Nother CarGuy

Renault is showcasing its vision for the future of last-mile delivery solutions with the EZ-Pro Concept unveiled today at the Hannover Motor Show. Styled to blend in the city landscape, EZ-Pro is the commercial alter-ego of the EZ-Go driverless passenger shuttle. It’s an autonomous, electric, connected and shared robo-pod concept that doesn’t completely give up on human control. According to Renault, people will remain at the heart of transport activities for the foreseeable future, which is why EZ-Pro comes with a leader pod that hosts a human concierge who supervises the delivery of goods and services as well as the fleet. The fleet of driverless robo-pods can either move independently or follow each other by platooning. For example, a convoy of pods managed by the same logistics operator can carry different types of goods and merchandise. Despite having their own paymaster, theme, clientele and delivery place, they are operated by the same electric and autonomous p...

According to Volvo, having to go through airport security and waiting several hours to board a noisy, cramped airplane is something the autonomous car of the future will be able to fix. The automaker’s new 360c concept represents a self-driving fully electric first-class private cabin that can drive you to your destination in complete comfort, regardless of how far away it is. It also doesn’t have a steering wheel, which means even more room for passengers to stretch out. These types of vehicles could open up new growth markets for Volvo, such as the multi-billion dollar domestic air travel industry. The 360c concept has four main potential uses – a sleeping environment, mobile office, living room and entertainment space, all of which re-imagine the way people travel. “The business will change in the coming years, and Volvo should lead that change of our industry,” stated Volvo boss Hakan Samuelsson. “Autonomous drive will allow us to take the next big step in safety, ...

Electric vehicle startup Byton has unveiled its new K-Byte concept at a special event in Shanghai. Designed to preview a 2021 production model, the K-Byte is being billed as a sporty sedan specially made for the “age of autonomous driving.” The model will be shown at CES Asia later this week and it features a streamlined appearance with a distinctive front fascia and slender LED lighting units. We can also see a relatively large greenhouse and flying rear buttresses which help to improve the car’s aerodynamics. Getting back to the autonomous driving bit, the K-Byte has integrated and retractable sensors that “strike a fine balance between aesthetics and real-world practicality.” The most notable are the retractable “LiGuards” which are lidar sensors that are located on the front fenders. They are automatically deployed when autonomous driving mode is selected and they retract when the vehicle is being parked. The sensors are also equipped with lights which can be “illumi...

This year’s Geneva Motor Show hosts loads of futuristic self-driving vehicles with no steering wheel, such as the VW I.D. Vizzion, Renault’s EZ-GO and this, the Icona Nucleus. Like VW and Renault’s take on a completely autonomous future, the Nucleus is without any driver oriented commands, so if you were hoping for anything resembling a steering wheel or even a dashboard, you’ll probably be disappointed. What this concept can do for you though is carry you and five of your friends comfortably, according to Icona. In fact, the seats can be moved and can even Voltron into a couch whenever the passengers want to get more of a living room vibe. There’s also plenty of room available, since the Nucleus measures 5.25 meters (17.2 ft) long, 2.12 meters (6.9 ft) wide and 1.75 meters (5.7 ft) tall. Another impressive feature is the low drag coefficient of 0.25, courtesy of an underbody diffuser as well as wheel arch aero blade extensions. In the end, if we had to choose between ...

With autonomous vehicles developing quickly and captivating the imaginations of the public, the world’s automakers have been hard at work dreaming up the self-driving vehicles of the future. This is Renault’s vision. Presented at the Geneva Motor Show, the Renault EZ-GO concept envisions a low-speed autonomous urban vehicle to shuttle individuals and small groups around cities. The Level 4 autonomous shuttle is designed to accommodate up to six passengers, with glass all around to provide unobstructed views of the cityscape around them. Ingress and egress are enabled via a huge door opening from the front and top of the vehicle when it pulls up at what Renault envisions would be dedicated “bus stops” specifically for the EZ-GO. At 5.2 meters (204.7 inches) long, 2.2 meters (86.6”) wide, and 1.6 meters (63”) tall – 1.8m/71” with the hatch open – the EZ-GO is a bit bigger than a MPV like Renault’s own Espace or even than a larger, American-style minivan like the Toyota ...

A selection of official sketches has been published of the upcoming VW I.D. Vizzion Concept, set to premiere at next week’s Geneva Motor Show 2018. The vehicle will be the fourth concept in the I.D. range unveiled in the past 18 months, following the I.D. hatchback, I.D. Crozz SUV, and I.D. Buzz. Production plans aren’t yet known, but the Vizzion could very well follow the other three to Volkswagen showrooms, potentially as an electric successor to the Phaeton. All up, the I.D. Vizzion measures 5,110 mm (201.1 in) in length, making it just as long as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Compared to the S-Class, however, the concept’s exterior design is significantly sleeker and somewhat similar in shape to the Lucid Air. Perhaps even more eye-catching than the exterior, is the cabin. One quick look at it and you’ll notice that there are no traditional controls, not even a gear lever. As such, the I.D. Vizzion is the first I.D. concept to lack a steering wheel and pedals. Conseq...

Honda has announced a partnership with SenseTime, a Chinese startup valued at over $1 billion with expertise in artificial intelligence. According to Tech Crunch, SenseTime is a leader in object recognition technology and will combine its AI and deep learning skills with Honda’s AI and autonomous technologies to ensure self-driving cars operate safely in urban areas. Alongside the duo’s work on autonomous vehicles, the partnership will expand joint activities in robotics. SenseTime secured $410 million in investments from a series B funding round earlier this year, reportedly the largest private financing round ever closed by an AI startup. Additionally, it is thought that the technology company will secure a $227 million investment from Alibaba before the end of the year. Carscoops

Following a teaser last month, Fisker has unveiled the all-new Orbit. Created as part of an alliance with China's Hakim Unique Group, the Orbit has been designed to become the "world’s most appealing autonomous shuttle for smart cities." The companies were coy on specifics but confirmed the Orbit is a fully autonomous electric vehicle and the first deliveries are slated to occur by the end of 2018. As part of the agreement between the two companies, Fisker Inc. will be responsible for designing and developing the vehicle while the Hakim Unique Group will handle its marketing and operations in Asia. In a statement, Henrik Fisker said "The combination of our breakthrough automotive technology, design prowess and unique vantage point as industry revolutionaries – and Jack’s [Hakim Unique Group chairman Jack Wong] truly integrated vision of smart cities – is powerful. I am very excited about making the impossible, possible with intelligent urban ecosystems – ...

Volkswagen has unveiled the new I.D. Crozz II concept at its preview event ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show. Designed to preview the 2020 production model, the I.D. Crozz II concept is an electric crossover which is described as an "enhanced version" of the original I.D. Crozz that was shown at the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this year. Dressed in Hibiscus Red Metallic paint, the updated model features a stylish exterior with LED headlights and 21-inch alloy wheels. One of the biggest changes from the original concept is a new front fascia which is more "representative" of the production crossover. The sides and "lower part of the rear body" have also been reworked to be more production realistic. The styling changes continue in the cabin as designers installed five 'Smart Lights' which are located in the door panels as well as directly in front of the driver. They provide warnings about potential collisions by flashing red and act a...

The Jaguar Future-Type concept is a drivable, yet fully autonomous concept, representing the automaker's vision for an on-demand self-driving vehicle scouring the streets in the year 2040. At the heart of this concept is Sayer, the world's first intelligent and connected steering wheel, unveiled a few days ago. Sayer, is the first ever voice-activated Artificial Intelligence (AI) steering wheel, on which future car users could rely on to summon a vehicle, play music, book a table at a restaurant or even monitor what's going on at home. In other words, this type of steering wheel might become the only part of a car you'll need to own in the future. "Future-Type offers an insight into the potential for driving and car ownership in the future. It’s part of our vision for how a luxury car brand could continue to be desirable, in a more digital and autonomous age," said Ian Callum, director of design for Jaguar. "Our Future-Type Concept ...