To some, virtual reality technology is an immersive way to experience games, films, and not much else. But as the headsets become more advanced and the programming grows more capable, virtual reality could have endless applications, ranging from sports to medicine and even forensics. Now, Cadillac is exploring how it could change the way it sells cars.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the American luxury brand is devising a new strategy for its U.S. dealership network, one that involves replacing a portion of its conventional stores with virtual reality showrooms. The new dealers won’t actually have any inventory on hand; instead they’ll feature VR headsets where customers can learn about Cadillac products while their vehicle is being serviced. Anyone up for a digital test drive in a CTS-V?
The new strategy is part of “Project Pinnacle,” a new retail approach put forth by Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen, and it makes sense given the carmaker’s recent struggles. Cadillac currently has 925 stores in the U.S., and despite the fact that brands like Lexus and BMW have far fewer (BMW has 339), Caddy’s competition sells far more units per month. A virtual showroom would have far less overhead and lower operating costs than a traditional car lot, so clearly, saving money is a big priority.
Believe it or not, integrating VR into the car buying process is not a new concept. Both Audi and Ferrari have explored the technology’s potential for vehicle configuration and educational purposes in the past, and even Tesla has used it to give the public a closer look at its products.
Read more: The 2017 XT5 is a crossover back to luxury for Cadillac
This month, de Nysschen will travel to about a half-dozen U.S. cities to meet with dealers and discuss the possibilities of virtual automotive retail.
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.