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Car rental company Hertz has partnered with Aptiv to help operate and manage the technology firm’s autonomous vehicles (AVs) in Las Vegas. The initiative is set to launch this autumn and is intended to serve as a guide for the implementation of similar projects in future markets. Aptiv made 30 AVs available to Las Vegas riders using Lyft’s app in May.

Econolite will provide infrastructure upgrades to the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) highways in District 7 – Los Angeles through December 2020. The $21.9m project’s stated aim is to improve safety and mobility for citizens and visitors. Under the agreement, Econolite will upgrade and replace more than 3,000 detection sensors and install new signal controllers and traffic cabinets. The contract’s scope also includes deploying new communication systems, including wireless, at

Ride sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, also called transportation network companies (TNC), are increasing congestion in US cities, says Schaller Consulting. The transport consultancy’s latest report reveals TNCs add 2.6 new vehicle miles on the road for each mile of personal driving removed, increasing driving on city streets by 160%. Called The New Automobility: Lyft, Uber and the Future of American Cities, the document combines research and data from a national travel survey to create a detailed

Drive.ai is using self-driving vans to carry passengers on a near two-mile route in Frisco, Texas. According to a report by CBS News, the company is the first to launch such a test since an Uber vehicle driving in autonomous mode killed a pedestrian in Arizona. These vans will operate over the next six months, with a safety driver on board, and will travel between an office park and a nearby dining area and entertainment complex. Conway Chen, vice president at Drive.ai, says the service has been desi

Auto giant Ford intends to invest $4bn by 2023 to develop an autonomous vehicle (AV) business unit. The new subsidiary will be located mainly at its Corktown campus in Detroit. Called Ford Autonomous Vehicles, the business will host the company’s self-driving systems integration, AV research and advanced engineering, AV transportation-as-a-service network development, user experience, business strategy and business development teams. A report by TechCrunch says the initiative includes a $1bn investment

German car manufacturer Daimler has extended its partnership with technology company Baidu in China to develop automated driving and connectivity projects. The companies partnered in 2017 to develop the Baidu Apollo, an open platform intended to support the major features and functions of automated vehicles. Daimler also joined the Apollo Committee, a group whose stated aim is to accelerate research on safer solutions in automated driving and promote the drafting of related regulations. In July, Dai

ComfortDelGro is trialling two electric loniq taxis in Singapore which it says can be fully re-charged in under 30 minutes. The project’s stated aim is to provide the company’s cab drivers with a fast and safe charging solution. The DC fast charging station is approved by the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Energy Market Authority and is located at Komoco Motors, a private local automotive company, in Alexandra. Once fully charged, the loniq taxi is intended to allow drivers to travel more than 200km.

The UK’s University of Nottingham has entered into a partnership to deliver skills and technology on smart transportation. It has signed a formal agreement with Transport Systems Catapult’s (TSC) Deep Academic Alliance (DAA). The initiative is part of the UK government’s stated ambition to make the country a world leader in driverless and interconnected vehicles and intelligent transport infrastructure. The DAA supports TSC’s five-year academic engagement strategy to ensure transport innovation has g

Chinese manufacturer BYD has leased 30 electric vehicles (EVs) to authorities in São José dos Campos in Brazil. They will be used by police and government as part of a policy to help encourage electric and hybrid car use. The contract will last for 36 months and comprises 29 BYD e5 electric cars and one e6 vehicle.

Brigade Electronics says its Ultrasonic Detection System can help commercial vehicle drivers who operate in confined spaces or drive at low speeds to detect objects and people in blind spots. The solution scans an area around the vehicle using ultrasonic waves to detect moving or stationary objects - and then sends an alert to the driver. Up to two Ultrasonic Detection Systems can work alongside a camera monitor system. Meanwhile, an on-screen display module mounted inside the cab warns the driver o

Current by GE is partnering with Nokia to bring smart city technology to Canada. The firms say cities will have access to digital technology to improve challenges such as parking, traffic management, public safety enhancements and monitor air quality. Through the agreement, Nokia will have access to Current by GE’s open data CityIQ platform, which will repurpose outdoor street lighting to collect data and distribute insights to cities. The combined digital solution is also expected to enable app develop

Nexus will install a computerised signalling control system at the Tyne and Wear Metro control room, in Newcastle, to help make train operations more efficient. The £12m project will take place from 4-5 August. Nexus is a UK public body which owns and manages Metro. The rapid transit and light rail system serves Newcastle upon Tyne, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland in the Tyne and Wear region. Derby-based technology company Resonate will supply the computerised signalling control system

London has the most electric vehicle (EV) charging points compared to 89 major global cities, says Spotahome. The home rental company has standardised data available for charging points and awarded the highest index score of 10 to the UK capital. The cities that came after London include Amsterdam (9.63), Rotterdam, (8.73), Berlin, (8.24) and Hamburg (7.2). However, Spotahome rated other cities in the UK such as Manchester in 18th place (1.76), Edinburgh 31st (1.1) and Leeds 35th (0.88). At to th

Uber’s self-driving cars are being manually driven on public roads in Pittsburgh after a fatal crash which prompted the company to pull out of its testing programme in North America. The company is trialling new safeguards which it says will improve vehicle fleet safety and performance. According to a report by Medium, Eric Meyhofer, head of Uber Advanced Technologies, says: “While we are eager to resume testing of our self-driving system, we see manual driving as an important first step in piloting thes