Springworks launches connected car platform in Sweden

A new connected car platform for mobile operaters and service providers has gone live in Sweden.

Springworks AB's SPARK platform will be used by Nordic and Baltics mobile network operator Teila Company.

The platform will allow the company and its automotive service provider partners to launch a host of new subscription-based connected car services for drivers.

These services will include 4G, in-car Wi-Fi, service warning alerts, parking information and warnings, tyre change notifications, eco driving...

By Rachael Power, 23 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Connectivity.

Connected cars should collect data to inform insurance decisions, ABI says

Insurance is one of the key areas that needs ironing out before driverless cars are to become a common feature on roads worldwide. Questions such as who is responsible in the event of a crash: machine or man? are being debated by authorities and governments around the globe.

But the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has said today that data will be central to figuring these sorts of queries out.

It said autonomous and connected cars would need to collect "a basic set of core data" to stop drivers being...

By Rachael Power, 22 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Insurance.

Connectivity is key in preparing for driverless cars

The recent driverless car trial in Milton Keynes, the first of its kind in the UK, suggests that the future of transport is quickly coming upon us – one half-mile loop at a time.

Filling the nation’s garages and motorways with automated vehicles would mark a giant leap towards the efficiency, convenience and luxury of the “tech utopias” chronicled by countless science-fiction writers and envisioned by startups from Silicon Valley to Soho.

However, before we make the final stop,...

By Hakan Ekmen, 21 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Connectivity.

NuTonomy to start testing self-driving cars in Boston

Car tech startup nuTonomy will start road testing autonomous cars in Boston before the end of the year.

The company, which creates software that builds self-driving cars and driverless mobile robots, began in 2013 and aims to deliver fully driverless cars by 2019.

It’s already got a self-driving taxi pilot up and running in Singapore, whose government were part of the company’s recent $16m funding round. It’s also working with Uber rival Grab in...

By Rachael Power, 21 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Driverless.

Volvo trials app concierge service in US

Car connectivity has a lot of benefits. Soon, it could even eliminate the need for you to bring your car for a service, fill it up with fuel or giving it a wash.

That is, at least, the focus on Volvo's pilot programme in the US. It's trialling a concierge service with 300 of its customers starting from this month, who will have access to services via an app.  

This isn't an idea they have pulled out of thin air, though. Volvo's digital innovation labs in the US, Germany and China have been looking at the...

By Rachael Power, 18 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Connectivity.

Germany trials 5G motorway project with Ericsson and BMW

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Cars in Germany are set to become a whole lot more connected in the future, with a cross-industry consortium being set up to strengthen 5G research and development in the country.

Members include Ericsson, BMW Group, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica Deutschland and Vodafone, the TU Dresden 5G Lab Germany, the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) and the Federal Regulatory Agency (BNetzA).

The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure and the Bavarian...

By Rachael Power, 17 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Connectivity.

New development kit allows you to build your own driverless car

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Sick of waiting for driverless cars to become mainstream? Have you got developer skills, $1,000 to spare and a 2014 Kia Soul going spare? If so, you can now just build your own.

PolySync has released an Open Source Car Control Project (OSCC) development kit on GitHub, which allows developers to modify and test driverless car technology.

They have stressed this is only to be used for research and development...

By Rachael Power, 17 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Driverless.

Intel Capital to invest $250m in autonomous driving

(c)Intel

Intel Capital is targeting $250m of new autonomous driving investments over the next two years, according to its CEO.

Speaking at LA Auto Show, AutoMobility this week, Brian Krzanich said that the new investments would ‘make autonomous driving a reality’.

Intel has already developed a platform solution that spans hardware and software for advanced driver systems, software defined cockpits and the heavy compute...

By Rachael Power, 16 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Driverless.

SK Telecom trials world's first 5G connected car in South Korea

The world’s first 5G connected car has been trialled in South Korea by SK Telecom.

The company demonstrated the car in partnership with Ericsson at the BMW driving centre in Incheon.

The car, named ‘T5’, is supported by Gbps throughput and ultra-low, sub-millisecond 5G latency.

BMW’s driving centre is over 240,000 square metres, and the trial network covers the entire track, supporting over 20Gbps peak rates. SK Telecom and Ericsson jointly developed and deployed the 5G radio and core...

By Rachael Power, 16 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Telematics .

What areas will connected cars thrive in?

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Imagine walking up to a rental car, not filling in any paperwork; just confirming that it’s the right one on your app, hopping in and driving off into the sunset.

For anyone who has ever stood in a queue at a rental car company in an airport, this will sound like a dream. But it’s a dream that’s quickly becoming reality, thanks to Avis.

The company has made smartphone-only car rental available in the US and is trialling it at several...

By Rachael Power, 15 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Best practice.

Jaguar previews its first ever electric car

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Jaguar has released details of its first ever purpose-built electric vehicle. The Jaguar I-PACE Concept is due out in 2018, with the production version to be released next year.

The five-seater sports car is a first real electric alternative to a traditional premium SUV, the company said.

The car will have a cab-forward, sporting driving position, with no tailpipe...

By Rachael Power, 15 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Connectivity.

Samsung set to snap up connected car firm Harman for $8bn

(c)iStock/George Clerk

Samsung is set to make a significant advancement in car technology, as it looks set to acquire connected car tech firm Harman International Industries.

Automotive technologies are an area that have been on Samsung’s strategic radar for some time now, and last year it set up an Automotive Electronics Business Team to identify opportunities in the car tech sector.

The deal, which is expected to close mid next year, is said to be worth up to $8bn in value.

Partnerships and scale are...

By Rachael Power, 14 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Connectivity.

Australian government sets out driverless car initiatives

Australia’s transport body has said it will remove regulatory barriers to automated vehicles, according to a newly published paper.

The National Transport Commission (NTC) reported that Australian ministers had agreed to a series of reform initiatives over the next two years.

These will bring about more testing and trialling of automated vehicles, as well as increased confidence in the safety of driverless...

By Rachael Power, 11 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Regulation.

Volkswagen unveils most connected Golf yet for 2017

Volkswagen has just released info on its new Golf, and connected car enthusiasts everywhere will be pretty happy with some of the advances in technology within the new model. 

From 2017, new VW Golf cars will have a next-gen infotainment system as well as city emergency braking with a pedestrian monitoring function and traffic jam assist. 

Over 33 million Volkswagen Golf cars have been sold around the world to date, making it easily the most successful model in the company's...

By Rachael Power, 10 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Connectivity.

T-Mobile reveals SyncUP Drive connected car device for US

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T-Mobile has launched a device in the US that allows more cars to make use of connected features.

The SyncUP Drive goes on sale in late November at $149.99 or free if you sign up to a two-year, no-ost finance agreement with a 2GB or more internet plan. It’s unclear if the company will release the device in the UK, or when.

The SyncUP Drive turns your car into a Wi-Fi hotspot and includes vehicle...

By Rachael Power, 10 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Connectivity.

Tesla wants to ramp up car production with new German factory

(c)iStock/Sjoerd van der Wal

Tesla has announced it will have a European presence after acquiring German firm Grohmann Engineering.

The company has increased its output target to half a million cars per year by 2018 and as such, sought out engineering talent in automated manufacturing systems.

After the acquisition, automated manufacturing company Grohmann Engineering will become Tesla Grohmann Automation.

The business will also serve as the first base for...

By Rachael Power, 09 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Driverless.

Google's Android Auto to roll out 'for every car'

(c)Google

In-car technology is becoming the norm in almost every new model that’s arriving on the scene for 2017 and beyond.

The problem with the rise in sophistication of car tech however is that in the future, there will be vast numbers of older cars which aren’t connected.

One potential solution to the issue - at least for those with Android phones - is Google’s latest announcement.

The tech giant has rolled out Android Auto as a...

By Rachael Power, 08 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Android.