The first time I let a robot take the wheel, I was understandably nervous. As humans, it’s inherently difficult for us to give up control in our lives, and that nervousness is amplified when we’re rolling down the freeway at 70 mph. As it happens, I worked up the nerve to let my semi-autonomous test car take the controls, and with a bevy of radar sensors and cameras at the ready, the car stayed within the lanes and maintained speed effortlessly.
The jump from semi-autonomous to fully driverless is a big one though, and the concept of having no control on the road is a tough pill for most people to swallow. A new survey done by Volvo says 92 percent of consumers want a steering wheel in their driverless cars, as the large majority of respondents said they should be able to take control of autonomous cars at any moment. This sentiment falls in line with a new California proposal that would require a steering wheel, pedals, and a licensed driver in all self-driving vehicles.
“People have told us that they need to feel in control and have the choice of when to delegate driving to the car,” said Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz, General Manager of the Volvo Monitoring & Concept Center. “Today, that need is ultimately fulfilled with the presence of a steering wheel. Therefore, a steering wheel is necessary until those needs change.”
The study also posed the topic of accountability, and 81 percent of consumers agreed that car manufacturers, not individuals, should take responsibility when an accident involving a driverless car occurs. 90 percent of respondents also said autonomous cars should be able to pass a human driving test, and while 88 percent said piloted technology should respect “the love of driving,” 78 percent concurred that self-driving systems will make traveling time more useful and worthwhile.
Volvo has invested heavily in self-driving technology lately, most notably with the Concept 26 design study that debuted at the 2015 LA Auto Show. In the automaker’s mind, Concept 26 previews what the interiors of future driverless cars could look like.
“With Concept 26, we shared part of our long-term vision for fully autonomous cars. Now we’re focused on future solutions and collaborations to deliver the best in car experience for people using these autonomous vehicles,” continued Tylman-Mikiewicz. “Imagine a highway of autonomous cars, each filled with people relaxing, enjoying their favorite TV shows in high-definition, or catching up on work. It’s exciting to think about.”
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.