Underpinning the vehicle’s technology suite is the newest version of Land Rover’s Pivi Pro infotainment system. In the New Range Rover, it is hosted on a 13.1-inch curved central display and a 13.7-inch Interactive Driver Display. The central display leverages haptic feedback to ensure the driver’s eyes remain on the road and supports wireless smartphone mirroring through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Interactive Driver Display serves as a digital instrument cluster and can be customized through controls on the steering wheel.

In addition to these displays, the vehicle’s rear occupants can benefit from its Rear Seat Entertainment system. It sees a pair of 11.4-inch HD touchscreen displays mounted to the back of the front seats for second row passengers to interact with. Each display can be operated independently and can connect with many consumer devices through an HDMI port. Both can be controlled through a smartphone app and are capable of streaming entertainment content when connected to the vehicle’s Wi-Fi hotspot. The functionality of these displays can be enhanced through the optional Executive Class Rear Seats, which feature an 8.0-inch Rear Seat Touchscreen Controller that allow the user to adjust the seating position to their liking and control other in-cabin functions.

Further technology functions are enabled by EVA 2.0, Land Rover’s Electronic Vehicle Architecture system. These include software over-the-air updates for more than 70 electronic modules, wireless charging for Qi compatible smartphones, active noise cancellation, a Wi-Fi hotspot capable of connecting eight devices simultaneously, and a built-in Amazon Alexa voice assistant. The AI assistant, activated through the ‘Alexa’ voice command or a dedicated button on the central touchscreen, allows users to control infotainment features and some vehicle functionality. For example, users can control the vehicle’s navigation and hands-free calling systems and connect Alexa to both their smart home devices and other Alexa-enabled devices.

From early 2022, owners of the New Range Rover can benefit from its Remote Park Assist. Activated through Pivi Pro, it allows users to slowly maneuver the vehicle in and out of parking spaces through a smartphone app. Operating within a three-meter radius, the system leverages the SUV’s ultrasonic sensors and onboard cameras to monitor its surroundings for any potential hazards. While this system comes as standard, some ADAS including Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist and Blind Spot Assist are available exclusively through the OEM’s premium Driver Assist Pack.

Land Rover is providing consumers with a variety of options when it comes to buying its new SUV. Among the models announced by the OEM are two extended range PHEVs, the P440e and P510e. Both vehicles combine a six-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine with a 38.2 kWh battery, and a 105 kW electric motor, to deliver an electric driving range of up to 62 miles (100 km). This amounts to a real-world driving range of up to 50 miles (82 km), which Land Rover says is sufficient for the majority of journeys taken by its customers today. Both PHEVs have a maximum speed of 87 mph (140 km/h) and adopt eHorizon navigation data to optimize energy usage.

MHEV and ICE versions of the New Range Rover are available to order now, while orders for the PHEV versions will open in early 2022. In addition to these models, Land Rover has confirmed that it will offer a BEV version of the SUV from 2024.

Forward camera systems are a critical element of advanced driver-assistance systems because they provide the advanced sensing capabilities required for safety-critical functions, including lane-keeping assistance (LKA), automatic emergency braking (AEB), and adaptive cruise control (ACC). The solution, which is available now, supports a range of parameters necessary for the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) 2022 requirements by utilizing convolutional neural networks to achieve a cost-effective combination of low-latency image processing, flexibility and scalability.

The forward camera solution scales across the 28nm and 16nm XA Zynq SoC families using Motovis’ CNN IP, a unique combination of optimized hardware and software partitioning capabilities with customizable CNN-specific engines that host Motovis’ deep learning networks – resulting in a cost-effective offering at different performance levels and price points. The solution supports image resolutions up to eight megapixels. For the first time, OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers can now layer their own feature algorithms on top of Motovis’ perception stack to differentiate and future-proof their designs.

The company announced today that it will use NVIDIA DRIVE to develop its Embark Universal Interface (EUI), a manufacturer-agnostic platform that includes the compute and multimodal sensors necessary for autonomous trucks. This flexible approach, combined with the high performance of NVIDIA DRIVE, leads to an easily scalable solution for safer, more efficient delivery and logistics.

The EUI is purpose-built to run Embark Driver autonomous driving software for a comprehensive self-driving trucking system.

Most trucking carriers don’t just use one model of vehicle in their fleets. This variety can even extend to vehicles from different manufacturers to haul a wide range of cargo around the world.

The Embark platform will be capable of integrating into trucks from any of the four major truck manufacturers in the U.S. — PACCAR, Volvo, International and Freightliner. By developing a platform that can be retrofitted to such a wide range of vehicles, Embark is helping the trucking industry realize the benefits of AI-powered driving without having to wait for purpose-built vehicles.

And with NVIDIA DRIVE at its core, the platform leverages the best in high-performance AI compute for robust self-driving capabilities.

Scaling Safety

Autonomous vehicles are always learning, taking in vast amounts of data to navigate the unpredictability of the real world, from highways to crowded ports. This rapid processing requires centralized, high-performance AI compute.

The NVIDIA DRIVE platform is the first scalable AI hardware and software platform to enable the production of automated and self-driving vehicles. It combines deep learning, sensor fusion and surround vision for a safe driving experience.

This end-to-end open platform allows for one development investment across an entire fleet, from level 2+ systems all the way to level 5 fully autonomous vehicles. In addition to high-performance, scalable compute, the EUI will have all the necessary functional safety certification to operate without a driver on public roads.

A Growing Ecosystem

Embark is already working with leading trucking companies and plans to continue to extend its software and hardware technology.

In April, the company unveiled partnerships with Werner Enterprises, Mesilla Valley Transportation and Bison Transport. It’s also working with shippers including Anheuser Busch InBev and HP, Inc.

Embark plans to list on the public market, announcing a SPAC, or special purpose acquisition company, agreement in June, as well as a partnership with Knight-Swift Transportation. The autonomous trucking company will join the ranks of NVIDIA DRIVE ecosystem members who have collectively raised more than $8 billion via public listings.

And just like the trucks running on its Embark Universal Interface, the company is tapping the power of NVIDIA DRIVE to keep traveling further and more intelligently.

The software-only solution uses “sense of touch” technology to detect a variety of objects on the road of different heights, sizes, shapes, and materials – both organic and hard – such as a human body, road debris and other objects. The virtual sensor then prevents the vehicle from running over the object, which could harm human life or damage the vehicle. The safety level virtual sensor will be added on top of the Tactile Processor Platform, which already includes the company’s suite of virtual sensors such as grip estimation, tire health, surface sensing, vehicle health and much more.

According to NHTSA hundreds of children are killed and thousands are injured every year in nontraffic crashes in parking lots, driveways and private roadways. Runover virtual sensors in both autonomous vehicles and vehicles with ADAS systems can help reduce the human death toll by sending signals to these vehicles that alert the car and driver at distinct stages of the runover. The new virtual sensor will enable another critical safety function, allowing vehicles to sense the road, identify the type of material under their tires and alert an initial runover, preventing vehicles from fully running over objects that could lead to a fatal incident.

Three in four Americans are afraid to ride in fully self-driving vehicles. For autonomous vehicles to be trusted by the mainstream, they must be far safer than human-controlled vehicles. To achieve this, they must respond to vehicle-road dynamics just as – or better than – human drivers do; they must be able to not only “see” the road that lies ahead, but also “feel” the road friction, roughness, curves, grades, distresses and objects in the roads under their tires. Runover sensors enable vehicles to sense the road and react to obstacles, hazards, and vulnerable objects, significantly mitigating the damage.

Volkswagen has already earmarked €73 billion for future technologies from 2021 through 2025, representing 50% of total investments. The share of investments into electrification and digitalization will be further increased. The Group will also continue to raise efficiency and is on track to meet its 5% fix cost reduction program that it set out for the next two years. Volkswagen is also committed to reducing material costs by another 7% and is optimizing its ICE business with fewer models, a reduced ICE drivetrain portfolio and a better price mix.

Unprecedented platform model to scale up future technologies

The comprehensive approach across four key technology platforms is meant to allow Volkswagen Group to generate unparalleled synergies for all passenger and light commercial vehicle brands as well, and can also be partially leveraged for trucks. Synergies are expected to arise in many areas: from a universal BEV product architecture to CARIAD’s global software platform, own cell and battery production at scale, all the way to a mobility platform that bundles a range of services seamlessly.

Mechatronics – Enabler for growing portfolio of software services

The SSP (Scalable Systems Platform) as Volkswagen Group’s next generation mechatronics platform will significantly reduce complexity over time. As the successor of MQB, MSB, MLB, as well as MEB and PPE, it will extend the consolidation from three ICE-platforms to two BEV-platforms, to finally one unified architecture for the whole product portfolio. From 2026 onwards, the Group plans to start the production of pure electric vehicles on the SSP. This next generation will be all-electric, fully digital and highly scalable. Over its lifetime, more than 40 million vehicles are projected on this basis. Like the MEB today, the SSP will be open to other auto manufacturers.

To improve and speed up its mechatronics platform competencies, the Group will invest around €800 million into a new Research & Development facility in Wolfsburg, where the core of the SSP platform and its modules will be designed.

Software – Seamless, global software platform to enable intelligent and autonomous driving

Software will enable the seamless integration of NEW AUTO into the customers’ digital lives and deliver even higher economies of scale. Volkswagen Group’s automotive software company CARIAD aspires to develop the leading software platform by 2025, as one software backbone for all group cars. Currently, the entity is working on three software platforms: E³ 1.1 allows for upgrades and over-the-air updates of the MEB product portfolio, such as the Volkswagen ID.4, the Skoda Enyaq or the CUPRA Born. In 2023, CARIAD will release the premium software platform 1.2 (E³ 1.2): It will enable a variety of functions including a new unified infotainment system and over-the-air updates for Audi und Porsche vehicles. In 2025, CARIAD plans to launch a new unified, scalable software platform and end-to-end electronic architecture:

The software stack 2.0 (E³ 2.0) will include a unified operating system for vehicles from all Group brands. Another key feature will be level 4 readiness, meaning that customers can hand over the steering fully to the car.

Learning from a vast pool of real-time data through always-connected, automated driving, the Group fleet can be continuously updated with new features and services tailored to customers’ mobility needs. The so-called Big Loop Process for millions of vehicles will significantly expand the product lifecycle. By 2030, up to 40 million vehicles across brands will be operating on the Group´s software platforms.

Battery & Charging – Infrastructure as key to maximizing the “NEW AUTO” potential

Proprietary battery tech, charging infrastructure and energy services are key success factors in the new mobility world. Therefore, power will be a Volkswagen Group core competency by 2030, with the two pillars “battery cell and system” and “charging and energy” under the roof of the new Group division Technology.

Volkswagen Group plans to establish a controlled battery supply chain by setting up new partnerships and tackling all aspects from raw material to recycling. The goal is to create a closed loop in the battery value chain as the most sustainable and cost-effective way to build batteries.

In order to reach its goal, Volkswagen Group is advancing battery competence and reducing complexity. To that extent, it is introducing one unified battery cell format with up to 50% cost reduction and up to 80% use cases by 2030. Six giga factories in Europe with a total production capacity of 240 GWh by 2030 will help to secure battery supply.

The first location in Skellefteå, Sweden, will be operated by Northvolt AB. Volkswagen Group just invested an additional €500 million in its premium cell partner and works with Northvolt towards starting production in 2023.

For the second location in Salzgitter, Volkswagen Group yesterday signed an agreement with Chinese cell specialist Gotion High-Tech as its technological partner for a start of production in 2025. Together, both partners will develop and industrialize the volume segment of the unified cell in the German plant.

As a third location, Volkswagen Group intends to make Spain a strategic pillar of its electric campaign and is considering to establish the entire value chain of electric cars in that country. As part of a larger transformation program, the localization would secure supply for the planned BEV production in Spain. Volkswagen Group verifies the option for a giga factory together with a strategic partner. In its final expansion stage at the end of the decade, the plant is intended to have a yearly capacity of 40 GWh hours. It is also envisaged that the Group’s Small BEV Family will be produced in Spain from 2025. The final decision will depend on the general framework and state subsidies.

Volkswagen Group also intends to offer customers a one-stop solution from charging hardware to Energy Management Services. Ultimately, the Group plans to build an entire charging and energy eco-system around the vehicle, ensuring convenient charging to customers and opening up further business opportunities. These technologies and services will become a core Volkswagen Group competency.

In addition Volkswagen is to boost public charging infrastructure in Asia, Europe and America building on successful Group initiatives such as CAMS in China or Electrify America in the U.S.

Electrify America today announced plans to more than double its current electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the U.S. and Canada to a total of 1,800 fast charging stations with 10,000 charging points installed by 2025. The expansion will increase the deployment of 150 and 350 kW chargers – the fastest speed available today – and help pave the way for more electric vehicles in North America.

At the same time, the Group has secured new partnerships to provide European customers with convenient charging, i.e. with BP, Iberdrola and Enel. Volkswagen Group and Enel X today announced a joint venture to enhance the electric vehicle uptake in Italy. It will own and operate a high-power charging (HPC) network infrastructure with more than 3,000 charging points of up to 350 kW each across the nation by 2025.

Volkswagen Group will implement an overall of 18,000 HPC points in Europe, 17,000 in China and 10,000 in U.S. and Canada.

Thomas Schmall, CEO Group Components, said: “A Volkswagen-controlled battery supply chain will enable us to have authority over the biggest cost block, offer the best and most sustainable batteries to our customers and secure BEV success. BEVs will become mobile power banks that can be fully integrated in the energy grid through bi-directional charging. This will enable us to generate additional profits from participation in the energy market by 2030.”

Mobility Solutions – autonomous driving will be a game changer

By 2030, Volkswagen Group will also have systems capabilities for autonomous shuttle fleets, owning some of them and expanding its offerings of mobility services and financing. Mobility as a service and transport as a service, fully autonomous, will be an integral part of NEW AUTO. The value chain consists of four business areas: the self-driving system, its integration into vehicles, the fleet management and the mobility platform.

Volkswagen Group is already at the forefront of development of a self-driving system for autonomous shuttles with its strategic partner ARGO AI. CARIAD will develop level 4 automated driving capabilities for passenger vehicles. The Group could thus create the biggest neuronal network of vehicles on the streets worldwide.

With pilot projects in Munich, Volkswagen Group is currently testing the first autonomous buses and is planning to roll out similar projects in other cities in Germany, China and the US. In 2025, Volkswagen plans to offer its first autonomous mobility service in Europe, shortly followed by the U.S. Future profit pools are very promising: by 2030, the total market for mobility as a service in the five largest European markets alone is expected to amount to $70 billion.

In the coming years, one platform is meant to integrate all mobility offerings from the Group and its brands, allowing Volkswagen to capture a significant market share and additional revenue streams. One vehicle fleet covering all different services from renting, subscriptions, to sharing and ride hailing will ensure high availability, occupancy rates and profitability.

The Navya shuttles (180 units sold as at December 31, 2020) which are operated worldwide are already equipped with Valeo technologies. The aim is to ramp up the Research and Development program to build level 4 autonomous driving systems that can be brought to market within the next three years.

Valeo will provide Navya with the sensors and associated algorithms that will enable the vehicle to closely perceive its surroundings, and Navya will share the technical and functional data collected during experimentations. At the end of this phase, Valeo will manufacture and supply the selected components, so that they can be integrated in the autonomous driving solutions marketed by Navya.

From a technological perspective, the collaboration will focus in particular on the following components: cameras, artificial intelligence softwares and electronic control units (ECUs).

In terms of driving assistance (ADAS), Valeo has the most extensive portfolio of technologies on the market, all of which are manufactured on a large scale. They include ultrasonic sensors, cameras, radars and the first 3D LiDAR to enter series production and meet the demanding specifications of the automotive industry

Valeo also provides the brain of the technology – the control unit – which combines and processes the data collected. The control unit maps out a detailed 360° image of the vehicle’s surroundings and uses algorithms to detect objects and provide safety functions.

This technological, industrial and commercial partnership builds on the longstanding cooperation agreements between the two companies, particularly those concerning the sensors used on the Autonom^® Shuttle. The applications resulting from the first phase of development are expected in the third quarter of 2022.

The cameras aim to increase road safety and reduce the rate of accidents caused by driver drowsiness and disengagement.

Nearly a third of fatal crashes occur as a result of reckless driving. Detecting the early signs of drowsiness is important to ensuring that the driver is alert enough to operate the vehicle. When detecting risks, such as drowsiness or distraction, the DMS camera alerts both the driver and the vehicle’s integrated safety systems – preventing injury and helping drivers stay focused on the road ahead.

The American firm’s new cameras leverage advanced technologies to enhance road safety – including global shutters and infrared LEDs. LI-AR0144IVEC-GMSL2-055H is equipped with ON Semiconductor’s In-Vehicle Experience Camera Module (IVEC) – AR0144, while LI-OV2311-IR-GMSL2-050H is equipped with OmniVision’s 2MP CMOS image sensor – OV2311.

Implementing technologies from ON Semiconductor and OmniVision helps the cameras capture image data at a higher resolution. This improves several DMS capabilities – such as gesture recognition, eye tracking, head roll movement, machine vision, augmented reality, and more.

Beep utilizes a combination of machine learning, contextual traffic data and the company’s existing centralized command center data to provide vital oversight in managing high-risk scenarios for autonomous vehicles in complex geo-fenced environments.

In addition to established partnerships with communities such as Lake Nona in Orlando, Florida and Tradition in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Beep is working with many municipalities and transit authorities to enhance access to main corridors in underserved and urban areas. 

The shuttles are expected to achieve level 4 autonomy, enable fully automated driving and be used to transport both passengers and cargo in various geo-fenced settings. The agreement is expected to generate hundreds of millions in revenue throughout the life of the program.

The new design win followed a stringent two-and-a-half-year due diligence process conducted by the Tier-1 automotive supplier. As part of the selection process, the supplier completed a thorough review of Innoviz’s product reliability, manufacturing processes and maturity, automotive qualifications, corporate processes certifications and more.

Unlike costly mechanical spinners installed on car roofs, InnovizOne is a low-cost, automotive-grade, lightweight solution. InnovizOne is designed to ensure that the shuttles circumvent even the smallest of obstacles. A number of sensors placed in various spots around the shuttle provide both short and long-range vision, removing blind spots and enhancing safety.

This partnership will center on the integration of the Aurora Driver into Volvo’s on-highway trucks and the development of Transport as a Service solutions. These solutions build on Volvo’s leading products and track record within safety and Aurora’s deep expertise in the development of self-driving systems. 

In addition to the world premiere of next generation ProAI, ZF will also show its expertise as a system supplier for the software-defined vehicle in all its strategic technology domains. Amongst the highlights are high-performance computers, software solutions, Level 2+ and Level 4/5 systems for automated driving, the EVplus plug-in hybrid and the latest generation of electric axle drive systems for electric mobility. The company will also highlight the cubiX chassis systems software for vehicle motion control as well as pre-crash safety systems.

Leading commercial vehicle assistance systems

As a leader in commercial vehicle technologies, ZF will demonstrate its broad range of intelligent and automated driving solutions. This includes the Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS) that fully complies with the latest related Chinese safety legislation and will have its debut on Chinese roads this year; the Predictive Economical Cruise Control system (PECC) specifically developed to answer the increasing demand for fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions; and the Autonomous Driving Open Platform Technology (ADOPT), which simplifies and accelerates the development of autonomous driving by providing an ‘Intelligent Control Interface’ with the Virtual Driver, and linking it to the vehicle’s motion control systems for ensured vehicle safety.

Drivers are substantially more likely to speed when using ACC or partial automation that combines that feature with lane centering than when not using either technology, the study showed. When selecting a speed to “set and forget,” many drivers choose one that’s over the limit.

“ACC does have some safety benefits, but it’s important to consider how drivers might cancel out these benefits by misusing the system,” says IIHS Statistician Sam Monfort, the lead author of the paper. “Speed at impact is among the most important factors in whether or not a crash turns out to be fatal.”

ACC is a more advanced version of traditional cruise control that uses sensors to calculate and maintain a preselected following distance from the vehicle ahead, eliminating the need for the driver to repeatedly brake and reset the system. With the addition of lane centering, the vehicle also maintains its position within the travel lane automatically.

The systems on the market today don’t restrict drivers from setting speeds that are higher than the legal limit, and they require constant supervision by the driver because they’re not capable of handling certain common road features and driving scenarios.

Nevertheless, an analysis of insurance claims data by the IIHS-affiliated Highway Loss Data Institute and other research indicate that ACC may lower crash risk. Other studies have shown that these systems maintain a greater following distance at their default settings than most human drivers and suggested that they reduce the frequency of passing and other lane changes.

To find out the impact ACC and lane centering technologies have on speeding, IIHS researchers analyzed the behavior of 40 drivers from the Boston metro area over a four-week period using data collected by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium. These drivers were provided with a 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque outfitted with ACC or with a 2017 Volvo S90 equipped with ACC and Pilot Assist — a partial automation system that combines ACC with lane centering. The data suggest that drivers were 24 percent more likely to drive over the speed limit on limited-access highways when those systems were turned on. The amount by which they exceeded the speed limit when they did speed was also greater when they were using the driver assistance features compared with driving manually.

Whether driving manually or using ACC or Pilot Assist, speeders exceeded the limit by the largest margin in zones with a 55 mph limit. In these areas, speeders averaged about 8 mph over the limit, compared with 5 mph in 60 mph and 65 mph zones. ACC also had the largest impact on how much they exceeded the limit in zones where it was 55 mph. In these slower zones, they averaged a little more than 1 mph higher over the limit when using ACC or Pilot Assist than they did driving manually.

That 1 mph increase may not sound like much. Leaving aside any other effect these features may have on crash risk, however, it means ACC and partial automation users are at about 10 percent higher risk of a fatal crash, according to a common formula for calculating probable crash outcomes. This study did not analyze real-world crashes.

The study did not account for several other factors that have been shown to reduce crash frequency and severity. For instance, it’s possible that drivers who set their systems at higher speeds also selected a greater following distance. ACC systems are also designed to respond sooner and less abruptly than human drivers when the vehicle ahead slows down.

Future research will need to balance these benefits against the effects of excess speeding to fully understand the technology’s impact on safety. Making systems more restrictive might be the answer, provided that limiting the maximum speed or linking it to posted limits doesn’t discourage risky drivers from using ACC altogether.

Both of the tested systems also allow drivers to bump their selected speed up or down by 5 mph increments at the touch of a button, which might at least partially explain why users exceeded the legal limit by larger amounts when they had the feature switched on.

In total, the simulated Waymo Driver completely avoided or mitigated 100% of crashes aside from the crashes in which it was struck from behind, including every instance that involved a pedestrian or cyclist (20 simulations in total). This is the first time an autonomous technology company has shared its evaluation for how the system might perform in real-world fatal crash scenarios.

Carefully replaying fatal crashes
We started by simulating 72 fatal crashes as they occurred on public roads in our operating domain, which covers thousands of miles of road in southeast Phoenix. Since many of these crashes involved two vehicles, we ran separate experiments simulating the Waymo Driver in the role of each vehicle—first replacing the vehicle that initiated the crash (the “initiator”) with the Waymo Driver, and then replacing the vehicle that responded to the other vehicle’s actions (the “responder”) with the Waymo Driver. That left us with 91 simulations in total.
When we swapped in the Waymo Driver as the simulated initiator (52 simulations), it avoided every crash by consistent, competent driving, and obeying the rules of the road—yielding appropriately to traffic, executing proper gap selection, and observing traffic signals. Here, for example, you can see on the bottom of the screen that the simulated Waymo Driver avoids a reconstructed version of a real-life fatal crash by obeying the speed limit—and not running a red light, as the initiator did in real life:

But as we know, human drivers can make mistakes. They sometimes speed excessively through red lights, fail to yield on turns, and drive while tired, distracted or impaired. Since humans will be on the road for the foreseeable future, it’s important to understand how well autonomous driving systems perform in response to mistakes made by humans.
That’s one of the reasons why we ran simulations with the Waymo Driver in the role of the responder. If the Waymo Driver performed consistently better than the human drivers in these crashes, then that helps indicate the broader safety benefits our autonomous technology can achieve. In fact, that is exactly what our simulations suggest:

• When the Waymo Driver was placed in the responder role, it completely avoided 82% of simulated crashes. In fact, in the vast majority of events, it did so with smooth, consistent driving—without the need to brake hard or make an urgent evasive response.
• In another 10% of scenarios when the simulated Waymo Driver was the responder—all at an intersection when another vehicle turned across its path— it took action that mitigated the severity of the crash.
• Only 8% of responder crash simulations were unchanged. In all of these, the human-driven vehicle struck the rear of the simulated Waymo Driver when it was either stopped or traveling at a constant speed, giving the Waymo Driver little opportunity to respond.

In other words, even when a human driver did something to initiate a crash, such as running a red light, the simulated Waymo Driver avoided or mitigated the vast majority of these fatal crashes.
Replaying the same scenario discussed above, for example, the simulated Waymo Driver is approaching from the right of the screen, and has the right of way at a green light. But as it approaches the intersection, it spots the speeding car approaching from the bottom, predicts that it isn’t going to stop at the red light, and slows considerably until the speeder passes, avoiding the crash:

Advancing best-practice safety techniques
While these are early results, and we are cognizant that they only represent one of many indicators that should be used for assessing our performance under real-world circumstances, we believe they demonstrate the potential of AV technology to improve safety.
Given that the version of the Waymo Driver we tested in simulation is the same version that we currently have on the road, these results are a testament not only to the capabilities of the Waymo Driver, but also to the rigor of our more than a decade of experience and our safety readiness framework. Since 94% of crashes involve human error, we believe we have an opportunity to improve road safety by replacing the human driver with the Waymo Driver. This study helps validate that belief.
By sharing this data, we’re living up to our obligation to demonstrate the trustworthiness of the technology we’re building. We encourage other companies developing autonomous driving technology to do the same. We plan to continue providing additional evidence to allow people to reach their own conclusions about our safety readiness.
This research was made possible because of the thorough crash reports the Chandler Police Department and Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) prepare following fatal crashes, and we’re grateful to ADOT, Chandler Police Department, and Arizona Department of Public Safety for making these reports available to the public upon request. This ultimately helps make possible the improvements to roadway and vehicle design that have improved road safety over recent decades, and collaboration with public safety bodies is important for continued improvements.
The safety of autonomous driving technology is the deliberate result of careful development and thorough and continuous evaluation and refinement. This study provides yet more useful demonstration of its potential safety benefits.

Striving to realize a collision-free society based on its global safety slogan, “Safety for Everyone,” Honda has long been at the forefront of the research and development of safety technologies. The introduction of the Legend equipped with Honda SENSING Elite represents the next step forward in the area of advanced safety technology.

Honda SENSING Elite is a variation of Honda SENSING, a suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies currently available on Honda vehicles around the world. The name “Elite” represents the outstanding and “elite” technologies included in this latest variation.

One of the “elite” technologies featured is the “Traffic Jam Pilot” function, an advanced technology qualifying for Level 3 automated driving (conditional automated driving in limited area), for which Honda has received type designation from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). Traffic Jam Pilot technology enables the automated driving system to drive the vehicle, instead of the driver, under certain conditions such as when the vehicle is in congested traffic on an expressway.

Key features of Honda SENSING Elite

‘Hands-off’ Functionality

While driving with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow and Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) activated, when certain conditions are satisfied on an expressway, the system will assist the driving operations even while the driver has their hands off the steering wheel.

• Adaptive in Lane Driving:

The system assists with the driving of the vehicle and following of vehicles detected ahead within a recognized lane. The system drives the vehicle along the middle of the detected lane while maintaining the pre-set vehicle speed. When a car is detected in front, the system assists in following while maintaining a proper following distance.

• Active Lane Change Assist with Hands-off Function (Driver assessment)

When Adaptive in Lane Driving is activated, once the driver confirms it is safe to change lanes and activates the turn signal, the system provides throttle, braking and steering inputs necessary to accomplish the lane change.

• Active Lane Change with Hands-off Function (System assessment)

When Adaptive in Lane Driving is activated, once the driver switches on the Active Lane Change with Hands-off Function, the system assesses the situation and assists the lane change and/or passing of the other vehicles under certain conditions. When the system detects a car in front being driven at low speed, the system notifies the driver and then assists with the passing of the vehicle and the return to the original lane.

Traffic Jam Pilot

While driving using the Adaptive in Lane Driving, if the vehicle gets caught in traffic congestion, under certain slow speed conditions the system can take control of acceleration, braking and steering while monitoring the vehicle’s surroundings on behalf of the driver. The system drives, stops, and resumes driving within the same lane while maintaining a proper following interval in accordance with the speed of the vehicle detected ahead. While the vehicle is under the control of the system, the driver can watch television/DVD on the navigation screen or operate the navigation system to search for a destination address, which helps mitigate driver fatigue and stress while driving in a traffic jam.

• Emergency Stop Assist:

If the driver is unresponsive to multiple system requests for a handover (the transfer of control back to the driver), the system assists deceleration and stopping of the vehicle by making lane change(s) to the outermost lane or the shoulder of the road. To be more specific, in cases where the driver does not respond to the system’s handover requests, the Traffic Jam Pilot/Hands-off Function will be disengaged, and the system will further urge the driver to respond to the handover request using visual, auditory and tactile alerts including escalated alarm sounds and vibration on the driver’s seatbelt. If the driver continues to be unresponsive, the system will assist deceleration and stopping of the vehicle while alerting other vehicles around using hazard lights and the horn. When there is a road shoulder, the system assists deceleration and lane changes until the vehicle reaches the shoulder of the road for a safe stop.^*3

Human-Machine Interface (HMI)

The interface enables the driver to instantaneously recognize the operating status of the system, the driving situation and any handover requests issued by the system. Honda SENSING Elite indicator lights are positioned on the steering wheel, the top part of the navigation screen and glovebox. When the Hands-off Function is activated, the indicator light on the steering wheel illuminates, and when Traffic Jam Pilot is activated other indicator lights also come on with a blue light. When the system requests a handover to the driver, all indicator lights change their color to orange and blink to send an easy-to-understand message to the driver. The large 12.3-inch, full-LCD meter also displays the operating status of the system, driving situation and the handover requests in a simple yet expressive manner.

Limited leasing of the Honda Legend Hybrid EX commences in Japan on March, 5, 2021.

Following a detailed review of combination options, Volvo Cars and Geely Auto have concluded they can secure new growth opportunities in their respective markets and meet evolving industry challenges through deeper cooperation, while preserving their existing separate corporate structures.

Through the collaboration, the two companies will focus on the development and sourcing of next-generation technologies, from connectivity and autonomous drive to car sharing and electrification. They are planning to share and jointly source batteries, electric motors and connectivity solutions that will generate valuable synergies. This will include the joint development of a world-leading autonomous driving (AD) solution under the lead of Zenseact, Volvo Cars AD software development company.

The two companies, which are planning to share the new SEA and SPA2 electric architectures among their brands, have launched combined efforts to drive speed and efficiencies in the development of hardware and software for the next-generation world-leading modular EV architectures. Intended sharing of platforms and architectures between the companies will drive additional synergies and allow for an expansion of product portfolios across the Volvo Cars, Geely, Lynk & Co and Polestar brands, and external partners.

The relevance of the company’s game-changing approach to automotive radar was emphasized last week when RADA Electronic Industries Ltd., (Nasdaq: RADA, TASE: RADA) announced its intent to make a $3M investment in RadSee. RADA is a global defense technology company focused on proprietary radar solutions.

The RadSee platform scales to accommodate different autonomy levels – standard, premium and LiDAR-like – that are easily integrated, enabling widespread adoption across the entire spectrum of current and future automotive requirements. RadSee’s technology is available for immediate integration into current ADAS design cycles as well as emerging autonomous vehicles.

Features and benefits of the RadSee 4D automotive imaging radar include:

• Scalable, portable and flexible for quick time-to-market
• Processor-agnostic, automotive-grade COTS implementations (unlike competing ASIC approaches)
• 400-meter range
• Angular resolution of 0.25°
• Static and dynamic object detection in a 120° field of view
• Complete flexibility to fit into existing Tier 1 and OEM systems
• Dramatically reduced development risks
• Small form-factor architecture for easy and elegant design integration

Led by CEO and co-Founder, Daniel ES Kim, AUTOCRYPT has garnered the attention of the automotive industry, providing end-to-end vehicle security for connected and autonomous vehicles and surrounding infrastructure. The company currently secures all smart roadways and highways in South Korea, totaling over 5000 kilometers.

Due to a rising demand in autonomous and electric vehicle security technology, AUTOCRYPT also announced the opening of its North American office, located in Toronto, Canada. The new branch will allow for AUTOCRYPT’s V2X and Plug&Charge security solutions to be more widely accessible to testbeds, OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, and automotive software or service providers located in North America. The company is currently in talks with potential partners in the region and plans to begin active business operations in Q2. With its offices now in South Korea, China, Japan and Canada, AUTOCRYPT is also planning to expand into the United States and Europe in 2021.

While Baidu has had state authority to test autonomous vehicles with safety drivers since 2016, the new permit allows the company to test three autonomous vehicles without a driver behind the wheel on specified streets within Sunnyvale, located in Santa Clara County.

The vehicles are designed to operate on roads with posted speed limits not exceeding 45 miles per hour. Tests may be conducted during all times of the day and night, but will not occur during heavy fog or heavy rain.

Baidu is the sixth company to receive a driverless testing permit in the state. Currently, 58 companies have an active permit to test autonomous vehicles with a safety driver.

In order to receive a driverless testing permit, manufacturers must certify they meet a number of safety, insurance and vehicle registration requirements, including:

• Providing evidence of insurance or a bond equal to $5 million.
• Verifying vehicles are capable of operating without a driver, meet federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or have an exemption from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and is a SAE Level 4 or 5 vehicle.
• Confirming vehicles have been tested under controlled conditions that simulate the planned area of operation.
• Notifying local governments of planned testing in the area.
• Developing a Law Enforcement Interaction Plan that provides information to law enforcement and other first responders on how to interact with test vehicles.
• Continuously monitoring the status of test vehicles.
• Training remote operators on the technology being tested.

Driverless testing permit holders must also report to the DMV any collisions involving a driverless test vehicle within 10 days and submit an annual report of disengagements.

Under state law established in 2012, the DMV is required to adopt regulations covering both the testing and public use of autonomous vehicles on California roadways. Regulations to allow testing with a safety driver behind the wheel took effect on 16 September 2014. Rules to allow testing without a driver and deployment of autonomous vehicles were subsequently adopted and took effect on 2 April 2018. Regulations allowing for light-duty autonomous delivery vehicles weighing less than 10,001 pounds were approved on 16 December 2019.

The Complete Trip – ITS4US Deployment Program received 24 eligible proposals by organizations from 15 states. The winning teams and projects are:

• California Association of Coordinated Transportation (CALACT)
  • Location: California, Oregon, and Washington
  • Project: Plan, Book, and Pay for Demand-responsive Transit Agencies in CA, OR, or WA
  • Award: $5,311,000
• Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC)
  • Location: Gwinnet County, Georgia
  • Project: Safe Trips in Connected Transportation Network
  • Award: $9,388,404
• Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HITRA)
  • Location: Dallas County, Iowa
  • Project: Health Connector for the Most Vulnerable: An Inclusive Mobility Experience from Beginning to End
  • Award: $3,956,806
• University of Washington
  • Location: Baltimore, Maryland, Portland, Oregon, Bellevue, Washington
  • Project: Accessible Mapping Standards and Data Collaboration Drive Accessible Multimodal Active Transportation and Mobility
  • Award: $11,459,000
• ICF International, Inc.
  • Location: Buffalo, New York
  • Project: Complete Trip Deployment in Buffalo, NY
  • Award: $8,235,661

The Inclusive Design Challenge received 47 eligible applications from industry, academic institutions, and individuals representing 21 states. The winning teams and projects are:

• Waymo
  • Location: Mountain View, California
  • Project: AV Wayfinding
  • Award: $300,000
• AbleLink Smart Living Technologies
  • Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • Project: WayFinder ADS
  • Award: $300,000
• Foresight Augmented Reality LLC
  • Location: Atlanta, Georgia
  • Project: Accessibility for Sensory Disabilities and Aging Populations Traveling on Automated Vehicles
  • Award: $300,000
• Purdue University
  • Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
  • Project: Efficient, Accessible and Safe Interaction in a Real Integrated Design Environment for Riders with disabilities (EASI RIDER)
  • Award: $300,000
• University of Kansas
  • Location: Lawrence, Kansas
  • Project: Optimizing Highly Automated Driving Systems for People with Cognitive Disabilities
  • Award: $300,000
• University of Maine 
  • Location: Orono, Maine
  • Project: Autonomous Vehicle Assistant (Ava): Ride-hailing and localization for the future of accessible mobility
  • Award: $300,000
• Boston University
  • Location: Boston, Massachusetts
  • Project: OpenGuide: A Scalable Human-Like Guidance System for Visually Impaired Travelers
  • Award: $300,000
• May Mobility
  • Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Project: Independent Safety for Wheelchair Users in AVs
  • Award: $300,000
• Carnegie Mellon University – Human-Computer Interaction Institute
  • Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Project: Promoting personal control of AVs through inclusive smartphone communication interfaces
  • Award: $300,000
• Clemson University
  • Location: Clemson, South Carolina
  • Project: Accessible Technology Leverage for Autonomous vehicles System: ATLAS II
  • Award: $300,000

Tucson offers a number of segment-first exclusive features including:

• Remote Smart Park Assist
  Remote Smart Park Assist allows owners to park and retrieve their Tucson from the tightest of parking spaces from outside the vehicle, a very convenient feature. Before a driver attempts to load passengers or luggage, the remote parking function can prove particularly useful, bringing the vehicle out of a tight space. The driver simply uses the smart key to drive the SUV forward or backward, into or out of a parking space, garage or any tight parking situation.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
SUV buyers do not want to compromise when it comes to protecting their passengers, so Hyundai has expanded its SmartSense Safety technologies on the new Tucson. It now offers more features than have ever been available in a compact SUV. This generous suite of advanced safety features goes far beyond the abundance of SUV segment standard safety equipment and includes many innovative driver assistance systems, such as the following:

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (with Pedestrian, Cyclist and Junction-Turning Detection)
The new Tucson offers an enhanced Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) with pedestrian, cyclist and junction-turning detection, an advanced safety feature activated when the vehicle senses a vehicle, pedestrian or cyclist in front of the car with potential for a collision. The available junction-turning feature can detect an on-coming vehicle when turning left at an intersection and may warn the driver and provide braking assistance to help avoid a collision.

Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA)
BCA helps avoid collisions with a rear side vehicle when changing lanes. When operating the turn signal switch to change lanes, if there is a risk of collision with a rear side vehicle, the system provides a warning. After the warning, if the risk of collision increases, the system automatically controls the vehicle to help avoid a collision. If exiting a parallel parking spot and there is a risk of collision with a rear side vehicle, the system automatically assists with emergency braking.

Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA) helps avoid collisions with oncoming vehicles on the left or right side of the vehicle while reversing. If there is a risk of collision with an oncoming vehicle on the left or right side while reversing, the system provides a warning. After the warning, if the risk of collision increases, the system automatically assists with emergency braking.

Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Following Assist
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) helps prevent accidental lane departure by sensing road markings, automatically steering the vehicle if necessary. Lane Following Assist (LFA) takes LKA a step further and may automatically adjust steering to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane of travel and can help keep the vehicle centered on both highways and city streets.

Highway Driving Assist
Highway Driving Assist (HDA) is a driving convenience system that assists drivers in maintaining the center of the lane, while keeping a safe distance to the car in front and can help maintain vehicle speeds according to posted speed limits on federal interstate highways. HDA works in conjunction with the navigation system information, smart cruise and lane following assist.

Blind-Spot View Monitor
Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM) offers the driver an enhanced field of vision, displayed within the gauge cluster. If the driver activates a turn signal, an image of the view from the corresponding side mirror is displayed in the cluster display.

Surround View Monitor
The new Tucson uses cameras to provide the driver with an enhanced, bird’s-eye view of the car’s exterior, giving the driver confidence when maneuvering into or out of spaces.

Ultrasonic Rear Occupant Alert
Ultrasonic Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) monitors the rear seats to detect the movements of children and pets, reminding drivers to check the rear seats when exiting the vehicle; if the system detects movement in the rear seats after the driver leaves the vehicle, it will sound the horn and send an alert to the driver’s smartphone via Blue Link.

Safe Exit Warning
Tucson also offers Hyundai’s Safe Exit Warning (SEW) system helps detect cars approaching from the rear while the Tucson is parked. If a passenger attempts to open the door when a car is approaching from behind, visual and acoustic warnings on the cluster may alert the passengers.

Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go
Using a radar sensor mounted on the lower front grille, Smart Cruise Control maintains a set distance from the vehicle ahead by automatically adjusting vehicle speed as needed, even in stop-and-go traffic conditions.

High Beam Assist (HBA)
Eliminates the need for drivers to manually switch high beams on and off at night for approaching vehicles in the opposite on-coming lane.

Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
Monitors a spectrum of driver-related characteristics to help detect driver fatigue and alert the driver.