Car News

Lyft – a US ride-sharing company in fierce competition with Uber – has sold its large autonomous vehicle development program to Toyota. The Japanese manufacturer’s research division Woven Planet Holdings reportedly paid US$550 million (AU$710,000) for the program, with an initial US$200 million (AU$260,000) investment preceding a further US$350 million (AU$450,000) over the next five years.

BMW has unveiled the eighth-generation of its iDrive infotainment system, 20 years after it debuted in the BMW E65 7 Series. The new iDrive will provide a level of intelligence and cloud-based machine learning through its new 'BMW ID' system, replacing 'BMW ConnectedDrive' to monitor repetitive driver patterns and providing suggested features.

A 2021 Toyota GR Supra has reportedly been taught to autonomously drift, as part of a collaborative project between Stanford University’s Dynamic Design Lab (DDL) and the Toyota Research Institute (TRI). According to a joint mission statement, the research ultimately aims to improve the evasive capabilities of autonomous driving technology in road vehicles.

BMW has previewed an updated version of its iDrive digital infotainment system at the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show. The new infotainment system is expected to debut in the much anticipated all-electric 2021 iX SUV, before being phased in across the range. BMW was light on detail however the teaser image shows that BMW will likely succumb to the trend of super-wide screens. It also seems BMW will retain the rotary controller that was introduced with the technology 20 years ago.

While Tesla and Porsche are the current benchmarks for recharging electric cars in record time, a new technology backed by German car giant Volkswagen and tech guru Bill gates claims to take things to the next level. QuantumScape, a American company based in San Jose California, is developing a new solid-state battery that promises to slash charging times while also increase energy density, which can improve electric vehicle range.