GM Putting Major Effort To Make a Dent In Ford’s Pickup Dominance

GM has been watching Ford, hungry for its share of the pickup truck segment. The F-series pickups are practically synonymous with pickups in America, but by paying close attention to technology, the F-series’ construction methods, and materials, GM is planning to unveil a vehicle that can give the F-series a serious, dangerous competitor. The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are the contenders, and between the extreme weight and metal cutbacks, these pickups are rated to get around 32 miles to the gallon - light SUV gas efficiency levels. Not only that, but since the cost to make the body is reduced, that gives more budget to put entertainment or tech suites into the car. Let’s see how this battle turns out, folks.   When General Motors Co (GM.N) engineers were developing the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks, some of them joined public tours of Ford Motor Co’s (F.N) Dearborn, Michigan factory to watch aluminum-bodied F-series trucks go down the assembly line. The redesign of the Ford F-series trucks, launched in 2014, set a new standard for fuel economy and lightweight vehicle construction. But armed with stopwatches and trained eyes, the GM engineers believed they saw problems. “They had a real hard time getting those doors to fit,” Tim Herrick, the executive chief engineer for GM truck programs told Reuters. His team did more intelligence gathering. They bought and tore apart Ford F-series doors sold as repair parts. Their conclusion: GM could cut weight in its trucks for a lower cost using doors made of a combination of aluminum and high strength steel that could be thinner than standard steel, shaving off kilograms in the process. Click here to continue reading

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Toyota Warns Trump Tariffs Will Only Hurt Workers and Consumer Wallets

President Trump’s trade tariffs seem to be driving Toyota up a wall, as the company is letting reporters know. The tariffs will add about $3,000 to the sticker price of its most popular cars, due to the fact that Toyota is not an American automaker. The broad scope of the tariffs and the fact they actually hurt consumers more has Toyota trying to communicate with the press very intently. For example, the Toyota Camry is assembled in Kentucky, but still will be subject to the tariff and cost and extra $1,800 to the consumer, according to the company.   The Trump administration's trade war will make Toyota pickup trucks and minivans more expensive, adding about $3,000 to the sticker price of some of its best-selling automobiles, Toyota executives said after reporting record profits Friday. Global net income at the Japanese automaker rose from 613.0 billion yen ($5.52 billion) to 657.3 billion yen during its first quarter ended June 30. But executives told reporters on a call Friday that the increased U.S. tariffs could seriously affect Toyota's bottom line and hurt jobs. "A 25 percent tariff on automotive imports, which is just a tax on consumers, would increase the cost of every vehicle sold in the country," Toyota said in a statement. The extremely popular Toyota Camry sedan, which is assembled in Kentucky, would cost an extra $1,800 if a 25 percent tariff were to take effect, the company said. Click here to continue reading

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Ford May Be Bringing the Courier Back, and to the North America Market

Car rumors are always fun, but here’s a really fun one: Ford may be bringing back the Courier, a small pickup sold primarily in countries like Brazil and Mexico. Ford has just applied to trademark the Courier name, which was last applied to a 70s 80s small pickup. According to reports, the Courier will be built on the Ford Focus framework. When asked about whether the Courier is coming back a Ford spokesperson sent an email saying Ford is “significantly expanding our North America lineup with all-new vehicles and entering new segments with fresh designs.” Yes or no? Who knows?   Ford is rumored to be working on a small subcompact pickup truck that may also make its way to the North American market. The new truck is expected to serve as the informal replacement to the Ford Courier—a small pickup that was sold in countries such as Brazil and Mexico. Whereas the previous Courier was based on old Ford Fiesta components, Automobile Magazine reported the new model will share its underpinnings with the latest global Ford Focus compact car. Supporting the model’s North American prospects: Ford has applied to trademark the Courier name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The nameplate was previously applied to a Mazda-based compact pickup truck Ford sold in the United States throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. More recently, Ford has used the name on the Transit Courier small van that is sold overseas, and it’s possible that Ford’s trademark application is in reference to that vehicle. Click here to continue reading

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Ford and VW May Work Together on a Mid-size Pickup

The new decade is approaching, that that means that automakers are looking to come up with new, sexy ideas. Well, how sexy is a team-up between Ford and Volkswagen on a mid-size pickup truck? If rumor isn’t quite enough for a first taste, the rumors are circulating because of hints the companies are giving out themselves. There’s a joint venture between the two to make commercial vehicles, but a regional managing director for VW hinted that there might be more than just commercial trucks coming out of that arrangement. The Ford Ranger and VW Amarok might even share tech and parts. More concrete details will no doubt follow later.   Australian website GoAuto is reporting, based on an interview with a local Volkswagen executive, that the next-generation Amarok pickup truck could be related to the next-generation Ford Ranger pickup truck. The story was soon picked up by Automobile, where we saw it (because we don’t often peruse Australian news). Cue head-shaking surprise! Could it be that Ford would team up with VW to develop a new mid-size truck? Maybe. In his interview with GoAuto, Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Michael Bartsch touched on a recently announced commercial-vehicle joint venture between the German automaker and Ford, leaving open the possibility that the connection could bear fruit beyond work vehicles. Of course, justification along the lines of lowered development costs, complex global-supply-chain matters, and tariffs were dangled as hints that a VW/Ford mid-size-pickup mashup could be in the works after each automaker updates its trucks for 2020. Click here to continue reading

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Foreign Automakers Trying to Fill Sedan Gap Left By Domestic Automakers

Sports Utility Vehicles. Those words sound like money to domestic automakers like GM and Ford, but when they move toward them at the expense of other words like “sedan” and “luxury sub-brand,” who fills the gap? Well, companies like Honda Motor Co. are hoping that by attending to the base that wants a sedan, those customers will gravitate to their luxury brands like the Acura to fix their demand for luxury vehicles, even if it’s less than that for SUVs and crossovers. Maybe domestic makers are leaving too wide a niche for the competition to get into… time will tell in the years to come.   In the Age of Ute, the future of mainstream sedans is in flux: Detroit automakers Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles are largely exiting the passenger-car market to concentrate on profit-rich SUVs. But for foreign automakers, sedans are not only profitable, they're seen as an opportunity. Sedans as well as SUVs are important foundation stones for their luxury brands — and introductory gateways to higher-priced models. As domestic automakers leave sedans, some auto insiders wonder if they are ceding a competitive advantage to full-line foreign automakers. Take Honda Motor Co., which depends on less-expensive Honda-branded offerings to feed new customers to luxury-brand Acura. Click here to continue reading  

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GM Warns It Might Discontinue Chinese-made ‘Envision’ Model Because of Tariffs

Amid the President’s continuing sweeping 25 percent tariff on many imported Chinese goods, carmakers are among the unlucky businesses left to account for it. General Motors is in a particularly bad spot, due to the popularity of its Buick Envision luxury crossover both in China and the U.S.A. GM has applied for an exemption for the big moneymaker, but it warns that it might discontinue the line in America if they can’t get the government’s exemption. Considering that 19 percent of U.S. Buicks sold were Envisions, that’s a pretty big sacrifice to make...   President Donald Trump's 25 percent tariff on certain goods imported from China into the U.S. is now in effect and unfortunately for Buick, cars are part of that sweep. General Motors is making an effort to get an exemption for the Chinese-built Buick Envision SUV, but last week the company warned that it might discontinue the model in America if its request isn’t approved, according to Automotive News. Starting in the 2016 model year, the Buick Envision became the first ever made-in-China Buick to be available for sale in this country. China is by far Buick’s biggest market and from a manufacturing perspective, it just makes sense for Buick to build the Envision where they’re going to sell more of them and import them into the U.S. It also makes sense that they'd want to keep it in the American market: in 2017, about 19 percent of all Buicks sold in the U.S. were Envisions. That's a lot of sales to save. Click here to continue reading

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Buick Commercials Imply a Move Away From Passenger Vehicles

The actors communicate Buick’s message via mistaking a Buick for a passenger vehicle: Buick is changing, folks. Image changes are bound to happen with long-lived companies, but few try to sell it as hard as Buick is. With SUVs on the rise and passenger sedans on the decline, it makes sense that Buick wants people to see its relevance in areas outside of sedans. Indeed, Buick’s sales in the SUV sector are seeing the same buying trends nationally that other companies are seeing, so buttering up the customers to show off their good side makes good business sense.   When Buick launched its “That’s Not a Buick” advertising campaign a few years back, it was to highlight the new look that the Buick line had adopted. Buick’s most recent advertisement, entitled “Mistaken Identity,” employs a similar theme of misidentifying Buick vehicles. Yet, while the old advertisements broadcasted the new design portfolio of Buick’s vehicles, this latest commercial seems to signal another change for the Buick line: a shift away from sedans. [...] All of the cases of mistaken identity featured in the ad have one thing in common: onlookers mistake someone’s Buick for a traditional Buick sedan. Ultimately, it is the utility model that serves as the desired vehicle. Click here to continue reading

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American Automakers Poised to be Hurt by Upcoming Tariffs

Although there have been some incredible gains in the auto industry insofar as recent sales surges have been concerned, American auto manufacturers like GM, Ford, and Chrysler are more than worried that the proposed tariffs by the executive branch may have incredibly detrimental effects on the domestic auto industry. Worse is that those problems would then be on the workers’ shoulders, meaning there may be impending layoffs coming soon that are unavoidable.   Automakers have been reaping a windfall from a strong economy and sales of big, profitable vehicles for the last several years. But the profit bonanza may be coming to an abrupt end amid concerns about escalating costs stemming from a global trade dispute. And consumers may have to pay the bill in the form of higher prices. President Donald Trump's sudden imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs and the possibility of tariffs on imported and exported vehicles threaten to undermine the industry's finances and increase prices for consumers. His tariff threats have drawn support from the United Auto Workers union, which represents hourly U.S. workers for GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler, and from U.S. steel companies. Click Here to Continue Reading

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GM (Also) Launching an Airbnb-Style Car Sub-Renting Program

General Motors seems to be running in a different direction from other carmakers by trying out an Airbnb-style rental program, a fairly new concept in the auto industry, similar to (but independent of) one we discussed before. Like the aforementioned company, subscribers would list their car when it is not being used, and give people permission to drive their car, which would in turn earn easy cash for the car’s owner. However, we all know how people like to drive when they’re in someone else’s car, and that would probably be a nightmare on your upkeep costs. Instead, do as we recommended in the other piece about an Airbnb-style-car-renting program and just get an affordable used car through us instead.   Car ownership ain’t what it used to be. Despite more people buying cars than ever before, the big auto companies are experimenting with alternate ownership models under the assumption that their sales will drop in the future. The most recent example is General Motors, which announced Tuesday a new peer-to-peer car-sharing service, in which owners of GM-branded vehicles would rent their cars to other people.The service, which will be operated under the automaker’s two-year-old Maven car-sharing company, has been in works for months. But it will be limited at first: car owners who live in Chicago, Detroit, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, can list and rent out their own personal cars when they aren’t using them, much like Airbnb users do with their homes and apartments. Click Here to Continue Reading

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“Airbnb For Cars” Expects to be the Future of Car Ownership

Andre Haddad, the CEO of Turo, has a lot of faith in his business plan if he’s letting people drive in his own small fleet of cars. Turo, best described as the Airbnb of car ownership, is a company looking to change up the way people do car lending by managing it through an app, like Uber or those yellow bikes littering the sidewalks. He’s put his Audis and Teslas (yes, plural) to work and has so far made over $11K in 2018 through rental. However, if you’re not keen on sharing cars with other people (or their germs or the way they smell), make sure to browse CarDaddy to find an affordable ride you won’t be forced to share just to afford.   Over the last Fourth of July weekend, Andre Haddad handed over the keys to his cars to seven strangers. While he barbecued with family at home, his Audi R8 and three Teslas carried guests where they needed to go. By Sunday night, they were back in his driveway. Haddad rents out the vehicles on Turo, a person-to-person car-sharing service most easily described as "Airbnb for cars," where Haddad has been CEO since 2011. "I'm a car enthusiast. I have the trifecta of Teslas," Haddad told Business Insider. And he puts those cars to work. So far in 2018, Haddad said he's earned a little over $11,000 renting five luxury vehicles on Turo. He's on track to beat his 2017 earnings. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Can the Polestar 2 Unseat the Model 3’s Reign?

Unlike the electric auto manufacturer Tesla, most of us actually have at least some experience with the brand and the cars of Volvo. Because of that, the Polestar 2 could end up being a very real pain in the side of Tesla as its power and range are similar to the Model 3 but it will be at a more affordable price point. Where Model 3s start at around $49,000, the Polestar 2 should be offered for a little more than $39,000. Would that $10,000 make a difference for you?   Now that Polestar's first car (and its only hybrid car) is out the door, what's it going to do for the purely electric follow-up? Give Tesla's Model 3 a run for the money, apparently. Chief operating officer Jonathan Goodman told Autocar in a recent interview that the Polestar 2 would have the kind of performance and pricing that might have some Model 3 buyers reconsidering their life choices. The upcoming EV would cost between £30,000 to £50,000 (about $39,400 to $65,700) with as much as 400 brake horsepower and a 350-mile range. And that last figure is for the starter model -- you wouldn't have to pay a premium for long-distance driving like you do for its Tesla rival. The 2 is poised to make its debut at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show in March, and is expected to share a lot in common with Volvo's 40.2 concept (pictured above). It wouldn't be as exotic-looking as the Polestar 1, but that's part of the point. Goodman rejected the idea that EVs had to be "quirky or futuristic" -- if they're eventually going to be mainstream, they have to look like (relatively) ordinary cars. Click Here to Continue Reading

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550,000 Ford Vehicles Have Been Recalled

If you own a Ford that was manufactured between 2013 and 2016, you should check out the list below right away. Apparently, hundreds of thousands of the car manufacturer’s vehicles have a problem where the shift indicator says the vehicle is in park but the transmission actually doesn’t put the car in that mode. Because of this, afflicted vehicles may end up rolling, which as you can imagine could lead to some seriously dangerous situations. If you own any of the vehicles noted here, take your Ford to the nearest dealer immediately:   * 2014 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant between June 18, 2013 and Sept. 15, 2013   * 2014-16 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant between June 2, 2014 and Aug. 31, 2015   * 2013-14 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant between May 15, 2013 and Sept. 15, 2013   * 2014-16 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant between June 2, 2014 and Aug. 31, 2015   *2013-14 Ford Escape vehicles built at Louisville Assembly Plant between May 15, 2013 and Sept. 15, 2013   Click Here to View Source  

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This Lawn Mower is Scary Fast

While we primarily spend our time focusing on and talking about cars, SUVs, vans, used vehicles you can buy online, and other car news, sometimes other things catch our attention so well that we just have to share them. Take, for instance, the Mean Mower V2. This monster was put together by Honda and offers up 190HP of pure blade-cutting insanity. Check this bad boy out in action: We’d sure like to get one of these. We promise we’ll use it responsibly and only to conduct our lawn-mowing chores. There is one question that come to mind, though: Will the Mean Mower V2 cut the grass evenly at top speed? Though, if we’re being honest here, that doesn’t really matter at all, we just want to goof around with it. I mean… we want to mow our lawns (in under five minutes).

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The Best Vehicles Ever Produced by Honda

Although many of us already have an irrational love of the CR-X, Honda has many more (better) used vehicles available on the market. It seems, however, that NY Daily News felt that there were too many available and wanted to do something to showcase what they felt is the best of the best. And although there are some obvious picks on the list like Civics and Accords, you might be surprised to see some of their selections - even the CR-X made the list!   One wonders what Soichiro Honda would think of today’s Honda automobiles. Do they still embody the spirit of iconoclastic creativity that the blacksmith’s son was famous for, the engineering excellence and spirit of adventure that encompasses the reputation of the company from motorcycles to motorcars? If anything, I would say that Honda Motor Co. has been defined by creativity, which may seem odd considering its reputation today as a maker of dependable, reliable vehicles. Yet, if you step back into history, you’ll see that Honda most often did things their way, without much partnership or compromise. From the S600 to the FCX Clarity, they’ve pursued their mission with engineering excellence leading the way. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Toyota Teasing us Even More About that Upcoming Supra

So if you are not excited about the announced Toyota Supra, I just don’t know who you are anymore! All jokes aside, there’s something about this Supra that we can’t quite shake around the CarDaddy office and we’re super-a looking forward to the Goodwood Festival of Speed just to see what the debut really ends up showing. We’ll be holding our breath until then. Figuratively of course.   Toyota confirmed last week that it will debut the new Supra at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, but before that happens, it has at least one more teaser up its sleeve. Toyota threw out a new teaser for the Supra, this time showing off its rear end. It looks almost exactly what we already saw on the Gazoo Racing concept that debuted at this year's Geneva Motor Show. There's a strong trunklid spoiler, but the racing concept's wild diffuser has been swapped out with a more subtle but still prominent one that has a way lower chance of scraping on every bump known to man. Before you get too excited about seeing the production Supra, be aware that the production-ready version of the Supra isn't coming to Goodwood. What will be there instead is a prototype, which is one step beyond a concept but not quite the final version. That will likely end up at a major auto show, whether it's Paris in October, Los Angeles in November or any 2019 show after that. Click Here to Continue Reading

image via Toyota

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Learn the History of the 4-door VW Beetle

Whether you have a few minutes to spare and you’re looking to kill some time or you’re just interested in automotive history, Jason Torchinsky of the car-lover’s site Jalopnik has put together a wonderful but brief history of four-door Volkswagen beetles that you should take a few minutes to read through. It’s an intriguing story, and you might be surprised to learn just how many other manufacturers have worked with VW to produce those 4-door beetles. Check it out below:   Yesterday, we reported that Volkswagen was either toying with the idea of a new, rear-wheel-drive electric four door Volkswagen Beetle, or our emotions, or both. Interestingly, the most interesting part of that is the four-door aspect, because there has never been an official four-door Beetle. There’s been some sort-of close attempts, which you now have to sit down and learn about because it’s mandatory. The most important thing to realize is that, for whatever reason, Volkswagen in the air-cooled era was just not that into four-door cars. The first four-door car Volkswagen built was actually built before they were really Volkswagen as we know the company, and was the second car they ever designed: the wartime Kubelwagen, based on the KdF Wagen (you know, the Beetle) chassis. If we don’t count VW’s commercial vehicles and the passenger vehicles based on them, the Type 2 vans and microbuses, Volkswagen wouldn’t sell a four-door car until 1968, when they sort of went four-door crazy, in a very, very limited way: they introduced the Type 4 line, which included just one four-door option for what was supposed to be their large, upscale family car, and somehow they couldn’t even bring themselves to make the station wagon version four-door. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Dodge, Chrysler Having a Rough Time Lately

For those of you who are fans of anything that Dodge or Chrysler manufacture,  you should know that things aren’t going well for either of those brands in regard to how Fiat Chrysler (the company that owns Chrysler and Dodge) is likely viewing them these days. The fact of the matter is that they’re just not performing nearly as well as the car manufacturer’s other brands like Jeep, Ram, Maserati, and more.   The fact is that Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) has as a lot of brands, some of which generate way more customer excitement than others. For instance, there is Jeep, one of the most valuable automotive brands in the world. Then there's Ram, the pickup truck that was brand split off from Dodge in 2009. It sells trucks that haul in loads of profits. Then, on the Italian side, there are Alfa Romeo and Maserati, which sell exciting, snarling Italian luxury and performance cars. Chrysler and Dodge play support roles, and only have a significant presence in North America. Simply put, Fiat Chrysler has better places to invest its money. The Chrysler name doesn't resonate much with consumers even in the United States. The fact that it shares a name with its parent company that just a decade ago narrowly avoided bankruptcy doesn't help, said David Zatz, a blogger who follows Chrysler closely. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Chevrolet Has Found a Way to Simulate the Effects of Sleepy Drivers

For those of us who work late nights only to wake up early in the morning, driving while sleepy is all too regular of an experience. And although we might view those groggy drives as nothing more than a burden that needs to be done to get the kids to school, make it to work on time, or just to get somewhere else, driving while drowsy is actually rather dangerous. In fact, four to ten percent of all accidents involve sleepy drivers according to estimates. To show just how difficult it makes driving, Chevy has created goggles that simulate the way it feels to drive while sleepy. When considering how dangerous driving while sleepy is, look at it this way - these goggles go completely dark for a full second every 5 seconds. That’s 20 percent of the time you wouldn’t be able to see.   We’ve all done it to some degree. Whether it’s after a busy week of work with little rest, following an all-nighter studying for an exam, or even returning from a vacation filled with constant activities, the majority of us have gotten behind the wheel of a car while overtired. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 40 to 60 percent of adults admit to drowsy driving. While many view being exhausted behind the wheel as simply an inconvenience, the dangers of it are very real. AAA estimates that as much as 4 to 10 precent of total accidents can be attributed to sleep deprived drivers. Luckily, Chevrolet safety experts are on a mission to make car owners aware of just how hazardous drowsy driving can be. To demonstrate, the good people at Chevy invited me to Citi Field where they’d set up a driving course of orange cones in the stadium’s parking lot. Continue Reading at NY Daily News

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Tariffs on German Cars May Lead to Lost Jobs in the US

Because of the tariffs that President Donald Trump has been threatening to put in place, BMW countered with a threat of its own - if the US government puts those tariffs into place, American jobs will be lost. In fact, a number of auto groups have recently announced that putting those tariffs into place would mean hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs both domestic and foreign.   BMW has reportedly warned federal officials that U.S. tariffs on European auto imports would raise its cost of doing business in the country and potentially force it to cut production at its Spartanburg, S.C., plant. Reuters reported over the weekend that the automaker is growing concerned about President Trump's threat to place a 20 percent tariff on all European cars entering the United States. The German company aired its concerns in a letter it sent to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross last week. “The domestic manufacture of automobiles has no apparent correlation with U.S. national security,” BMW wrote. The German car manufacturer added that imposing duties would not increase U.S. growth and competitiveness. The BMW plant in South Carolina is the company's largest in the world, and it ships more than 70 percent of its annual production to other export markets. Continue Reading at The Hill

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While Toyota and Nissan Saw Dips, Honda Sales Rose in June

Regardless of the fact that Toyota is the best selling Japanese car importer in the United States these days (and have been for a very long time), their sales fell a little bit in June compared to previous months. Nissan had a relatively similar story, as well, and so did its luxury offshoot Infiniti. On the other hand, Honda saw some growth in their June sales. What’s worth nothing in this conversation, however, if that Toyota’s overall sales were still substantially higher than Nissan’s or Honda’s.   Toyota sold 209,602 units in June, down 0.3% on a daily-selling-rate basis, Wards Intelligence data shows. There were 27 selling days in June 2018 vs. 26 in June 2017.However, the No.1-selling Japanese automaker in the U.S. ended the year’s first half up 3.0% on volume. Toyota sold 1.189 million units in January-June 2018 compared with 1.155 million units in first-half 2017.In what has been the case all year – and the case for most automakers in the U.S. in 2018 – light trucks rose last month while car sales declined.Total Toyota light-truck deliveries were up 8.7% on a DSR basis in June, while passenger-car sales fell 12.6% for the month.The automaker says it set light-truck records in the first half for Toyota Motor North America and the individual Toyota and Lexus brands. Click Here to Keep Reading

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GM Finds Success In Chinese Market With Inexpensive Baojun Model

China has always had a taste for imported foreign cars in the past decade, but GM has really caught the lightning by the tail with its Baojun, a brand made specifically for China with a price that can go as low as $6,000. It turns out that this success came from a brilliant market reading, with GM successfully predicting that the smaller cities in China would be interested in buying cars as the middle class expands. The low price tag, domestic naming and production all combined into a package Chinese consumers couldn’t turn down. As GMC has retreated from Europe, India and Russia, this is a much-needed win for the Detroit automaker company.   For much of the past decade, sales of global automakers were buoyed by demand from China, whose residents have eagerly snapped up locally produced versions of pricey foreign cars such as Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen’s Audi, and BMW’s namesake sedans. Yet General Motors Co. has not only fared well with its premium-priced Buick line, it’s killing it with Baojun, a made-for-the-mainland brand that sells for as little as $6,000. There was a method to the down-market move. GM figured the next wave of car buyers in China would come from the smaller cities, especially in the interior of the country, where the middle class is growing and people are buying more cars. Baojun sales are up tenfold since 2013, to 1 million cars last year, more than Chevrolet and not far behind Buick. GM rode the postwar economic boom in the U.S., when legendary company Chairman Alfred Sloan Jr. had a brand for “every purse and purpose.” Click Here to Read More

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German Prosecutors Jail Audi CEO Over Evidence Tampering Concerns

German prosecutors working on the Volkswagen Group “Dieselgate” scandal have done the unprecedented: they have arrested and jailed the seated CEO of a major automaker. The rationale the authorities gave was that while monitoring Audi CEO Rupert Stadler’s phone, there were suspicions that he might be attempting to cover up evidence of emissions cheating on an operational level. While this is not entirely unexpected, considering Group board member Wolfgang Hatz has been jailed for over half a year with no trial date, it is certainly disruptive to business. Audi has set in place Abraham Schot, Audi board member for sales and marketing, as interim CEO, where he is expected to continue being pragmatic and similar to Stadler in leadership style.   The Volkswagen Group diesel-emissions scandal has reached a climax. In an unprecedented move by prosecutors in Munich on Monday, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler was jailed. Prosecutors had monitored his phone and suspected that Stadler was attempting to “obfuscate” the investigation into alleged cheating devices fitted on some Audi models. They claim that Stadler had received an email in late 2015, months after the scandal broke, that hinted at manipulated exhaust systems. Not stopping their sale immediately, the prosecutors allege, amounted to fraud. Hauling an acting CEO off to jail is the maximum possible disruption the prosecutors could have inflicted on Audi. Stadler may be set free within days; however, there is no guarantee. Former Volkswagen Group board member Wolfgang Hatz has been jailed for over eight months now—without a trial date. Click Here to Read More

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GM Looks To Still Be in The Sedan Market, With New Models Underway

While the auto market is a rather hostile place for sedans right now, that isn’t stopping GM from throwing money at a sedan plant in Lansing, MI. $175 million is going into the Grand River plant, where the automaker builds Cadillac CTS and ATS and Chevy Camaros. The real interesting thing is that Cadillac’s president confirmed that the two models will halt production and be replaced with two new GMC brands products, of which neither have been announced yet. If there’s one way to get people to get excited about sedans again, GMC has definitely found it.   1st Gear: Ford May Have Given Up On Sedans, But GM Hasn’t In fact, GM is investing $175 million into a plant in Lansing, Michigan, all to make more of them, according to The Detroit Free Press. More than that, these will likely be Cadillacs, a brand which has had a turbulent recent past, with its CEO Johan de Nysschen ousted in April and its sedans not selling well in the U.S., though they’ve been doing better lately and reasonably well in China. The money will be invested at GM’s Grand River plant, where it builds the CTS and ATS, as well as Chevy Camaros. Here’s the Freep: The money will pay for new tooling and equipment for a project that will halt production of two Cadillac sedans and replace them with two yet-to-be-named products. [...] GM’s new cars to be built at the Lansing plant are expected to debut sometime before 2021. Click Here to Keep Reading

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Chrysler’s Future Possibly in Self-Driving, Ridesharing Vehicles

Fiat Chrysler really has not been doing much exciting work with the Chrysler brand in the past few years, and the shrinking lineup is proof the brand is on the way down. Despite this, one car in the lineup has received a new life in a completely different space. The Chrysler Pacifica is the ur-example of a minivan, and for whatever reason, it is very popular with autonomous driving companies. Combine this with the sheer amount of space the van provides, and the Pacifica also makes an attractive option for ridesharing companies looking to appeal to people on the move. It is worth noting that Chrysler did show off the Portal concept car at CES 2017, and it looked like a very high-tech minivan with automated driving...   Despite top billing in the name of parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the Chrysler brand’s future is uncertain. Chrysler only sells two cars in the United States, and plans for future models are hazy. But FCA may have a plan for Chrysler, and it may involve shifting the historic brand to focus on shared vehicles, reports Autocar. Chrysler didn’t warrant a mention in FCA’s new five-year plan, which primarily focused on Jeep, Ram, and the automaker’s Italian brands. But Waymo recently announced that it would buy up to 62,000 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans (it already has 600) for conversion into self-driving cars. This could be the future direction of the Chrysler brand. “The minivan business space will be filled by Chrysler, filling the mobility solution in the U.S. market,” FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne told Autocar. The magazine also reported that Chrysler is slated to get one new model, either a second minivan or an SUV. Click Here to Keep Reading

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Volvo’s U.S. Assembly Plant a Lucky Shield Against Trade Policies

They could not have gotten any luckier if they had tried. Volvo’s first U.S. assembly plant broke ground for the first time in 2015, and while it was a long time coming, now the South Carolina plant serves as a barrier for any cars produced there against the Trump administration’s trade tariffs. Unfortunately, the S60, the only car currently made in the plant, accounts for less than a tenth of Volvo’s U.S. sales, so most of the automaker’s lineup is still subject to the trade regulations. By 2021, the plant will be able to produce the XC90 SUV, which is part of a more active market, so assuming trade relations are still this way in three years, Volvo may yet be able to maximize their already lucky break.   When Volvo Car Group broke ground on its first U.S. assembly plant in 2015, it was a proud step in the Swedish automaker’s rebound and global expansion, not a chess move in anticipation of a possible trade war. Now that the plant is about to begin production, it’s poised to serve as a small hedge against tariffs at a time when economic barriers are being erected almost daily. The carmaker on Wednesday will reveal its new S60 mid-size sedan, a redesigned model that will replace one currently produced in China and imported into the U.S. Making the car in South Carolina enables the company to sidestep the tariffs President Donald Trump applied this month to Chinese autos. But with the model accounting for less than 9 percent of Volvo’s U.S. sales this year through May, most of the lineup will still be exposed to any import taxes that target countries in Asia or Europe. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Volvo Plastic Parts Will Be 25% Recycled Plastic by 2025, Company Says

First it says its car fleet will all be partly electric by 2019, now Volvo is taking another step toward sustainability by making its cars with recycled plastic in assembly line-installed parts. The automaker said that a full one-quarter of the plastic used in its production parts in 2025 will be from recycled goods, such as bottles, fishing nets or packaging. Volvo, which is owned by a Chinese company, currently has a roughly 5% recycled plastics usage in its production models, and will be implementing the recycled materials in such places like the floor carpeting and the sound absorbing layers in the bonnet of the car.   At least 25 percent of the plastics used in new Volvo car models from 2025 will be from recycled materials, the Chinese-owned company said on Monday in an anti-pollution plan praised by the United Nations. Recycled plastics - such as from fishing nets or old bottles in car dashboards or carpets, would not affect safety or quality, Stuart Templar, director for sustainability at Volvo Cars, told Reuters. “We think this makes business sense,” he said. Many big companies are designing products that can be recycled after use to limit pollution. Volvo’s plan goes a step further by building ever more recycled materials into its production lines.“Volvo Cars is committed to minimizing its global environmental footprint,” Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars, which is owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd, said in a statement. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Chrysler and Dodge Looking Shaky As The Future Looms

Fiat Chrysler is a big, famous carmaker, but let’s look at things realistically: Jeep and Maserati are much more exciting to consumers than Chrysler and Dodge are. The two latter brands only sell well in North America, Dodge’s lineup is focused more on powerful engines than fuel economy, Chrysler has only two current year models out, and the Chrysler name was somewhat tarnished when its parent company barely avoided bankruptcy proceedings. So what this means is that it would be financially unsound of Fiat Chrysler to put more money into Dodge and Chrysler, which will likely have a ripple effect of making it even less popular, until the two brands simply fade from relevancy altogether. Keep your eyes out for these two...   If you’re a huge fan of Dodge or Chrysler cars, we’ve got bad news: Things don’t look good for these key American brands. The fact is that Fiat Chrysler has as a lot of brands, some of which generate way more customer excitement than others. For instance, there is Jeep, one of the most valuable automotive brands in the world. Then there’s Ram, the pickup truck that was brand split off from Dodge in 2009. It sells trucks that haul in loads of profits. Then, on the Italian side, there are Alfa Romeo and Maserati, which sell exciting, snarling Italian luxury and performance cars. Chrysler and Dodge play support roles, and only have a significant presence in North America. Simply put, Fiat Chrysler has better places to invest its money. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Mercedes Benz ‘Collection’ Cheapest Luxury Car Subscription Yet

Mercedes-Benz, the latest luxury car maker to launch a subscription service, has released details on its offerings, and amazingly it’s the least expensive among its competitors. Mercedes’ “Collection” has the “Signature” plan for $1,095/mo. and “Reserve” for $1,595/mo. which puts it almost $400 under the nearest other luxury subscription. Signature offers 4 cars, while Reserve offers 5 of higher quality. Volvo does offer a cheaper alternative, but only offers one vehicle and is generally not considered a luxury car.   Mercedes-Benz is the latest luxury automaker to launch a subscription-based service to get customers who want to have access to a fleet of fancy cars but don’t necessarily want to own one. The German car company’s service is called Collection, and shockingly, it’s the cheapest one we’ve seen so far.   Mercedes is offering two plans: Signature for $1,095 a month and Reserve $1,595 a month. A one-time $495 joining fee is also required. Each plan includes insurance, roadside assistance, service, and maintenance as well as a “personal concierge” who will flip you from one vehicle to another. That makes Mercedes’ plan notably cheaper than comparable subscription services by BMW ($2,000–$3,700 / month), Porsche ($2,000–$3,000 / month), and Cadillac ($1,500 / month).   The only one cheaper than Mercedes is Care by Volvo, a $600-a-month service that includes insurance, maintenance, and roadside assistance. But unlike other subscriptions, Volvo only offers one vehicle: the XC40 SUV. Click Here to Continue Reading

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VW Shop Owner Dies When Beetle Slips Off Hydraulic Lift

Adolf Mair, 78, of Lower Alsace Township, Pennsylvania, was found dead in his mechanic shop after a Volkswagen Beetle he was working on slipped off of its hydraulic lift. He was found by an employee after failing to show up at another shop he was expected at and failing to answer his phone. He survived for a while after the impact, but later died of internal injuries at nearby Reading Hospital in the trauma unit. Mair owned Mair’s Continental Motors in Lower Alsace for over 40 years and was well-respected by the community.   The longtime owner of an automotive business in specializing in Volkswagens in Stony Creek Mills died Tuesday afternoon after a VW Beetle slipped off the hydraulic lift while he was working in a garage, authorities said.   Adolf Mair, 78, of Oley Township was pronounced dead at Reading Hospital at 4:06 p.m., according to the Berks County coroner's office.   Mair owned Mair's Continental Motors, 1455 Friedensburg Road, Lower Alsace Township, for more than four decades.   He was found by one of his employees lying next to the car in a garage he used at Wilson and Carsonia avenues, not far from his main business. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Volkswagen Expects 250K Car Delays Due To New Emissions Tests

After a new testing regimen was confirmed to be implemented later this year, Volkswagen announced that a quarter-million new cars will experience production and sales delays to comply with these tests. The Worldwide Harmonized Light Duty Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) requires a more complicated testing facility than previous batteries of tests, but new vehicles cannot be sold after Sept. 1 without first passing the tests. The VW Group still expects to reach its previously stated goal to pass last year’s record breaking 10.7 million cars sold despite the new requirements.   Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) said production of up to 250,000 cars from its group brands in the second half will be delayed because of effects from new mandatory lab tests for emissions and fuel economy.   Implementation of the so-called Worldwide Harmonized Light Duty Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) on Sept. 1 for new cars will temporarily restrict the availability of some models and could affect working capital by driving up first-half inventories, Volkswagen (VW) said on Friday, without being more specific.   Carmakers are facing bottlenecks as they rush to get models through the more complex WLTP tests on a limited number of exhaust emissions test benches as they won’t be able to sell new vehicles after Sept. 1 without the new carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and fuel consumption readings. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Cadillac Will Not Be Moving Back To Detroit Any Time Soon, Spokesperson Says

Remember how about four years ago Cadillac moved to New York City from Detroit? Well, apparently that change might be more permanent than some hoped. A spokesperson confirmed “100 percent” that Cadillac was not going to be leaving New York, despite a leadership shakeup in the Cadillac offices. Cadillac president Steve Carlisle, who took over April for outgoing president Johan de Nysschen, was seen by Detroit faithfuls as a potential sign that the luxury brand might be returning to the home of the auto industry. No luck for those faithfuls, it looks like. There’s less of a fight for talent in New York, and they have partnerships that elevate the Cadillac brand, so it looks like there’s no incentive to leave.   Cadillac's new boss will keep the headquarters of the GM luxury brand in New York despite the ouster of the executive who presided over the move from Detroit.   Steve Carlisle will commute to Detroit or anywhere else in the world as is needed to transform Cadillac into a top-selling luxury brand, GM said.   "It’s 100 percent that we’re staying here, that was never a question," said Andrew Lipman, Cadillac spokesman in New York.   The decision makes sense, analysts said, because Cadillac is not just a Detroit brand anymore. It is a global brand achieving big sales gains in China. Moving its New York headquarters would be costly and might result in a talent flight. In a controversial move at the time, GM nearly four years ago moved Cadillac's headquarters from Detroit to the 15th and 16th floors of a high-rise office building at 330 Hudson St. in the trendy lower Manhattan neighborhood of SoHo. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Subaru Data Fraud Runs Deeper Than Thought, CEO Finds

The scandal running through Subaru’s management offices has heated up again, as the maker discovers a larger number of vehicles than previously reported had been produced under falsified MPG and other data. Now 1,551 vehicles are reported to be affected, up from 903. Originally Yasuyuki Yoshinaga was going to remain CEO and president of Subaru, but in the wake of this news he has stepped down and taken a new position as a chairman with no special rights, and will be replaced by Tomomi Nakamura. The cars affected were produced in the new plant in Ota, Gunma Prefecture, where the data falsification took place, and there’s a chance that many of them will enter the market at very affordable prices.   Subaru Corp. said Tuesday it has found new cases of product data fabrication, bringing the total number of affected vehicles to 1,551, up from the previously reported 903, and prompting a revamp of its top management. Yasuyuki Yoshinaga will step down as Subaru’s president and also as CEO to take responsibility for the inspection scandal. He will become chairman without the right to represent the company and will focus on dealing with the misconduct. The post of CEO will now be filled by Tomomi Nakamura, the incoming president, the automaker said. Their appointments will be effective June 22. “I sincerely apologize for causing further concern among our customers,” Yoshinaga told a news conference in Tokyo. As for whether there was other malpractice at the company, Yoshinaga said he could not say with confidence that further cases would not emerge. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Mazda and Subaru Not Joining EV Race Makes Good Business Sense

You may have noticed for all the hubbub of talk about Electric Vehicles in the past year or so, there have been a few automakers whose names have not been mentioned. Two of these are Japanese manufacturers Mazda and Toyota, but their exclusion may be for a clever reason. Mazda was mum on the topic, but Subaru US CEO Tom Doll told news media that by handing back, avoiding the initial rush to compete in the crowding market, and waiting for the tech to get better, Subaru will be able to compete better when they do join the party. Well, with an improved engine block for Mazda about to release, and Toyota being a major owner of Subaru’s stock, the companies definitely can survive not joining the electric race for a while.   Neither Mazda nor Subaru offer a purely battery-powered electric vehicle in their respective lineups. Subaru, however, will launch the plug-in hybrid version of the Crosstrek later this year, but a full-on EV is still some time out. Both Japanese automakers are fairly small compared to other mainstream automakers so R&D resources are far more limited. But that’s okay. Neither company minds. Bloomberg has an interesting report about why neither automaker is aggressively pursuing EVs at the moment. The answer, at least for Subaru, is very simple and brilliant business wise. “If we put one (an EV) out now, we’re going to be competing in the teeth of the market with everybody else,” said Subaru US Chief Executive Officer Tom Doll. “This way, we can let them kind of sort it out, then we can come in.” In other words, let the bigger and wealthier competition do all the heavy leg work, the technology will spread across the industry, and only then will Subaru get in the game, saving a ton of money in the process. No one from Mazda could be reached by Bloomberg to comment, but it’s also clearly in no rush to launch an EV, so it sounds like its strategy is very similar to that of Subaru. Click here to continue reading

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Jeep Cherokee 2018 Models Recalled Due To Fire Risk

Jeep parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recalled 48,990 of the 2018 Jeep Cherokees due to faulty fuel lines which could lead to engine fires. The only models affected are the 2018 Cherokees with the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engines. So far Fiat Chrysler has not reported any injuries or incidents related to the production error, though starting June 20, the company will be taking back affected models. If you suspect you or someone you know might have one of the affected models, either wait for a call from the company, or call them preemptively at (800) 853-1403.   Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is recalling 48,990 Jeep Cherokee SUVs because a faulty fuel tube may leak, which could start an engine fire. The recall applies only to 2018 Cherokees equipped with 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engines; the action is expected to begin June 20, 2018. FCA said it is unaware of any accidents or injuries related to this problem. The Details Vehicles recalled: Certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee SUVs with 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines built between Sept. 1, 2017, and Jan. 4, 2018. The problem: A thinly sliced fuel tube may leak and could result in an engine compartment fire, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says. The fix: FCA says it will inspect the fuel tube and replace it if necessary, free of charge. How to contact the manufacturer: FCA will contact owners of recalled vehicles. They can also call FCA at 800-853-1403. NHTSA campaign number: 18V282000. Chrysler’s number for this recall is U39. Continue Reading Here

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National Insurance Crime Bureau’s Top Stolen Cars of 2017

The National Insurance Crime Bureau, combining crime data from all of last year, has created a list of the cars most often targeted across the country by car thieves. In order, these cars are the Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Subaru Impreza, Ford F-250, Chevrolet Silverado (full size variant), Jeep Cherokee, Ford F-350, Ford F-150, Dodge Ram Pickup, and the Subaru Legacy. While this may be cause for alarm for owners of these cars, it is worth mentioning that this also represents a number of factors, like population of vehicles in crime-heavy areas,overall national car popularity, and other factors.   AURORA, Colo. — As the temperatures rise, police around the Denver metro area are reminding people to roll up their windows and lock their car doors, even in their own garage. [….] According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the top car models that are stolen are:Honda CivicHonda AccordSubaru ImprezaFord F-250Chevrolet Silverado (full size)Jeep CherokeeFord F-350Ford F-150Dodge Ram PickupSubaru LegacyThe bureau’s data shows Denver was the worst for car thefts in Colorado in 2017, followed by Colorado Springs, Aurora, Pueblo, Lakewood, Thornton and Westminster.Aurora police are working closely with Denver and other departments in the area to curb car thefts. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Nissan and Toyota Lead May Electric Car Sales Race

May was a good month for automakers Nissan and Toyota, and especially for their electric vehicles departments. The Leaf sold 1,576 units in the US during the month, rising by over 400 from April. This is mainly attributed to the new 151-mile battery in the Leaf, though a 220-mile battery is slated to come out later in the year. Toyota’s plug-in hybrid engine Prius Prime sold 2,924 units in May, rising to roughly half the sales of the standard Prius Hybrid. As technology increases and the buyer base adapts to the increased number of EV options, it is likely that the numbers will only rise in months to come.   After a slow month in April, sales of the Nissan Leaf came roaring back in May. Nissan sold 1,576 Leafs in May, up from 1,171 the month before. The Leaf also had a record month in Canada, selling 906 units north of the border. It is worth noting that this achievement was accomplished with the redesigned Leaf's 151-mile battery. A 220-mile battery is still due out later this year, which will increase the car's functionality but boost its price too. Sales of the BMW i3 continued their slide from April, rolling out just 424 cars, versus 503 the month before. Volkswagen's e-Golf sales were also down to 76 cars as the company transitions to a new Golf due out next year, and to a new strategy of dedicated electric-car models. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Discounts On Cars Looming Thanks To Passenger Car Deemphasis

With prominent automakers like Ford removing themselves from the passenger car market in years to come, it’s easy to take a moment and shed a tear for sedans. However, with such an unusual announcement, there is also opportunity. In 2018 the average number of days it takes for a car to sell from first being put on a car dealership’s lot is 61, while many smaller cars have sat on the lot for longer. This means that it’s easier to get a good price or overall package from the dealership you bought it from, and you should also see  used car prices come down as well. For those who don't need a truck, van, or SUV, it'll be a great time to buy a car.   Over the past few years, car shoppers have flocked to crossovers and SUVs because of their higher seating position, added cargo space and ease of entry. As a result, sedan sales have slowed to a crawl. Things are so bad that Ford last month announced plans to stop selling most of its sedans in North America by 2022.Right now, though, the lack of love for sedans is good news for bargain-hunting car shoppers. Slow-selling four-door models are being heavily discounted, and those who can live without an SUV can find excellent deals.The following sedans make our list because all of them have sat on dealers' lots for an average of 90 days or longer. The average 2018 vehicle's "days to turn" is 61. We then looked at the average discount off the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). (The MSRP shown is the average for all of a model's trim levels, weighted toward what is most commonly sold.) Not all of these cars are best in class, but they are solid vehicles that get even more attractive when you factor in the available deals. Click Here to Read More

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Keyless Cars Kill Over Two Dozen With Carbon Monoxide Since 2006

A new report put out by the New York Times found that there have been 28 deaths and 45 injuries related to keyless cars. These cars, when left idling unintentionally in attached garages, would flood the attached house with toxic fumes like carbon monoxide. Nearly half of the cars involved were made by Toyota, including its popular Lexus models.  There are currently no industry-wide safety regulations regarding safety features (like beeps or automatic shutoffs) to prevent these kinds of deaths. Here's hoping that this news brings more attention to what should be an easy safety hazard to fix.    Carbon monoxide from keyless cars has killed more than two dozen people since 2006, as drivers unwittingly leave their vehicles running inside garages, a new report has found. Toyota models, including Lexus, were behind almost half of the 28 deaths and 45 injuries that were identified Sunday by the New York Times. In all cases, drivers unintentionally filled their homes with toxic fumes by leaving their cars on inside attached garages. Keyless ignitions use radio signals transmitted through a fob the owner carries to start the engine. But drivers run the dangerous risk of forgetting to turn off their cars before going inside. Fred Schaub was found dead last year in bed after parking his Toyota RAV4 in the garage and going inside with the fob in his pocket. The level of carbon monoxide in his home was at least 30 times higher than what humans can tolerate. Click Here to Continue Reading

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Hyundai Exec Emphasizes Tech Strategy In Years To Come

Hyundai has a respectable piece of the auto market across the globe, but vice chairman Chung Eui-sun envisions a Hyundai in the future, with some of the most advanced tech on the market. The South Korean automaker notes that other manufacturers have been boosting their tech development, so he does not want to see Hyundai fall behind, and is counting on affiliate Hyundai Mobis Co. to bring them to the future. Chung also has been incorporating talent from other automakers to the end of improving Mobis’ dominance in automotive tech.   Hyundai Motor Group’s vice chairman, Chung Eui-sun, is counting on bugs and holograms to help the South Korean automaker stay relevant amid a flood of electric-vehicle startups, ride-sharing services and driverless cars. During an exclusive interview at ZER01NE, an innovation center in Seoul where Hyundai incubates startups and designers, the 47-year-old Chung said parts affiliate Hyundai Mobis Co. will help lead the world’s fifth-largest automaker into the future.   [...] The following excerpt has been translated from Korean, condensed and edited. Bloomberg: How can Hyundai survive in the era of future mobility? Chung Eui-sun: In the era of robotics, the auto industry may see a significant sales drop. The profits in new technologies such as software and artificial intelligence could exceed the amount of losses. And Hyundai Mobis will lead that change in the group. Click Here to Continue Reading

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MIT Scientists Making Progress On Self-Driving Cars On Old Country Roads

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the most renowned centers of tech innovation in the United States, so it may come to no surprise that its staff and students have made an amazing leap in self-driving car tech. MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has created MapLite, which uses basic GPS data and advanced sensors to drive the equipped Toyota Prius on roads, even unpaved roads with no road markers or other usual amenities. MapLite has undergone road testing on roads in such conditions, and the team says the suite can reliably detect the road and its conditions over 100 feet ahead of the car’s position. There is no word on whether the product will be sold to carmakers or other companies in the near future.   Taking the road less traveled is extremely difficult for self-driving cars. Autonomous vehicles rely on highly visible lane markings, as well as detailed 3D maps in order to navigate their environment safely. Which is why most of the major companies have eschewed testing on unmapped rural roads in favor of suburbs and cities.Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed a new system that allows self-driving cars to drive on roads they’ve never been on before without 3D maps. Called MapLite, the system combines simple GPS data that you’d find on Google Maps with a series of sensors that observe the road conditions.This allowed the team to autonomously drive on multiple unpaved country roads in Devens, Massachusetts, and reliably detect the road more than 100 feet in advance. (As part of a collaboration with the Toyota Research Institute, researchers used a Toyota Prius that they outfitted with a range of LIDAR and IMU sensors.) Click Here to Continue Reading

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