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Safety is another major focus, with the Optiq featuring Cadillac's Super Cruise driver-assistance technology. This system includes features like a driver attention monitoring system, autonomous lane-changing capabilities, and a steering-wheel light bar to enhance safety and comfort during assisted driving.

https://www.wionews.com/autonews/cadillac-optiq-suv-makes-debut-in-europe-726929/amp

Ford has cut prices on the Flash, XLT, and Lariat trims of its F-150 Lightning trucks.

New technology on the F-150 Lightning trucks includes BlueCruise hands-free highway driving on some trims, an updated charging display, an efficient heat pump, and more.

Ford recently announced cutbacks to its plans for fully electric vehicles and increases in its plan for hybrid vehicles.

In April, Ford silenced critics by stepping up its electric truck game. Its innovative 2024 F-150 Lightning, America’s top-selling electric pickup truck, got a host of new technology and a compelling price cut.

New Technology Added to the F-150 Lightning

On select trims, Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free highway driving is now offered. Pro Power Onboard and a walk-away lock function have been included too. Ford’s Tow Tech Package is now standard. Ford Onboard Scales and Smart Hitch are available as an add-on package for new F-150 Lightning models.

With a significant improvement to charging, an updated charging speed display shows the driver the charging session’s status and speed, including an estimated time to finish charging. A highly efficient vapor heat pump system has been added as well.

https://electrifynews.com/news/auto/ford-upgrades-f-150-lightning-trucks-with-new-tech-at-lower-prices/

New cars are packed with sensors and cameras these days, and among the newest locations for one is inside the rearview mirror, pointed backward towards the driver and passengers.

Magna International, the Canada-based auto supplier with its US headquarters in Troy, took several years to develop a driver and passenger-monitoring infrared camera and electronics system that’s hidden inside the mirror.

Magna’s is far from the only type of driver monitoring system out there.

Carmakers including AB Volvo, Subaru, General Motors, Ford Motor, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and more have them, at least on some models, and the locations of the camera vary from the steering column to the A-pillar to above the windshield. Some systems, without using a camera, can detect when the driver’s hands come off the steering wheel.

Magna says its mirror system is different because it offers both a full view of the driver’s face and upper body, as well as passengers, while also being concealed inside existing mirror designs.

https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2024/05/27/camera-watching-you-drive-monitoring-tech-grows-as-regulators-battle-distracted-driving

If you opt for the highest level of driving assistance features (Level 2+), then you will get to enjoy the Motorway Assistant, also known as the Highway Assistant. One notable feature is Automatic Lane Change, which allows lane changes by simply shifting your head to confirm the prompt. Additionally, the 130 km/h hands-free driving feature proves extremely useful for long, monotonous road trips.

The BMW Operating System 8.5 comes standard, offering meaningful visual upgrades and improvements to the eRoute function. I won’t go into full details (you can watch the video here), but essentially, the algorithm got smarter: it calculates the fastest route with the fewest stops and considers amenities available during those stops, the number of stations, and more.

https://www.bmwblog.com/2024/05/24/2024-bmw-i5-edrive40-touring-review/

All the GM models coming out getting good reviews.

While the Equinox EV's interior leaves a bit to be desired, the optional Super Cruise hands-free technology elevates the driving experience to make the Equinox EV feel more special than your average crossover.

I sat back and enjoyed the sunny ride on the highway while Super Cruise navigated traffic.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/drove-chevy-equinox-ev-solid-184436214.html

While the outgoing F-150 did offer Ford and Lincoln’s hands-free technology, dubbed BlueCruise 1.0, the updated 2024 model gains the much-improved BlueCruise 1.2. Some may argue it’s even better than Tesla’s AutoPilot.

We wouldn’t blame you for thinking hands-free driving is some sort of gimmick; a novelty feature reserved for your friends and family. Look Ma, no hands! That is, until you actually give it a try on long stretches of freeway and realize: this hands-free thing is pretty useful, after all.

Piloting the updated 2024 Ford F-150 XLT PowerBoost Hybrid, we put the BlueCruise 1.2 to the test, including new features like Lane Change Assist, Predictive Speed Assist, and In-Lane Repositioning.

https://www.topspeed.com/2024-ford-f150-updated-bluecruise-hands-free-review/

There's a gaze-tracking driver monitoring system, and on pre-mapped divided lane highways, the system will allow a driver to go hands-free as long as it can see they're watching the road ahead. I prefer to do my own steering most of the time, but the enhanced Traffic Jam Assistant came in quite helpful more than once on some of Northern Virginia's more congested highways.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/05/the-bmw-i4-edrive40-might-be-the-best-electric-sedan-on-sale-today/2/

Https://electrek.co/2024/05/20/gm-ev-hurdles-not-an-issue-now-new-models-roll-out/

We really do believe that this is the one that's going to crack the code and allow us to bring EVs to Main Street," Brad Franz, Chevy's crossover marketing director, said at the Equinox EV's media preview in Detroit this week. "It's not just about expensive vehicles anymore."

Until the revamped Chevy Bolt makes its return, the Equinox is the least expensive Ultium EV you can get. It undercuts its larger cousin, the Blazer EV, by around $10,000 or more, and comes in far lower than the $94,500 Silverado EV RST First Edition that journalists also drove in Detroit this week.

But what's interesting is that while the Equinox EV is more affordable than some of its GM relatives, it doesn't feel de-contented, even compared to the more expensive Blazer EV. It still offers Super Cruise hands-free automated driving assistance system, robust Google Assistant voice controls, automatic liftgate opening and many other tech features.

Like several of GM's other electric cars, the Equinox EV won't replace the mechanically unrelated gas version, which is all-new for 2025. That continues to be a top-selling crossover for GM, with over 212,000 sales last year. But Purdy hopes the EV variant is familiar enough, and a strong enough deal, that it may convert some of those customers and bring in new ones too.

https://insideevs.com/news/720117/gm-equinox-affordable-tech-preview/amp/

Let’s hope it sells aswell as everyone expects.

Paul Waatti, director of industry analysis at AutoPacific, agrees. He called the Equinox a critical product for GM's EV plans as well as a potential redemption opportunity for the company following its disappointing ramp-up of current Ultium-based products.

"GM is going to start to see real volume in their EV portfolio," Waatti said. "It was a slow start, but now they're going to have the big volume players in the mix. It's really a turning point for GM."

"[The Equinox is] undoubtedly the most significant Ultium launch for GM yet," he added. "It might just be the most compelling EV on the market right now."

detroit — the chevrolet equinox has been a crucial part of general motors' lineup for two decades. the vehicle is a *****essential family hauler and a go-to car for people seeking an economical compact crossover for everyday driving.

gm is hoping the 2024 chevrolet equinox ev can do the same for its growing all-electric vehicle portfolio as it begins shipping the crossover to dealers amid slower-than-expected demand for evs. the rollout marks the latest test for mass-market adoption as well as the company's production of new "ultium" ev technologies.

the equinox ev is gm's new entry point for all-electric vehicles in the u.s. after the automaker discontinued the chevy bolt last year. it's expected to be gm's top-selling ev.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2024/05/22/gm-chevy-equinox-ev.html

Good to see DMS in Hello magazine

Driver Monitoring Systems

These assess alertness via small infrared driver-facing cameras mounted above the steering wheel and at the top of the windscreen. If there are physical signs of distraction or drowsiness (movement of the eyes, eyelids or neck), visual and audible alerts are set off. And if no action is taken, some systems will even apply the brakes.

https://www.hellomagazine.com/news/553608/car-safety-innovation-features-family-friendly/?viewas=amp

The global electric vehicle (EV) market size is estimated to grow by USD 343.01 billion from 2024-20...

The transition to EV is further fueled by governmental policies, technological advancements, and gro...

Read more at: https://www.saurenergy.com/ev-storage/global-ev-market-to-grow-by-343-billion-in-next-4-years-report

Read more at: https://www.saurenergy.com/ev-storage/global-ev-market-to-grow-by-343-billion-in-next-4-years-report

Ford (F) reported April US sales that dipped slightly, but saw continued strength with hybrid and truck sales, highlighting the automaker’s pivot into those vehicles.

For the month, Ford sold 178,588 vehicles, down 2.4% compared to last year, though there was one less selling day this April. However, Ford sales are still up 4.2% for the year. Ford’s hybrid sales jumped 60% compared to a year ago to nearly 18K units, powered by big shipments of the Maverick pickup and the all-new F-150 hybrid.

“Sales of the new F-150 hybrid set a new monthly sales record — up 93.6% — making F-150 hybrid America’s No. 1 selling full-size hybrid pickup for the month,” said Jim Baumbick, Ford vice president of product development, operations, and quality, to Yahoo Finance. Ford shares were up 2% in midday trade following April's results.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/fords-april-sales-dip-but-hybrid-shipments-surge-170941376.html

Ford Has Idiot-Proofed Off-Roading With The 2024 F-150 Tremor

OK, let me get some of the basics out of the way. The 2024 model-year basically takes the 2023 Ford F-150, tweaks the styling, kills the 3.3-liter natural aspirated V6 to make the 2.7-liter EcoBoost the base motor, discounts the 3.5-liter PowerBoost hybrid option, adds a new optional Pro Access Tailgate, offers a new head-up display, features an optional Blue Cruise hands-free driving feature, offers a new modular front bumper on the Tremor and Raptor, and makes the 12-inch infotainment screen standard across all trim levels.

https://www.theautopian.com/how-ford-has-made-off-roading-easier-than-ever-2024-ford-f-150-tremor-review/

One of the key tech upgrades to the revamped F-150 lineup is the optional BlueCruise system. It’s initial entry into the truck sphere was the F-150 Lightning, but now it’s available across the rest of the 2024 model range, including this Tremor. Other notable quality-of-life features include an optional head-up display, while the 12.0-inch infotainment screen that formerly was an option is now standard across the board.

https://tfltruck.com/all-posts/

What’s New for 2024

Changes for the 2024 X7 focus on features that have just joined the list of options. Such as the BMW Crystal Headlights containing genuine Swarovski crystals that make multi-faceted refractions.

Remote Control Parking and Maneuver Assistant functions are added to the Parking Assistant Professional package, allowing users to control their X7 from outside using the My BMW app on their iPhones.

Highway Assistant allows partial self-driving (no hands or feet required, but drivers must still remain alert and aware) and is now part of the Driving Assistance Professional package. And a rear strip finished in high-gloss black joins the Extended Shadowline exterior trim package.

The 2024 BMW X7 is a large luxury SUV with three rows of seating, plenty of tech and safety features, plus a choice of fine engines. Pricing starts at $81,900.

As its name suggests, the BMW X7 is bigger than the X5. The X5 is, of course, excellent. And it even offers the option of a third seating row, albeit somewhat cramped. The X7, meanwhile, is a 7-seater in standard form (with a little more legroom in the rearmost section) and places a greater emphasis on luxury and comfort.

It does start about $15,000 more than the X5, but the X7 has all the typical BMW goodness — including a couple of awesome engines — while still being able to transport a large and well-off family.

https://www.kbb.com/bmw/x7/2024/

In the near future, drivers with Super Cruise will be able to drive “hands-free” on major sections of iconic routes including:

U.S. Route 66

Pacific Coast Highway – CA Route 1

Overseas Highway – U.S. Route 1

Trans-Canada Highway

Super Cruise Forces Driver to Stay Engaged

Super Cruise has been praised for being the only true hands-free technology. The system monitors the driver’s head position and/or eyes in relation to the road to help ensure driver attention. If the driver’s eyes aren’t open or his head isn’t in the proper position, the system slows the vehicle down and won’t allow it to keep moving.

Super Cruise works using LiDAR map data, real-time cameras, radars and GPS to keep the vehicle traveling along the lane path for a hands-free driving experience. These systems work together through “sensor fusion” to create a sensory field around the vehicle that assists in keeping it centered in the lane while elevating the driver’s comfort and convenience.

Super Cruise accelerates or brakes the vehicle to maintain a selected following gap from a vehicle ahead, steers to maintain lane position, and on select models can perform both driver and system-initiated lane changes to pass slower traffic and to move from a lane that may be ending. Again, the system requires the driver to stay engaged and monitor when tricky situations may arise.

How the Super Cruise Update Will Happen

According to GM, for new vehicles in the GM portfolio built on the VIP electrical architecture, the expansion will be available later this year and will be delivered at no additional charge, over-the-air starting in 2022 on Super Cruise-equipped models.

https://m6asgk2.bhutanvistatours.com/html/912e699038.html

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ambarella, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMBA), an edge AI semiconductor company, today announced during AutoSens USA, the latest generation of its AI systems-on-chip (SoCs) for in-vehicle fleet telematics systems. Ideal for AI dash cams integrating front-facing ADAS and driver monitoring systems (DMS), the new CV75AX provides up to 2x the AI performance over Ambarella’s prior-generation SoC, enabling the latest transformer neural networks for improved accuracy and reduced false positives without having to train for every object. The CV75AX also provides the AI horsepower for more complex driver-scoring models. Well suited for next-gen vehicle gateways, the new CV72AX supports up to 10 cameras and offers up to 6x the AI performance over its predecessor, enabling both vision transformers and multi-modal vision language models (VLMs), which provide instant event alerts, as well as multi-channel video pre-categorization and natural-language searches for more efficient video analysis—all without the need for training.

https://www.morningstar.com/news/globe-newswire/9121036/ambarellas-next-gen-ai-socs-for-fleet-dash-cams-and-vehicle-gateways-enable-vision-language-models-and-transformer-networks-without-fan-cooling

GM seeks to patent a system that evaluates your mental well-being

General Motors has applied to patent a technology that takes driver-monitoring to a new level. The automaker outlined a system that analyzes the driver's behavior by reading data sent by onboard sensors — and can have the car take over if it detects unsafe behavior.

Filed in November 2022, and published in May 2024, the patent describes a "vehicle occupant mental well-being assessment and counter-measure deployment" system. The technology was developed by a General Motors subsidiary named GM Global Technology Operations, and it aims to intervene when it detects that stress — regardless of where it comes from — can affect the driver's ability to operate the car.

What's considered unsafe behavior depends at least somewhat on how you drive. The system first records data points to establish a profile of your driving habits. It then uses this information as a baseline to decide when you're driving erratically. For example, it detects your stop-start frequency, hard braking, hard accelerating, hard cornering, and excessive honking. Existing technology enables some of these features: The system knows whether you're obeying traffic signs, whether you're tailgating, and how strong of a grip you've got on the steering wheel.

The system can take several actions if it decides something isn't right, including asking the driver to perform "a mental health exercise," to call a friend or a family member, or to seek therapy from a trained professional. It can even initiate a call to "a trained advisor" on its own. Alternatively, it can leverage the onboard electronic driving aids to "autonomously [control] one or more driving functions of the vehicle."

https://www.autoblog.com/2024/05/21/gm-seeks-to-patent-a-system-that-evaluates-your-mental-well-being/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvLnVrLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFO7Elpk3jHCrDA5ZtppbXFdi3O0OGJ8MmZTLHZZlKp_OLr5xhl8Tq4gK8deG5MTwC-kBxGkTNMEvMt2knxULv6CoNU7w_hq9DJJGu56AzsbqC83m48SoKRPf8rnAZ3pd-HfnCeO9MODVpYbm1JDsaWXhdwQ6YcKzHySYMNYJn3T