General Motors Opens its Subscription-based OnStar Guardian App to the Public

General Motors announced on Monday that its opening its OnStar Guardian app to the public. Previously, OnStar Guardian was only available to GM vehicle owners that are subscribers to the company’s OnStar remote vehicle assist service.

Eric Walz2021-06-07 09:00 PT

Starting Today, BMW is Rolling Out an Over-the-Air Software Update for 1.3 Million Vehicles

​Automaker BMW is rolling out a Remote Software Upgrade for over 1 million vehicles equipped with BMW’s Operating System 7 starting today. The over-the-air software updates will begin with BMW vehicles in Germany. The BMW Remote Software Upgrade will update vehicles equipped with BMW Operating System 7 to Version 21-03.

Eric Walz2021-06-01 11:00 PT

Honda and AT&T to Offer Expanded in-car Entertainment Options Via the WarnerMedia RIDE App

Automaker Honda Motor Co has teamed up with AT&T in a new partnership to provide more entertainment options for passengers. The expanded in-car entertainment services will be provided through the WarnerMedia RIDE app, which will be offered to Honda and Acura owners that are subscribers of AT&T’s unlimited in-car Wi-Fi plan.

FutureCar Staff 2021-05-27 09:30 PT

Movandi Demonstrates its 5G mmWave Technology for Reliable & Fast Vehicle-to-Everything Communications

Movandi, a developer of 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) technology, announced on Monday a successful demonstration of a new technology that uses mmWave repeaters to support uninterrupted 5G vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications. The pilot was conducting in San Jose, CA.

FutureCar Staff 2021-05-25 15:20 PT

Audi and its Partners Demonstrate C-V2X Connected Vehicle Technology to Increase Safety Around School Buses

Audi of America and partners, Qualcomm, Applied Information, Commsignia, bus manufacturer Blue Bird, and others have announced the completion of a cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) deployment in Alpharetta, Georgia, designed to alert drivers to nearby school buses. The C- V2X technology can alert a driver when they’re entering an active school zone or approaching a school bus to reduce risks for children and other road users.

Eric Walz2021-05-20 12:15 PT

China’s Baidu Announces ‘Apollo Air’ Which Supports Self-driving Vehicles Using Real-time Data From 5G-Connected Roadside Units

​China’s tech giant Baidu is expanding its Apollo autonomous driving platform by adding vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications technology in which autonomous vehicles communicate with roadside sensors using ultra-fast 5G cellular networks. The new connected platform is called “Apollo Air." It’s one of the most advanced V2X projects to provide reliable safety redundancy for autonomous driving, according to Baidu.

Eric Walz2021-05-14 13:45 PT

Polestar Develops its Own Video Streaming App for the Polestar 2 EV

Electric-performance brand Polestar, which is jointly owned by Swedish automaker Volvo and its parent company Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely), has developed its own video streaming app for its Polestar 2, the company's first mass-market electric vehicle. The beta app, which is available now in all European markets, offers web-based streaming content from various providers directly to the vehicle's 11-inch center-mounted touchscreen display.

Eric Walz2021-05-06 09:15 PT

BMW iVentures Invests in Vendia, a Developer of Distributed Data & Code-Sharing Platform Using Blockchain

​BMW iVentures, the venture capital arm of German automaker BMW that’s based in Silicon Valley, is investing $15 million in Vendia, a data and code-sharing platform that one day might be used for managing the massive amounts of data generated by connected and autonomous vehicles.

Eric Walz2021-02-04 16:00 PT

Ford & Google Plan to Reinvent the Connected Vehicle Experience with New Android OS Partnership

Ford Motor Co. and Google have announced a new strategic partnership to accelerate the automaker's transformation and reinvent the connected vehicle experience. As part of the strategic partnership, Future Ford and Lincoln vehicles will come with Google’s Android Automotive OS. The Android OS is an embedded version of Android that Google developed specifically for vehicle infotainment systems.

Eric Walz2021-02-01 12:10 PT

Mercedes Benz Releases its New ‘Mercedes me’ Apps to Keep Drivers Connected to Their Vehicles

German automaker Mercedes Benz announced the next-generation "Mercedes Me" smartphone apps over the summer and the new apps are now available for download for both Android and iOS devices in the respective app stores. The updated Mercedes me apps offer an improved user experience and functionality, the automaker said.

FutureCar Staff 2020-12-23 09:55 PT

Audi & Qualcomm to Deploy Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything Technology on Virginia Roadways That Will Alert Drivers When Workers Are Present

In a collaborative effort between Audi of America, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and wireless infrastructure operator American Tower Corporation, the companies announced a milestone in an initial deployment of cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communication technology in Virginia that includes workers wearing special vests with built-in Vehicle to Pedestrian (V2P) communications technology that can alert drivers to their presence.

Eric Walz2020-09-29 17:30 PT

TomTom is Supplying Maps, Software and User Interface for Maserati’s New Intelligent Assistant (MIA) Infotainment System

Mapping and navigation company TomTom announced on Tuesday that it will provide automaker Maserati with maps, navigation software and connected services for the automaker’s all-new Maserati Intelligent Assistant (MIA) in-vehicle infotainment system for its new lineup of vehicles, including the MC20 supercar.

FutureCar Staff 2020-09-22 13:35 PT

Applied Information & Qualcomm to Integrate C-V2X Technology in Traffic Signals in Hawaii

Smart City technology developer Applied Information, Inc. announced today its plans to bring Cellular Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X) technology to the island of Hawaii. The company is working with wireless technology developer Qualcomm on the pilot, in which C-V2X technology will be integrated into 34 traffic signals along the high-traffic Nimitz Corridor in Honolulu.

Eric Walz2020-08-05 13:15 PT

Mercedes Benz Launches the Next-Generation ‘Mercedes me’ Apps to Keep Drivers Connected to Their Vehicles

German luxury automaker Mercedes Benz has launched the next-generation of its Mercedes “me” apps. The three new apps allow drivers to stay connected to their Mercedes Benz vehicles. The updated app interface lets drivers check their vehicle's status remotely, activate vehicle controls, schedule service, or summon roadside assistance from wherever they are.

Eric Walz2020-08-04 20:00 PT

BMW iVentures Invests in GenXComm, a Company Improving the Performance of 5G Networks Using Photonic Circuits

BMW i Ventures, the venture capital arm of the automaker that invests in high-performance startups, announced today an investment in GenXComm, an Austin, Texas-based company working to improve the throughput and performance of 5G communication networks. BMW said the investment will help it to significantly increase the speed of global deployment of vehicles with robust 5G connectivity.

Eric Walz2020-07-28 18:00 PT

Volkswagen is Seeking to Develop a Larger Percentage of its Vehicle Software In-House

German automaker Volkswagen AG is ramping up its efforts to develop the software and operating system (OS) for its future vehicles. However, rather than relying on third parties to develop the majority of code that will underpin millions of future Volkswagen vehicles, the automaker is looking to develop a bigger percentage of it in-house.

Eric Walz2020-06-19 15:30 PT

How Mercedes Benz is Keeping Drivers Safe Using ‘Car-to-X’ Communication Technology

One of the more recent technologies to emerge for passenger cars is vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) communications. Beginning in 2017, all Mercedes-Benz E-Class models have come standard with the automaker’s Car-to-X communication technology. The feature is now showing up in other Mercedes-Benz vehicles, including in the 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan.

Eric Walz2020-05-28 13:15 PT

China’s Baidu Completes its ‘Apollo Park’, the World’s Largest Autonomous Driving & Intelligent Vehicle Testing Site

The world’s largest intelligent vehicle infrastructure cooperative System (IVICS) has been completed in China, internet giant Baidu announced on Tuesday. The comprehensive test site is called “Apollo Park” and will support the development of autonomous vehicles as part of Baidu's open Apollo platform.

Eric Walz2020-05-27 12:15 PT

Continental Signs Agreement With Pioneer to Develop an Integrated High-Performance Vehicle Cockpit

One of the world’s biggest automotive component suppliers Continental is teaming up with electronics company Pioneer to develop a high-performance cockpit computer that integrates all of the driver information and infotainment systems in a single unit. As part of the partnership, Pioneer will provide the entire infotainment subdomain and Continental will integrate it into a high-performance cockpit for production vehicles.

Eric Walz2020-05-26 12:45 PT

Data Platform Provider Otonomo Announces Partnership with BMW Group to Aggregate Vehicle Generated Data

Automotive data services company Otonomo announced today a new partnership with German automaker BMW Group to increase the utilization of crowd-sourced data from BMW or MINI vehicles.

Eric Walz2020-04-14 15:00 PT