Intel is testing self-driving cars in 'challenging' Jerusalem conditions

Autonomous car makers are running more and more real-world tests, and Intel is now joining the fray, bringing its self-driving cars to the roads of Jerusalem. The company's Mobileye subsidiary, which develops self-driving technology, calls the city home. And since, according to Mobileye CEO Amnon Shashua, Jerusalem has a reputation for aggressive driving, it doesn't seem it will have to go very far to test the limits of the cars' artificial intelligence.

Testing in the challenging Jerusalem conditions, Shashua wrote in a blog post, should showcase the cars' ability to make quick decisions. They must react to other drivers and pedestrians who don't use crosswalks without causing slowdowns or accidents.

The initial test cars are using camera data alone to process their surroundings, and Mobileye will soon complement that with radar and lidar. The goal is to eventually have several viable systems, each of which Mobileye says "can support fully autonomous driving on its own," interweaved to create "true redundancy" -- if one system fails, the others simply pick up the slack.

Mobileye wants its cars to be a thousand times more reliable than a human driver, by meeting a failure probability rate called "mean time between failure" (MTBF) of a billion hours -- meaning that's how long the vehicles are likely to travel, on average, before a sensor error causes a death. With a single sensor system in place, such as the cameras, Mobileye would need to process a billion hours' worth of data to validate its MTBF target. It says true redundancy lowers that figure to 30,000 hours of data, or the square root of a billion hours, with the multiple systems seemingly acting as a failsafe for each other.

University of Michigan researchers said in a white paper last year automated carmakers could accelerate testing by breaking down tough real-world driving scenarios into components and simulating or testing them repeatedly. However, safety is paramount, and perception matters. If consumers suspect that carmakers were somehow cutting corners by lowering testing times, they'll be far less inclined to step into a self-driving car.

Intel and Mobileye plan to test the cars elsewhere in the coming months, including in the US, and they aim to have high-automation and completely automated cars in full production by 2021. Intel will hope there's no delays in testing or manufacturing, especially since Reuters reported today that Mobileye agreed to provide eight million cars to a European automaker. Those won't be fully automated, however -- they will control themselves, but drivers need to stay alert in case they need to take over.

Source: Intel

Ford will stop selling Taurus, Focus and Fiesta in North America first

Without warning, Ford revealed in its Q1 financial report that it will stop selling almost all of its sedans in North America. Sure, it will still market SUVs, trucks and commercial vehicles in the region, but will gradually scale back all cars aside from the Mustang and yet-to-be-revealed Focus Active crossover. Now we know which will get phased out first. A Ford representative confirmed to Engadget that the Focus, Taurus and Fiesta will end production for North America by mid-2019.

Ford will stop producing the Focus for North America next month, the Taurus in March 2019 and Fiesta in May 2019. Why cut sedans in a region they once dominated? "Declining consumer demand and product profitability," Ford stated in its Q1 report. People are ridesharing instead of buying, and when they do buy, they go for larger vehicles like SUVs. Ford will instead focus on models that blend the best of both, with "higher ride height, space and versatility."

But phasing out sedans isn't a new idea for the company. Last October, Ford's CEO floated the idea of cutting cars from its lineup as part of a larger $14 billion cost-cutting plan and reallocate some $7 billion from sedans to SUVs. While the company previously said it would keep offering smaller vehicles like the Focus, perhaps that didn't pertain to the North American market.

In any case, removing small cars is only part of the plan outlined in the Q1 report. The next generation of vehicles, from Mustangs to pickups, will transition to hybrid powerplants. The company will put out its first all-electric auto in 2020, and fill out its lineup to 16 EVs by 2022.

Source: TechCrunch

BMW releases a teaser for the iX3, its first all-electric SUV - It's launching the model at Auto China 2018 in Beijing within a few days.

BMW announced back in March that it's debuting a concept version of the iX3 at Auto China 2018 in Beijing. It's the automaker's first all-electric SUV, and it's also the first EV it's launching since it started producing the i3 back in 2013. Now, the company has released a teaser of the 2020 iX3 on Twitter, and while you won't see much of the vehicle at all, the short video does show BMW's iconic kidney grille design morphing into something else.

Unfortunately, company chief Harald Kruger didn't share more details when it confirmed the model's debut. Based on its name, though, it's most likely the electric "i" series version of the automaker's X3 SUV. As Autoblognoted, it's one of the dozens of electric models BMW plans to offer by 2025 and is a product of the company's efforts to expand its EV biz. In addition to working on other electric vehicles, including a coupe and an autonomous luxury car, BMW is also going into EV battery production and is working with other big automakers to develop a Europe-wide charging network.

Auto China 2018 will begin on April 25th, so make sure to check back if you want to see what the iX3 looks like.

Source: Electrek

Via: Engadget

Waymo formally applies for fully driverless car tests in California - Remote operators linked to the cars will need to stand by in case of an emergency.

Waymo has officially applied to the California DMV to test autonomous cars without drivers in the state. A source told the San Francisco Chronicle that the company will start trials around its Mountain View headquarters where it's been testing its self-driving Chrysler Pacific minivans, though those had personnel behind the wheel just in case. Eventually, they'll expand no-trial driving to more of the Bay Area, the source said.

The California DMV had predicted they'd be ready for automakers to start testing driverless cars on public roads in April, and started accepting applications on the 2nd of the month. The new rules also allow testing vehicles without steering wheels, foot pedals and mirrors. Waymo is actually the second company to apply for driverless testing in California. The DMV confirmed to the San Francisco Chronicle that two have submitted appropriate paperwork (the first applied earlier this month), but declined to identify either.

In place of a backup driver, the DMV would require companies to link their test vehicles to remote operators, who could take over in the event of an emergency. Back in March, Arizona's governor opened up driverless car tests in the state, and notably won't require the same wired-in operators waiting to step in. It should be noted that in the fatal crash involving an autonomous Uber car just weeks later, a test driver had been behind the wheel.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Via: engadget

US federal judge rules that UberBlack drivers are not employees

Uber has been fighting the perception that its drivers should be employees for quite some time. Both the UK and the state of California have concluded that drivers should be considered employees and entitled to silly things like minimum wage, holiday pay and other benefits. Now, however, a US judge in Philadelphia has ruled that UberBlack drivers are not, in fact, employees under federal law.

The ruling only applies to Uber's limousine-like service, but could set precedence for the entire ride-sharing industry and the associated gig economy. The judge said that Uber doesn't exert enough control over UberBlack drivers to be considered their employer under the US Fair Labor Standards Act, reports Reuters. U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson said that the drivers can work when they want to, are free to nap, can run personal errands or smoke cigarettes between rides.

Uber is understandably pleased with the decision, according to Reuters, while a lawyer for the plaintiffs said he would appeal the ruling to the US 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, also in Philadelphia. That would make it the first federal appeals court to consider the issue, while Baylson said that he was the first judge to rule on the classification under federal law.

Source: Reuters

Tesla hopes to deliver all-wheel drive Model 3 in July

Every Tesla Model 3 rolling off the line has so far been a single motor, rear-wheel drive variant. That's been more than a little frustrating if you've had your heart set on the surefootedness of the dual motor all-wheel drive model. However, you now have a better idea of when you can expect it... and you might not be entirely happy. Elon Musk has informed a pre-order customer that AWD Model 3 production will "probably" start in July. Simply put, he wants manufacturing levels to climb high enough that Tesla can afford to introduce features that "inhibit production ramp" -- and while the company is improving, there's still a way to go.

At present, Tesla is making just over 2,000 Model 3 units per week. That's much better than it has been, but Musk wants production to increase to 5,000 cars per week before he's comfortable with AWD. That gives you a hint as to how well things are faring -- Tesla originally planned to hit that goal by last December.

The timing gives would-be AWD owners an expectation of when their cars might arrive, though. And Tesla likely has enough orders for its current Model 3 configuration (the RWD edition with a high-capacity battery) that it's not under too much pressure to deliver additional variants. The bigger concern is simply that those who wanted the $35,000 car, the reason the Model 3 exists in the first place, may have to wait even longer to get their EVs.