Lyft Sells Self-Driving Business Unit to Toyota for $500 Million

Posted on April 27, 2021 by admin

Lyft has been using the autonomous prototypes in the Las Vegas market.

Lyft Inc. sold its autonomous vehicle technology unit, Level 5, to Toyota Motor Co. for $550 million, following the lead of its rival, Uber Inc.

The company launched Level 5 in 2017 to build a self-driving system for its network of vehicles. The goal, ultimately, was to eliminate the need for drivers. The company grew to nearly 400 employees, but as Lyft continues to lose money overall, it needed to find ways to end its string of quarterly losses.

Not only will it get $550 million from Toyota, it will also stop funneling multiple millions of dollars into a development project with no finish line in sight for a payoff. Lyft gets $200 million immediately and the remaining $350 million will be paid in installments during the next five years.

Uber finalized a similar deal last fall, selling its autonomous vehicle unit called Advanced Technology Group to Aurora led by former Waymo chief Chris Urmson for $400 million.

Immediate financial relief

Lyft has provided 100,000 self-driving rides as part of its autonomous technology development.

The ride-hailing company said selling its Level 5 subsidiary puts it back on the path to profitability. First and foremost, it cuts $100 million of annualized non-GAAP operating expenses on a net basis, Co-founder and President John Zimmer noted in the announcement.

“Assuming the transaction closes within the expected timeframe and the COVID recovery continues, we are confident that we can achieve Adjusted EBITDA profitability in the third quarter of this year,” Zimmer said in a statement.

The company isn’t getting out of the robotaxi business. It’s already partnered with Motional and Waymo to develop self-driving tech and now it will just rely on that partnership to move toward autonomous vehicles. Working with the pair, Lyft’s already provided more than 100,000 self-driving rides in its vehicles in the last three years.

However, Lyft can now focus on what it can do best with autonomous vehicles by offering services such as routing, consumer interface and managing, and maintaining and cleaning partners’ autonomous vehicle fleets, which could mean added revenue, it said.

Uber made a similar choice

Lyft’s deal is similar to Uber’s move last December to sell its Advanced Technology Group, or ATG, to Aurora, the autonomous vehicle technology company founded by Google and Waymo veteran Chris Urmson. The deal came in at $400 million.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi noted after the sale of its ATG unit the company’s path to profitability had been shortened.

AVs were a critical component of the path to profitability by Uber, which now relies on part-time drivers or gig workers to ferry passengers, using its celebrated phone app. Uber invested huge sums in its internal AV project; however, was crippled in 2018 when one of its test vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona. It never really recovered.

Uber also ended up with a 26% ownership interest in Aurora on a fully diluted basis, the company said in a filing.

Aurora and Uber agreed to collaborate to launch self-driving vehicles on its ride-hailing and food delivery network. Uber is also working on building out its freight logistics platform but is not operating its own trucks at present.

The completion of the deal caused Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to utter a familiar refrain to Reuters: “This essentially advances our path to profitability.” He said the deal should put the company on track for profitability by the end of this year, largely due to the fact Uber would no longer be investing vast sums of cash into ATG.

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Automakers Suspend Operations, Change Equipment Due to Chip Shortage

Posted on April 21, 2021 by admin

Ford is temporarily suspending production at its Kansas City assembly plant to deal with the shortage.

Automakers continue to search for ways to deal with the semiconductor chip shortage impacting the industry on a global scale.

Most companies cut back production and shift available chip inventory to high-profit vehicles like pickup trucks. Seemingly no automaker is immune to the problem, including pricey luxury and sports car makers. Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and others all recently announced moves to deal with the shortage.

This week is not different with Daimler, Stellantis and Subaru reporting today they are taking new measures to account for current run of chip shortages, both in the U.S. and in other facilities around the world.

New announcements

Ford plans to extend the shutdowns at plants that build its F-150, Ford Transit, Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, Ford Edge/Lincoln Nautilus and Ford Mustang. The Kansas City Assembly Plant that builds its top-selling F-150 and Transit commercial van suspend operations for the weeks of May 3 and 10. It’s currently closed down.

GM is slowing production of its van at its Wentzville plant to deal with the chip shortage.

The Flat Rock, Michigan plant, which builds the Mustang, and Chicago plant that builds the Explorer and Aviator will also be down the first two weeks of next month. They’ve been down since the week of April 12, according to Automotive News.

The company plans to continue the reduced production of its Super Duty and medium-duty trucks at the Ohio Assembly Plant near Cleveland.

General Motors plans to move its Wentzville (Missouri) Assembly plant from three shifts to just two on a temporary basis starting the week of April 26. It’s cutting van production at the site. Production of its midsize pickups, the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, are unaffected. The company just restarted operations at the facility last week after a two-week shutdown.

Other moves

In what may be the most novel approach to dealing with the issue thus far, Stellantis is using analog speedometers in some its Peugeot models instead of the digital ones they would normally come equipped with.

Daimler is cutting hours for 18,500 workers at two plants in Germany as it waits for more chips.

The move affects only the Peugeot 308, Reuters reported, which are built in France. The brand sold about 98,000 of the 308 model last year. The 308 is being phased out this fall in favor of a new vehicle. The company may reduce the price as a result of the less advanced speedo.

Daimler plans to reduce hours for 18,500 employees and idle production at its Bremen and Rastatt plants in Germany. Bremen builds the C-Class as well as the GLC, GLC Coupe and the all-electric EQC. The Rastatt plant produces the A-Class hybrid as well as the A-Class sedan, B-Class and GLA compact SUV.

Japanese automaker Subaru Corp. revealed plans to temporarily suspend production at its plant in Lafayette, Indiana. The closure will be in place until the end of April, according to officials. It will affect about 15,000 vehicles for North America, officials noted. The company builds the Ascent, Outback, Legacy and Impreza at the site.

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Shootout in Shanghai: A Roundup of the Hottest New Products Debuting at the Shanghai Auto Show

Posted on April 19, 2021 by admin

A little bit of normalcy in what is still a topsy turvy world, Auto Shanghai has plenty of new models.

While big auto shows have been put on indefinite hold in the U.S., Europe and much of the rest of the world due to the coronavirus, the industry got back to a sense of normal in China this week with the media days opener at the Shanghai Auto Show.

Reflecting the size of what is now the world’s largest automotive market, the event brought out scores of new and substantially updated products from both domestic Chinese brands, as well as from the foreign-owned marques still dominating the market.

As has become the case worldwide, there is a heavy emphasis on electrified vehicles in Shanghai, from conventional hybrids to pure battery-electric vehicles. But there are plenty of conventionally powered models. And one Chinese automaker even launched an all-new off-road SUV sub-brand.

Plenty of offerings at the show

Audi A6 e-tron concept

Here’s a roundup of some of the most important product announcements from the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show:

Audi. The German luxury brand is a big player in the Chinese market and Audi hopes to gain even more ground with a mix of new and updated models. One of its most significant introductions in Shanghai is the A6 e-tron concept. While just a show car, for now, a production version of this low-slung battery sedan is in the works. It will help Audi meet China’s tough New Energy Vehicle mandate calling for 25% of sales to use plug-in or all-electric drive by 2025. The automaker also revealed the new Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron, as well as a stretched version of the familiar Audi A7 fastback.

BMW. One of the worst-kept secrets in Shanghai was the “surprise” debut of the production version of the BMW iX. With its controversial take on the brand’s familiar double-kidney grille, the iX will serve as the flagship of BMW’s rapidly expanding line-up of battery-electric vehicles. Set to go on sale in China, North America and Europe next year, the iX uses a new modular architecture that will underpin a broad range of BMW BEVs. The automaker says it will deliver “more than” 500 horsepower and hit 60 in less than 5 seconds in its top trim using the new eDrive technology.

BMW iX

Buick. Buick was one of the very earliest foreign entries into the Chinese market and remains a major player. It has several new models making their debuts on the Shanghai show floor this year, starting with the Envision Plus. It’s an extended version of the small Envision SUV — gaining 7 inches in length and 2 inches in height — that Buick already exports to the U.S. No word if the Plus will reach North America, as well. Also new, the Verano Pro is a “premium family sedan” aimed at younger Chinese buyers. It features a relatively conventional exterior paired with a decidedly high-tech cabin.

Cadillac. Parent General Motors says it wants to halt production of gas and diesel vehicles by 2035. The U.S. luxury brand aims to reach that target five years earlier — and the Lyriq will be the first step in the process. A prototype was unveiled online last August. It will hold a place on the Shanghai stand until later this week when Cadillac plans to reveal the actual production version of the all-electric SUV. The midsize Lyriq will use GM’s new Ultium batteries and electric vehicle architecture that will be shared with a broad range of other, upcoming BEVs.

Cadillac Lyriq

Citroen. The French automaker is billing its new C5 X as something of a Swiss Army knife, claiming it “combines the best attributes of a sedan, a station wagon and an SUV.” The vehicle will be offered both in gas and plug-in hybrid forms, the last helping the automaker meet strict new Chinese electrification mandates. The C5 X and C5 X Hybrid will be produced solely at a joint venture plant in Chengdu operated by parent Stellantis and Chinese partner Dongfeng for export to Europe and other markets.

Ford. There’s plenty of buzz about a potential crossover that could bring back the Fusion badge, which Ford abandoned when it dropped its passenger car line-up in the States. While that plan has yet to be confirmed, the automaker did reveal the new Evos in Shanghai, a sporty, coupe-like crossover that is widely expected to find a place in Europe and North America, as well as in China. The five-door could replace the European Mondeo sedan and, speculation suggests, might push aside the stodgy Edge crossover in the U.S. and Canada. Ford also debuted the new Equator, a more conventional SUV.

Zeekr 001

Geely. The fast-growing domestic Chinese brand has launched an entirely new, all-electric sub-brand, Zeekr. It gets off the ground with a midsize station wagon called the Zeekr 001, which delivers an estimated 435 miles per charge. The underpinnings will be shared with some of the other Geely brands, including Lynk & Co. and Volvo. Geely plans to back up its push into electric propulsion by setting up a network of 2,200 fast-charge stations across China. Geely also debuted an assortment of its own new and updated models, such as the GS and Xingyue L.

Genesis. Hyundai’s spinoff luxury brand is rapidly expanding its line-up and is set to deliver its first battery-electric model, the G80 Electrified. The BEV shares the basic design of the conventionally powered G80 but manages to squeeze in enough batteries to deliver 500 km, or around 310 miles, of range, Genesis claims. It will launch in China but details of a North American launch will be released later this year. The Korean carmaker hints that “additional EV models” are in development.

Genesis Electrified G80 Concept

Great Wall. The ambitious Chinese domestic automaker covered a number of bases during its Shanghai news conference. The Ora Lightning Cat concept hints at an upcoming all-electric sports sedan. The design seems to draw inspiration from both Porsche and Tesla, the latter with the notable lack of any sort of grille. Twin Motors will help the Cat hit 60 in barely 3.5 seconds, the automaker said. Great Wall also announced a new sub-brand, Tank, to produce serious off-road SUVs.

Honda. The Japanese automaker has two new models in Shanghai, starting with the SUV E:Prototype. Looking a fair bit like the current Honda Fit, it’s a small, all-electric SUV that is widely expected to return in production form in China next year. Honda isn’t saying much, so it’s unclear if the E:Prototype uses a more modern skateboard platform or squeezes batteries into what would basically be an electrified version of the Fit. Also on display, the Breeze plug-in hybrid.

Hyundai Motor Group. The world’s fifth-largest automaker held a combined news conference focusing on its ambitious electrification plans. This covered three different brands, Hyundai, Kia and Genesis. (See the Genesis news, above.) Among the highlights: the Chinese debut of the Ioniq 5, the first of what’s to become a sub-brand and family of Hyundai battery-electric vehicles. For its part, Kia showed off the EV6, the first in what will be its own family of BEVs. Kia said it plans to launch a new all-electric model every year in China, aiming for eight by 2030.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Lexus. Toyota’s luxury division introduced a midcycle update of its popular ES sedan. The refresh brings some significant tweaks, though they largely focus on the cabin, as well as the ES sedan’s performance. The interior “seat-in-control” concept brings all switches and controls within easy reach of the driver, among other things moving the infotainment screen outward by four inches. The Lexus Safety Sense driver assistance technology gets an upgrade and the ES 350 F Sport adds a new Dynamic Handling Package for 2022.

Maserati. The Italian automaker brings out its first BEV, the new Gran Turismo next year. But it’s now launching its second hybrid, a version of the big Maserati Levante. The SUV uses an electric drive system paired with a 2.0-liter inline-4 gas engine. Capable of pushing it to 240 kmh, or 150 mph. Maserati dashed expectations of a plug-in hybrid, officials claiming the added mass would have cost too much performance. The new Grecale SUV coming later this year also will offer hybrid technology. Maserati expects all models will offer some form of electrified option by 2025.

Mercedes-Benz EQB

Mercedes-Benz. The German automaker brought two new battery-electric vehicles to Shanghai, including the EQS, the battery-powered alternative to its familiar S-Class flagship, which got an early, online preview. It introduces the new, one-bow design concept that will shape future BEVs. The EQB, however, gets a more conventional SUV look, albeit with distinctive design cues like its sealed grille and distinctive fiber-optic light bar. The EQB will be offered in both two- and three-row packages and will roll out worldwide. Alongside the two BEVs, Mercedes also revealed a stretched version of its C-Class sedan.

MG. The British brand — now Chinese-owned — returns to its sports car roots with the debut of the Cyberster concept. Decidedly not retro, the all-electric two seater was designed at MG’s Advanced Design Center in London and packs a wallop, both visually and in terms of performance. The Cyberster reportedly can deliver 800 km, or about 500 miles, per charge, and it will launch from 0 to 60 in less than three seconds. There are no plans to revive the brand in the U.S. market.

MG Cyberster

Nissan. The second-largest Japanese automaker debuted the new X-Trail SUV, which is largely a Chinese take on the latest-generation Nissan Rogue that was introduced in North America last year. It’s also known as the Qashqai in Europe. But …there is some big news, nonetheless. It will feature Nissan’s new e-Power plug-in hybrid drivetrain technology. Electric motors drive the X-Trail’s wheels. But the drivetrain can supplement a modest-sized battery pack with power generated by a 1.5-liter turbo-4 gas engine using Nissan’s variable compression technology.

Toyota. The Japanese giant has been slow to embrace all-electric propulsion, preferring to focus on its familiar hybrids and newer Prius plug-in hybrids. But, with more and more markets going all-electric — China setting a high target for 2025, Toyota is entering the fray and revealed in Shanghai it is working up 15 BEVs. Seven of those will be part of the new “Beyond Zero” line. The first will be the bZ4X, a concept version of which made its debut at the Shanghai show. The production model will follow in short order, though Toyota isn’t revealing global rollout details yet.

Volkswagen. The German automaker is a powerhouse in the Chinese market and wants to retain its position — which means it needs to be a big player in the growing BEV segment. So, Shanghai sees the debut of the new ID.6. With three rows, and seating for up to seven, it’s the largest battery-electric vehicle VW has yet introduced, though it shares the same, underlying MEB architecture as Europe’s ID.3 hatchback and the ID.4 SUV just going on sale in the U.S. Two versions will be available: the ID.6 Crozz, closer to the original ID.Crozz concept crossover, and the ID.6 X.

Forget Chips and Seat Foam, Now There’s a Shortage of Rental Cars

Posted on April 16, 2021 by admin

Hertz and other rental car companies are turning away potential renters due to a lack of inventory.

Airports are getting busier these days as more Americans take to the sky, despite another surge of COVID-19. But travelers who don’t carefully prepare before heading out could be in for a shock, especially if they try to book a last-minute car rental.

Someone arriving at Kahului Airport on the Hawaiian island of Maui will find no vehicles available at Hertz, the nation’s largest rental car company, this weekend unless they booked well in advance. Avis and National, two key competitors, also are sold out, TheDetroitBureau.com discovered. Those few local chains with vehicles to rent are pushing up and over $100 a day for even the most no-frill models, easily double pre-pandemic rates.

But that’s better than what a customer might find elsewhere. According to some reports, renters are finding rates running as high as $500, even $700, a day in some popular vacation resorts. And the situation isn’t likely to ease up anytime soon.

Tough times for rental industry

Business at rental car agencies, like Hertz, were down significantly, due to the pandemic so no new vehicle replacements were purchased.

Even heading into last year’s pandemic, things were tough for some of the major car rental chains. When COVID-19 struck, and travelers around the world were forced into lockdown, things blew up. Last May, Hertz filed for bankruptcy and moved quickly to shed assets and raise capital. One of the critical steps was shedding large chunks of its massive vehicle inventory.

Many competitors followed suit, and the timing worked out well. Even as new car sales tumbled last spring, the used car market turned red hot, letting rental companies earn a premium on vehicles they sold off.

Meanwhile, they canceled purchases of new vehicles by the millions. The U.S. new car market ended 2020 with total sales of around 14.6 million, down nearly 15%, the rental slump taking much of the blame. Remove weakened fleet demand and the industry did far better than expected. In fact, overall sales largely returned to pre-pandemic levels by late 2020, automakers finding retail buyers for many of the vehicles that previously would have gone into rental fleets.

Even before the latest crisis, many auto manufacturers were looking to cut back on rental sales. They’re simply not very profitable. So, that sets things up for a crisis in 2021 — and it’s all the worse because carmakers are themselves facing shortages of critical components and raw materials, including not only computer chips but things like seating foam.

Those smiling rental agents are putting on a brave face as they deal with tourists without vehicles because they didn’t book in advance.

That’s led to a growing list of assembly plants cutting production levels or even temporarily closing. That makes it difficult for manufacturers to produce enough vehicles for their loyal dealers, never mind fickle rental car companies.

Future doesn’t look better

With no end in sight for the chip shortage alone, the situation isn’t likely to get any better soon for companies like Hertz, Avis or Enterprise.

“We anticipate this continuing throughout the coming months, especially in pockets of the country popular with travelers,” Enterprise spokeswoman Lisa Martini told The Washington Post this week. The best it said it could do in the short term is to move vehicles out of lower-demand markets for those in more popular destinations. But that’s just a band-aid as rental fleets are so much smaller than in the past.

And it won’t much help customers in places like Detroit where Hertz on Friday was quoting a rate of $104.30 a day for a Chevrolet Spark, as much as triple what the company expected for that minicar before the pandemic.

Some travelers are looking for non-traditional alternatives such as Turo. The decade-old service acts as a middleman between private vehicle owners are renters. In years past, much of its business came from those looking to drive something unusual, like a sports car, or perhaps a pickup to help them do a weekend of home renovations. Now, however, it is finding demand surging from those who can’t find anything at a traditional rental counter.

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Dominos, Nuro Team Up to Test Driverless Delivery Vehicles

Posted on April 13, 2021 by admin

Domino’s and Silicon Valley startup Nuro are partnering to use the self-driving R2 robot to deliver pizzas in Houston.

The development of Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology can sometimes be as easy as pie, a pizza pie that is.

Ann Arbor, Michigan-based pizza chain Domino’s and autonomous vehicle developer Nuro Monday unveiled a new self-driving pizza delivery vehicle. The two companies will be testing in a Houston neighborhood.

The way it works is that select customers who place a prepaid website order from the participating Domino’s store can opt to have their order delivered by R2, the nickname for the driverless vehicle, which got approval to drive on roads in California in February 2020 — first vehicle to get that approval in the U.S.

These select customers receive text alerts updating them on R2’s location and provide them with a unique PIN to retrieve their order once the vehicle arrives at their home. Customers may also track the vehicle via GPS on their order confirmation page. Once R2 arrives, customers will be prompted to enter their PIN on the robot’s touchscreen. R2’s doors will then open upward, revealing the customer’s hot Domino’s order.

Pizza delivery explores future of AVs

Domino’s and Nuro are launching autonomous pizza delivery in Houston, beginning this week.

“We’re excited to continue innovating the delivery experience for Domino’s customers by testing autonomous delivery with Nuro in Houston,” said Dennis Maloney, Domino’s senior vice president and chief innovation officer.

“There is still so much for our brand to learn about the autonomous delivery space. This program will allow us to better understand how customers respond to the deliveries, how they interact with the robot and how it affects store operations.”

Domino’s spokeswoman Dani Bulger said this system will not eliminate Domino’s need for delivery drivers, as this is a test intended to keep us ahead in the world of technology.

“We’ve introduced many innovations over the years, which have changed the roles of some jobs, but employment has continued to grow,” Bulger said. “We believe autonomous vehicles will play a role in our overall delivery strategy, alongside our delivery drivers, as we continue to provide the best delivery experience possible to our customers. We don’t use third-party delivery aggregators.”

This isn’t Domino’s maiden voyage with autonomous delivery vehicles. In 2017, the pizza maker teamed with Ford on a similar project in Ann Arbor. The test program ran six weeks and used driverless Ford Fusion sedans converted for specially for the project. Each vehicle is equipped with a heated compartment that can carry up to four pizzas and five side dishes.

The Niro R2 is designed to tackle the “last mile” deliveries, like groceries.

Much like the Nuro-Domino’s collaboration, customers punched in PIN to gain access to their order. There actually was a person behind the wheel of the prototype delivery vehicles — a Ford engineer monitoring the operation of the test cars. But the windows of the vehicles will be blacked out and there was no direct interaction with customers.

Size matters

The Silicon Valley startup rolled out its first iteration of R2 last fall. It’s specifically designed for “last mile” deliveries. To that end, the R2 is small. And that’s for a specific reason. Narrow vehicles allow for better passive and dynamic safety. This could help prevent pedestrian fatalities on roads.

Since Nuro vehicles only carry goods, the company can turn safety innovation inside out, shifting its focus to protecting those outside the vehicle.

The R2 features 360-degree cameras, as well as Lidar, short and long-range radar, and ultrasonic sensors. These techs combine that advanced hardware with a robust autonomy stack that includes mapping, localization, perception, and prediction. The result is a representation of the road without any blind spots.

Ford and Domino’s partnered in a test program to deliver pizzas using autonomous vehicles.

Intelligent production

The R2 is built using the principles of “Intelligent Production.” The company uses basic components when they make sense and crafts custom parts when needed. That allows Nuro to build the best system without being limited by the constraints of existing vehicles.

This approach allows Nuro to deploy and iterate quickly to create safe autonomous solutions as quickly as possible.

“Nuro’s mission is to better everyday life through robotics. Now, for the first time, we’re launching real world, autonomous deliveries with R2 and Domino’s,” said Dave Ferguson, Nuro co-founder and president. “We’re excited to introduce our autonomous delivery robots to a select set of Domino’s customers in Houston. We can’t wait to see what they think.”

“Zoom Zombies” Are the Driving Dead

Posted on April 7, 2021 by admin

Too many of these could turn you into a zombie if you have to climb behind the wheel afterward.

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who have been working from home and spending hours a day in video meetings you might notice it can become difficult pulling your thoughts back together at the end of the day. And if you then have to climb behind the wheel that could prove deadly.

A new study raises concerns about “Zoom Zombies,” motorists who can’t fully focus on the road ahead after a day of videoconferencing. This may be one of the reasons why in 2020 U.S. highway deaths posted their biggest year-over-year increase in nearly a century.

“COVID-19 fundamentally changed the way we interact with our vehicles,” said David Timm, founder and CEO of Root Insurance, which raised concerns about Zoom Zombies in its annual Distracted Driving Awareness Survey. “As many abruptly shifted to a virtual environment, Americans’ reliance on technology dramatically increased along with their screen time, causing a majority of drivers to carry this distracted behavior into their vehicles.”

Covid-19 and the distracted driving pandemic

NHTSA estimates that more than 10% of highway deaths stem from distracted driving.

Distracted driving has become an increasingly serious problem as more and more motorists interact with smartphones and other technology while behind the wheel. Even before the COVID pandemic, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that more than 10% of highway fatalities involved distracted driving. Preliminary analysis suggests that has gone up since last year’s lockdowns began.

The Roots study found 64% of the U.S. motorists it surveyed acknowledging they check their phones while driving. That’s up 2% from last year, and 6% from the 2019 Distracted Driving Awareness Survey. Meanwhile, 53% of the respondents said they check their phones within the first 15 minutes behind the wheel — a 9% jump from 2019 — when they should be trying to shift focus to driving.

Add the fact that drivers are downplaying the risks. The study found three in 10 drivers don’t see the risk of driving while using a mobile phone. That’s up from 24% just a year ago.

But the study raised another concern: even when motorists aren’t texting or chatting on their phones, they still might not be paying full attention to the job of driving.

Lexus Driving Disrupted distracted drivers

Younger drivers are more likely to have trouble concentrating on the road after engaging in some sort of video conference call.

The younger the driver, the worse the problem

Root reports that 54% of the 1,819 adult motorists it surveyed have had trouble concentrating on the road after making videoconference calls with Zoom, Microsoft Meet or some other software platform. The younger the driver, the worse the problem. For Gen Z motorists, 65% reported losing focus while driving, while it was 61% for millennials and 48% for Gen-Xers.

“The problem with distraction is huge and it’s not just checking e-mail or texting,” said Russ Rader, an executive with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “There’s the risk of cognitive distraction, looking at the road while your thoughts are elsewhere. That zoning out may mean you don’t notice a dangerous situation soon enough to react.”

Whether you call them “Zoom Zombies” or “Zoombies,” the problem has gained widespread attention, and concern — especially when it comes to driving.

If it appears drivers has seemingly forgotten how to drive as pandemic-related restrictions eased, it’s because, well, they have.

“I think computer use, in general, can overload you,” especially after a series of videoconference meetings, said Joan Claybrook, a former NHTSA administrator and longtime auto safety advocate. “After you get into your car you may be operating on auto pilot.”

Driving skills have atrophied

That’s all the worse as we emerge from the pandemic, experts told TheDetroitBureau.com. During the last 12 months, most Americans have been driving less and even as roadways begin to look more crowded, “driving skills have atrophied for many people,” warns Sam Abuelsamid, principal auto analyst with Guidehouse Insights.

“It’s become harder to drive safely because you’re going to forget some of the skills you learned over time,” added Abuelsamid. “It’s not as easy as just jumping back on a bike.”

While he believes Zoom fatigue is “likely a contributor to the increase in highway fatalities,” how much it contributes is uncertain. What’s clear is that highway fatalities soared in 2020, even as motorists slashed the number of miles they drove.

Record surge in fatalities

Preliminary data indicated as many as 42,060 Americans were killed in motor vehicle crashes last year, the National Safety Council reported last month. That was an 8% increase from 2019. That surge occurred even though Americans drove a total of 2.83 trillion miles in 2020. That was a 13.2% decrease from the year before, marking the lowest level of driving by American motorists in two decades, reported the U.S. Federal Highway Authority.

Traffic fatalities rose in 2020, rising 8%, but the death rate, the number of deaths per miles driven, jumped 24% compared with 2019.

So, on a per mile basis, the death rate surged by 24% in 2020, the biggest year-over-year increase since 1924.

Why does “Zooming” take so much out of people? It’s not like sitting around a table for an in-person meeting. Key visual cues are absent, such as body language, while others can overwhelm, according to psychologist Sharon Parker, director of the Centre for Transformative Work Design.

They tend to be sharply focused, without the normal chit-chat and other interactions that come before — sometimes during — and after in-person meetings, Parker wrote. One result: participants come away struggling to interpret what actually happened rather than transferring attention to what comes next.

And that may extend beyond the work day to when you’re behind the wheel and should be focusing on the road ahead.

Lexus LF-Z Concept Previews Brand’s Electrified Future

Posted on March 30, 2021 by admin

The new LF-Z concept offers a hint of what’s coming from Lexus and its battery-car offerings.

Lexus will roll out nearly two dozen new models by mid-decade, including an assortment of hybrids, plug-ins and pure battery-electric vehicles. The new LF-Z concept offers a hint of what’s coming, both from a design perspective as well as the new technologies the luxury brand will bring to market.

Like other luxury marques, Lexus expects to see demand for electrified powertrain technology surge in the coming years. But in contrast to some of its key competitors, Toyota’s high-line brand expects buyers to continue seeking out a mix of solutions, ranging from conventional gas-powered products to those running entirely on battery power.

“Our main goal, moving forward, will be to look at each individual region and their specific needs and then to choose the best (powertrain) alternatives,” said Lexus Chief Engineer Takashi Watanabe, during a media roundtable Tuesday morning Japan time.

Early pioneer doesn’t want to get left behind

The 2021 LF-Z concept is just the latest LF concept car shown by Lexus.

Lexus was the first luxury brand to offer a hybrid, a version of the old GS sedan. Like parent Toyota, it has been reluctant to bring out a pure battery-electric option. But, with most of its competitors set to enter the BEV space, Lexus doesn’t want to get left behind.

It has shown several all-electric prototypes in recent years. The new LF-Z is the latest. And it’s also the closest to what will wind up in Lexus showrooms before mid-decade, Watanabe and his colleagues hinted during the media backgrounder.

That includes the LF-Z’s design language which takes current Lexus styling cues in a new direction. There’s a hint of the familiar spindle grille framed by what might seem, at first glance, to be the big air intakes of the LF-C sports car. But this isn’t a standard grille, as there’s no need to feed air into the engine compartment. In fact, there is no engine compartment. The concept’s battery pack and motors are mounted within LF-Z’s skateboard-like platform.

The curvaceous shape of the crossover has a functional purpose, designed to minimize aerodynamic drag, said Watanabe. In turn, that improves performance while also boosting range.

Lexus Driving Signature

The LF-Z squeezes in 90 kilowatt-hours of lithium-ion batteries, enough for an estimated 600 kilometers, or roughly

The LF-Z is the latest battery-electric concept using a yoke-style steering wheel.

375 miles, of range per charge. (That’s using the European WLTP test cycle. The numbers would drop 10% or more based on the more stringent test cycle used by the U.S. EPA.)

Power is delivered to two electric motors, one on each axle, according to Watanabe. They’re part of the brand’s new Direct4 drive system which splits torque between left and right wheels to achieve what the automaker calls the “Lexus Driving Signature.”

“Direct4 precisely controls the delivery of drive torque from front and rear electric motors and braking force to all four wheels,” the automaker said when it first showed the technology last December. “By automatically adjusting the balance of front and rear-wheel drive, the system adapts the driving conditions to the driver’s intentions, changing the driving feel and giving the car the best driving posture.”

The Direct4 system is paired with a new steer-by-wire system that eliminates the traditional, mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels. The system, Lexus officials claim, provides a more intuitive connection between man and machine. The degree to which the wheels turn can vary depending upon factors such as road condition, vehicle speed and the rate at which the driver turns the steering wheel.

New technologies coming by 2025

The concept features a tinted, but not opaque, panoramic glass roof.

The yoke-like wheel anchors the minimalist cabin layout and incorporates switches that let a driver control the LF-Z much as a rider guides a horse by using the reins. The low instrument panel is topped by a large head-up display and makes use of augmented reality to enhance navigation and other vehicle operations.

While there’ll be no production LF-Z, “You will see some form of those technologies … in some of those vehicles … coming by 2025,” said Watanabe. That will include several all-electric products, as well as plug-in and conventional hybrids.

While Lexus plans to continue offering vehicles powered solely by internal combustion engines for the foreseeable future, all models will be offered with some form of electrified option by 2025, said Hiroo Tagahi, the brand’s communications chief. And he said Lexus planners expect that those battery-based models will, by mid-decade, generate the majority of the marque’s global sales.

All-new HQ

The shift to electrification comes at the same time Lexus plans major changes in its headquarters operations. It is building a new, multi-function complex at the Toyota Technical Center in Shinoyama, about 60 miles north of Tokyo. The new HQ will consolidate design, engineering and management into a single building, an approach Lexus officials hope will lead to greater creativity and flexibility. The complex also will add an assortment of new test tracks — even while retaining 70% of the center’s land in pristine natural condition.

The new Lexus headquarters is expected to open by mid-decade.

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Weather, Increased Demand Drive Gas Prices Higher

Posted on February 26, 2021 by admin

American motorists are paying more at the pump these days as demand rises and supply drops.

When it comes to gas prices at the pump, what goes down will eventually come up.

Motorists are paying some of the highest gas prices seen in over a year, according to AAA and GasBuddy.com. With the forced shutdown of Gulf Coast and some Midwest refineries due to recent winter weather, gasoline stocks have tightened and gas prices have skyrocketed.

On the week, 66% of state averages spiked by double digits (10-22 cents), driving the national average up by 13 cents to $2.63. That is the most expensive national average since October 2019.

Prices are jumping by double-digit amounts

Gasbuddy.com reported the national average price rose for the seventh consecutive week and at its fastest pace since Hurricane Harvey, rising 10.4 cents per gallon compared with the previous week to $2.63 as of Feb. 22.

Gas was priced the highest in California, Hawaii and Washington with the price as high as $3.54 a gallon.

The website compiled the data from more than 11 million individual price reports covering more than 150,000 gas stations across the country. Additionally, GasBuddy determined that the national average price of diesel jumped 8.7 cents in the week prior to Feb. 22 and stood at $2.84 per gallon.

Federal statistics released on Feb. 22 show how gas prices stood around the country. The average price per gallon (ppg) in the U.S. as of Feb. 22 was $2.63, a 13-cent ppg increase from the previous week. Gas in the East Coast region was $2.60 a gallon, up from the prior week price of $2.47.

In New England, gas prices reached a ppg of $2.56, up from $2.47 in just a week, while West Coast ppg hit $3.15, up from $3.04. Rocky Mountain ppg jumped to $2.43, from $2.39. Gulf Coast prices were the lowest as of Feb. 22, with ppg of $2.34, up from $2.21 the week before.

Cold Hits Production Hard

“With last week’s (Feb. 15 – 21) extreme cold shutting down millions of barrels per day in refinery capacity, gas prices have seen their largest weekly climb in quite some time,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

Gas prices are expected to drop in the next week or so, according to GasBuddy.com.

“The jump in price was the result of a dozen or so refineries, primarily in Texas, that were forced to shut down as the frigid temperatures threatened to wreak havoc on their exposed equipment. With the cold weather behind us, price increases should begin to slow later this week or next week, and so long as these refineries get back online in short order, we may see gas prices start to move back down in the next couple of weeks.

De Haan quickly tempered any joy about drop reminding that spring is coming, which means prices will rise again as “refineries start to transition to summer gasoline, so motorists shouldn’t jump for joy just yet.”

Weather playing a role

“When close to 40% of U.S. crude production is offline because refineries are closed, there is going to be pain at the pump until operations resume,” said Jeanette Casselano McGee, AAA spokesperson.

“The good news is the nearly two dozen impacted refiners are expected to restart operations this week, if they haven’t already. That means regular gasoline deliveries will resume and impacted stations will be re-fueled.”

In the week prior Feb. 22 there were reported refinery outages in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kansas. AAA reported that gas prices are likely to be volatile until crude production is back to normal levels. Motorists can expect these more expensive prices to stick around, but large spikes are likely to subside.

Midwest sees big increases

According to AAA, the nation’s top 10 largest weekly increases were as follow: Ohio, up 22 cents; Arizona, up 21 cents; Iowa, up 19 cents; Minnesota, up 18 cents; Georgia, up 18 cents; Michigan, up 17 cents; Wisconsin, up 16 cents; Nebraska, up 16 cents; Indiana, up 16 cents; and Maryland, up 15 cents.

The nation’s top 10 least expensive markets as of Feb. 22 were: Mississippi, $2.27; Louisiana, $2.31; Texas, $2.32; Arkansas, $2.35; Alabama, $2.35; Oklahoma, $2.36; Utah, $2.38; Missouri, $2.38 ppg; Tennessee, $2.40; and South Carolina, $2.42.

The most expensive were California at $3.54 a gallon followed by Hawaii ($3.35) and Washington ($2.98).

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Growing List of Models Earn Top Safety Ratings from IIHS

Posted on February 24, 2021 by admin

The 2021 Honda Odyssey captured a Top Safety Pick + award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

For many years, the auto industry lived by the mantra, “Safety doesn’t sell.” Today, however, picking a safe vehicle has become top priority for just about all buyers, whether they’re looking for a family van or a high-performance sports car.

The good news is that there are more choices than ever, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. A record number of products, 90 in all, earned one of the organization’s two awards, the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+. A number of other models fell just short but still earned honorable mentions.

“With these awards, we want to make it easy for consumers to find vehicles that provide good protection in crashes, sufficient lighting and effective front crash protection,” IIHS President David Harkey says. “Manufacturers have stepped up to meet the challenge, and the list of great options has grown to an impressive size this year.”

Some surprise winners – and losers

Volvo, a brand that introduced the first automotive seatbelt and which has long been associated with safety, landed nine Top Safety Pick+ awards, more than any other manufacturer.

The 2021 Ram 1500 was the only vehicle to earn an award from IIHS.

The annual IIHS announcement contains some surprises, however. The Hyundai Motor Group — including models from the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands — had more winners overall, 17 models took home one of the two awards. That included 12 Top Safety Picks and another five “plus” awards.

The 2021 IIHS awards list included two minivans, the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna, both rated Top Safety Pick+. The Ram 1500 was the only pickup to meet the group’s tough standards, winning a Top Safety Pick award. There were no minivan or pickup winners last year.

The Ram truck was the only winner from Stellantis, the company formed last month through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and France’s PSA Group.

Most major automakers landed multiple awards but IIHS called out two for dubious achievements. General Motors managed to land only one Top Safety Pick, for the Chevrolet Equinox, and one Top Safety Pick+, for the Cadillac XT6.

Mitsubishi, meanwhile, so far failed to earn a single award from the IIHS.

IIHS awards go beyond federal safety guidelines

The two awards cover some critical areas of safety, going beyond federal guidelines in some of those.

The 2021 Toyota Sienna also received a top honor.

“Both awards require good ratings in all six IIHS crashworthiness tests — driver- and passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints,” IIHS explained in a news release. “Award winners must be available with front crash prevention that earns a superior or advanced rating in both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations. Last but not least, Top Safety Pick winners must be available with good or acceptable headlights. The ‘plus’ designation is given to models that have good or acceptable headlights across all trim levels and packages.”

As a measure of how much safety has taken root in the industry, 49 models earned the Top Safety Pick+ rating this year, more than double the number in 2020. Another 41 vehicles landed Top Safety Pick honors. All told, 90 vehicles earn one of the awards, up from 64 last year.

Also-rans

During the past two decades, the IIHS added new requirements, including the small overlap frontal crash test and minimum headlight performance specifications.

Twelve vehicles fell short only because of their headlights, seven because they didn’t score well enough on pedestrian crash prevention. Five missed on the passenger-side small overlap front test, and five fell short on crashworthiness, according to the IIHS.

Daimler Boosts Earnings Despite Pandemic

Posted on February 18, 2021 by admin

Daimler CEO Ola Källenius said company turned a better-than-expected profit due to the cost-cutting measures implemented company wide.

Daimler AG reported profits increased 48% to $4.8 billion during 2020 in a challenging environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company’s total unit sales of passenger cars and commercial vehicles decreased by 15%, to 2.84 million units while revenue dropped 11 percent. For the full year, Daimler’s net profit improved to $4.8 billion, compared to $3.2 billion.

However, cutting cost and cash preservation measures and steady performances across all divisions boosted earnings before interest taxes of the Daimler Group by 53 percent.

“The year 2020 was a stress test for just about every company in almost every industry. The Daimler team mastered this test very well,” said Ola Källenius, chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG.

Daimler products remain popular

Källenius added Daimler products continue to be in great demand across all major markets and divisions.

Daimler’s management team reviews the company’s financial results for 2020.

“With rapid growth in our xEV sales and the introduction of new products and technologies, we have also taken important steps in terms of electrification and digitalization,” said Källenius, adding the company’s financial results are significantly above market expectations.

“We proved our ability to generate substantial cash flow and to drive the ongoing transformation on our own – even under the adverse circumstances of a pandemic.”

At the Annual General Meeting on March 31, 2021, the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board will propose a dividend of 1.35 euros or $1.62 per share, up from 2019’s dividend of .90 euros or $1.08 per share.

Källenius added, “We are confident that we can maintain positive momentum if current market conditions prevail, accelerating our strategic plans and further enhancing our financial robustness.”

Separation still ready to go

Daimler AG is undergoing big changes in 2021 with the spinoff of the truck business.

Daimler plans to spin off and list Daimler Truck on Germany’s DAX index. The new Daimler Truck shares will be distributed to current Daimler shareholders. The new company will be just that: a new company. It will have an independent management team, stand-alone corporate governance including an independent Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

“The intended separation of our industrial businesses is designed to unlock the full potential for Mercedes-Benz as the world’s pre-eminent luxury car business,” he said. Additional details will be offered at a separate meeting in the third quarter of this year.

The transaction and the listing of Daimler Truck on the Frankfurt stock exchange is expected to be completed before year-end 2021. In addition, it is also Daimler’s intention to rename itself as Mercedes-Benz at the appropriate time.

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