Perspectives on Technology

Car safety regulations requiring human hands and feet may be getting the boot. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has asked industry players to share their feedback on “any unnecessary regulatory barriers to automated safety technologies.”

A couple million dollars saved is a few technology advancements earned. Identifying and reducing day-to-day costs on the traditional side of the automaker business is set to fund the more futuristic innovations in the industry.

Have we mentioned that everyone is getting together over self-driving cars? In a $450 million transaction, Delphi Automotive will buy self-driving software startup nuTonomy to accelerate their commercial autonomous rollout.

Foreign markets are top-of-mind for automakers, and neither the market nor the auto brands are being shy about it.

Gotta love a good survey. According to Edmunds, consumers are ready to spend on early-stage automotive autonomy technology even if they’re still unsure about fully self-driving cars.

It seems like cartels are not just popular on Netflix these days. In documentary-worthy drama, EU authorities raided BMW headquarters to investigate an alleged cartel among German automakers.

No need to spell it out if you can just use Alphabet. The Big G’s CapitalG investment fund helped Lyft raise $1 billion in new funds. With the latest boosts, Lyft says its valuation has increased from $7.5 billion to $11 billion.

The diesel scandal is not a failure on the part of individual companies, but rather the result of collusion among German automakers that lasted for years.

Self-driving technology isn’t just about the four wheels. In a new study by Boston Consulting Group and the World Economic Forum, urban sprawl is a concern in how autonomous cars will change the composition of cities.

And they’re not products of the Detroit Three. Two self-driving electric shuttles, developed by Ann Arbor-based startup May Mobility, were the first commercial autonomous shuttles to ferry passengers within the city of Detroit.

California is getting ready for a Flintstones-Jetsons-like change. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles recently published proposed rules to regulate self-driving cars once “everyday people” eventually use the technology.

The biggest automakers in the world are being forced to follow Beijing’s lead as China takes steps to dominate in electric vehicles and technology.

While we don’t believe GM is getting into the nightclub industry, anything is possible. The automaker just announced the acquisition of Strobe, a startup that does actually make lasers. However, these are not paired with disco balls and electronic music.

So if they’re phasing out drivers, is the car going to give us a passenger rating? A behind-the-scenes look at Uber’s autonomous vehicle training facility in Pittsburgh reveals a lineup of Ford Fusions and Volvo XC90s learning how to respond to different driving situations and dangers.

Change of plans, Tesla followers – the Semi ain’t ready. Rather than releasing the Tesla Semi in late October, Elon Musk is rescheduling the unveiling to mid-November in an effort to allocate more resources to Model 3 production and battery crews to benefit Puerto Rico.

Oh the humanity! According to the results of a recent psychological study on possible human reactions to autonomous cars, the subjects were four times as likely to trust a self-driving car with a human name and voice.

Automotive practice leader Aaron Jacoby recently spoke with Automotive News about how fraud is becoming more sophisticated, organized, and difficult to track for dealerships and lenders.

We can go back to the car phone and the 8-track, just leave the GPS please. A new study by AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the latest high-tech driver dashboards are doing everything but allowing for safe driving.

Take time to stop and smell the gas emission-less roses. While manufacturers are installing more charging points across the US and technological improvements are making the process faster, “charging time trauma” is the new top reason why car buyers avoid electric cars.

Cue the masses! Autonomous car development, sales, and safety is officially in the car makers’ hands after the Senate greenlights legislation authorizing 80,000 safety standard exempt, self-driving cars to be sold per year within three years.

The license plate ends in ‘IPO’ and arrives in 2019. Uber’s board of directors recently voted on major internal changes that will eventually lead to the company going public.

While GM won’t say when their Cruise Automation’s software will be ready for commercial use, it’s apparently making ‘rapid progress’ and keeping investors happy.

The future looks bright after some international and domestic market pressure. With GM leading the Detroit pack and Ford following soon after, these two auto giants are headed toward an all-electric future- eventually.

The reporter said it, we didn’t: “Ford Motor Co. is making moves that investors and analysts would have called innovative had they not come several months after the competition.”

Can’t wait to cruise around town without a driver? Cadillac’s semi-autonomous Super Cruise system is here to help in the meantime.