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Category: AutoRevolution

  • Google Assistant Driving Mode Now Replacing Android Auto

    Google Assistant Driving Mode Now Replacing Android Auto

    Google is killing Android Auto, replacing it with its Google Assistant Driving Mode.

    According to XDA, Users on Pixel phones running Android 12 have started receiving a message that Android Auto is no longer available on their devices.

    Android Auto is now only available for car screens. On your phone, try Google Assistant driving mode instead.

    Android Auto on phones was never meant to be a long-term solution, and only served as a stopgap measure until Google could finish rolling out Google Assistant Driving Mode. 

    Google confirmed to 9to5Google that the warning is not Android-version-specific, but is part of a larger plan to end support for the app on phones.

    Google Assistant driving mode is our next evolution of the mobile driving experience. For the people who use Android Auto in supported vehicles, that experience isn’t going away. For those who use the on phone experience (Android Auto mobile app), they will be transitioned to Google Assistant driving mode. Starting with Android 12, Google Assistant driving mode will be the built-in mobile driving experience. We have no further details to share at this time.

  • F-150 Plant Will Shut Down Due to Semiconductor Shortage

    F-150 Plant Will Shut Down Due to Semiconductor Shortage

    On the heels of news Toyota would cut September production, Ford’s F-150 plant in Kansas City will shut down as a result of the semiconductor shortage.

    The semiconductor shortage has been impacting automakers around the world, with many forced to close plants, cut back production or ship vehicles without their full compliment of chips.

    Ford is currently being impacted, and will halt production at its Kansas City F-150 plant for one week, according to Reuters. The shutdown will begin August 23.

  • Toyota Will Cut Worldwide Production 40% in September

    Toyota Will Cut Worldwide Production 40% in September

    Toyota is the latest automaker to experience issues as a result of the semiconductor shortage, cutting production 40% in September.

    The global semiconductor shortage has impacted a variety of industries, but the automotive industry has been hit particularly hard. Toyota is the latest company to have to alter its plans as a result.

    According to BBC, Toyota initially planned on producing 900,000 vehicles in September, but is scaling that back to a mere 540,000. Toyota had been relatively insulated from the shortage, compared to its rivals, as a result of its decision to take more proactive steps to stockpile components and protect its supply chain. The decision was made in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster.

    It would seem Toyota may have exhausted, or be close to exhausting, its stockpile of semiconductors. With COVID cases experiencing a resurgence, the pandemic is putting renewed strain on companies and manufacturers, and would seem to indicate there is no immediate relief in sight.

  • GM and AT&T Partnering to Bring 5G to Vehicles

    GM and AT&T Partnering to Bring 5G to Vehicles

    GM and AT&T are partnering to bring 5G to GM’s vehicle lineup right off the assembly line.

    5G promises to revolutionize multiple industries, with its high speeds and low latency. Few stand to benefit as much as the automotive industry, with 5G seen as a crucial component of autonomous driving efforts.

    GM and AT&T are working together to make that a reality by bringing 5G to GM’s lineup by the end of the decade. The two companies will collaborate on building out a high performance 5G core, with a focus on improved coverage of roadways, better over-the-air software updates, improved navigation and mapping, as well as faster music and video downloads.

    The technology will begin rolling out in select 2024 models.

    “Together with AT&T, we’ve brought unprecedented experiences to the daily commute, family road trips and everything in between,” said Santiago Chamorro, GM vice president of Global Connected Services. “As an in-vehicle connectivity leader, this rollout demonstrates our commitment to growth through software-enabled services and reimagining every customer touchpoint by enabling faster connectivity speeds to power in-vehicle voice-enabled services, navigation, and apps that our customers have grown to love.”

    “By connecting millions of GM vehicles to our nationwide 5G network, we will improve the customer experience for existing services while laying the groundwork for the next wave of innovation including autonomous driving,” said Gregory Wieboldt, senior vice president, Global Business, Industry Solutions, AT&T. “We now connect more vehicles than any other carrier and GM has played a critical role in our success. We’re honored to work alongside GM to usher the next chapter of connected driving.”

  • Senators Calling for FTC Investigation Into Tesla’s Self-Driving Claims

    Senators Calling for FTC Investigation Into Tesla’s Self-Driving Claims

    Senators Edward J. Markey and Richard Blumenthal have called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate Tesla’s marketing claims.

    Tesla has been touting its Autopilot and Full-Self Driving (FSD) features, but the reality hasn’t quite lived up to the description. In fact, Consumer Reports found Tesla’s software was “easily tricked.”

    The issues have caught the attention of Senators Markey and Blumenthal, and they are urging the FTC to investigate.

    “Tesla’s marketing has repeatedly overstated the capabilities of its vehicles, and these statements increasingly pose a threat to motorists and other users of the road,” wrote the senators to FTC Chair Lina Khan. “Accordingly, we urge you to open an investigation into potentially deceptive and unfair practices in Tesla’s advertising and marketing of its driving automation systems and take appropriate enforcement action to ensure the safety of all drivers on the road.”

    “[T]here are no fully autonomous vehicles currently available on the market,” the senators continued, stressing the limitations of Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD technology. “Understanding these limitations is essential, for when drivers’ expectations exceed their vehicle’s capabilities, serious and fatal accidents can and do result.”

  • TSMC Turns in Record Quarter, Warns of Ongoing Shortages

    TSMC Turns in Record Quarter, Warns of Ongoing Shortages

    TSMC reported its quarterly earnings, including record sales and an 11% increase in revenue.

    TSMC is the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturer. The company is the primary chip-maker for Apple, and also makes chips for Intel, Qualcomm, AMD, NVIDIA, Alphabet and others.

    The company has now reported record revenue of $13.29 billion, a 28% increase. Net profit was up 11%, coming in at $4.81 billion.

    “Our second quarter business was mainly driven by continued strength in HPC and Automotive-related demand,” said Wendell Huang, VP and Chief Financial Officer of TSMC. “Moving into third quarter 2021, we expect our business to be supported by strong demand for our industry-leading 5nm and 7nm technologies, driven by all four growth platforms, which are smartphone, HPC, IoT and Automotive-related applications.”

    TSMC is projecting third-quarter revenue to come in somewhere between $14.6 billion and $14.9 billion.

    According to Bloomberg, the company also warned chip shortages could continue into next year, although automakers may see some relief as early as this quarter.

  • Autonomous Cars Harder to Develop Than Elon Musk Thought

    Autonomous Cars Harder to Develop Than Elon Musk Thought

    Elon Musk has admitted developing autonomous cars is harder than he thought, as the timeline for the latest software update slips again.

    Like most automakers, Tesla is working hard to crack autonomous driving, widely seen as the next big evolution for the auto industry. The company’s software has been criticized for being ‘easily tricked,’ and there have been several high-profile deaths involving Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD).

    When a user poked fun on Twitter over the latest software update missing its deadline, Musk responded, acknowledging the difficulties involved.

    Musk’s admission underscores the challenges companies are facing in their effort to bring the auto industry into the future.

  • GM’s Sales Increase 40% on Strong Consumer Demand

    GM’s Sales Increase 40% on Strong Consumer Demand

    Despite constrained inventory and a global semiconductor shortage, GM sold 40% more vehicles in its second quarter.

    Like virtually every automaker, GM has been impacted by a global semiconductor shortage, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. GM has been forced to halt production at some plants, and has resorted to shipping some trucks without their full complement of fuel economy chips, resulting in 1 MPG less for the life of the vehicle.

    Despite these challenges, GM posted sales of some 688,236 vehicles in the US during the second quarter. This represents an increase of 40% over the year-ago quarter.

    The company’s SUV and EV sales were an especially strong bright spot. The Chevy Bolt EV, along with the Traverse SUV, had its best ever second-quarter and first-half sales.

    “The U.S. economy is accelerating, consumer spending is robust and jobs are plentiful,” said Elaine Buckberg, GM chief economist. “Consumer demand for vehicles is also strong, but constrained by very tight inventories. We expect continued high demand in the second half of this year and into 2022.”

    “The agility and creativity of our supply chain, purchasing, engineering and manufacturing teams, in collaboration with our suppliers and dealers, have helped us continue to satisfy customers and gain market share in some of the highest demand segments of the market,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president, Sales Operations.

  • Subaru Shutting Japanese Plants in July Due to Semiconductor Shortage

    Subaru Shutting Japanese Plants in July Due to Semiconductor Shortage

    The semiconductor shortage continues to take a toll, with Subaru announcing it is temporarily shutting down plants in Japan in July.

    The COVID-19 pandemic helped spark a worldwide shortage in the semiconductor industry. While production was initially impacted as a result of lockdowns, the demand has been uncharacteristically high as people have bought laptops, tablets and gaming devices in record numbers.

    The auto industry has been hit particularly hard, with Ford, GM, BMW and Honda all being impacted. Subaru is now planning on closing plants its Japan Gunma plants in July, according to Reuters.

    “It is part of the production adjustment due to shortage of semiconductors,” Subaru spokesperson said.

    The plants will be shut down on July 16, although the company is also considering shutting down its Kosai and Sagara plants in Shizuoka, Japan. Should it go that route, those plants will be closed two and seven days respectively.

  • Volvo First Automaker to Pursue Fossil-Free Steel

    Volvo First Automaker to Pursue Fossil-Free Steel

    Volvo is working with Swedish steel maker SSAB in an effort to move to fossil-free steel for automotive production.

    Volvo has been one of the automakers working to transition to an all-electric lineup, with the company planning on completing the transition by 2030. Not content to stop there, the company is looking to reduce its carbon footprint even further by exploring fossil-free steel — steel made with electricity and hydrogen energy instead of coal-fueled furnaces.

    SSAB is working to bring commercial scale fossil-free steel to the market by 2026, and Volvo is wasting no time exploring its viability for auto production.

    “As we continuously reduce our total carbon footprint, we know that steel is a major area for further progress,” said Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive at Volvo Cars. “The collaboration with SSAB on fossil-free steel development could give significant emission reductions in our supply chain.”

    “We are building an entirely fossil-free value chain all the way to the end customer,” Martin Lindqvist, President and CEO at SSAB said. “Our breakthrough technology has virtually no carbon footprint and will help strengthen our customer´s competitiveness. Together with Volvo Cars, we aim to develop fossil-free steel products for the cars of the future.”

  • Data Breach Impacts 3.3 Million VW Customers in North America

    Data Breach Impacts 3.3 Million VW Customers in North America

    Volkswagen has disclosed a data breach with one of its vendors, impacting some 3.3 million North American customers and prospective buyers.

    Volkswagen is currently the largest auto maker in the world, and has been for several years. Like many companies, however, VW uses outside vendors to help handle sales and marketing data, and it appears one of those vendors is responsible for a massive data breach.

    According to Reuters, the breach involved sales and marketing data collected between 2014 and 2019, primarily for VW’s Audi brand. The vendor responsible for the data had left it unsecured on the internet from August 2019 to May 2021 when it was accessed by an unauthorized third party.

    VW told regulators that phone numbers and email addresses comprised the bulk of the data accessed, although vehicle information may also have been involved. Of sensitive data accessed, 95% of it involved driver license numbers, with a small amount also including birth dates, Social Security number and account numbers.

  • GM OnStar Guardian Available for Non-GM Vehicles

    GM OnStar Guardian Available for Non-GM Vehicles

    General Motors has made its OnStar Guardian software available for non-GM vehicles.

    OnStar Guardian is the company’s mobile app, designed to improve safety. For example, OnStar Guarding uses smartphone sensors to detect a crash and alert an Emergency-Certified OnStar Advisor4.

    “We are excited to deliver the power and promise of OnStar’s key safety features to more people in more places with the expanded launch of OnStar Guardian,” said Santiago Chamorro, GM vice president of Global Connected Services. “Over the past year, we’ve heard incredible stories that illustrate how OnStar Guardian has helped our members. As pandemic-related restrictions relax and people begin to travel again, we understand it is important that everyone feels protected and connected. That is why we are expanding this subscription offering based on our expansive insights.”

    The app is available on iOS and Android, and users can add up to seven additional individuals in the MyFamily section. The app is available to all GM drivers with an OnStar subscription. Non-GM drivers can download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and purchase a standalone subscription.

  • Nissan, Suzuki and Mitsubishi the Latest Automakers Impacted by Semiconductor Shortage

    Nissan, Suzuki and Mitsubishi the Latest Automakers Impacted by Semiconductor Shortage

    Nissan, Suzuki and Mitsubishi are joining the ranks of automakers impacted by the semiconductor shortage, announcing halted or reduced production.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a severe shortage of semiconductors. Originally the issue stemmed from factories being close due to lockdowns and quarantine. The problem has been exacerbated by a huge uptick in demand for computers, tablets and gaming consoles as people have been working and gaming from home.

    Ford, Honda and BMW have already felt the impact. GM has even gone so far as to ship trucks without their full complement of fuel economy chips, leading them to have worse fuel mileage than previous models.

    According to Reuters, Nissan is now planning on halting production for some models in its Mexico plant, while Suzuki will idle three of its factories in the Shizuoka prefecture from three to nine days.

    “A global shortage of semiconductors has affected parts procurement in the auto sector. Due to the shortage, Nissan is adjusting production and taking necessary actions to ensure recovery,” a Nissan spokeswoman told Reuters.

    Intel is trying to step up to help with the auto semiconductor shortage, but its plans won’t bear fruit for another six to nine months.

  • California DMV Reviewing Tesla Over Self-Driving Claims

    California DMV Reviewing Tesla Over Self-Driving Claims

    Tesla is currently “under review” by California’s DMV to determine if the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology claims were misleading.

    Like many companies, Tesla has been working toward autonomous driving technology. Autonomous driving software is ranked on a scale of 0 to 5, with 0 having no autonomous capabilities and 5 requiring no driver control. Currently, Tesla’s FSD is considered a Level 2 technology. Tesla’s tech has recently come under fire for being easily fooled and endangering people’s lives.

    In spite of its limitations, Musk has touted FSD, even going so far as to exaggerate claims about the technology. Those exaggerations have helped bring unwanted scrutiny on Tesla, with The L.A. Timesreporting the California DMV is reviewing the company’s claims. In particular, the company’s labeling its technology as “self-driving,” let alone “Full Self-Driving,” could pose legal issues.

    “Tesla seems to be asking for legal trouble on many fronts,” law professor Bryant Walker Smith told the L.A. Times. “From the FTC and its state counterparts for deceptive marketing. From the California DMV for, potentially, crossing into the realm of autonomous vehicle testing without state approval, from competitors with driver assistance systems, competitors with actual automated driving systems, ordinary consumers, and future crash victims who could sue under state or federal law.”

    Although California law holds the driver responsible for any accidents, the DMV still has the authority to impose penalties on companies that make misleading claims. The penalties could range from withholding autonomous deployment permits to revoking manufacturing and dealership licenses.

  • Tesla Raises Prices on Model 3 and Model Y

    Tesla Raises Prices on Model 3 and Model Y

    Tesla has raised prices on some of its electric vehicles, thanks to a global semiconductor shortage.

    The pandemic has sparked a major shortage of semiconductors, one that is being felt across industries. Tech companies have struggled to keep up with demand as remote workers, gamers and distance learners have driven demand for computers, tablets and consoles. Even Apple, a company renowned for its supply chain management, has reportedly had to delay some rollouts as result of the shortage.

    Automakers have also experienced issues, with multiple companies slowing or shutting down production temporarily. Tesla is the latest to give indications it is being impacted.

    According to TheStreet, the Model 3 Standard Range, Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor AWD and. the Model Y Long Range Dual Motor AWD will see a price increase of $500.

  • GM CEO Wants Personal Autonomous Vehicles by 2030

    GM CEO Wants Personal Autonomous Vehicles by 2030

    General Motors CEO Mary Barra is has expressed her desire to have personal autonomous vehicles by 2030.

    Autonomous and self-driving vehicles are the next major evolution of the automotive industry. Early studies have shown autonomous vehicles can significantly reduce accidents and fatalities. Autonomous vehicles also promise to revolutionize the entire driving experience, freeing individuals from the tedium of actually driving. Instead, the daily commute could eventually be used to relax, watch TV or engage in any number of other activities.

    Many companies are focusing their self-driving efforts primarily on fleet vehicles, ride-sharing and other commercial applications. GM CEO Mary Barra, however, wants to see autonomous personal vehicles from GM by 2030.

    “There’s a lot to still unfold, but I believe we’ll have personal autonomous vehicles and then that will leverage the capability we have at Cruise with the capability that we have at the car company to really be well positioned to delight the customers from that perspective,” Barra said, according to TechCrunch. “So both paths are very important because the technology we put on vehicles today I think makes them safer and delights the customers and is going to give us an opportunity for subscription revenue, and then the ultimate work that we’re doing at Cruise, that is full autonomous, really opens up, you know, more possibilities then I think we can outline today.”

    GM has taken a measured approach to autonomous driving. Given that, Barra’s statement will likely put pressure on any slower-moving companies to pick up the pace.

  • 20% of California EV Owners Revert to Gas Vehicles

    20% of California EV Owners Revert to Gas Vehicles

    Electric vehicle (EV) adoption has a problem keeping people long-term, as 20% of California EV owners switch back as a result of inconvenience.

    EV adoption is one of the main thrusts many governments and companies are promoting as a way to slow greenhouse gases and fight climate change. Many automakers have already committed to transitioning their entires lineups to hybrid or fully electric vehicles within the next decade.

    Unfortunately, a large portion of EV owners ultimately end up going back to gasoline vehicles because of the inconvenience surrounding charging. A study by Nature Energy, regarding plug-in electric vehicles (PEV), found that “PEV discontinuance in California occurs at a rate of 20% for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle owners and 18% for battery electric vehicle owners.”

    Much of the issues stemmed from issues “related to dissatisfaction with the convenience of charging, having other vehicles in the household that are less efficient, not having level 2 (240-volt) charging at home, having fewer household vehicles and not being male.”

    The low-voltage of outlets, in particular, are a major issue, with some users reporting a mere few miles range on an hour’s charge.

    Nature Energy’s study illustrates the importance of continued development in battery technology that provides faster charging and higher capacities.

  • Ford, BMW and Honda’s Production Impacted by Semiconductor Crisis

    Ford, BMW and Honda’s Production Impacted by Semiconductor Crisis

    Ford, BMW and Honda are all experiencing major production issues as a result of the global semiconductor shortage.

    The global pandemic sparked a semiconductor shortage as a result of production issues resulting from lockdowns. In addition, the move toward remote work has caused tablets and computers to see their highest demand in some time.

    The auto industry has been one of the hardest hit, with automakers across the spectrum experiencing production delays as a result of the chip shortage. According to Bloomberg, multiple automakers have signaled trouble, all within a 12-hour timeframe.

    Honda plans to halt production at three of its factories in Japan. BMW will cut back production in plants in both Germany and England. Meanwhile, Ford has warned its earnings for the year will suffer as a result of the chip shortage.

    Chipmakers the world over are working to address the crisis. Intel is even working with automotive chipmakers to bring its manufacturing abilities to bear. In spite of that, expects believe the semiconductor challenge will last at least a couple of years.

  • Ford Moving EV Battery Production In-House

    Ford Moving EV Battery Production In-House

    Ford has taken a major step toward moving its electric vehicle (EV) battery production in-house, with the announcement of Ford Ion Park.

    Ford Ion Park is the company’s facility dedicated to pioneering various methods of battery production. The project will bring together a cross-functional team of 150 experts to help address the entire scope of battery production, from mining to development to manufacturing to recycling.

    Like most manufacturers, Ford is leaning heavily into hybrid and EV development, and taking a more hands-on approach to its battery development will give it a competitive advantage over some of its rivals.

    “We’re already scaling production of all-electric vehicles around the world as more customers experience and crave the fun-to-drive benefits of electric vehicles with zero emissions,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product platform and operations officer. “Investing in more battery R&D ultimately will help us speed the process to deliver more, even better, lower cost EVs for customers over time.”

    “We are creating new tools and solutions we need for a carbon-free, affordable and better future,” Thai-Tang added. “We are modernizing Ford’s battery development and manufacturing capabilities so we can better control costs and production variables in-house and scale production around the world with speed and quality.”

    The 200,000 square-foot lab is in Southeast Michigan, with the team already underway. An additional $185 million collaborative learning lab will also be build in the area, “dedicated to developing, testing and building vehicle battery cells and cell arrays opens late next year.”

  • Toyota Acquiring Lyft’s Self-Driving Division

    Toyota Acquiring Lyft’s Self-Driving Division

    Lyft has announced Toyota subsidiary Woven Planet is acquiring its self-driving division, Level 5.

    Autonomous driving is widely considered to be the next major evolution of the auto industry. Unfortunately, autonomous driving has been a difficult technology to crack for companies of all sizes. Tesla recently was called out by Consumer Reports for self-driving tech that’s easily fooled.

    Meanwhile, Level 5 was launched in 2017, with the goal being to have a majority of rides happen in self-driving vehicles by 2021. Instead, Lyft is now selling off its self-driving division after failing to meet those goals. Woven Planet, Toyota’s autonomous driving division, is buying Level 5 for $550 million.

    “Today’s announcement launches Lyft into the next phase of an incredible journey to bring our mission to life,” Lyft Co-Founder and CEO Logan Green said. “Lyft has spent nine years building a transportation network that is uniquely capable of scaling AVs. This partnership between Woven Planet and Lyft represents a major step forward for autonomous vehicle technology.”

    “This acquisition assembles a dream team of world-class engineers and scientists to deliver safe mobility technology for the world,” James Kuffner, CEO of Woven Planet said. “The Woven Planet team, alongside the team of researchers at Toyota Research Institute, have already established a center of excellence for software development, automated driving, and advanced safety technology within the Toyota Group. I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Level 5’s world-class engineers and experts into our company, which will greatly strengthen our efforts.”

  • Consumer Reports: Tesla Autopilot ‘Easily Tricked’ Into Operating Without Driver

    Consumer Reports: Tesla Autopilot ‘Easily Tricked’ Into Operating Without Driver

    Consumer Reports (CR) has tested Tesla’s Autopilot software and it’s not good news for the electric vehicle company.

    In the wake of the fatal crash in Spring, Texas, in which it was reported that no one was behind the wheel, CR wanted to see if that scenario was possible. Tesla’s Autopilot software is only supposed to work in certain conditions, conditions which include a driver in the driver’s seat.

    Unfortunately, Jake Fisher, CR’s senior director of auto testing, was able to easily and repeatedly bypass Tesla’s safeguards. In multiple tests, Fisher engaged Autopilot, put a weighted chain on the steering wheel to simulate the weight of a hand, slid over into the passenger seat, and then accelerated the stopped Tesla using the steering wheel dial.

    “The car drove up and down the half-mile lane of our track, repeatedly, never noting that no one was in the driver’s seat, never noting that there was no one touching the steering wheel, never noting there was no weight on the seat,” Fisher says. “It was a bit frightening when we realized how easy it was to defeat the safeguards, which we proved were clearly insufficient.”

    Fisher’s overall evaluation of Tesla’s Autopilot was equally damning, especially compared to what’s available from its competitors.

    “In our evaluation, the system not only failed to make sure the driver was paying attention, but it also couldn’t tell if there was a driver there at all,” says Jake Fisher, CR’s senior director of auto testing, who conducted the experiment. “Tesla is falling behind other automakers like GM and Ford that, on models with advanced driver assist systems, use technology to make sure the driver is looking at the road.”