delivery robot, on test since November last year, has delivered for the first time groceries to a client, 26-year-old Ellen Cools, who lives on the trajectory between the distribution center and the Collect & Go pickup point in Londerzeel. Colruyt has found thirty clients living along the route the robot […]
January 17, 2023
After Colruyt started experimenting with an Estonian delivery robot in November, French supermarket chain Carrefour is setting up a pilot in the business park Corporate Village in Zaventem near Brussels with a Turkish-branded autonomous robot. After the first test panel of twenty people, everybody in the Corporate Village will be able, starting next week, to […]
January 10, 2023
German carmaker Mercedes-Benz is the first to get official approval for SAE Level 3 autonomous driving in the US, with Nevada taking the lead and California following, most likely soon. The latter was confirmed by the carmaker at CES in Las Vegas last week. It’s the first manufacturer to accomplish this government approval, beating Tesla […]
January 09, 2023
VW’s design and engineering studio Italdesign has explored the boundaries of autonomous shuttles roaming around future cities. It envisioned, together with Swiss Schindler integrating them into buildings as an elevator capsule. The Climb-E can pick you up on the 30th floor of your apartment building and, once on the street level, drive you to any […]
January 06, 2023
The Peugeot Inception Concept looks like a wild idea on wheels, born to grab attention, but underneath its razor-edged surface sits a guideline for the future EVs of the French brand. Peugeot’s planned entry into the US was ditched a few years ago. With no current models on offer over the Atlantic Ocean, it came […]
January 04, 2023
At the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, French automotive supplier Plastic Omnium and French deep-tech startup Greenwave are showing a revolutionary way of integrating radar sensors into the entire surface of the car’s bumpers to catch a high-resolution image of its surroundings. The companies claim that far more information can be gathered by […]
December 09, 2022
Volkswagen has released more details on the next generation of the MEB architecture, adding a plus to its name. The company confirms earlier claims that a range of up to 700 kilometers will be possible while DC charging rises to a peak of 200 kW, further shortening the waiting times. The Volkswagen Group builds twelve […]
December 06, 2022
A new boss comes with a new set of laws. With Oliver Blume now in charge of the Volkswagen Group, his management team has sent the prestigious Trinity model back to the drawing board. But unfortunately, they weren’t happy with the original design proposal. As a flagship model, the Trinity was supposed to hit the […]
December 01, 2022
With a picture of its driverless sci-fi-like electric truck or T-Pod, ‘shot or conveniently Photoshoped (?)’, in front of the iconic Antwerp Port Authority building, the Swedish Einride has announced its official launch in the Benelux. Einride will deliver six fully electric trucks to Belgian beer brewer Ab InBev, which pledges to replace all its […]
November 30, 2022
A locomotive of Belgian rail freight company Lineas carried out a demo run in the Netherlands fully autonomously on Tuesday. In the process, the locomotive also encountered obstacles on the rails, reports Alstom, which is developing the technology. The demonstration, which took place near Breda, concludes a series of tests that are part of a […]
November 28, 2022
As of last Friday, Seoul’s citizens can ride in an autonomous driving bus. The first self-driving shuttle was inaugurated and must help people take the threshold and build faith in the technology. The bus runs a 3,4-kilometer-long loop through South Korea’s capital, which lasts around 20 minutes. Travelers can embark on one of the two […]
November 22, 2022
Geely’s luxury brand Zeekr has launched a platform for autonomous driving vehicles. Dubbed SEA-M, the carmaker presented it on a robotaxi, the M-Vision. Google’s subsidiary Waymo is the first customer. The unveiling of the car, and the architecture, follows a previous announcement from Google and Geely unveiling their collaboration on developing an all-electric ride-hailing vehicle […]
November 14, 2022
The DC 100 looks the part and certainly isn’t an electric motorbike like the ones we’ve seen so far. This ultra-fast and ultra-luxury street bike has more than speed and looks but also robotic abilities that make it self-leveling and self-riding. Davinci unveiled the DC 100 at EICMA, the global motorbike show in Milan. It […]
November 07, 2022
Einride, the Swedish autonomous electric truck or ‘pod’ with the looks of a Star Wars Storm Trooper, has a second-generation, larger sibling: the ‘Gen 2’. It’s missing a driver’s cabin because it can handle most things on the road on its own, and a safety driver is sitting elsewhere behind computer screens overlooking the fleet, […]
November 04, 2022
Hardly three weeks after its launch, the self-riding shuttle in Hasselt has been removed from public grounds. The autonomous shuttle did not always react as it should and was considered too dangerous for public use. Three weeks ago, the city of Hasselt (Limburg, Belgium) proudly announced the introduction of a self-driving shuttle, seating seven passengers […]
October 25, 2022
Corda Campus, the Belgian tech campus in Hasselt (Limburg), comes with a ‘European scoop’: a Chinese self-driving e-scooter will pick up passengers on the campus, let them drive to their destination, and then returns fully autonomous to one of the five charging stations within the site. The vehicle is the Chinese Segway Ninebot Kickscooter T60, […]
October 24, 2022
The American tech firm Ouster has released its latest generation lidar sensor, which is anticipated to boost the research and development of autonomous driving vehicles. Due to the new ‘breakthrough’ L3 chip, the REV7 lidar reaches 400 meters — double the distance of its predecessor, the L2. As one of the leading players in the […]
October 14, 2022
Through its software branch, Cariad, Volkswagen will invest €2,4 billion in a joint venture with Horizon Robotics to develop autonomous driving technology. Because of intensive urbanization, China is regarded as one of the main instigators of autonomous driving vehicles. Beijing-based firm for self-driving technology Horizon announced during the summer that it was looking for fresh […]
October 13, 2022
The city of Hasselt (Limburg) is planning an experiment with a self-driving shuttle. The project is intended to try out an autonomous connection between the parking of the Trixxo Arena and the PXL academy campus. It’s the second similar project (after Mechelen) on public territory in Flanders. The shuttle will be available for one month […]
September 23, 2022
On Friday, Volkswagen is showing for the first time its Gen.Travel design study at the Chantilly Arts & Elegance in France. Imagine a fully level-5 self-driving prototype with a modular interior as an alternative for short-haul flights where you can sleep, hold your business meetings or watch movies while the car drives, alone or platooning […]
September 23, 2022
With the launch of the G9, Chinese EV maker XPeng is trying to make up for a difficult year. The detailed specifications unveil a high-end SUV with a charging capability that dethrones the Porsche Taycan as the fastest in the world. In August, XPeng Motors showcased a new 480 kW ultra-fast supercharger so that, in […]
August 23, 2022
In North America, Tesla is again raising the price of its Full Self Driving service (FSD), a feature making it possible for its cars to perform semi-autonomous driving. It is the second price hike this year and the add-on, which customers can buy retrograde, now costs five times more than at launch. Until September 5th, […]
August 11, 2022
The first product from the cooperation between three major Chinese industrial groups (CATL, Huawei, and Changan) is a reality. The Avatr brand has drawn the curtain on its first production model, the Avatr 11, primarily intended to attract a premium audience. This all-electric SUV model not only looks futuristic but also has a lot of […]
July 14, 2022
The world’s largest car industry supplier, the German Bosch Group, has announced it will invest €3 billion in semiconductors between now and 2026. It is encouraged by the recently emitted European ambitions to secure Europe’s autonomy in the field. “We are preparing ourselves for an ever-increasing demand for chips,” said Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung on […]
July 14, 2022
Can an electric vehicle (EV) be powered solely by solar energy in the form of carried-on solar panels? The results of a Chinese team of 42 companies and three universities joining forces may show that it’s possible. A team from Tianjin has developed an EV – called the ‘Tianjin’– that is powered entirely by solar […]
July 11, 2022
For a few weeks now, an e-ATAK eight-meter-long midibus of Turkish light commercial vehicle builder and bus manufacturer Karsan has been running autonomously on a daily service from Stavanger’s bus operator Kolumbus in Norway. It’s equipped with autonomous Level 4 driving hardware and software supplied by Californian company Adastec and is claimed to be the […]
July 08, 2022
Just one day after Cruise was granted an official license for commercial autonomous taxi rides, one of its robocars got involved in an accident injuring multiple passengers. The crash is under investigation. According to reports, a robotaxi from Cruise took a left turn on the 3rd of June at a junction in San Francisco but […]
June 14, 2022
Flanders has launched its first autonomous shuttle service in Mechelen. The vehicle will be operational in and around the industrial zone of Mechelen North and cover a 2,5 km loop in fifteen minutes. The top speed is about 15 km/hour. Although a driver is unnecessary, the shuttle still has a steward on board, just for […]
June 10, 2022
With two Ioniq 5 RoboRide cars with in-house developed level 4 autonomous driving technology, South Korean carmaker Hyundai has kicked off its first autonomous ride-hailing service in the country’s capital, Seoul. It got a temporary driving permit from the government, provided a safety driver is always on board. The pilot RoboRide will be the first […]
June 02, 2022
Dutch navigation service provider TomTom will be cutting about 500 jobs in the coming period, 10% of the total. The job losses will occur in more than 20 countries. The sites where the maps are made will bear the job losses. TomTom has recently invested a lot of money in a new way of making […]
May 11, 2022
South Korean carmaker Hyundai is investing $20 million in a new design and development center for future robotic vehicles, like ‘walking cars’, located in Montana State University’s Innovation Campus at Bozeman (US). It will employ a team of some fifty highly specialized engineers-scientists. Hyundai’s New Horizons Studio (NHS), a unit focused on developing Ultimate Mobility […]
May 02, 2022
Indian car group Tata has unveiled the Avinya, a mold-breaking and fast-charging EV concept that preludes a production version scheduled for 2025. In contrast to the overwhelming majority of futuristic studies, the Avinya has a completely screen-less interior. According to the carmaker, less screen time is the way forward. While Tata’s reputation isn’t one of […]
April 21, 2022
The British Department for Transportation (DfT) has proposed an update to the Highway Code, making it possible for drivers of autonomous cars to watch movies while the vehicle’s ‘autopilot’ has taken over control. The update also concludes that insurance companies are liable in the case of an accident with these types of cars and not […]
April 13, 2022
“Welcome to the future,” you’ll find on social media. A video showing San Francisco police officers trying to pull over a Cruise autonomous car with nobody inside is going viral on Instagram and Twitter. The vehicle was driving at night without its headlights on, and the police wanted to stop the driver… but there was […]
April 08, 2022
Inaugurated by the Cyber Rodeo event, Tesla has opened its new factory in Austin, Texas, not far from its new headquarters. With the recently opened Gigafactory in Berlin, the American electric car brand is ready to double its output and grow to 2 million vehicles annually. And yes, as usual, Elon Musk made some bold […]
March 23, 2022
The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR) has developed a ‘groundbreaking’ new concept of a lightweight plug-in fuel cell vehicle combining a 48 kWh rechargeable battery and a 45 kW fuel cell to offer a 1 000 km range. New letter words to learn: PFCV, PFCEV, PHFCEV? The Interurban Vehicle (IUV) […]
March 10, 2022
The all-electric spiritual successor to the iconic T1 Bulli doesn’t fail to wow. With intelligent safety systems, bidirectional charging, a spacious interior, and good fast-charging, the ID.Buzz will shake things up in a class still modestly waking up to electrification. Deliveries of the ID.Buzz are only scheduled for autumn, but Volkswagen already removed the blindfolds […]
January 26, 2022
Practice makes perfect. Only a week after Bosch and Volkswagen announced a collaboration for equipment solutions in battery factories, the two German giants are teaming up for another technology roll-out. This time the supplier and car-maker will join forces to scale up autonomous driving. Basically, they want to accelerate the market launch, for which both […]
December 29, 2021
Waymo, the ‘Alphabet-Google daughter’ running a fleet of autonomous taxis in Phoenix and San Francisco today, is partnering with Chinese luxury brand Zeekr for a purpose-built robot taxi. The fully electric AV (autonomous vehicle) will be designed by Geely’s research and development facility in Gothenburg, Sweden. The new vehicle will be rider-centric from the outset, […]
December 10, 2021
Next year, Mercedes is allowed to put SAE Level 3 of autonomous driving into practice. The premium car-builder from Stuttgart has won the approval of The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) to let its customers use the most advanced version of Drive Pilot in certain areas. In the race toward self-driving vehicles, the German […]
December 08, 2021
Software is the new gold in the automotive industry. Stellantis Group has unveiled its digital ambitions and wants to generate 4 billion euros by 2026 from software products and subscriptions. These revenues are expected to fivefold (20 billion euros) by the end of the decade. Replacing the old system of making money through the options […]
December 03, 2021
German luxury car and van manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has announced an important 60 billion euros investment plan for 2022 to 2026. Following the separation with Daimler Truck, the former Daimler Group aims at going all-electric by the end of the decade, wherever market conditions allow. “Our goal is technological leadership in the automotive luxury segment and […]
December 02, 2021
How weird can it get? Sitting on your ‘throne’ in the back of an Uber car that’s operated over 5G by a professional driver wearing VR goggles some miles away, while the whole car and the environment you’re driving through becomes one Metaverse to play with. Like a gigantic head-up display (HUD), holographic augmented reality […]
November 29, 2021
Chinese tech giant Baidu has started to put into service its Apollo Go robot taxis on the streets of Beijing, just as the Capital City authorized the commercial use of autonomous vehicles. Sixty-seven white SUVs with cameras and radars on the roof are in service in the south Beijing suburbs of Yizhuang. Users can hail […]
