By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director
The electric car company Tesla run by CEO Elon Musk seemed to pull in a great deal of news the past several weeks. The biggest was probably this story: Tesla, which has never had a profitable year, is now worth more than GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler. Combined. The company’s stock soared close to $100 per share at one point in the last several weeks.
Tesla also took some heat from Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey who said, “Tesla’s Autopilot is a flawed system, but I believe its dangers can be overcome.” Markey went on to add that the term “autopilot” can be confusing to drivers because the system has limits. Driver education needs to be retooled to instill in Tesla owners that drivers must remain in control of the vehicle at all times.
Tesla also won a Michigan court case over franchising this week. AutoNews had this to say in an editorial.
My favorite story about Tesla, though, had to be this: Tesla’s Cybertruck Has a Huge Cowboy Problem.
Here are some of the other top Auto Tech Watch stories from the past several weeks:
- Alex Roy’s Glossary of BS in Mobility, Self-Driving and Autonomy (Winter 2019/2020) from The Drive. This is provocateur Roy’s yearly list!
National News
- Automakers, Trump face new pressure on mileage rules –AutoNews
- NHTSA Update Shows More Automakers Offering AEB as Standard Option –Pittsburgh Legal Examiner
- NHTSA allows Nuro to deploy 5,000 low-speed electric driverless delivery vehicles –AutoNews
- U.S. House Democrats Want to Create Nationwide EV Charging Network –US News.com
- How to Get a Free Technical Service Bulletin for your Vehicle –Consumer Reports
International News
- Berlin, Germany: This Man Created Traffic Jams on Google Maps Using a Red Wagon Full of Phones –Vice.com
- Tokyo Olympics To Coincide With Biggest Self-Driving Demonstration In History –Forbes
- Wisk Gets OK To Start Air Taxi In New Zealand –Payments.com
- Auto industry criticizes UK plan to bring forward ban on combustion-engine cars –Europe AutoNews
State News
- Uber gets DMV permit to test self-driving cars on California roads –Mercury News
- New V2X solution becomes operational at Florida Turnpike CV pilot –Traffic Technology Today
- Nevada nears completion of electric-vehicle charging network –Las Vegas Sun
- Driverless vehicles to be tested on New Mexico and Texas roadways –KFOX TV News
- Smart Columbus Nears Citywide EV Charging Station Goal –GovTech.com
- Audi of America, Virginia DOT and Qualcomm plan initial C-V2X deployment in Virginia –Green Car Congress
Product Development
- Collision avoidance proof of concept developed (video report) –Traffic Technology Today
- Laser Headlights Can Make Roads Brighter—and Cars Smarter –Wired
- High tech video could mean the end of truck mirrors –Fleet Owner
- New Safety Gizmos Are Making Car Insurance More Expensive –Wired
- Airstream looks to electrification for its future campers –CNET
- Apple’s ‘CarKey’ might let you unlock your car with your iPhone –The Verge
- Ford’s New Lug Nuts Use Your Own Voice as a Key –The Drive
- GM develops system to make towing behind pickup trucks safer –The Car Connection
- Cadillac’s 2021 CT4, CT5, Escalade Getting Super Cruise Plus Automated Lane Changing –Car and Driver
- Komatsu to unveil semi-autonomous bulldozers –Construction Dive
Driverless and Connected Vehicles
- Snow and Ice Pose a Vexing Obstacle for Self-Driving Cars –Wired
- Brain training may be required for occupants of driverless vehicles –Traffic Technology Today
- Backup Drivers For AI Self-Driving Cars Aren’t A Guarantee Of Safety, So Here’s What Needs To Be Done –Forbes
Auto Industry News
- CarMax buying $50M minority stake in Edmunds –AutoNews
- The DeLorean Lives! Iconic 80’s Car Finally Making a Comeback –Hot Cars
- FCA Files Motion To Dismiss GM Racketeering Lawsuit Tied To Allegedly Rejected Merger –AutoNews
- Ford’s profits fall nearly 99% for year, due to Explorer woes –Detroit News
- GM recall causes brake failure in potentially thousands of pickups —Free Detroit Press
- Nissan’s Situation Appears Dire with Reports of Model Cuts, Layoffs –Car and Driver
- Toyota Recalls Nearly 700,000 Vehicles for Faulty Fuel Pumps, but cannot yet fix the problem –Pittsburgh Legal Examiner
- 15 Recent Issues Toyota And Honda Tried To Sweep Under The Rug –The Things.com
- Toyota gambling with some hybrid drivers’ lives by not issuing safety recall, class-action suit claims –Los Angeles Daily News
- Self-driving company Waymo teams up with UPS for package delivery –TechCrunch
Auto Tech Watch Editorials
- Editorial: The Road to Driverless Hell is Paved with Good Deceptions –Daily Impact Blog
- What if the car of the future isn’t a car at all? –The Week
- Cruise’s autonomous Origin hints at a “McDonald’s of mobility” –ArsTechnica
- Will electric vehicles really benefit the environment? Only if we can fix the e-waste, social and supply chain issues with those massive batteries. –The Star (Canada)
- Electric Vehicle Batteries Will ‘Dwarf’ The Grid’s Energy-Storage Needs –Forbes
- Car Dealers, OEMs and Auto Journalists Agree on One Thing: Vehicles are no longer affordable –Wards Auto
- The Mythical Flying Car: Is it Real This Time? –Ride Tech
New Studies and Conference Info
- New Survey Says Consumers Want Car Tech…But Only If It’s Cheap –The News Wheel
- U.S. consumers would take personal vehicles over robotaxis, survey finds –AutoNews
- Study: Forecasters guarded about Electric Vehicle share of Vehicle Miles Traveled –State Smart Transportation Initiative
- EV, FCEV Advocates Examine Infrastructure Gap –Wards Auto
- Survey finds consumers continue to lack confidence in future mobility technologies –Green Car Congress
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