China’s EV Startup Xpeng Unveils the Beta Version of its Advanced Self-Driving Feature Called ‘Navigation Guided Pilot’

Chinese EV startup and Tesla competitor Xpeng is one step closer to goal for self-driving cars. The company unveiled the beta version of its autonomous driving feature called Navigation Guided Pilot (NGP), which is similar to Tesla’s Autopilot and its Full Self-Driving feature. NGP is a key feature of Xpeng’s XPILOT 3.0 autonomous driving platform.

Eric Walz2021-01-15 15:25 PT

HERE Technologies Creates Detailed 3D Models of 75 City Centers to Help Drivers Better Navigate

Mapping company HERE Technologies announced that it created highly detailed 3D models of 75 major cities centers around the world to help drivers find their way around. The models are called “HERE Premier 3D Cities” and are used to visualize cities in 3D. The 3D city models can be accessed via a vehicle's navigation system, giving drivers a real world view of their surroundings while traveling in dense urban areas.

Eric Walz2021-01-13 12:10 PT

AI-Powered Chip Developer Horizon Robotics Raises $400 Million in Latest Funding Round

Beijing-based Horizon Robotics announced on Jan. 7 it raised $400 million in its Series C2 financing, which is led by Chinese battery manufacturer CATL, one of the world’s biggest suppliers of electric vehicle batteries to the auto industry, including Tesla. The startup is seeking to dominate the market for powerful embedded AI-powered chips for the millions of autonomous driving vehicles that the company expects to be on the road in China by 2025.

Eric Walz2021-01-07 11:00 PT

Xpeng Motors Announces its Next-Gen 5G-Powered Autonomous Driving Architecture

Electric vehicle startup Xpeng Motors is emerging as a strong competitor to Tesla in China with its advanced battery-powered vehicles. In addition to building advanced EVs, the company is focused on autonomous driving and vehicle connectivity. The latest result of that work was announced at Auto Guangzhou 2020, when the company announced its next-generation autonomous driving architecture.

Eric Walz2020-11-20 12:15 PT

Velodyne Unveils a New Solid State Lidar Sensor for Driver Assistance Systems & Autonomous Driving

Silicon Valley lidar pioneer Velodyne Lidar Inc​. has unveiled its newest lidar sensor designed to support advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) as well as autonomous driving. The sensor is called the Velarray H800. The company's latest lidar is targeted at automakers and OEMs, enabling them to develop better ADAS systems, such as automatic emergency braking (AEB) and Lane Keep Assist that helps reduce traffic accidents.

Eric Walz2020-11-13 17:05 PT

Honda Becomes the World’s First Automaker to Receive Approval to Build Cars With Level-3 Automated Driving Capabilities

Japan's Honda Motor Co. announced that it has received designation for Level-3 automated driving from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). This approval grants Honda permission to deploy an autonomous driving system on new Honda models that can take over from a human driver in some situations, such as when the vehicle is in traffic on the highway.

Eric Walz2020-11-11 10:40 PT

Tesla’s New 'Full Self-Driving' Beta Software is Being Closely Watched by U.S. Regulators

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it was closely watching Tesla’s latest beta software that launched on Tuesday, which allows its vehicles to drive themselves without human intervention. The NHTSA said it was standing by and ready to protect the public against safety risks.

FutureCar Staff 2020-10-22 13:55 PT

Mapping Company HERE Technologies Adds AccuWeather to its Maps, EV Drivers Can Now Better Estimate Range Based on Weather Data

Netherlands-based HERE Technologies, a leading location data and mapping company, today announced that AccuWeather has joined its HERE Marketplace and will offer its weather-related information on HERE's open mapping platform.

FutureCar Staff 2020-09-14 18:00 PT

The Latest Version of Tesla’s Autopilot Can Read Speed Limit Signs, Along with Other New Features

Tesla vehicles with the latest version of Autopilot get a new feature called “Speed Assist” which uses the vehicle’s cameras to detect speed limit signs to improve the accuracy of speed limit data on local roads, Tesla announced.

Eric Walz2020-09-01 14:15 PT

Tesla is ‘Very Close’ to Level-5 Autonomous Driving, Chief Executive Elon Musk Says

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk says that Tesla is “close” to achieving Level-5 autonomous driving. Musk made the comments in remarks made via a video message at the opening of Shanghai’s annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC). However, skeptics believe Level-5 autonomy is still years away.

Jeremy Carlton2020-07-09 10:00 PT

Volvo Car Group is Partnering With Waymo to Develop Robotaxis

Waymo is becoming an exclusive partner for the Volvo Car Group and will integrate its self-driving technology stack in Volvo vehicles. Initially, the two companies will work together to integrate an all-new mobility-focused electric vehicle platform for ride hailing services. The electric vehicles will be built by Volvo's new electric brand Polestar.

Jeremy Carlton2020-06-26 14:00 PT

Mercedes Benz & NVIDIA Are Developing a New Software-Based Vehicle Architecture That Supports OTA Updates

A new partnership between German automaker Mercedes Benz and chipmaker NVIDIA will give owners the ability to add new software to their vehicles, keeping them up always to date with new features, including software that support higher levels of automated driving.

Eric Walz2020-06-23 10:30 PT

Ford is Adding ’Hands Free Driving’ to its Co-Pilot360 Driver Assist System Next Year

​The Ford Motor Motor Company is updating its Co-Pilot360 advanced driver assist system (ADAS) next year to include a “hands free" autonomous driving feature, the automaker announced today. The optional hands-free driving system will be available on select 2021 Ford vehicles, including the upcoming Mach-E fully-electric SUV.

Eric Walz2020-06-18 10:30 PT

Volvo is Partnering with Silicon Valley Startup Luminar on Lidar for its Self-Driving Vehicles

Silicon Valley lidar startup Luminar has entered into a partnership with Volvo Cars to supply its lidar perception technology for the automaker’s next-generation self-driving vehicles. Luminar’s partnership with Volvo will support the automaker’s self-driving technology for highway driving called “Highway Pilot.”

Eric Walz2020-05-06 08:00 PT

Mercedes Benz & Bosch Launch a Pilot Robotaxi Service in Silicon Valley

Mercedes Benz along with its partner tier-1 automotive supplier Bosch, announced its is launching a pilot project for an app-based ride-hailing service using self-driving vehicles in the city of San Jose, California, which bills itself as the "Capital of Silicon Valley."

Eric Walz2019-12-10 10:55 PT

Self-driving Startup AutoX Applies for a Permit to Test its Vehicles Without a Human Backup Driver in California

Autonomous driving startup AutoX is looking to join Waymo as one of the only two companies granted a permit by the state of California to test self-driving vehicles on public roads without a backup safety driver.

Eric Walz2019-12-05 15:00 PT

EV Startup NIO to Partner with Intel’s Mobileye on Self-Driving Cars

Chinese electric car startup Nio is partnering with Intel’s autonomous driving subsidiary Mobileye to develop self-driving vehicles for the consumer market in China and eventually to other overseas markets.

Eric Walz2019-11-05 10:05 PT

Hyundai Launches ‘BotRide’ Autonomous SUVs in California with Pony.ai & Via

Hyundai Motor Co, in collaboration with autonomous driving startup Pony.ai and ride-hailing company Via, today unveiled “BotRide”, a shared, on-demand, autonomous vehicle service operating on public roads in California.

FutureCar Staff 2019-10-25 12:00 PT

Hyundai Develops the World’s First Machine Learning-based Cruise Control System

Hyundai Motor Group announced the development of a machine learning-based Smart Cruise Control (SCC-ML), which the company says incorporates the driver’s patterns into its self-driving behavior, creating a custom experience for the driver. The automaker said its the world’s first AI-based ADAS feature.

Eric Walz2019-10-21 10:00 PT

Consumer Reports Calls Telsa’s New Smart Summon Feature ‘Glitchy’

After thoroughly testing Tesla’s new Smart Summon feature, consumer watchdog publication Consumer Reports said automated parking system is “glitchy” and only works intermittently, raising questions about why Tesla released it to the public so soon.

Eric Walz2019-10-09 10:00 PT