Location Based Systems

Siemens has supplied and installed two triple-outlet, multi-standard rapid charging points in Cirencester and Moreton-in-Marsh for Cotswold District Council (CDC), UK, providing fast top-ups for visitors and residents with electric vehicles travelling within and through the region. A grant from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) provided funding for the project.

Advanced infotainment systems, over-the-air (OTA) updates, big data analytics, mobility services and in-car security are key technologies that will shape the global connected car market in 2015. Human machine interface (HMI) input and output solutions, as well as, heads up display (HUD) are set to take centre stage. However, car makers must create consumer-centric HMI solutions that will strike a balance between reducing driver distraction and meeting consumer need for connected services. New analysis f

Daimler Trucks has become the world’s first manufacturer to be granted a road licence for an autonomous heavy-duty truck. The state of Nevada licensed two Freightliner Inspiration trucks for regular operation on public roads. The first journey in the Freightliner Inspiration truck equipped with the intelligent Highway Pilot system for autonomous driving took place on US highway 15 in Las Vegas.

Google has announced the next step in its autonomous vehicle program and is about to begin testing its new prototype self-driving vehicles on public roads. This summer, the company will move its cars from the test track to the roads with safety drivers aboard. The company has been rigorously testing the cars at its test facilities for several years. The new prototypes are based on the company’s existing fleet of self-driving Lexus RX450h SUVs, which has logged nearly a million autonomous miles and recen

The US Department of Transportation (US DOT) is accelerating its timetable on a proposed V2V rule that would require vehicle-to-vehicle equipment --technology that allows cars to ‘talk’ to one another-- in all new vehicles. V2V technology is a critical element of the connected automation that makes driverless cars as safe as possible. Writing in the USDOT Fastlane blog, Transportation Secretary Antony Foxx announced that he has directed the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) t

Switzerland is testing its first autonomous vehicle (AV) on the streets of Zurich. Developed in cooperation with Swiss telecommunications group Swisscom, the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (UVEK) and Germany’s Autonomos Labs, the heavily modified VW Passat has been equipped with sensors, computers and software. The computer system drives, steers and brakes the vehicle autonomously and detects other vehicles and pedestrians by means of laser scanners, radar and vid

The European Parliament has mandated that all newly approved car and light-van models will have to be equipped with eCall boxes as standard fitment from 31 March 2018. eCall boxes are emergency call devices enabling rescue services to respond with faster road assistance based on knowledge of the exact location of the accident. The 2014 ban on telephone roaming charges across Europe will establish a favourable scenario for an interoperable eCall or telematics solution. However, while the European Commissi

The findings of Euro NCAP and ANCAP, the independent safety bodies for Europe and Australasia, on the effectiveness of low speed autonomous emergency braking in real-world rear-end crashes have concluded that low speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB) technology needs widespread fitment for maximum benefits. Published in the online edition of the Accident Analysis & Prevention journal, the publication says that AEB is one of the more promising safety technologies that are becoming increasingly common o

A new report from Allied Market Research, Global Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends, Opportunities, Growth and Forecast, 2013 – 2020 claims the global advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) market will reach US$60.14 billion by 2020, registering a CAGR of 22.8 per cent during 2014-2020. According to the report, the deployment of sensors in vehicles has brought a massive transformation in the automotive industry by providing improved passenger experience and safet

Audi Electronics Venture (AEV) has acquired a strategic minority interest in the Irish mobile telephone provider, Cubic Telecom, a forerunner of machine to machine (M2M) technology, with the aim of developing connectivity solutions for Audi vehicles. Peter Steiner, head of AEV, explained the goal of the partnership: “Audi and Cubic Telecom are strong development partners of connected infotainment solutions and intend to connect the models of the Audi brand even better with its environment and the interne