Author: Green Car Online News

Autopilot or not, Tesla adds two more levels of lane assistance

2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance
On its way to rolling out full self-driving, Tesla will use the technology to add two more basic safety features to all its cars, the company announced on Thursday.

Tesla's Autopilot system can often track lanes better than most other self-driving systems—and occasionally not. But the cars have to be equipped with Autopilot and drivers have to have the Autopilot system engaged for that ability to work.

Now the company is making the active steering features of Autopilot standard on all its cars for safety's sake. Tesla calls the features Lane Departure Avoidance and Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance.

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Unlike Autopilot, the systems are designed to work in the background, while the driver is actively driving the car.

The Lane Departure Avoidance systems add to the standard Lane Departure Warning system already standard on Teslas. If the car's cameras determine it is actively straying from its lane, between 25 and 90 mph, the car can nudge the steering to bring it back in line in addition to warning the driver. The Lane Departure Warning System only vibrated the steering wheel and provided visual warnings.

The difference between Lane Departure Avoidance and Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance is that the first system intervenes earlier and more often, and drivers have to turn it on for it to work. Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance is activated automatically every time the car turns on and intervenes later (and less often) but more forcefully if the driver allows the car to approach a lane-line too closely or quickly without using a turn signal, or if the car's sensors detect an imminent collision. Drivers can also override this system or turn it off, but it resets as soon as the car restarts.

Tesla Lane Departure Avoidance screen

Many other automakers make such active lane control systems standard in varying degrees. Such active lane control systems have been shown to reduce accidents resulting from cars running off the road, which can lead to rollovers and are among the most severe types of crashes.

CONSIDER THIS: Tesla Full Self-Driving will still require drivers when it arrives later this year

Tesla says the systems will be pushed out to existing cars, starting Thursday, via an over the air update, although an update some Tesla owners received Thursday night did not include the system.

In a blog announcing the systems, the company said, “We believe that lane-keeping and hands-on monitoring can be extremely effective to prevent accidents. These features apply some of the best parts of Autopilot to help all of our customers stay engaged and in their lane in order to avoid collisions when Autopilot is not in use.”

CHECK OUT: No more turn-signal affirmation for Tesla Navigate on Autopilot

More broadly, the move represents a branding shift for Tesla away from the term Autopilot toward following the practices of other major automakers, making Level 2 driver assist features standard safety items and saving promises of fully autonomous Level 4 and Level 5 self-driving for the future.

Tesla said last week at an Autonomy Day event that it sees that Full Self-Driving Capability future coming sooner than many other traditional automakers—as soon as the end of this year for the capability, said CEO Elon Musk—though it may still require several years to win legal approval.

Audi E-tron electric SUV gets discounts just as it goes on sale

2019 Audi e-tron first drive – Abu Dhabi UAE, December 2018
Just as the 2019 E-tron SUV starts arriving at dealerships, Audi is already offering big discounts on them.

The biggest incentive so far is 1.9 percent financing on the E-tron for up to 66 months, which is significantly cheaper than most other models in Audi's lineup, according to our partners at CarsDirect.com. The similar-sized, gas-powered Q5 SUV only qualifies for a 3.99 percent annual percentage rate for the same 5.5 years, which is more typical in Audi's lineup.

On top of that, current Audi owners of 2009 models or newer can already receive a $750 owner-loyalty discount.

DON'T MISS: 2019 Audi E-tron first drive: Redrawing the electric-vehicle boundaries

It is unusual for any automaker to offer big discounts on a brand new model. More often, automakers have to offer increasing discounts after a model has been on the market a few years and rival automakers have introduced newer competition.

The E-tron, which stickers for a base price of $75,795 including destination, is saddled with a 204-mile range between charges, while older and cheaper competitors such as the Jaguar I-Pace and Hyundai Kona Electric have between 230 and 260 miles of range. Tesla last week upgraded its competitive Model X SUV to include a minimum of 250 miles and up to 325 miles of range.

READ THIS: 2019 Audi E-tron EPA range revealed: Nothing to brag about, but aiming for the real world?

To offset that shortfall, Audi says the E-tron offers faster charging, up to 150 kilowatts, which can restore up to 160 miles of range in about 20 minutes. But relatively few public fast chargers are available yet that can provide that much power.

Lease rates for the E-tron are not as attractive as the sales incentives. Audi hasn't revealed complete lease terms, including monthly payments. The money factor of 0.0023, however, equates to 5.5 percent annual interest. Lower trim models, which have not yet arrived at dealerships, are likely to be significantly more attractive to lease, with higher residuals as well as lower prices.

Meanwhile, Jaguar is offering 0 percent financing on the I-Pace.

Tesla faces lawsuit in fatal Model X crash on Autopilot

Tesla Model X crash, Hwy 101 Mountainview, California
The family of a driver killed in the crash of a Tesla Model X driving on Autopilot filed a lawsuit April 26 against Tesla over the crash, Bloomberg reported.

Software engineer Walter Huang, 38, was killed March 23, 2018, when his 2017 Model X drifted out of the left lane of Highway 101 in Mountain View, California and struck a concrete median divider.

The NTSB investigated the crash and issued a preliminary report June 7 and noted that Huang had the car's Autopilot system engaged and set to a cruise speed of 75 mph on the highway. The report showed that Huang had his hands off the steering wheel for the last six seconds prior to the crash and had held the wheel for 34 of the 60 seconds prior to the crash. The system gave Huang three warnings in the 15 minutes prior to the crash.

READ THIS: Investigators: Autopilot sped up before fatal Tesla Model X crash

According to the report, the car slowed down to 65 mph behind a lead vehicle and steered left toward the barrier, disengaged from following the lead vehicle and accelerated (toward its preset 75 mph) before it struck the barrier. The crash attenuator at the end of the barrier was previously damaged by another accident a week earlier.

The lawsuit also names the state of California as a defendant for not repairing the crash attenuator before Huang hit the barrier.

The lawsuit alleges that Tesla knew or should have known that the car could leave travel lanes and strike fixed objects, likely causing injury to its occupants “when used in a reasonably foreseeable manner.”

It says that Tesla should have recalled the cars or provided a warning in light of this risk.

CHECK OUT: Report: Tesla kicked out from official investigation over fatal Model X crash

In response to the initial crash, Tesla issued a statement and said, “Tesla is extremely clear that Autopilot requires the driver to be alert and have hands on the wheel. This reminder is made every single time Autopilot is engaged.”

In a statement announcing the lawsuit, the family's lawyer, B. Mark Fong accused Tesla of “beta testing its Autopilot software on live drivers.

“The Huang family wants to help prevent this tragedy from happening to other drivers using Tesla vehicles or any semi-autonomous vehicles,” Fong said.

Tesla has since released extensive updates to its Autopilot system, expanding its capabilities, installing a more capable processor chip, and rebranded its self-driving as Full Self-Driving Capability. Last month, the company detailed the system's updated capabilities and features, and announced that by the end of this year it expects the system to be “feature complete” for self-driving, although self-driving cars aren't yet allowed by law.

GM CEO confirms plans to build Chevy or GMC electric pickup truck

2019 GMC Sierra
General Motors CEO Mary Barra confirmed Tuesday in a call with investors what rumors had long predicted: The automaker will build an electric pickup. Barra didn't specify when the pickup would appear, or whether it would be branded as a GMC or Chevrolet.

Rumors swirled earlier this year that GM may invest in EV startup Rivian, but that never materialized. Instead, Amazon invested up to $700 million in Rivian earlier this year. Then, last week Ford announced that it will invest $500 million in Rivian, which could preclude a deal with GM.

Barra's announcement Tuesday makes it clear that GM is committed to building an electric pickup, even without Rivian.

DON'T MISS: GMC could join electric-pickup tailgate party

In January, Duncan Aldred, vice president of General Motors' GMC brand, told attendees at a conference following the Detroit auto show that the brand was considering an electric truck, but didn't offer any details.

Barra had already said, multiple times, that the automaker is working toward an all-electric future, which includes pickups.

READ MORE: Chevrolet Bolt EV to get electric sibling, with Michigan plant investment

In March, GM announced it will invest $300 million in its Orion Township, Michigan factory to build a second electric model based on the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which Barra also confirmed Tuesday. The second car is expected to be an electric SUV, possibly called the Bolt EUV.

Beyond that, GM announced at the Detroit auto show that Cadillac will become its lead brand for electric vehicles, starting with an electric SUV in 2022.

CHECK OUT: Long-range Cadillac SUV to lead GM's next electric-car push, in 3 years

With Cadillac taking the lead to sell GM electric cars—for higher prices and profit margins—it makes sense that the premium GMC brand could be the automakers' primary outlet for electric pickups.

Electric pickups have gained in mind-share in recent months after Rivian revealed its long-range electric pickup at the LA auto show in November. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said this year that the company will reveal more details about its pickup in the summer, which is expected to follow the Model Y and the Semi, though an actual production timeline is still unclear.

Ford also announced that it will built an all-electric F-150 and a Mustang-inspired crossover.

Faraday Future revealed: Company gets funding to produce FF91

Faraday Future completes first pre-production FF91 on August 28, 2018
On-again, off-again electric-car startup Faraday may have a future after all.

The company announced two new rounds of financing Monday, a $1.25 billion stock sale expected to be completed by the end of the year, and a $225 million bridge loan to make it to the end of the year.

In a statement, Faraday Future said the money will pay for the production of the long-awaited FF91, and pay for continued on its second model, the FF81, for launch in 2021.

DON'T MISS: Faraday Future gets a $2 billion lifeline to build expensive crossover

The new financing round is being led by Stifel Nicolaus & Co., a St. Louis-based “diversified global wealth management and investment banking company.”

The bridge loan comes from Birch Lake Associates, a Chicago investment firm, which bills itself as deploying “intellectual and financial capital in stressed and transitional businesses by advising corporations and investors on mergers and acquisitions, financial restructurings and complex situations.”

MUST READ: With cease-fire agreement, spark flickers toward Faraday's Future

Faraday Future's situation certainly has been complex.

Backed by a Chinese investor who founded the company along with several big-name automotive engineers, the company brought its FF91 ultra-luxury EV prototype to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2017 and announced that it would break ground on a giant factory there to build the car and a more affordable subsequent model, the FF81. Financing for the project fell through and the company abandoned the factory, and for a while the car as well, before leasing a smaller factory in California's Central Valley.

CHECK OUT: Faraday Future funder writes its own Saab story

After receiving a new round of financing last summer from a Hong Kong conglomerate, Evergrande Health, with a desire to get into the electric-car business, Faraday built more FF91 prototypes and hired more workers.

When that deal fell apart, amid back-and-forth finger pointing over spending and missed investment targets, the company laid off or furloughed about 80 percent of its workforce, and the five founders with automotive engineering experience left. A barrage of lawsuits and countersuits was settled in January in what amounts to a cease-fire agreement that allowed Faraday Future to seek additional sources of financing.

READ MORE: Faraday Future joint venture to create electric MPV based on FF91

Earlier this month, the company mortgaged its Los Angeles-area headquarters and reached a new agreement with Chinese gaming company The9 to build 300,000 copies of a new, lower-priced electric vehicle called the V9 for the Chinese market. That deal brought Faraday Future another $600 million.

The senior bridge financing note includes $150 million to maintain Faraday Future's supply chain for the FF91.

Working with another investment adviser, Faraday Future has valued its assets at $1.25 billion.

The larger $1.25 billion round of equity financing is expected to be completed early in the third quarter this year, the company said.

2018 Karma Reveros recalled for side curtain airbag issue

2019 Karma Revero Aliso Edition
Karma issued a stop sale on 2018 Karma Revero models following a recall for an airbag issue.

The side curtain airbags have a defective rollover sensor, the company said, and may not deploy in a rollover accident. Side curtain airbags are a key safety feature in a rollover, because when they deploy, they can keep occupants heads from hitting the roof frame and even prevent occupants from being ejected.

CHECK OUT: Karma presents its electric-car vision to China and vies for partners

According to the recall, the 2018 Revero's rollover sensors were inoperable, which would prevent the airbags from deploying in a rollover.

The recall notice reads: “In the event of a roll over crash, the side curtain/head protection airbags may not deploy as intended due to a rollover sensor system that is not enabled.”

READ MORE: Karma gets hit with Fisker recall over airbags

Karma will replace the airbag control unit with one that has rollover sensing enabled and, to bring the cars into compliance with federal safety laws, will also add an airbag warning light and new text in the owners' manual to describe the system.

The recall affects just 231 cars. The company will send out recall notifications to existing owners, and Karma's dealers, in 15 U.S. cities, will perform the recall work.

DON'T MISS: Karma Revero gets more power, BMW 3-cylinder

Karma just revealed the updated 2020 Revero GT at the Shanghai auto show last week, After just revealing the updated 2020 Revero GT with a new engine from BMW, new batteries, motors, and electronics at the Shanghai auto show last week.

The latest recall follows two others last year for the 2018 Revero: One for driver's side mirrors with the wrong glass, and another for side curtain airbags that could detach after inflation. The company also recalled 2012 Fisker Karmas in 2017 as part of the (much) larger Takata airbag recall.

Justice Department investigating Ford emissions certifications

2017 Ford GT originally commissioned by John Cena – Image via Mecum Auctions
Some 2017 and newer Ford vehicles may have illegally polluted more than the company claimed during emissions certifications, and the company admitted Friday that criminal investigators were looking into the matter.

The disclosure that the U.S. Department of Justice began investigating the Ford vehicles in February was made during the company's routine report to securities officials Thursday. In February, Ford told environmental officials about the irregularities.

“(Ford) has become aware of a potential concern involving its U.S. emissions certification process. This matter currently focuses on issues relating to road load estimations, including analytical modeling and coastdown testing. The potential concern does not involve the use of defeat devices…” the company wrote in its quarterly filing to the SEC. “We voluntarily disclosed this matter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board on February 18, 2019 and February 21, 2019, respectively. Subsequently, the U.S. Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into the matter. In addition, we have notified a number of other state and federal agencies. We are fully cooperating with all government agencies.”

In February, Ford said it was investigating emissions certifications for cars, trucks, and SUVs that it submitted to the EPA. It said it would begin a new certification procedure with the Ranger pickup, which went on sale earlier this year.

DON'T MISS: Ford invests $500M in Rivian to tackle Tesla, future electric vehicles

Kim Pittel, Ford's VP of environmental and safety engineering, said the company was made aware of the emissions issues in September 2018 via an employee tip line.

“In September, a handful of employees raised a concern through our Speak Up employee reporting channel regarding the analytical modeling that is part of our U.S. fuel economy and emissions compliance process,” she said.

As a result, the company hired an outside agency to investigate the claims.

Thursday's admission by Ford was the first time that the company acknowledged that federal justice officials were also looking into the issue.

In the past, Ford has made similar missteps regarding fuel consumption and efficiency. In 2014, the automaker paid millions to Ford and Lincoln vehicle owners for misstated fuel economy ratings, mostly for hybrid vehicles.

Since then, federal regulators have cracked down on automakers who misstate or falsify emissions information.

Ford electric vehicles and hybrids: Here are some of the many models arriving soon

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2013 Ford Focus Electric
With last week’s announcement of a strategic partnership with electric truckmaker hopeful Rivian, cemented by a pending $500 million equity investment, Ford Motor Company is covering the bases for how the market might evolve and assuring multiple paths toward a future where vehicles with charge ports are the norm.

“Across the world, we're fortifying our franchise strengths in trucks, commercial vehicles, and performance vehicles and bolstering our SUV franchise, executing the unique approach to electric vehicles that takes advantage of our strongest nameplates,” said Ford CEO Jim Hackett on Ford’s Q1 earnings call, the day after the Rivian announcement.

In Ford’s business update the company noted its strengthened electric vehicle plan, which includes a future vehicle developed with Rivian.

Ford said in March 2018 that globally it will be creating 16 fully electric vehicles and 40 electrified vehicles through 2022. Everything the company has said since then about electrification fit neatly into that frame—except for one other thing, autonomous vehicles, which we’ll get to.

THE ELECTRIC CARS

Here, rounded up, are at least some of the fully electric vehicles that Ford has in the works:

2020 Ford electric SUV teaser

Mustang-influenced electric crossover. Ford has been pushing ahead with its plan to build this much-anticipated alternative to the Tesla Model Y. To make sure that the vision doesn’t become too diluted (or convoluted) along the way, it’s been focusing those efforts through a focused electric-vehicle team (Team Edison) that will guide it though all the way to production, delivery, and support.

Although Ford has dodged recent questions about pricing and position for this vehicle, which has been referred to as Mach 1 and Mach E, executives have at several points stressed the importance of affordability and noted that it’s one of the main targets for the project. The electric SUV will land in a middle ground between small EVs like the Hyundai Kona Electric and Chevrolet Bolt EV, and larger premium ones like the Audi E-tron and Tesla Model X. Based on comments from several company officials, expect it to start around $45,000 (or even less) when it arrives, in the second half of 2020.

Fully electric Lincoln crossover. As Ford’s North American president, Kumar Galhotra, said earlier this year, it will emphasize “understated, quiet luxury.” It could arrive as soon as 2021, which would beat the Cadillac EV we’re expecting to be a top alternative.

Other future “C-EV” vehicles—maybe even a sedan. The Ford (and Lincoln) electric vehicles are expected to be just the first two to be conceived on what Ford has described is a scalable electric vehicle platform. This platform, which was conceived to be in what’s called the C-segment globally, is intended to spawn an entire suite of electric-car variants. Although Ford is exiting the traditional, mainstream sedan fold, for instance, company officials have hinted to Green Car Reports that we may see the sedan form factor again in a niche—as a Lincoln EV, perhaps.

Fully electric luxury SUV. The Michigan-based company Rivian plans to introduce its R1T and R1S in the U.S. in late 2020. With last week’s announcement, the two companies will “work together to develop an all-new, next-generation battery electric vehicle for Ford’s growing EV portfolio using Rivian’s skateboard platform.” Rivian has already teased a tow rating of up to 11,000 pounds and a range of up to 400 miles, aided by battery packs of up to 180 kwh.

2019 Ford F-150 RTR

Fully electric F-150. Ford has confirmed it’s a project, but that’s about it. Since the F-150 is at the core of Ford’s heritage and profitability, you can bet it’s moving along, Rivian venture or not. Just don’t expect it to arrive quite as soon. But with continued U.S. demand for the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, which are based on the F-150, we could see this paying off in broader scope.

THE HYBRIDS (SOME PLUG-IN)

Unlike GM, which discontinued the Chevrolet Volt and sees electric as a near-term future for the company, Ford aims to push full hybrids and plug-in hybrids out in more of its next-generation vehicles:

2020 Ford F-150 hybrid. Separate from the fully electric F-150 project, Ford is producing an F-150 hybrid, and it’s due soon—as a 2020 model. The F-150 hybrid is expected to use a 10-speed automatic transmission, as part of a hybrid system that should still allow a wider range of engine-off coasting and idling without sacrificing much if any towing or hauling ability. Ford has teased that the F-150 will have a power takeoff for tools and worksites—a feature that would be even more useful with a charge port, if that’s a hint.

2020 Lincoln Aviator plug-in hybrid

2020 Lincoln Aviator plug-in hybrid. The Aviator plug-in hybrid will come with a version of Ford’s soon-to-be-ubiquitous 10-speed modular-hybrid transmission. It will be the top-performing version in the Aviator lineup as well, with a projected 450 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. The Ford Explorer on which it’s based is (in the U.S.) only available as a hybrid, with the Explorer plug-in hybrid saved for Europe for now.

2020 Lincoln Corsair, 2019 New York International Auto Show

2020 Ford Escape plug-in hybrid and 2020 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid. These models arrive later in 2019 and employ a revised version of the variable-ratio/planetary hybrid system Ford has used in a number of other hybrid products, including the C-Max Energi and going back to the previous Escape Hybrid.

2020 Ford Mustang hybrid. A hybridized version of Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission is also going to be the basis for the Hybrid Mustang. The hybrid pony car is likely to gallop to the performance potential of hybrid tech rather than eke out every possible mpg—possibly with a V-8 still a part of the presentation.

New Ford Bronco

2021 Ford Bronco hybrid. Ford still hasn’t confirmed final specs for its much-anticipated Bronco—or even revealed its production form—yet the company long ago confirmed that it would arrive in leaner shape, with a hybrid version.

Tesla investor provides a look inside new Roadster

2020 Tesla Roadster
At Tesla's self-driving event for investors on Monday afternoon, the company revealed another tidbit: a glimpse of its upcoming second-generation Roadster.

The company parked the new Roadster at the event, and for the first time let outsiders (at least those who have invested significant sums) open the doors and sit in it. The prototype was not available to drive.

Investor Hamid Shojaee took the opportunity to share a 39-second video clip on Twitter. In it, he tries out Tesla's latest approach to door handles, and looks to the squared-off Formula 1-style bat-wing steering wheel, its large center touch screen, as well as its vestigial rear seats.

Starting from the outside, the new door handles are entirely electronic. As he tries to open the door in the video, Shojaee has to try several times to open the door, first swiping up on the sensors, then when that doesn't work, swiping down—as if Tesla needed any more hassles with unusual door handles. Once he swipes down from the top, the door opens on the first try.

Inside, the car's steering wheel looks straight out of a Hollywood Batmobile mockup. Such a vestigial “wheel” only makes sense if the car is steered entirely by wire and has less than about a full-turn lock-to-lock. That's not impossible, and it wouldn't be the only car with a steer-by-wire system.

DON'T MISS: Tesla Roadster is back: 0-60 in 1.9 seconds, 620-mile range

The Roadster's center screen returns to something like the Model S's original vertical orientation, but it's much bigger, and the car has no second instrument screen as the Model S and Model X do. It also reclines at a steep angle on the raked console, rather than perching atop the center dash as the Model 3's does.

In the rear, the new Roadster has a couple of tiny butt-baskets for seats, reminiscent of the original Porsche 911. That's not necessarily a criticism, but pretty typical for the genre.

READ MORE: The new 2020 Tesla Roadster that wasn't in Switzerland

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the company plans to sell the $250,000 sports car in 2020. It is expected to have up to 620 miles of range and hit 60 mph from a stop in 1.9 seconds.

What it does not have in terms of typical roadster features is a convertible top.

Bentley not sold on electric, planning plug-in hybrids for full lineup

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Bentley Continental GT V8
The ultra-luxury carmaker Bentley is at work on a new model strategy, and fully electric vehicles might not play as much of a part in it as the company had previously hinted.

The company, which is part of the Volkswagen Group, will reveal more about its future direction in July, corresponding with its 100th anniversary, according to a report earlier this month in Autocar, citing Werner Tietz, the board member in charge of Bentley’s engineering.

Bentley is looking to expand its buyer base rather than sell more cars to existing buyers. Part of the strategy will also involve offering a plug-in hybrid version of each of its models by 2025. It might also add another SUV to the lineup, although it hasn’t detailed whether that means one larger or smaller than the current Bentayga.

2019 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid

Bentley had previously hinted that it was leaning toward making a smaller SUV all-electric—although that was before an extensive leadership change at the company in 2017.

Bentley backing away from all-electric?

In the Autocar report, Tietz sounds notably less bullish about all-electric vehicles than his predecessor as engineering boss, Rolf Frech. “It is by no means certain that battery-electric is the right way to go,” said Tietz, who argued that the current technology wouldn’t work for towing horse trailers or boats.

2017 Tesla Model X

There are of course many people who do tow—today—with the Tesla Model X. One couple we recently featured towed a 3,800-pound camping trailer around the Southeastern U.S. and saw range drop by at least a third. Rivian is also developing its electric R1T pickup and R1S SUV around impressive towing capability—of up to 11,000 pounds.

One other noteworthy change is that the brand won’t be building “pure sports cars”—a decision that’s a bit surprising as the brand had shown several concept cars that looked aimed at Aston Martin, or even Ferrari.

Bentley EXP 12 Speed 6e concept, 2017 Geneva auto show

The most interesting evolution of those ideas was the EXP12 Speed 6e, a plush, racy-looking, fully electric, two-seater shown in 2017. Bentley then said that a production model based on it would be able to “drive between London and Paris or Milan and Monaco on a single charge.”

In the meantime, it’s considering a small electric city car while also evaluating fuel-cell technology and looking at carbon-neutral synthetic fuels.

Considering the changing priorities of luxury-vehicle buyers, and the importance of being seen in a vehicle that’s efficient and technologically advanced—in a world that includes Tesla—we’re eager to see where this storied British brand is headed.