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A new association comprising a group of automakers and network providers will be dealing with issues related to connected mobility and road safety needs through 5G mobile networks with applications such as connected automated driving, ubiquitous access to services and integration into smart cities and intelligent transportation.

The newly formed 5G Automotive Association is a team comprising Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, Nokia and Qualcomm, which will address key...

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Automotive giant Ford has announced different services in the connected car, transportation and mobility spaces, acquiring Chariot Shuttle and launching the GoBike initiative in San Francisco.

Ford Smart Mobility is set to acquire San Francisco-based crowd-sourced shuttle service Chariot to grow its dynamic shuttle services worldwide. The company is also collaborating with bike-sharing provider Motivate for expanding its transportation solutions in city centres.

A new City...

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In a famous episode of UK sitcom Only Fools and Horses, the protagonists chase an ambulance through London after a deal goes awry – and then lose it as it goes straight through a red traffic light. “How could you possibly lose an ambulance?” exhorts Del Boy. “It’s a ruddy great big white thing with a flashing blue light on the top! And in case your peepers ain’t too clever, it makes a sound like an air...

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Skyworks Solutions has announced that many of its semiconductor solutions are powering LG Electronics’ Online Connectivity Units (OCUs), which are being supported across Volkswagen automobiles for enhancement of convenience and connectivity. Through OCUs, drivers are offered direct access to features such as smart home and location-based services from their vehicles.

There are expectations of more than a quarter of global vehicles connecting to the internet by 2020, and Skyworks is...

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Vodafone has announced it is providing connectivity for the new Skoda Kodiaq, launched last week.

In a short news alert, the telco confirmed the Kodiaq will be equipped with a specialised SIM card, which keeps the vehicle connected to the Vodafone network and enables the vehicle’s driver to keep on top of various information, including whether the car is locked, its location, as well as automatically contacting the Skoda emergency call centre in the event of an accident.

The...

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By Kevin Taylor, EVP head of technology and Dick Williams, VP automotive, GfK

“They’re digging in the wrong place!” This is one of our favorite quotes from the first Raiders of the Lost Ark film, evoking that beautifully captured moment when, deep down in an Egyptian tomb, Indiana Jones and friends realise that the Ark of the Covenant isn’t buried where they thought it was. 

From what we are seeing, the same could also be true when it comes to automakers and technology...

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Market researcher Nielsen has released its 2016 Nielsen AutoTECHCAST report, which assess consumer preferences for emerging and advanced automotive technologies. The report covers nearly 12,000 new car buyers in the US and 44 auto-related technologies, and highlighted the challenges to adoption of these technologies.

More specifically, the report found a glaring lack of consumer awareness of many automobile technologies, despite their growing advancement. Base familiarity was...

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Consumer interest may be less than expected for ridesharing and other car-related technological developments.

According to TECHnalysis Research founder Bob O'Donnell, popular automotive technologies like ridesharing and self-driving cars may not be as interesting to customers as the industry says.

Ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft are gaining traction among investors for their larger vision of turning cars into services. This vision of...

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San Francisco-based firm Automatic has launched its new Automatic Pro connected car adapter, which offers a cellular signal and has been described by the firm as the “future of the automotive ecosystem.”

The adapter no subscription fees and is focused on real-time connectivity and Internet of Things (IoT). The new flagship adapter is designed for consumers to experience connected car capabilities based on their interests and needs.

The adapter, which comes with an unlimited...

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Some would argue that it’s an intrinsic part of human instinct to be wary of change. There’s something inside all of us which can be instinctively nervous about the concept of autonomous vehicles and there are some key questions which the industry is working hard to answer in order to allay these concerns. What, if any, degree of human oversight is required? How will autonomous and traditional vehicles co-exist? And most crucially, how can we guarantee safety?

This school of thought often...