+++ APPLE outlined a plan to train operators of self-driving cars in documents submitted to California regulators earlier this month, the latest clues to the company’s autonomous vehicle technology aspirations. Apple was granted a permit to test self-driving cars by the California Department of Motor Vehicles but the company has never said anything about its plan. The state released 41 pages of Apple application documents that give some clues about the company’s highly secret self-driving effort, which it has never openly acknowledged. The iPhone maker joins a long list of carmakers, start-ups and technology rivals, including Alphabet’s Waymo, that are testing cars on state roads. Apple is looking for new hit products and autonomous car technology is expected to revolutionize the traditional auto industry. As part of the application, Apple included a 10-page training plan that appeared to be related to operators taking back manual control of the car during automated driving exercises of the system, which it calls a development platform. Business Insider reports that Apple engineers riding in the back seats have the ability to take over control of the car using off-the-shelf steering wheel and pedal video game controllers from Logitech. Apple declined comment beyond the filing. The plan includes a document called “Automated System: Development Platform Specific Training Overview” whose objective is “to train safety drivers in various automated driving conditions”. “Development platform will be controlled electronically (e.g. joystick) and safety drivers must be ready to intervene and take control”, the document reads. The document highlights different scenarios to be tested, from high speed driving and tight U-turns to lane changes. One letter sent from Apple to the state Department of Motor Vehicles noted that Apple’s development platform “will have the ability to capture and store relevant data before a collision occurs”. The document does not include detail on how Apple’s self-driving platform actually works or other technical details. It also does not say what kind of sensors are found on Apple’s 3 permitted vehicles, all 2015 Lexus model RX450h. The permit does not necessarily mean that Apple itself is building a full car. Apple could instead be designing a self-driving platform that can be integrated into other manufacturer’s cars. +++
+++ AUDI has green-lighted a range-topping version of the Q4 with the RS moniker. Expected to follow the production model into the market in late 2019, the upcoming Audi RS Q4 will use the same engine as the RS3 and RS TT models. The duo is powered by a 2.5-liter TFSI 5-cylinder lump, producing 400 hp and 480 Nm of torque. To get an idea of the performance numbers, the RS 3 Sportback hits 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds before the electronic limiter cuts its pace at 250 km/h. By the time the RS Q4 comes to light, the 5-pot may very well be improved to go over the 400 hp mark. It will come with standard all-wheel drives and Audi’s 7-speed S-tronic dual clutch gearbox. Beyond the RS, a plug-in hybrid, with the 207 hp and 350 Nm powertrain used by the A3 e-Tron is also on the table, as is the 1.5-liter four-cylinder from Volkswagen, and a 2.0-liter diesel, in three power levels: 163 hp, 190 hp and 218 hp. +++
+++ BMW says the dual-clutch automatic transmission is living on borrowed time. BMW also forecasts the end of the manual transmission in the M3 and the M4. Currently, the BMW M3 and M4 are offered with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. The Munich-based brand suggests the next-generation models won’t offer either unit. Peter Quintus, BMW M’s vice president of sales and marketing, predicts the dual-clutch transmission’s days are numbered. He believes BMW will gradually pivot back towards conventional automatic gearboxes with a hydraulic torque converter. “We are now seeing automatic transmissions with 9 and even 10 speeds, so there’s a lot of technology in modern automatics. The DCT once had 2 advantages: it was light and its shift speeds were higher. Now, a lot of that shift-time advantage has disappeared as automatics get better and smarter”, he explained in a interview. Quintus also forecasts the end of the manual transmission in the M3 and the M4. While falling demand for three-pedal M cars is an issue, he noted it’s complicated and expensive to develop a manual transmission that can handle a high amount of power. Dodge’s Challenger Hellcat is tire-roasting proof that a stock, factory-built manual transmission can handle 707 horsepower. Quintus isn’t sold, however. “We looked at U.S. gearboxes. We found they were heavy and the shift quality was awful”, he noted. +++
+++ Americans who ordered a CHRYSLER Pacifica Hybrid some time ago, might be getting it soon-ish. Production of the hybrid Pacificas started way back in December, but for an undisclosed reason, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) chose not to ship the finished cars to dealers. It hints of a hitch somewhere in the production, but perhaps it’s best for the manufacturer to get the cars right the first time rather than face customer wrath. Howver, the minivans started shipping to dealers on Monday, after months of delays, and that there have been 700 orders for the Pacifica Hybrid by April 7th. As a FCA representative said to DFP: “As with all launches, but particularly in the case of this technically advanced vehicle, we are taking great care to ensure that the Pacifica Hybrid comes off the line with the highest quality possible. We will only introduce a vehicle when we are fully satisfied the vehicle meets or exceeds customer expectations.” FCA hasn’t disclosed how many of the delayed hybrids have been shipped. Any customer who has ordered a Pacifica Hybrid before March 30th is eligible for either a Visa gift card worth $500 or a 240-volt Level 2 charger, which should charge the van’s li-ion batteries in 2 hours. The Pacifica Hybrid is the first plug-in hybrid vehicle in its class, and it reportedly has a range of 900 kilometers. +++
+++ A cheaper HONDA Civic Type R might be coming next year? The lineup will allegedly include a base model in 2018. Enthusiasts who are lusting after the brand-new Honda Civic Type R but don’t want to pay the fulle price are in luck. A new report suggests a more affordable base model will join the lineup in time for the 2018 model year. Honda is working on 2 variants of the 2018 Type R. The new base model will provide enthusiasts on a budget with a way to get into a Type R. The base Type R will presumably come with fewer standard features, but it will use the same engine as its more expensive counterpart. The unit in question is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that sends a solid 310 horsepower to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. The base model could be up to 7,000 euro cheaper when it arrives next year. +++
+++ SKODA may have just presented its Vision E electric concept at the Shanghai Auto Show but it won’t be the Czech company’s first EV for the road. Instead, that title will probably be taken by an electrified variant of the small Citigo. Board member for technical development, Christian Strube, said that while he didn’t specifically name the Citigo will be Skoda’s first EV, he all but confirmed the Vision E won’t be its first electric production car. “We have said that the Vision E is our first car on MEB. And we have said that it is our first electric show car. But we haven’t said that it is our first production car”, he said. The Citigo’s sister car, the Volkswagen Up is already offered as an all-electric model in the form of the e-up! Soon, Seat will release an electric version of its Mii city car and it makes sense that an electric Skoda Citigo would be created to complete Volkswagen AG’s trio of electric minis. Skoda’s first electrified model has already been confirmed as a plug-in hybrid version of the Superb for 2019 so it is probable that the electric Citigo will arrive shortly after. +++
+++ TESLA has been hit with a class action lawsuit that claims the company’s Autopilot system is “essentially unusable and demonstrably dangerous”. According to the suit filed in California, most of the Model S’ standard safety features remain inoperative months after customers have taken delivery of their car. The filing goes on to say Tesla models have a “dangerously defective” Traffic Aware Cruise Control system and that the company’s Enhanced Autopilot technology causes vehicles to behave erratically. Furthermore, it says owners have become “beta testers of half-baked software”. While Tesla’s Autopilot system isn’t always perfect, claims the company “advertised vaporware to consumers” might cause a few eyes to roll. Regardless, the lawsuit seeks a recall and buyback of affected vehicles as well as an order to prevent Tesla from “continuing the unlawful, deceptive, fraudulent, and unfair business practices alleged in this complaint”. Of course, the suit is also asking for money to cover legal fees, restitution, damages, penalties, and interest – among other things. Most companies don’t comment on pending litigation but a Tesla spokesperson told: “This lawsuit is a disingenuous attempt to secure attorney’s fees posing as a legitimate legal action, which is evidenced by the fact that the suit misrepresents many facts”. The unnamed spokesperson added “Many of the features this suit claims are ‘unavailable’ are in fact available, with more updates coming every month”. +++
+++ The legal battle Waymo waged against UBER is getting more and more intense, and the Alphabet-owned division is showing no signs of slowing down. It has just accused the ride-hailing company of covering up a trade secret theft in a new set of court of documents. Waymo says Uber hid a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) device (the system that serves as self-driving cars’ “eyes”) that former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski developed based on its technology. If you’ll recall, Waymo filed the lawsuit after another one of its engineers revealed that Levandowski downloaded 9.7 GB of confidential materials related to its self-driving system before leaving company. He then established Otto, the autonomous truck company that Uber ended up acquiring for its own self-driving ambitions. Alphabet’ self-driving division submitted the documents to court in an effort to convince a federal judge to ban Levandowski from working on Uber’s self-driving project. It says it only discovered the device after one of Uber’s engineers was forced to admit its existence, something Matt Kallman, a spokesperson for the beleaguered ride-hailing firm, strongly denied. Kallman told that his company made the device available to Waymo from the start, so it could inspect and even photograph it as part of court-ordered information sharing. He further clarified that it’s merely an abandoned project that didn’t even reach prototype stage. Waymo’s sudden focus on the device, he told the publication, “represents a strategic pivot… and a retreat from its original claims”. In previous statements, Uber said it never touched any of the 14,000 files Levandowski allegedly stole and that it’s been working on a LiDAR system before he came onboard. Further, it said its LiDAR system, whch isn’t even ready for us, has a single-lens design that’s vastly different from Waymo’s multi-lens tech. The device mentioned in the court documents apparently pertains to a second LiDAR technology that more closely resembles Waymo’s. We’ll know next month whether the accusation is solid enough to sway a federal judge once preliminary injunction hearings begin. +++
+++ VOLVO hints at 20-series models, meaning the lineup could grow to include a new cluster of entry-level cars, one of the company’s top executives has revealed. “It’s pretty straightforward: The 90 is the biggest, and the 40 is the smallest. And when there is a 20, it will be a smaller one”, said Lex Kerssemakers, the head of Volvo’s U.S. division, in an interview. While not an official announcement, Kerssemaker’s comments suggest Volvo is at least thinking about downsizing in the coming years. It’s far too early to provide concrete details such as what the 20-series cars will be powered by and what they’ll look like. However, the Swedish company’s modular approach to building cars suggests the smaller models will ride on the same CMA platform as the upcoming 40-series models. I don’t know when the 20-series cars will arrive. However, it might be a while before we see a XC20 or a V20 in a Volvo showrooms. The company has plenty of cars that are arguably more important to launch in the coming years. The first-ever XC40 will debut before the end of the year, followed by replacements for the V40 and the S40. A brand-new assembly plant in Charleston, South Carolina, will build the next-generation S60, and a V60 will follow shortly after. Finally, Volvo’s first full-electric model will enter production in 2019 on the outskirts of Shanghai, China. With that product map in mind, Volvo’s 20-series cars might not arrive until early next decade, assuming they’re approved for production. +++