Autonomous – Page 2447 – I wish I had more to offer

@Ford: Improvement in Key Automotive Markets, Ford Credit Contribute to Ford’s Q3, YTD Operating Results

About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility… Continue reading @Ford: Improvement in Key Automotive Markets, Ford Credit Contribute to Ford’s Q3, YTD Operating Results

@Ford: Ford Motor Company Declares Dividend for Fourth Quarter 2019

About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility… Continue reading @Ford: Ford Motor Company Declares Dividend for Fourth Quarter 2019

@Ford: Electric and Untamed: Ford’s Electric-Vehicles Leader To Address Barclays 2019 Global Automotive Conference

About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility… Continue reading @Ford: Electric and Untamed: Ford’s Electric-Vehicles Leader To Address Barclays 2019 Global Automotive Conference

@Ford: Ford Announces New Executive Leaders For Sustainability/Safety, AV, Strategy, and Ford Credit

Kim Pittel, Jim Holland retiring after 30-plus years each with Ford John Lawler, David McClelland take on new senior-level roles Bob Holycross, Marion Harris and Chuck Gray appointed corporate officers DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 7, 2019 – Ford Motor Company today announced the retirement of two longtime executives, new assignments for two corporate officers, and promotions… Continue reading @Ford: Ford Announces New Executive Leaders For Sustainability/Safety, AV, Strategy, and Ford Credit

LA AutoMobility – November 18-21, 2019

November 18–21, 2019 | LA AutoMobility | Los Angeles, CAPress Conference: AEye | Tuesday, November 19th, 3:55-4:10pm PST | Technology Pavilion: Structure AConnect with AEye! Request a MeetingLA AutoMobility – November 18-21, 2019 —Unique iDAR Features That Drive SAE’s 5 Levels of AutonomyA Decade of Autonomous Vehicle InvestmentsAEye’s New AE110 iDAR System Integrated into HELLA Vehicle at IAA in FrankfurtAEye Team Profile: Ove SalomonssonThe Human Classification Framework: Search, Acquire, and ActAEye Team Profile: Indu VijayanAbrupt Stop DetectionThe Register and AEye President, Blair LaCorte, Predict the Future of Self-Driving CarsAEye Advisory Board Profile: Adrian Kaehler

Tesla Cybertruck — Pure Logic On Wheels

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Published on November 23rd, 2019 |

by Maarten Vinkhuyzen

Tesla Cybertruck — Pure Logic On Wheels

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November 23rd, 2019 by Maarten Vinkhuyzen

“Yes, that is the way to do it. Pure logic. Form follows function. The only way to solve the aerodynamics problem of a pickup.”

Those were my thoughts when the Tesla Cybertruck rolled onto the stage.

Followed by: “Will any hillbilly or weekend road warrior or mom buy it?” It is a bit hard to see this as a grocery getter or hay carrier.

This is totally Elon Musk — going back to first principles, applying them to an electric pickup truck, getting an image straight from the movies he likes. How could he not fall in love with it.

The aerodynamics of a conventional pickup truck are extremely bad. You need probably twice the battery capacity to get highway performance at 60 mph on par with a Jaguar I-PACE. That is a big No-No for Tesla.

The first design parameter for Tesla was: no open bed. The second was: no box form. High on the list would also be: Tesla cars are beautiful, not rusty or dented. Another would be that you should be able to actually use the bed for your stuff. In urban environments, everything in it that can be carried away will be carried away when you return. Cheap and easy to produce would also be on that list.

Put this list into a stupid AI system that does not have preconceived notions what a pickup should look like, and out comes the Tesla Cybertruck.

The aerodynamics are great. The bed coffer turns that open space into a vault. The stainless steel enables a unibody design that is lighter, stronger, and cheaper to make. With a relatively small battery (~75kWh), a “low-cost” version can shock the market. With the Plaid powertrain, there is nothing on the road (except other Teslas) that can compete in pure badass driving.

Turning the list of requirements (much longer than I have mentioned) into this design is pure brilliance.

I am not a car guy, I am even less of a big car guy, and I really don’t understand the appeal of those monstrosities on wheels that are the favorite grocery-getters in most of the USA. My opinion is of zero and really no value when it comes to judging the Tesla Cybertruck’s market appeal and commercial value.

This is such a radical departure from what is thought to be a normal pickup, though, that most will be unable at first to comprehend this concept. Without suggesting it will be as successful, it is like the iPhone when shown in the time of the flip-phone and Blackberry. This will need time.

I suggest some placements in Hollywood movies. Not the cyberpunk Blade Runner type of movies, but a normal romantic comedy with a soccer mom using it around the suburbs. And the privacy of the closed bed is a far better place to be seduced than the back seat of a sedan.

While being logical, the Tesla designers created a new problem for the US automotive industry. The distinction between cars and trucks, or passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles has always been based on the construction — using a frame was a truck, using any kind of monocoque or unibody construction was a car. By the logic of the standard classification, the Tesla Cybertruck is a car.

To be more precise, it is the most badass electric shopping cart.

Photos by Kyle Field, CleanTechnica

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About the Author

Maarten Vinkhuyzen Grumpy old man. The best thing I did with my life was raising two kids. Only finished primary education, but when you don’t go to school, you have lots of time to read. I switched from accounting to software development and ended my career as system integrator and architect. My 2007 boss got two electric Lotus Elise cars to show policymakers the future direction of energy and transportation. And I have been looking to replace my diesel cars with electric vehicles ever since.

And putting my money where my mouth is, I have bought Tesla shares. Intend to keep them until I can trade them for a Tesla car.

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5G and the future of mobility

5G is better equipped to carry out critical communications for safer driving, support enhanced V2X, and connected mobility solutions. As a pioneer in digital mapping, in-car navigation, and mobility solutions, we at HERE are excited about the opportunities 5G technology presents for automated vehicles and connected mobility. And more than just sitting by and watching… Continue reading 5G and the future of mobility

Chinese electric car maker WM Motor targets $1 billion funding round – CNBC

Chinese electric carmaker WM Motor is seeking up to $1 billion in funding within the next six months as it targets one new model a year. The aspiring Tesla rival completed its series-C funding round in the first quarter of 2019, and is now looking to secure its series-D financing “hopefully in the next six… Continue reading Chinese electric car maker WM Motor targets $1 billion funding round – CNBC

Tech.AD – Autonomous Vehicle Technology Innovation of the Year

Tech.AD – Autonomous Vehicle Technology Innovation of the Year READ MORETech.AD – Autonomous Vehicle Technology Innovation of the Year —AEye Advisory Board Profile: Adrian KaehlerThe Register and AEye President, Blair LaCorte, Predict the Future of Self-Driving CarsAEye Team Profile: Aravind RatnamAEye: Developing Artificial Perception Technologies That Exceed Human PerceptionAutonomous Cars with Marc Hoag Talks “Biomomicry” with AEye President, Blair LaCorteForbes On How AEye Teaches Autonomous Vehicles to Perceive Like a HumanAEye Wins Most Outstanding Autonomous Vehicle Technology Innovation of the Year Award at TECH.ADAEye Named to Forbes AI 50iDAR Sees Only What Matters

Going Back To The Future: What It’s Like Riding In Tesla’s New Cybertruck

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Published on November 22nd, 2019 |

by Kyle Field

Going Back To The Future: What It’s Like Riding In Tesla’s New Cybertruck

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November 22nd, 2019 by Kyle Field

Tesla’s new Cybertruck is unlike anything the world has seen, and I was one of the first non-employees to get a ride in it at the grand unveiling last night at Tesla’s Design Studio in Hawthorne, California. I’ll share what I thought of it from the inside and up close.

At first glance, the stainless steel wedge that is the Cybertruck makes it clear that it is not only a sharp diversion from the world of pickup trucks, but from anything Tesla has done before. Its stainless steel skin harkens back to the Delorean made popular by the ’80s cult classic Back to the Future. Walking up to the vehicle, the vast expanse of ultra hard rolled stainless steel that comprises the vertical expanse of the broadside of the vehicle grew ever more imposing. From afar, Cybertruck’s wedge-like posture tricks the eyes into believing it is smaller than it really is, but that illusion quickly fell away up close.

The giant rubber donuts that it rolled around on would be more at home on a military vehicle than on any vehicle from an auto dealer in the US, and that’s kind of the point. Its stainless skin will allegedly stop a 9mm bullet and the bulletproof windows should be similarly up to the task, though they were one of the big failings of the vehicle at the unveiling. At Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s urging, lead designer Franz von Holzhausen hurled a large ball of metal at the windows that caused them to fail in grand fashion. They didn’t fully penetrate into the cabin, but left Tesla’s brand new stage baby damaged for the balance of the presentation. It was a risky move and it clearly didn’t go off as planned, but hey, they have two years to figure that out.

Angular door handles popped out to present themselves to us and the massive doors swung open much more like the door of a house than that of a vehicle. Stepping up into the Cybertruck’s front seat, it appeared that there were only two seats up front, split by an oversized center console with three cupholders in it. Closer inspection revealed that this was in fact the back of a center seat that can fold up to accommodate three full-sized humans up front and in the rear.

A 17-inch landscape display carried forward the same interior design ethos of the Model 3, but with a completely revamped user interface that the driver was clearly very familiar with. The vehicle itself only had 261 miles on the odometer, though would be completely reasonable for it to be a simple graphic rather than a fully functional mileage counter at this point. After all, the Cybertruck isn’t due to hit the market until late 2021 or early 2022.

Our driver flipped to a map that showed an overview of the short route he would be taking us on in what felt like an aerial version of what you might see in the Terminator movies. Futuristic, but functional. Elon and Franz are clearly intent on bringing the experiences teased in front of an entire generation of Sci-Fi film viewers into reality. By all accounts, the Cybertruck isn’t a bet-the-farm play for Tesla like the Model 3 was, but it does represent the biggest singular design diversion the company has taken in its 15-year existence.

As we pulled away from the crowd, the large knobby tires could be heard humming along from inside the cabin as really the only noise that indicated we were moving. Looking to my left, the driver felt far removed from me, leaving no doubt that three adults could comfortably fit on each of the front and rear bench seats. Indeed, looking to the rear, the three humans accompanying us on the ride looked very comfortable and not at all cramped.

The juxtaposition of the high-riding suspension of a truck and the elegant power of its electric powertrain were brought together as our pilot dropped the air suspension into low for a quick launch up the street. All occupants let out one form of amazed gasp as Cybertruck attempted to break free of the confines of gravity in a push towards orbit. It tore up the length of the street as its now low-slung mass hurtled us towards an uncertain future.

Thankfully, the brakes were up to the task and quickly quelled the energy down to a more mundane speed as its Hulky frame gently pitched forward in response to our rapid deceleration. It flipped a U-turn and we casually flew back towards the Tesla Design Studio. The variable air suspension shined here as it easily absorbed bumps and driveways along the way.

Its ability to change postures in response to driver input or driving style truly allows it to bring the power and acceleration of Tesla’s Model S into a reimagined truck. Our quick ride was a nice teaser and I’m still overcoming the mental shock of the Cybertruck’s stark departure from Tesla’s design DNA, but one thing is for certain: Tesla is serious about redefining the world’s expectations for what a pickup truck is.

Whether the world is ready for such a drastic change is yet to be determined. With buyers able to reserve a Cybertruck for a measly $100 refundable deposit, we won’t actually know what the demand is for the new vehicle until the masses can actually convert them to real orders of one of its three configurations.

Stay tuned here on CleanTechnica as we continue to unpack the unveiling event experience, compare the Cybertruck to the competition, run some total cost of ownership calculations, and more in the coming hours and days.

All images by Kyle Field | CleanTechnica — feel free to use anywhere with credit

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It will make you happy & help you live in peace for the rest of your life.

About the Author

Kyle Field I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. TSLA investor.

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