Technology – Driving.co.uk from The Sunday Times

Polestar 5 EV’s extreme fast charging adds 100 miles of range in five minutes

Shane.odonoghue@sunday-times.co.uk — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 13:34:02 +0000

Polestar has taken the opportunity of an inaugural showcase event in Los Angeles to announce new “extreme fast charging” (XFC) technology for its forthcoming flagship model, the Polestar 5.

The first-ever Polestar Day over in America not only gave the world the chance to see the exterior design of the 5 in the metal for the first time, but also the soon-to-be-launched Polestar 3 and 4 SUVs, which will take the company’s road car count from one currently to three in short order.

The XFC tech also promises ‘100-in-5’, which means the Polestar 5 will only need to be hooked up to the mains for five minutes for an additional 100 miles of driving range, given charger capable of delivering power at those speeds.

Pouch cell the key to fast charging times

Polestar has teamed up with StoreDot, a lithium-ion battery developer, to bring the XFC technology to production. A new “pouch cell” allows for the rapid replenishment of the battery pack, and it is hoped that a prototype of the car with XFC will be ready in 2024.

The Polestar 5 will be the flagship GT of the company’s range. Designed to take on the likes of the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT and Tesla Model S, the 5 will produce up to a massive 874bhp and 664lb ft of torque, and will have the most advanced 800-volt electrical architecture that allows for such rapid charging times.

Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar’s CEO, said of the XFC demonstration in LA: “StoreDot is making huge strides forward in the development of their extreme fast charging technology and we are a proud investor and partner in its evolution.

“StoreDot’s pioneering extreme fast charging batteries, combined with our upcoming top-of-the-line electric powertrain, can revolutionise the ownership experience for EV owners with the ability to recharge in minutes.”

Dr Doron Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot, added: “Polestar has been one of our key investors and collaborators as we develop our XFC technology.

“Next year we’ll show how a full-scale battery module developed by Polestar with this revolutionary technology can be charged. Charging anxiety will soon be a thing of the past.”

All products together for the first time

The inaugural Polestar Day was designed to show off the company’s innovation and how it will move forward with its products.

Currently, it has just one vehicle in production, the Polestar 2 crossover-hatchback. That will soon change, however, as both the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 are due to launch in 2024.

The glamorous Polestar 5, meanwhile, should go on sale sometime in 2025. Its design and layout are based on the Polestar Precept, a concept car that was slated to go on display at the 2020 Geneva motor show before that event was cancelled because of the Covid-19 global pandemic.

The Polestar Day was the first time that the company’s full range of future models was exhibited together for the first time. So alongside examples of the 3, 4 and 5 were the Precept itself, plus the Polestar Electric Roadster Concept — previewing a new Polestar 6 — and the Polestar Synergy. The latter is the winner of Polestar’s 2022-23 Design Contest.

Guests could test-drive the 2024 model year Polestar 2s, as well as having passenger rides in the Polestar 3 and 4 development prototypes, alongside engineers and experts from the company.

‘From one car on the roads to having three’

Ingenlath added: “Polestar Day provides substantial insight into our products and the innovations we are working on together with global leaders in various fields to bring the best electric performance cars to market.

“We are progressing from having one car on the roads — Polestar 2 — to having three, with the ongoing launches of our two SUVs, Polestar 3 and Polestar 4.

“The coming months will be some of the most exciting our young company has ever seen.”

Polestar is an electric vehicle (EV) spin-off of Volvo. It has only built one car with an internal combustion engine fitted, the short-lived but impossibly beautiful Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupé — a £139,000 show-stopper with 601bhp and 738lb ft of torque. Just 1,500 units were made for the whole world.

If you were interested in Polestar’s next generation of cars, take a look a Will Dron’s preview of the 872bhp Polestar 5
And click here if you want to see our guide to all the car makers’ electric vehicle plans
Have you read our review of the 2024MY Polestar 2?

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The Bloodhound Land Speed Record team is looking for a new driver

Will.dron@sunday-times.co.uk — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 10:05:14 +0000

The owner of the Bloodhound Land Speed Record (LSR) project has launched a search to find a new driver ahead of what he hopes will be another attempt at setting a new world record.

Wing Commander Stuart Edmondson, who was “handed the keys” to the Bloodhound project at the start of 2022, will be promoting the search during a week-long UK roadshow dubbed “Race to Greatness: Bloodhound Land Speed Record Driver Search”.

In a statement, Bloodhound LSR described the driver search as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to “attract passionate and skilled individuals who are ready to push the boundaries of speed and aspire to become part of history, by driving the fastest car on Earth.”

However, as passionate and skilled as the potential driver may be, with the capability of driving a car at speeds in excess of the targeted 800mph, they must also possess another key attribute: money. As per the official statement:

“Any potential drivers must be able to bring the required funding to enable the project to set a new
Land Speed Record … Therefore, we are asking for anyone who thinks they have the appropriate financial
backing, experience and skills, to get in touch through our website.”

Applicants will be scrutinised by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE (below), who was the first person to break the sound barrier on land en route to setting the current record of 763.035mph in 1997, in the Thrust SSC car.

Driving.co.uk was told that Green, now 61, “is still very much with the team and will be part of the selection, training and mentoring process” in the same way that former record-holder and Thrust SSC project leader Richard Noble mentored Green back in the 1990s.

The roadshow, which will feature a full-scale replica of the Bloodhound LSR car, will take place at six locations over seven days from tomorrow, November 8. It starts at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire before travelling to Silverstone in Northants, the RAF Museum in Hendon, Brooklands Museum in Surrey, and the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, before a final event at Caffeine & Machine: The Hill in Warwickshire.

Location	Date	Time
British Motor Museum	Wed, Nov 8	Midday-5pm
Silverstone	Thu, Nov 9	TBC
RAF Museum – Hendon	Fri, Nov 10	Midday-5pm
RAF Museum – Hendon	Sat, Nov 11	1pm-5pm
Brooklands Museum	Sun, Nov 12	Midday-4pm
National Motor Museum – Beaulieu	Mon, Nov 13	Midday-5pm
Caffeine & Machine: The Hill	Tue, Nov 14	5pm-11pm

According to the organisers, the roadshow will also involve a route through central London on the morning of Saturday, November 11, as well as a wider tour of London and the M25 on the following morning.

As well as opportunities for the public to attend the events, media have also been invited in order to help raise awareness of the driver search.

In an exclusive interview with Driving.co.uk last year, Bloodhound CEO Edmondson (pictured below) revealed the project was still “very much alive” and that a new land speed record could be achieved very quickly with the proper financial backing.

He also expressed his desire to make the project net carbon zero, with the car’s jet engine running on synthetic e-fuel; an engineering challenge he described at the time as “awesome”, adding, “burning fossil fuels is not appropriate to the era we live in”.

Announcing the roadshow this morning, Edmondson said: “As we enter a new chapter of the Bloodhound LSR Project, I am excited about the opportunity and challenges that lie ahead, and confident that this will enable us to return to South Africa and set a new record.

“With a new driver, along with my aim of not using fossil fuels to set a new FIA Outright World Land Speed Record, the project promises to be exciting, engaging and relevant at so many levels.”

To put your name down as a potential driver and backer, visit BloodhoundLSR.com

If you were interested in Bloodhound LSR’s new driver search, you might also like to read our interview with Stuart Edmondson from 2022.
Andy Green Q&A: What it’s like to drive Bloodhound LSR at up to 628mph
Bloodhound land speed record car reaches 461mph in South African testing

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Nextbase iQ review: First test of ‘the world’s smartest dash cam’

Will.dron@sunday-times.co.uk — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 18:45:12 +0000

It’s easy to casually state that the roads are like the Wild West these days, with driving standards apparently having fallen off a cliff, but the alarming thing is that the stats seem to back up the claim.

A survey by Compare the Market in January 2022 found that almost two in three drivers experience road rage while behind the wheel, with nearly a third reporting they had experienced a face-to-face confrontation with another driver.

Of course, it behoves a maker of dash cams to get their own data on the perils of poor driving (and then tell journalists about it at the reveal of its latest product) and Nextbase — which today launches its new iQ dash cam — has plenty of findings to worry us.

According to the British firm, which claims to be the world’s largest and most awarded dash cam manufacturer, 72 per cent of drivers have had a near miss in the last year, 32 per cent of which could have been life threatening; more than half of motorists see instances of dangerous overtaking on a weekly basis; and 35 per cent see instances of cars ignoring road signs on a weekly basis.

The company also reported a two-fold increase in videos showing cash-for-crash incidents — whereby scammers pretend to be hit by your car in order to claim compensation — being shared through its app to insurers in the first six months of 2023 compared with the same period a year earlier. This is apparently being driven by the cost of living crisis.

So dash cams are a good idea if you’re a sensible driver, you’ll have gathered. They record a video of the road ahead while you’re driving, saving them in bite-sized clips usually around 30 seconds long, so that if the worst happens you’ve got video evidence for the police and insurers. Insurers love them, for obvious reasons, and you may find that you get a discount on your premium if using one.

But a quick look at Amazon shows there are plenty of options out there for buyers; what makes the new Nextbase iQ so special?

Let’s assume that the clarity of video recorded by the forward camera is top notch (it is, in crystal clear resolution up to 4K, depending on spec, with the hardware and software designed in-house).

The second built-in camera, facing into the cabin, may not be something that everyone has at the top of their must-haves, and might be considered overly-intrusive, but bear with me — I’ll come on to the major benefit of having it. Just know for now that the camera quality is also excellent.

There’s also nothing new in the fact that you can buy a separate camera to attach to your rear windscreen, meaning it’s possible to have three cameras recording to one memory card for all-round coverage.

Even the fact that the iQ packs a parking mode, to record people breaking in, isn’t a breakthrough feature in the world of dash cams.

Here comes the smart stuff

It’s how it works that is really clever, and the new features made possible by the powerful sensors packed into it that make the Nextbase iQ groundbreaking.

Let’s start with that parking mode — called SmartSense Parking in the iQ. Rather than waiting for the sound of a window breaking, or the rocking of the car, the iQ uses radar sensors (much like a Tesla in Sentry Mode) to detect movement outside the vehicle. That’s why the interior camera, with its 180-degree viewing angle, is a major selling point — it can capture nefarious characters coming up to the window before they break and enter.

Importantly, you can even set the sensitivity of the radar in four directions around the car via the app, in case, for example, you’re parked on a street and cars passing on the road side are setting off alerts every few seconds. A simple slide of the finger allows you to dial down the sensitivity on that side of the car.

SmartSense Parking is likely to be a really appealing feature because car thefts are accelerating as fast as bad driving — according to figures from the AA they were up by a quarter (25 per cent) last year. And it’s not just stealing of cars that’s a problem — parts are increasingly sought after by criminal gangs, too, such as catalytic converters and wheels.

If you wondering if the iQ runs out of power when parked, well, no… and yes. The iQ doesn’t come with a 12v (cigarette lighter) or USB power cable because Nextbase knows they don’t supply power once the car is locked. Instead, there are two options for owners: hard-wiring, which involves running a cable into the car’s fuse box and is best left to the professionals, or connecting to the car’s diagnostic port (‘OBD’ ports have been mandatory on all cars since the early 2000s).

This is how I connected our test iQ to our car, and the installation process, including downloading the app to my phone, connecting to the device and installing it in the car took less than 10 minutes. Tucking the power cable away behind the interior trim using the provided pokey tool took another few minutes.

Either way, the iQ is able to draw power directly from the car’s 12v battery, and will do so until it detects the battery has reached a minimum charge level. At that point the iQ powers down, so that you’ll always have enough power in the battery to start the car’s engine. Nextbase says that, thanks to radar being very low power draw compared with regular motion detectors, the parking mode should last for weeks, depending on the health of the battery and how often events are triggered.

By connecting to the OBD port, though, a second concern is raised: does the iQ also access data from the car? Apparently not. Nextbase says it made the decision not to do so, partly for privacy reasons (GDPR doing its job here), but also because to do so may invalidate a car’s warranty. And that would not a happy customer make.

So that’s vehicle security, but there’s another new feature which is all about personal safety and most definitely shifts the needle in dash cam tech. Witness Mode is a voice activated system that starts a 30-minute recording that is saved directly to the cloud, and sends an alert via text and email to up to two of your contacts.

The idea is that if you’re feeling unsafe driving through a particular neighbourhood, or have stopped at traffic lights and can see someone you don’t like the look of approaching your car, then you can not only make sure the footage is saved online but can also allow your nominated contacts to live stream the situation.

This is also offered explicitly as a tool for people worried about being stopped by the police. When asked if they had a particular case involving a police stop in mind when developing Witness Mode, a Nextbase spokesperson said no, but several high profile cases — in America, particularly — had been noted.

It’s not quite there… yet

There was only one problem with Witness Mode when I first tried to test it — the Voice Control feature wasn’t working. That was down to a firmware update over the weekend, I was told, which also prevented me from being able to connect to the camera at all via the app for a time. I was advised to press the reset button on the top of the device using a paper clip, and that resolved the issues, but it was a wobble that suggests there may still be a few kinks to iron out with further over-the-air updates.

I also noticed that Witness Mode, once I got it working (with the wake-up command “Hey Nextbase” rather than “Hey, iQ”, as stated in the app), didn’t list the recording as an “event”. Hopefully Nextbase will read this and ensure that those clips are labelled more obviously in the app. What’s more, my contacts were able to live stream the cameras at least 50 minutes after the event, yet there was no obvious way for them to download the footage.

Voice Command supposedly also allows owners to play music, place calls, send directions to your navigation app and more, which all sounds great but it wasn’t immediately obvious how to do that, so I didn’t test it.

Nor did I test two other really intriguing features of iQ, but not through my own laziness… they aren’t active yet and are set to be rolled out in around two weeks from now.

The first is called Guardian Mode and is designed to send you an alert when someone else is driving your car and breaks a preset rule, such as going over a certain speed or driving beyond certain designated boundaries — useful for keeping tabs on valets or younger members of the household.

The other is RoadWatch AI, which as the name suggests scans the road ahead and uses artificial intelligence to track the speed and trajectories of other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and more. In the event of a collision, the system should even be able to create an animation of what went on in the lead up to and during it.

And for obvious reasons I didn’t try out an apparently life-saving feature, which is carried over from the most recent Nextbase Series 2 products, called Emergency SOS. This, in the event of a serious accident (categorised by completing a checklist of 18 criteria), sends an alert to the emergency services that includes your exact location (using What3Words) and other critical details.

That may work as planned (I should hope so) but a few other things did not. For my test of SmartSense Parking mode, I parked at home and waited until the following morning to perform my criminal act and peer in through the windows. Although the video I recorded (below) clearly shows me doing so, there was no indication to me that the iQ was recording at the time — the ring of LEDs should glow red, as a deterrent to potential thieves.

And when I went to the new Nextbase iQ app to check the recordings, these also hadn’t been noted as “events” — clips deemed important enough to lock on the SD card and send to the cloud, for security.

The chances are high that these are things that can be fixed either in the settings or via firmware and software updates, which are included with the iQ over its lifetime. Clearly the cameras did record me, so the radar was doing its job.

And while those clips are not recorded as “events”, but should be, there are some clips that shouldn’t, yet are. During one hour-and-a-half drive the camera recorded two “impacts” that were nothing of the sort. I did find in the app that there are three levels of sensitivity, so I dropped it down from normal to the lowest setting.

Hit us with the costs, then

Of course, all this tech doesn’t come cheap. And you might not be surprised to know that if you want all the features all the time, there’s an ongoing payment for the privilege.

The Nextbase iQ itself comes in three versions based on video quality: the entry level “iQ 1K” model comes with 1080p video from the front and cabin cameras, and costs £349; the mid-spec “iQ 2K” model gets 1440p video from both cameras and will set you back a further £50; while the range-topping “iQ 4K” keeps the same 1440p cabin camera but gets (surprise, surprise) 4K video from the forward-facing unit — yours for £449. The optional rear cam works with all three, has 1440p resolution and costs £149.

It’s worth noting that while these couldn’t be described as cheap, there are even more expensive dash cams out there with far fewer features. Nextbase also makes it easier with interest-free payment plans via its website.

But you do need to factor in the subscription costs. You can avoid them altogether, though you’ll only get access to the app, firmware updates, Voice Control and real-time text notifications, which doesn’t make a lot of sense given the power of the product.

For Live View videos, SmartSense Parking, Witness Mode, Roadwatch AI, Guardian Mode and 30-day cloud storage, you’ll need to pay £6.99 per month. A top tier plan for another £3 per month on top adds multiple user accounts, Emergency SOS and Automated Incident Back-up. Pay annually and you also get an extended warranty.

Think of it like taking out a phone contract, though, and no doubt many will view a monthly charge as perfectly reasonable, and importantly you can cancel the subscription at any time. I suspect many iQ owners will feel much happier knowing they are fully protected, though.

They’ll be sold in the UK exclusively at the Nextbase website and in store at Halfords for a few weeks, before opening up to sales on Amazon.

Verdict: Nextbase iQ dash cam review

The Nextbase iQ has been four years in the making but even on launch day it’s still not quite firing on all its cylinders: we’ll have to wait another couple of weeks to find out if the RoadWatch AI and Guardian Modes work as advertised, and there seem to be a few niggles that could do with fixing via over-the-air updates.

That said, the hardware is without doubt a brilliant bit of kit, with superb video quality and packed with features that will help owners feel like they and their car are safe, whether in motion or parked up. And despite the complexity of the device, the iQ is really easy to install and set up.

The prices need to be looked at in the context of the features on offer, and even before all the features are unlocked, and with improvements that could be made over-the-air, the Nextbase iQ is probably the best dash cam on the market today. With all the features in the mix and a few minor tweaks to the app, it really will be leaps and bounds ahead of the pack and the best way to help protect you and your car.

If you were interested in this review of the Nextbase iQ dash cam, you might also like to see how the cost of living crisis has created a ‘crash for cash’ epidemic (video)
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Want an armoured electric car? The BMW i7 Protection is the answer

Shane.odonoghue@sunday-times.co.uk — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 22:01:00 +0000

BMW has revealed a new armoured version of its i7 electric luxury saloon.

The BMW i7 Protection meets the VR9 standard for … protection … against ballistic threats, meaning it can withstand a 7.62×51mm Nato armour-piercing bullet impact. The glass, meanwhile, meets the VPAM 10 standard, which is the highest level of protection for civilian armoured vehicles.

Underneath, the i7 Protection is based on the standard i7 but it uses what BMW calls its “Protection Core” technology — a self-supporting body structure made from armour steel. This is then combined with other protective features, including additional armour for the underbody, roof and glasswork.

Protection from drone attacks with explosive charges

As well as ensuring the car can protect occupants from small arms and shrapnel, along with “drone attacks with explosive charges”, the i7 Protection’s structure also allows the car to look much like a standard i7. BMW claims the armour doesn’t impinge on interior space too much, either.

More importantly, the German carmaker says the structure “optimised” the weight of the vehicle compared with other protection vehicles, improving the car’s load-carrying and handling abilities.

That means the i7 Protection consumes between 20.8 and 23.7kWh of battery capacity every 62 miles on the official economy test (2.6-3.0 miles per kWh), although BMW hasn’t confirmed exactly how that will translate to range. Assuming the i7 Protection uses the same 105.7kWh battery as the standard car, it should manage around 250 miles on a single charge.

Slower than standard i7

Admittedly, that means the weight has had an impact on the i7’s efficiency — the standard car will cover well over 350 miles on a charge — and performance has been impacted too. Whereas a stock i7 takes just under five seconds to get from 0-62mph, the 537bhp, all-wheel-drive i7 Protection will take nine seconds to achieve the same feat. Still, that’s what you get from your average family hatchback, so it isn’t exactly slow.

BMW says it has adapted the suspension specifically for the Protection model, and despite the extra weight its trick underpinnings allow “precisely controllable handling, even when they are being driven hard, such as when escaping from an attack.”

It’s the second time BMW has shown off an armoured electric car, having presented the BMW Concept iX5 Hydrogen Protection VR6 fuel cell EV at the Munich Mobility Show in 2021. However, this is the first electric protection vehicle to make it into production.

Petrol power available

As well as the i7 Protection, BMW is offering customers the chance to armour a more conventional, combustion-powered 7 Series. Like the i7 Protection, the 7 Series Protection will meet the VR9 classification but customers can choose to upgrade to the VPAM 10 classification if they so wish.

The 7 Series Protection will also come with a self-sealing fuel tank and a 4.4-litre, 523bhp V8 petrol engine. It’ll be faster than the i7 Protection, getting from 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 130mph.

Both cars benefit from a range of other Protection-specific goodies, including a special touchscreen with extra features, including an intercom system, run-flat tyres and an optional fresh air supply system.

But luxury has not been forgotten, and the cars also get more common 7 Series features including a standard Bowers & Wilkins sound system and an optional coolbox that can store two water bottles and two glasses, chilling them to four or ten degrees Celsius, depending on passenger desires.

Perhaps the most useful option, though, will be the special protection driver training courses offered by BMW. These can be tailored to participants’ needs and include practical vehicle control exercises and tactical response training, as well as “comprehensive theory” sessions.

If you were interested in the BMW i7 Protection, you might be interested in BMW’s most powerful EV yet, the i7 M70
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Next-gen Mini to get in-car video games

Shane.odonoghue@sunday-times.co.uk — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 22:01:00 +0000

The next-generation Mini, set to be fully unveiled in September, will follow Tesla’s lead in allowing owners to play computer games on its 9.4in diameter circular OLED display while parked or charging.

Mini’s AirConsole app enables smartphones to connect with the display, stream games directly to it and works with multiple players in the car. Available through the Mini Connected Store, it will offer several native games ranging from racing and sports to general knowledge and music quizzes. Mini plans to expand the offering with more games over time.

It’s made possible by the company’s new Operating System 9, developed in-house by the BMW Group and using Android Open Source Project software for the first time. Unlike often complex infotainment systems, Mini has opted for what it describes as ‘charismatic simplicity’ to make it straightforward for users to operate.

Besides the native system, both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are available wirelessly via connected smartphones.

Spike is here to help

For the first time in a Mini, a digital assistant will be available to help drivers with specific tasks, such as finding the nearest charging location or places to eat along a route. It can even provide some light entertainment by telling jokes if asked.

The system features the choice of appearing as an animated Mini-shaped car or dog called Spike. In the UK, it will incorporate Alexa AI technology, similar to that which underpins Amazon’s home smart speakers, to understand questions and engage with more natural dialogue.

A more immersive experience

Most new cars have different driving modes that alter the performance characteristics as well as features such as ambient interior lighting and digital display layouts, and the new Mini will be no different, though they will be labelled ‘experiences’ by the British brand.

They will include “Core”, “Green” and “Go-Kart”, representing what we would typically refer to as Normal, Eco and Sport settings, respectively. In addition to altering the graphics on the central display and changing the way the Mini feels to drive, it will also adjust the sounds created by the electric versions.

Mini will optionally offer extra experiences to be called “Balance”, “Vivid”, “Personal”, “Trail” and “Timeless”, the latter of which should be the most distinctive as it turns the central display into a large speedometer incorporating a serif typeface.

It will also produce driving sounds generated by combustion engine models including the classic Mini and John Cooper Works GP, which are blended with a futuristic interpretation of the Core driving sound.

With the Personal mode, owners will be able to upload their favourite images as the display’s background, via the Mini app.

Other options include a colour head-up display that changes to match the chosen experience mode for a more complete look.

Optimised route planning for electric models

The next Mini will use an improved navigation system to provide easier destination inputs and cloud-based connectivity for dynamic route calculation and more precise real-time traffic information to help avoid congestion.

With electric Mini models this software will include charging-optimised routes if there is insufficient range in the battery to complete the trip without plugging in, ensuring the car has at least a 10 per cent charge level when it arrives at its planned stops. Owners can also see the predicted state of charge upon arrival at each destination.

Car sharing with a digital key

A digital key, compatible with Apple, Google and Samsung devices, will allow lending of the new Mini to friends or family members. Through ultra-wideband technology, once the car detects when the digital keyholder approaches, it unlocks and enables it to be driven without a physical key fob.

Sharing the digital key is as simple as pressing the share button within the Mini app, and owners can also revoke the digital key just as quickly.

After reading about the features of the new Mini, you might like to read about its retro-themed dashboard
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Wondering what are the best EVs right now? Check out our electric car reviews here

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Peugeot reveals new iCockpit interior ahead of new 3008 launch

Shane.odonoghue@sunday-times.co.uk — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 23:01:00 +0000

Peugeot has revealed a new version of its unique i-Cockpit cabin layout, featuring a panoramic high definition digital display across the top of the dashboard and capacitive control buttons that can be customised by the driver. The trademark dinky steering wheel, over which the driver’s instruments are viewed, remains.

When it makes its debut in the all-new third-generation Peugeot 3008, set to launch later this year, the widescreen, HD display — curved and angled towards the driver — will measure a vast 21in across. It features a rear dashboard mount that’s invisible to passengers to create a floating effect, which is further accentuated by LED mood lighting located beneath the screen.

The instruments offer comprehensive information for the driver, while the central touchscreen is used for all of the major functions, including climate control, navigation, phone connectivity and media streaming.

Layout shared with Peugeot Le Mans racer

The i-Cockpit configuration is designed to offer a ‘head up’ style of display, so that the drivers eyes don’t have to dart too far from the road at any time. It’s a configuration that has been seen in all of Peugeot’s most recent models, from the 208 and 2008 to the 508 and Rifter, for a decade now. It has even been used in the company’s latest racing car, the 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar.

Below the main screens, the bank of capacitive (touch-sensitive) buttons are dubbed “i-Toggles”. These are fully customisable and can be programmed with 10 pre-sets for quick access to the most frequently used functions. As well as shortcuts for the main options such as navigation and the radio, these can be set up with frequently used navigation destinations or phone contacts.

The new screen layout, combined with a compact drive mode toggle switch located high on the dashboard next to the central air vents, is designed to give the impression of more space.

The images reveal that storage includes a central armrest cubby, twin cupholders and a wireless smartphone charging pad located between the driver and passenger.

Fabric trim is used across the centre console, dashtop and doors to connect everything together, while gloss-black trim adds an upmarket touch.

Compact steering wheel carried over — with tweaks

A small steering wheel is an integral part of the i-Cockpit layout, and the 3008’s wheel retains a minimal diameter. This configuration can feel unnatural at first but is designed to offer a sporty feel and many owners grow to like it.

The updated version features a raised central boss with two thick steering wheel spokes. There’s a flat top to the rim to make it easier for drivers of different sizes to see the instruments.

Those steering wheel spokes feature capacitive buttons that activate with a click, so there shouldn’t be issues with accidental presses should drivers brush them with their palms while turning the wheel.

There will be more information on the interior of the 3008, as well as its exterior, powertrains and equipment levels, when the car is officially revealed later this year. Two things we do know ahead of the 3008’s unveiling is that it will be built with all-new underpinnings and the whole line-up will come exclusively with electrified powertrains — mild-hybrid, hybrid and pure-electric.

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UK’s first autonomous bus service launched in Scotland, carrying up to 10,000 passengers per week

Shane.odonoghue@sunday-times.co.uk — Mon, 15 May 2023 19:14:54 +0000

Britain’s first autonomous bus service opened to passengers today (May 15) signalling the first steps in a potential public transport revolution.

The AB1 (prounounced “Abby”) service, operated by Stagecoach, comprises five buses driving a 14-mile route across the Forth Road Bridge from Ferrytoll Park & Ride in Fife to Edinburgh Park Transport Interchange.

The technology used includes sonar, camera and radar sensors, as well as artificial intelligence processing, to deliver a more comfortable ride for the passengers, as well as reducing brake and tyre wear, in turn reducing overall emissions.

Over the course of its two-year trial run, the CAVForth project — part-funded by the government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) — will transport up to 10,000 passengers per week to demonstrate the application of autonomous technology in the real world.

The AB1 buses take to Scottish roads having completed one million miles of testing and are claimed to be equipped to deal with all traffic and weather conditions. On the road, the buses will receive direct information from traffic light systems, enabling them to manage their speed in between lights in an efficient manner.

While the buses are described as “autronomous”, there will be two members of staff on board at all times, including a “safety driver” — required by law to stay in the driver’s seat and monitor the behaviour of the bus, as well as its technology, and be prepared to take control of the vehicle in the case of an emergency.

For the first weeks of the service, the driver will also take control for small sections of the route, and when emergency service vehicles approach or diversions are in place, though Stagecoach claims 90 per cent of the journey will be carried out in autonomous mode.

An additional member of staff, known as a “captain”, will be present in the passenger area and can explain the autonomous process while engaging with the passengers on board, in a manner similar to bus conductors of the past.

The project is the result of a collaborative effort from many partners, including Transport Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University, Alexander Dennis, Stagecoach, Bristol Robotics Lab and the University of the West of England.

While the buses first entered testing in 2018, during which a prototype bus drove itself around a depot and parked, the technology used has been in research and development for almost ten years, with Fusion Processing Ltd responsible for much of the programming and autonomous development.

According to Fusion Processing’s CEO, Jim Hutchinson, the pilot is “globally significant and marks a step change in the operation of autonomous commercial vehicles on public roads”.

Although similar technology is already in use in the Chinese city of Chongqing, where autonomous buses — known as “Robobuses” — can be used by the public, they are limited in size and only accommodate a small number of passengers at a time, while the AB1 service features full-sized buses.

Scottish Transport Minister Kevin Stewart, who officially launched the initiative on Thursday last week, praised the “innovative and ambitious CAVForth Project” and stated his desire for Scotland “to continue to be at the forefront in the development of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles”.

He added that “the start of this live trial will really help the country establish its credentials on the world stage”.

Further developments to the autonomous route are expected, with an extension into Dunfermline city centre planned for 2024.

An additional bus will be added to the autonomous fleet at the same time, paving the way for future growth.

It is hoped that the launch of the autonomous service in Scotland could lead to improvements in safety and a reduction in emissions, with Alexander Dennis managing director Paul Davies saying:

“We believe that automated driving systems like the one we are trialling in CAVForth will further improve safety by reducing reaction times, as well as offering the ability to drive buses in a more efficient manner by optimising acceleration and deceleration to deliver significant energy savings and reduced wear and tear on the vehicle.”

Professor Nick Antonopolous, deputy vice chancellor at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Automation offers an opportunity to transform the ways we get around in years to come, while improving safety and reducing energy consumption.”

After reading about the UK’s first autonomous bus service, you might be interested to hear that there are autonomous buses in China too
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What are electric vehicle batteries made of, where do the materials come from and are they produced ethically?

Shane.odonoghue@sunday-times.co.uk — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 15:38:15 +0000

Last year global sales of electric cars topped 10 million for the first time, according to the World Economic Forum, representing one in seven of all cars sold. It was a 60 per cent increase on the year before, and most experts agree the figure will continue to accelerate as governments clamp down on vehicle emissions. In the UK, sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2020, with hybrids to follow five years later.

Leading the new electric vehicle wave is China, where one in four cars sold in 2022 was an EV. China is also producing huge volumes of electric vehicles and their components, both for the domestic market and export, and for established global brands as well as nascent homegrown start-ups. Experts believe as many as 25 Chinese car brands could be on sale in the UK by the end of 2024.

The next biggest market for electric vehicles was the European Union, with one in five vehicles sold being an EV, while electric vehicle sales in the United States represented one in ten.

With most of the world intent on making the switch from motoring powered by internal combustion engines to electric motors and large battery packs, it’s more important than ever that we know what electric car batteries are made of, and the costs of mining and manufacturing those materials.

The precise individual chemical make-up of each electric car’s battery is a closely guarded secret, but most electric vehicle batteries produced today are lithium-ion and lithium polymer-based, with the major components being steel, aluminium, lithium, manganese, cobalt, nickel and graphite.

The breakdown, according to environmental think-tank Transport & Environment, follows, with information about from where each material is sourced.

Bear in mind that many car makers are now at pains to say they are deeply focused on sustainability, so they may choose not to source materials from leading suppliers and countries if they are known for disreputable mining and production practices. If one car maker is able to sell their products for a lower price than others, it may be as a result of less ethical supply chains.

Graphite: 28.1 per cent

Graphite — the same material that makes up the core of a pencil — is used in EV batteries as the anode. That’s the part of the battery that holds the charged ions of lithium when the battery is charged-up.

Graphite is a relatively affordable and stable material, so there are few safety concerns around it, but it is heavy, and in a typical battery with a capacity of 60kWh it can make up around 53kg of the total battery weight.

Where is it produced? Some 70 per cent of the world’s graphite reserves are to be found in Turkey, China and Brazil.
Environmental impact: Mining graphite isn’t an especially intensive process, but it does cause dust pollution and obviously the mining machinery has CO2 emissions of its own. Purifying the graphite for use can mean using unpleasant chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid.
Political impact: Both the EU and the United States have declared graphite a “supply-critical mineral”.

Aluminium: 18.9 per cent

Aluminium is used in the cathode — the negative battery terminal to which the charged ions flow, generating an electrical current. It’s also commonly used for the battery’s casing (as pictured above at the BMW plant in Dingolfing, Germany), and has the benefit of low weight for high strength.

Aluminium is also used for the current collectors, which take the charge generated by the battery’s internal chemistry and connects it to the external electrical circuits, passing it to the car’s electronics and electric motor.

Where is it produced? Aluminium comes from bauxite mining, with Australia, China and Guinea the world’s biggest locations (in that order), though it is also mined around the world in countries such as Brazil, India, Indonesia, Russia and Jamaica.
Environmental impact: Bauxite is most commonly dug out in open-cast mines. These don’t go very deep, so are less energy intensive, but they are huge in area, requiring vast amounts of land to be cleared and dug, which can lead to habitat loss. Refining and smelting aluminium out of bauxite is energy-intensive, but on the upside, aluminium can be constantly, almost endlessly, recycled. Around 75 per cent of all the aluminium in use has been recycled at one time or another.
Political impact: There’s no shortage of bauxite nor recyclable aluminium, but bauxite mining in Guinea, the country with the highest proportion of the world’s bauxite reserves, has caused Human Rights Watch to issue warnings over the treatment of residents by multi-national mining companies. With much of the world’s aluminium refining and production coming from China, which is accused of various atrocities from false-imprisonment and torture to genocide, there are also major geo-political concerns about Chinese-sourced aluminium.

Nickel: 15.7 per cent

Nickel is used in the battery’s cathode — the part to which the charged ions flow to generate current — and it’s expensive stuff. A tonne of nickel costs nearly £15,000 at current market prices, and a 60kWh battery might use around 29kg of it.

Where is it produced? More than 50 per cent of the global nickel resources come from Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, Russia and Canada, according to the Nickel Institute. But it’s also mined in the USA, Colombia, Brazil, Sweden, Finland, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Botswana, Zimbabwe, China and elsewhere.
Environmental impact: Nickel’s environmental impact can be significant. Canada, the world’s sixth-largest producer of nickel, has warned of air pollution, water contamination and the destruction of habitats thanks to nickel mining. Environmental journalist Maddie Stone has warned of some of the worst air pollution in the world being caused by nickel mining in Russia, the world’s third largest producer. Some studies have suggested that nickel is the seventh most damaging metal to human health. However, it is easily recyclable.
Political impact: The largest deposits of nickel in the world are in Indonesia, where accusations have been levelled at mining companies illegally digging up agricultural land belonging to indigenous tribes. Russia is the third largest supplier of nickel, which brings obvious political issues. Indeed, the price of a tonne of nickel spiked above £20,000 in the immediate wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Copper: 10.8 per cent

Copper is abundant around the world and the most commonly used material for electrical wiring, so our cars (electric or otherwise), houses, computers and phones are full of the stuff.

It’s significantly cheaper than most of the other materials used in EV batteries — around £6,500 per tonne. Copper is generally used as a current collector for the battery’s anode, as well as other wiring.

Where is it produced? Copper is produced all around the world but Chile is by far the world’s top producer, with a 27 per cent share of the market, according to the World Economic Forum. Peru is the next largest producer (10 per cent), then China (8 per cent), the Democratic Republic of Congo (8 per cent) and the USA (6 per cent). Australia, Russia, Zambia and Indonesia each have a 4 per cent share of the market.
Environmental impact: As with bauxite, copper is usually open-pit mined, and the sheer size of copper mines can cause environmental and habitat issues, and that’s without considering the CO2 impact of the mining operations themselves. There are also air pollution issues, and huge wastage — it takes 99 tonnes of mined material to yield one tonne of copper. Thankfully, copper can be easily recycled (see Toyota’s process above) and doesn’t degrade in quality (assuming no contamination from other materials) with repeated recycling.
Political impact: Though Chile is generally politically stable, there have been serious discussions in recent years about levying extra taxes on mining companies to fight rampant poverty in the country. Concerns surrounding human rights, trafficking and child labour have also been raised around copper mining in less reputable countries.

Steel: 10.8 per cent

Steel, like copper, is a material so widely used that it’s almost hard to comprehend how important it is to our everyday lives. From the cutlery in our drawers to the structures of our tallest buildings, steel is vital to modern human existence.

In EV batteries, it’s mostly there as protection, in the form of steel structure, to keep the battery’s internal parts safe from impacts and damage.

Where is it produced? According to figures from the World Steel Association, 140.7 million tonnes of steel were produced in 64 countries during December 2022 alone. That’s actually a 10.8 per cent decrease compared with the year before. China produces by far the most, accounting for nearly 80 million tonnes that month. India is second (10.6 tonnes), then Japan (6.9 tonnes), the USA (6.5 tonnes), Russia (5.5 tonnes) and South Korea (5.2 tonnes). Germany, Turkey, Brazil and Iran are also top 10 producers.
Environmental impact: Steel, which has to be smelted from iron at high temperatures, is a major contributor to global warming. It’s estimated that 1.83 tonnes of CO2 are emitted for every tonne of steel produced, and around 1.8 billion tonnes of steel are produced worldwide each year. The mining of iron ore, from which steel is produced, is also environmentally damaging. Steel can be recycled, though, and companies such as Volvo, Tata, Vattenfall and SSAB have all been experimenting with carbon-neutral steel production.
Political impact: Iron ore is the third-most traded commodity in the world, behind only crude oil and coal, so there are profound political issues that can both affect and be affected by the production of steel. The movement of steel production from the industrial heartlands of Europe to the far east caused, and continues to cause, enormous socio-political ructions in the UK.

Manganese: 5.4 per cent

Manganese is used in batteries as part of the cathode, the battery’s negative terminal, and it’s used as a stabilising material, there to help the battery maintain its charging and discharging functions.

It’s a common mineral in the Earth’s crust, and indeed is vital to life — we all need trace amounts of manganese in our diet to be able to grow new cells, bones and even for embryonic development in the womb.

Where is it produced? South Africa is by far the world’s biggest manganese producer, according to the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) Mineral Commodities Survey 2023. Last year its output was 7.2 million tonnes, way ahead of Gabon’s 4.6m tonnes and Australia’s 3.3m tonnes. China produced a little less than a million tonnes, with Ghana, India, Brazil, Ukraine, Cote d’Ivoire and Malaysia also in the top 10.
Environmental impact: Vital for life it may be, but manganese is nasty stuff when there’s too much of it about. Chronic manganese poisoning is recognised as a serious issue when it comes to mining the mineral, and air pollution near manganese mines has been linked to impaired motor skills, cognitive disorders and metabolic processes, especially in children. Water pollution from manganese mining is a major issue. Continued exposure can damage the lungs, liver and kidneys, and cause serious neurological damage. It has been suggested that manganese nodules could be mined from the seabed (see results of that above), reducing its on-land pollution, but environmental groups have warned of sub-sea habitat collapse if major seabed mining plans go ahead.
Political impact: Because it’s so common, and so cheap — only around £3.20 per tonne — manganese has little serious political impact, but that cheapness compounds the potential for human rights issues in its mining, especially the possible use of child labour.

Cobalt: 4.3 per cent

Cobalt is arguably responsible for more angst over electric car battery production than any other single component. Along with nickel, it’s regularly cited as being extremely vulnerable to the use of child labour in its mining and production, though that’s not always the case.

Cobalt is used in the cathode of the battery, the negative terminal, and like manganese it’s there to stabilise the battery’s chemistry, making it more reliable in the long term.

Manufacturers are now starting to move away from cobalt and towards new battery chemistries, such as China’s BYD Group and its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery design, which uses no cobalt. This type of battery is fitted to that company’s new Atto 3, Dolphin and Seal electric cars, among others.

Where is it produced? The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for around 70 per cent of global cobalt production, according to the USGS. Its output of 130,000 tonnes in 2022 was significant compared with the 8,900 tonnes from second-placed Russia. Australia, Canada, the Philippines, Cuba, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar, Morocco and China made up the remainder of the top 10, in that order by output.
Environmental impact Cobalt mining can be toxic to the land around mines, with reports of waste dumping “devastating landscapes, polluting water and contaminating crops. High concentrations of cobalt have even been linked to the death of crops and worms, which are vital for soil fertility,” according to environmental group Earth.org. Cobalt is at least ‘endlessly’ recyclable, so as more batteries reach the end of their lives and are recycled, we’ll potentially need to mine less of it.
Political impact The greatest reserve of cobalt in the world, more than half the total thought to exist, is in the DRC. Amnesty International found that cobalt was mined by children and adults in “horrendous conditions” such as narrow man-made tunnels, where they are at risk of fatal accidents and serious lung disease. What’s more, some of the world’s biggest brands were “failing to ask basic questions about where their cobalt comes from,” it said. Companies such as Volvo and BMW have said that they are instigating ‘blockchain’ digital tagging methods to try and eliminate such sources of cobalt for their batteries (Volvo’s are produced by CATL in China and LG Chem in South Korea), but according to Amnesty there are still too many gaps in the reporting chains.

Lithium: 3.2 per cent

Even though lithium makes up a tiny percentage of a battery’s size and weight, it’s the most important component from a power perspective. It’s the movement from the anode to the cathode of lithium ions that creates an electrical current that can then be used.

There is some potential for lithium to be replaced — other materials such as magnesium and sodium have shown some promise — but for now, it’s the basis for the best type of battery on offer, in terms of energy density and length of life.

Where is it produced? Australia produces more than 50 per cent of the world’s lithium, according to the World Economic Forum, with an output of 55,400 tonnes in 2021. Chile was second (26,000 tonnes), then China (6,000 tonnes). Other countries include Argentina, Brazil, Zimbabwe, the USA and Portugal.
Environmental impact: Lithium in itself isn’t especially harmful — indeed, you’ll find traces of it in our food, our teeth and our bones — but mining it requires a lot of water. As much as 500,000 litres of water are needed to get one tonne of lithium out of the ground, and that can lead to localised water shortages as well as potential river and water table pollution from run-off.
Political impact: Lithium is proving to be politically troublesome, as most of it is found in very few places — more than half of the world’s supply concentrated in South America’s ‘Lithium Triangle’ that covers Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, and there’s a lot in China, too. What’s more, “Only a handful of companies can produce high-quality, high-purity lithium chemical products,” according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), and new lithium mines can take an average of 16.5 years to get ore out of the ground. It’s not surprising that the IEA reckons by 2025 we could be looking at a significant lithium shortage. The gap between demand and supply could be even worse than that. “We currently in the US produce around 20,000 tons of lithium hydroxide refined in the US. We think we need over 700,000 by the second half of this decade. So, 35 times more,” Keith Phillips, CEO of Piedmont Lithium, whose customers include Tesla and LG Chem, told Yahoo Finance.

Iron: 2.7 per cent

Iron is used as part of the construction of the cathode. It’s an abundant element, and in common use everywhere, as well as being a vital component of steel-making. There is also some potential for iron to replace lithium in the batteries altogether — experiments have shown promise, and iron is cheaper by far than lithium.

Where is it produced? Australia tops the charts for iron or mining, with a usable output of 880 million tonnes in 2022, followed by Brazil (410m tonnes), China (380m tonnes), India (290m tonnes) and Russia (90m tonnes). The rest of the top 10 producers are Ukraine, South Africa, Iran, Kazakhstan and Canada.
Environmental impact: As mentioned above, iron ore is the third most traded commodity on Earth, so mining operations are huge. While they’re not especially toxic, not in the way that manganese mining can be, there are pollution impacts from the physical mining processes, as well as potential water pollution impacts from heavy metal and acid run-off.
Political impact: With iron ore being so common, and such a broadly-traded commodity, its general political impacts are low, but there are some underlying issues. For example, most of the trade between China and Australia is in iron ore, and growing political tensions in the South Pacific could trigger supply issues in iron if those two countries have a major falling-out, which could have significant knock-on economic effects.

Battery design

There are three primary types of battery design for EVs — cylindrical, prismatic and pouch.

Cylindrical

Cylindrical batteries are made up of individual compact round batteries, which look — and at a basic level, function — like regular household AA and AAA batteries. Link enough of these together and you get a large battery stack, with sufficient power to drive a car.

It sounds a bit old-fashioned, but it’s actually the design that Tesla uses, and it has been proven to be relatively safe, long-lasting and powerful.

Most cylindrical batteries are quite small, at the individual level, and that’s better for cooling and avoiding the dreaded ‘thermal runaway’ — where a battery can’t regulate its heat anymore, leading to a potentially catastrophic fire.

Larger cylinders would, theoretically, make a cylindrical battery more powerful and more efficient, but cooling becomes trickier. Cylindrical batteries aren’t the most space efficient, because the round shape of their cells leaves gaps in the structure.

Commonly used by: Tesla, Lucid, Rivian

Prismatic

Prismatic batteries are made by either rolling or stacking wafer-thin sheets of anode and cathode materials, and enclosing them in a solid case, usually square or rectangular in shape.

Prismatic batteries are space efficient, because these cases can be stacked hard up against one another, and they have the potential to be much more powerful than a cylindrical battery, because you can stack more material inside each section than you can with a cylinder battery.

Prismatic cells are, potentially, becoming the industry standard as they’re especially suited to the newer lithium iron phosphate battery chemistry design that is gaining ground among China’s hugely influential battery makers, and which can do away with some of the more troublesome battery chemicals, such as cobalt.

They’re also reckoned to be more reliable and less prone to ‘thermal runaway’ than other designs.

Commonly used by: Volkswagen, Ford, BMW, BYD

Pouch cells

Pouch cells package their anode and cathode material into a pouch that is usually made of plastic. They’re about the same size as a slim notebook and — usefully for car designers — they can be packaged into smaller and more complex shapes than prismatic or cylindrical cells.

The major downside is protection — pouch cells need a hefty structure to protect them from damage, as if a cell is broken open it can quickly lead to a fire or electrical short.

Commonly used by: Mercedes, General Motors, Volvo

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Automonomous cars in spotlight as police officer attempts to pull over robotaxi

Shane.odonoghue@sunday-times.co.uk — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 16:07:51 +0000

While car manufacturers have gone relatively quiet over a future of self-driving cars, the technology is still being developed. One company that has progressed further than many is Waymo, a division of Google that has been researching and developing autonomous car tech since 2009.

Waymo has progressed far enough that it now offers self-driving taxi services in Phoenix, Arizona and San Francisco in America. But a recent incident in the desert city has highlighted that progress still needs to be made when it comes to how a so-called ‘robotaxi’ can handle unexpected situations.

TikTok user @johnnyromano3 uploaded footage of his experience when the driverless car in which he was travelling came across a road closure that had been put in place for a parade. A motorcycle cop is seen dismounting his bike and then using hand signals to tell the occupants of the vehicle (one of Waymo’s fleet of specially converted Jaguar I-Paces) to turn around.

@johnnyromano3
POV: youre in a self driving car and the police get involded
♬ original sound – Johnny Romano

With the car stopped in the middle of the road, the passengers were at pains to point out that they weren’t in control of the vehicle, while the car’s electronics decided what to do. Eventually the car worked out the situation and managed to turn around without further incident.

Romano confirmed that the Waymo had already tried to avoid the parade by turning around in another street and attempting to go around the block to avoid the road closure, only for it to end up near the front of the parade. “It knew how to respond and essentially try to avoid the parade,” Romano said. “When it came across the second police officer it figured out it needed to turn around.”

At the time of the incident, Romano received a call from Waymo customer support, which then stayed on the line until the vehicle arrived at his final destination.

A Waymo spokesperson confirmed that “the Waymo vehicle pulled to the side as desired, and then performed a multi-point turn and successfully manoeuvred out of the blocked lane within 90 seconds after the interaction with the police officer.”

The situation brings up questions about how autonomous driving technology can cope with situations such as roadworks or closures that are beyond the conventional road signs, lane markings, traffic signals and on-board mapping that is used to regulate a vehicle’s movements.

Waymo confirmed that it’s using ‘advanced machine learning’ to teach its vehicles how to react to unforeseen obstacles, including hand signals from police officers managing traffic.

Robotaxis are an emerging technology that has been developed mainly in the USA and China. Ride sharing firms such as Waymo and Uber have invested in the tech, while other start-ups and car manufacturers are also researching how autonomous driving can help to make driving easier and safer.

Current legislation in the UK means that self-driving cars can’t be used on the public highway. However, another step towards autonomous vehicles was made in April with the Department for Transport’s approval of Ford’s BlueCruise technology. This advanced adaptive cruise control system not only adjusts a car’s speed and distance from the car in front, but it also allows the driver to take their hands off the steering wheel because the car will take control of that, too.

It’s currently only offered on pre-mapped sections of UK motorways, but is another step on the path to autonomy.

Once the technology has progressed far enough and there is a proper legislative framework for its use, then autonomous ride-sharing is likely to become a common sight on UK roads, especially in urban areas.

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Ford gets approval for hands-free driving on UK motorways

Shane.odonoghue@sunday-times.co.uk — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 12:39:59 +0000

Ford drivers will be able to take their hands off the wheel legally while driving following the approval of its BlueCruise technology for use on the UK’s motorway network.

Initially available only on the electric Mustang Mach-E, BlueCruise uses numerous sensors to watch surrounding traffic, road markings and speed signs to steer, propel and brake the vehicle without the driver needing to touch the steering wheel or pedals.

BlueCruise can maintain lane position, keep a safe distance from other vehicles and even bring the car to a complete stop in traffic jams. The system will have functionality on 2,300 miles of motorways in England, Scotland and Wales that have already been pre-mapped. These are designated as Blue Zones.

It’s not full self-driving, yet

While the BlueCruise technology can manage most motorway driving up to speeds of 80 miles per hour, the driver is still required to be “eyes on”, and an infrared camera mounted below the instrument cluster continually monitors their face and eyes to ensure they’re paying attention to what’s happening on the road ahead.

This ‘Level 2 plus’ hands-free system still requires the driver to be alert and ready to take control at any moment. That means drivers won’t be able to use their mobile, read a book, watch a movie or look away from the road while using BlueCruise.

For the Ford system to work, it must first detect and confirm that lane markings are visible and that conditions are suitable. Once activated, blue lighting cues and text displays signify that BlueCruise is functional.

If the car detects that the driver isn’t paying attention it will display a warning message followed by an audible alert. Should the driver ignore those it will dab the brakes in case the driver is drowsy, and as a last resort it will safely bring the car to a halt, Ford says.

A similar series of interventions are required for the ‘handover’ when the car is leaving one of the Blue Zones.

Available on subscription

Existing owners of the 2023 model year Ford Mustang Mach-E can activate BlueCruise via a subscription. The first 90 days of use are included with the vehicle purchase to allow owners to experience it, and they can cancel at any time.

Beyond that period the subscription will cost £17.99 per month. Ford is also working on a possible software update to enable BlueCruise on Mustang Mach-E models built before 2023 with the Tech Pack or Tech Pack + option.

“Today marks a significant moment for our industry as Ford BlueCruise becomes the first hands-free driving system of its kind to receive approval for use in Great Britain,” said Lisa Brankin, managing director Ford UK & Ireland.

“We have always strived to make technology accessible for our customers, and BlueCruise is this next step on this journey, making motorway driving a more comfortable experience.”

Jesse Norman, UK Transport Minister, said: “It is great news that Ford has chosen us for the European launch of its BlueCruise technology, and I am delighted that this country is once more at the forefront of innovation.

“The latest advanced driver assistance systems make driving smoother and easier, but they can also help make roads safer by reducing scope for driver error.”

To date, Ford engineers have covered 100,000 miles of testing on European roads to validate the BlueCruise technology prior to its introduction. That is in addition to more than 600,000 miles of testing in Canada and the United States.

Since introducing BlueCruise in those markets last year, drivers have covered more than 64 million miles of ‘hands-free’ driving.

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Optimised route planning for electric models

Car sharing with a digital key

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Peugeot reveals new iCockpit interior ahead of new 3008 launch

Layout shared with Peugeot Le Mans racer

Compact steering wheel carried over — with tweaks

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UK’s first autonomous bus service launched in Scotland, carrying up to 10,000 passengers per week

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What are electric vehicle batteries made of, where do the materials come from and are they produced ethically?

Graphite: 28.1 per cent

Aluminium: 18.9 per cent

Nickel: 15.7 per cent

Copper: 10.8 per cent

Steel: 10.8 per cent

Manganese: 5.4 per cent

Cobalt: 4.3 per cent

Lithium: 3.2 per cent

Iron: 2.7 per cent

Battery design

Cylindrical

Prismatic

Pouch cells

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Automonomous cars in spotlight as police officer attempts to pull over robotaxi

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Ford gets approval for hands-free driving on UK motorways

It’s not full self-driving, yet

Available on subscription

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