The notion of automated driving has made such rapid advances in just a handful of years that talking about it now almost seems like old news. It’s still in the works, but as many automakers are working on its own version of self-driving cars, it seems hard to stand out from the pack. At this year’s CES, BMW manages to do just that by showing a vehicle so autonomous, it doesn’t even need passengers.
This is the potential of BMW’s 360-degree collision avoidance technology, an environment sensing system that collects data primarily through four laser scanners used by the car to identify obstacles. Mounted on a BMW i3 research vehicle, the German car manufacturer showed what pairing this environmental awareness with automated driving software can do for drivers after they’ve left the car entirely.
The Remote Valet Parking Assistant means no more hunting for parking when you arrive at a destination. Drivers simply need to pitch up to the front door of the venue, then send the BMW off on its own to find a spot by a command via smartwatch. The car then heads to a parking garage where it goes up and through the levels looking for a suitable spot. The sensors can detect unexpected obstacles like an incorrectly parked vehicle and just steer around them. After finding a suitable post, it just parks, locks the doors, and waits for the driver to summon it back when they are done.
A digital layout plan of the garage downloaded into the BMW means that it can navigate the structure without relying on a GPS location signal or any additions to the garage’s infrastructure, so drivers needn’t seek out places with “special” garages to use the feature. The automated system still plays a part when parking the old fashioned way, too. It scans for nearby obstacles and sends out an audible warning, just as you’d expect from any common parking assist, but if this warning goes unheeded, the BMW will auto-brake as a last resort.
It’s still going to be some time before we see self driving cars on public roads, but at least BMW has worked out the parking situation for when they eventually arrive.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.