With opposition to diesel gathering momentum, automobile makers in Germany, one of the biggest consumers of the fuel in Europe, are preparing to head out to Electric Avenue.

That was the loud and clear message at the ongoing 67th edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show: “Electric is the future.” And, that autonomous cars driven by artificial intelligence are closer than ever before. The Volkswagen group, Daimler Group and BMW Group have committed investments in excess of 50 billions euros to develop electric cars (EVs). Volkswagen, the world’s largest car maker, has declared its intent of being the largest EV maker by 2025, aiming to overtake rival Renault-Nissan, which already has a head start.

„The Volkswagen Group is launching its largest electrification initiative in the automorive industry – first, we are going to fine tune and step up our production“, Matthias Muller, global CEO of the group, told the media. „The group is going to electrify its entire model line-up, which means that by 2030, there will be at least one electrified variant for over 300 group models across all rands in all markets.“ The company, with brands including Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Lamborghini and Porsche, is committed over 20 billion euros for what it calls Roadmap E.

Given the development cycles in the industry, Muller said 2030 is like „day after tomorrow“ and the group is accelerating its EV strategy for the future and also taking on the responsibility of battery making. „Transformation of our industry is unstoppable and we are going to lead this.“, Muller proclaimed.

Volkswagen’s Stuttgart-based rival in the premium segment, Mercedes Benz, plans to invest 10 billion euros in electrification. The makers of the Smart Car said its mid-term vision is to move towards zero emissions and by 2022, Mercedes Benz would have a portfolio ranging from mild hybrids, strong hybrids and fully electric vehicles.

„We are planning to have over 50 electrified model offerings. All these examples show that we are doing our share and we already started years ago,“ Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetsche asserted.

However, he said while the vision is zero carbon  emissions, there is a bridge towards complete electrification, which means there is still a critical role for diesel. „We need diesel if we are to achieve climate targets through less carbon dioxide emissions caused by world traffic. That’s why Daimler has further invested 3 billion euros in development od diesel engines,“ Zetsche said.

The BMW Group plans to have 25 electric models with 12 exclusive models by 2025 and Jaguar Land Rover plans to electrify its entire range by 2020. German auto comonent maker Bosch estimates about 25% of the world’s cars will be electrified by 2030 while a vast chunk of vehicles will still run on conventional internal combustion engines.

Experts said the EV drive is the need of the hour also because car makers in Europe have to meet stringent corporate average fuel economy norms by 2021.

Coutesy: Ketan Thakker, The Economic Times

Ever since Tesla took the wraps off the Model S, its electric cars have had NVIDIA hardware powering the infotainment system and the giant touchscreen that controls it. However, it’s apparently breaking with tradition: Bloomberg sources hear that the automaker has switched to Intel. Reportedly, the Model 3 and new versions of other cars will be the first to make the leap. It’s not certain what prompted the move (Intel, NVIDIA and Tesla have all declined to comment), but it’s a huge coup if true.For the most part, NVIDIA’s deal with Tesla has been more about prestige than raw numbers.

As a luxury EV maker, Tesla wasn’t about to sell in huge volumes. That’s changing with the Model 3 — when Tesla has hundreds of thousands of pre-orders, the bottom line suddenly matters a great deal. Intel is hopping aboard right as Tesla’s unit sales will make a significant difference for component partners. Combine that with Intel’s other victories, such as its Waymo deal, and it’s quickly becoming a fierce competitor in the automotive world.It’s doubtful that NVIDIA will be crying in its Corn Flakes, even if the loss is significant.

It already has established brands like Audi, Toyota and Volvo in its pocket, and it’s bound to play a crucial role as EVs and self-driving cars take hold. If it had any dreams of overwhelming dominance, though, it’ll have to put them on hold for the time being.As for how this affects your in-car experience? It’s hard to say, but this would be a prime opportunity for Tesla to upgrade the performance of its infotainment tech. That’s rather important when the Model 3 depends almost entirely on its touchscreen — you don’t want any delays while you’re navigating an unfamiliar system or turning up the AC.

Article Source: enGadget – https://www.engadget.com/2017/09/26/tesla-switches-to-intel-for-infotainment/

However consumers are still confused about ADAS car safety features and what they do. Only 14 percent of new car buyers surveyed expect to never own at least one self-driving vehicle, while 14 percent are unsure. Of those who indicated they would own at least one self-driving vehicle, one-third of those expect all of their household vehicles to be self-driving within the next 10 years. While a majority of consumers accept the idea of owning a self-driving automobile in the next decade, many do not understand the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), like automatic emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, and active safety technologies, like electronic stability control (ESC), currently available on the market.

The survey results revealed a key trend: new car buyers see ADAS features as future innovations, not necessarily as options that are accessible now. When asked to name the number one safety feature on their vehicle today, the most frequent answer from respondents was “airbag.” When asked to name the number one safety feature on their vehicle in 10 years, the most frequent answer from respondents was either an ADAS or automated feature.

However, many ADAS and active safety features are available today, but the survey reveals that new car buyers have confusion about these solutions. For example, only 21 percent of new car buyers thought electronic stability control (ESC), a system that functions independently of the driver’s action and can intervene when needed to keep drivers on the road and reduce rollover accidents, was available in all new automobiles.At the same time, there is confusion about emerging future automated technologies, as 18 percent of survey respondents believe that all new vehicles on the market today are equipped with autopilot, when in fact, it is only available in limited capacity.

When asked about their greatest concerns relating to self-driving vehicles,

• 72 percent of respondents indicated lack of control is one of the biggest considerations;

• 65 percent of those surveyed also noted that the unproven technology is an issue.

“The industry must help consumers to understand what life-saving technology is available now through ADAS, and how it will evolve into the fully automated solutions of tomorrow. Steps such as the commitment by a number of automakers to make automatic emergency braking a standard feature in the coming years are crucial” said said Kay Stepper, vice president and regional business unit leader, driver assistance and automated driving, Robert Bosch LLC.

According to the study, new car buyers see various potential benefits to self-driving vehicles such as:

• 61 percent of respondents believe a decrease in traffic accidents is a benefit of adopting automated vehicles;

• 55 percent of respondents noted more free time and lower stress levels as a benefit.

Attitudes toward automated and traditional vehicles varies among new car buyers when it comes to which option is better. Results of the survey reveal that respondents trend toward traditional vehicles as the most financially feasible. For example,

• Nearly 59 percent of respondents believe a traditional car is better when it comes to the purchase price;

• Additionally, more than 47 percent of those surveyed believe repair and maintenance costs would be more manageable in a traditional vehicle compared to a self-driving one.

In terms of prestige, sustainability and comfort, however, automated vehicles are the popular choice. Specifically,

• More than 52 percent of respondents believe self-driving cars will be the next status symbol;

• Another 52 percent of respondents indicate self-driving cars will have the best fuel economy;

• Nearly 50 percent of respondents believe self-driving cars will offer the best in passenger comfort.

Bosch, a leading global supplier of technology products and services, conducted the survey to further understand the sentiment of car owners toward automated driving and ADAS features. The survey reached 1,000 U.S. based new car buyers, aged 18 or older, who have purchased or leased at least one vehicle within the last five model years, and intend to buy or lease a new vehicle again in the future.

Article source: http://www.autoconnectedcar.com/2017/07/new-car-buyers-expect-to-own-autonomous-connected-cars-with-adas-but-are-confused/