What We’re Reading
BMW to use Amazon cloud technology to build its autonomous driving features for new EVs (CNBC, September 5, 2023)
BMW is turning to Amazon’s cloud computing technology to support ADAS features in a new line of EVs—the Neue Klasse range—set to launch in 2025. BMW also will incorporate Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride platform for its ADAS starting in 2025. BMW’s partnerships stands in contrast to other recently-announced collaborations between Polestar and Mobileye, for example, as well as reports that certain automakers may be looking to license Tesla’s FSD technology rather than develop their own ADAS.
As this article notes, “ADAS will require large amounts of data processing as the software relies on hardware sets, including cameras and semiconductors. ... That’s where Amazon Web Services, or AWS, comes in. BMW will store and process lots of data in Amazon’s cloud servers.” In addition, “[d]eveloping these features in the cloud will allow BMW to update the software quicker and train new AI models that will carry out increasingly complex autonomous driving functions.”
Do driverless cars feel safe? New study shows gradual introduction needed to build comfort among all road users (Science Daily, August 30, 2023)
A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia suggests that some consumers are not yet ready to wholeheartedly embrace self-driving vehicles (SDVs) and “will need a period of gradual transition before adoption.” The study, conducted by the Research on Active Transportation Lab (REACT), reveals “mixed perceptions of automated vehicles, particularly their effects on pedestrian comfort and safety.”
Specifically, the study engaged 1,133 participants from across British Columbia and targeted their perception of the interaction between SDVs and pedestrians at public crosswalks. Interestingly, four out of 10 participants (41%) felt that pedestrians were exposed to increased safety risks in SDV interactions as opposed to human driven vehicles. Additionally, among those surveyed, 55% supported the use of shared SDVs, such as taxis or shuttles, on public roadways, while only 48% favored the use of privately owned SDVs in similar situations. Ninety-two per cent of those surveyed, however, agreed that SDVs should be clearly identified and accompanied by a human monitor during all times of operation.
Based on the above findings, the researchers proposed “a gradual introduction of SDVs on city streets, combined with “robust public education campaigns to build familiarity and emphasize the potential benefits of self-driving cars.”
“At this critical point in the introduction of automated vehicles, it is essential to understand and consider their effects on everyone who shares city streets—especially pedestrians,” said Dr. Alex Bigazzi, associate professor of civil engineering at UBC and REACT principal investigator.
Lucid CEO has a plan to end Americans’ range anxiety (ABC News, September 3, 2023)
Lucid’s CEO and industry veteran Peter Rawlinson, who previously engineered cars for Tesla, Lotus and Jaguar, recently sat down with ABC News to discuss how his new venture, Lucid Motors, hopes to revolutionize the EV industry from the ground up.
Rawlinson explained how Lucid is overcoming one of the biggest hurdles to electrification—i.e., range anxiety—while transforming the way motorists drive with the Lucid Air, a sleek and futuristic EV that can travel an industry-leading 516 miles on a single charge. With a current starting price tag of $82,400, however, Rawlinson acknowledged that affordability remains a challenge. Rawlinson said that Lucid is targeting a price of approximately $50,000 for future models, with the hope of developing “vehicle efficiency” technology that will facilitate mass production of profitable and affordable EVs. He added, “I am not here to build an expensive car that only rich people can afford.”
Rawlinson believes that the key to affordable EVs and mainstream adoption is a combination of battery technology advancement and overnight AC (Level 2) charging infrastructure development that emphasizes reliable, slower charging over less reliable, super-fast charging for EV owners that do not have access to home charging. In sum, Rawlinson’s future vision is roadways dominated by more efficient EVs with smaller batteries electrified by a mature charging infrastructure capable of servicing all drivers.