4 minute read
Automotive-related news
from REP Feb 2022
Chances are you spend a lot of time in your car. Here’s something that might help you appreciate your home-away-from-home a little more.
Hyundai Santa Fe receives Kelley Blue Book 2022 Best Buy Award
Hyundai announced it has received a 2022 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award for the 2022 Santa Fe in the 2-Row Midsize SUV segment. The Best Buy Awards are the culmination of expert vehicle evaluation and testing of nearly every new vehicle available. The comprehensive process includes an analysis of vehicle-related data, including vehicle transaction prices, 5-Year Cost-to-Own data, consumer reviews, ratings, and retail sales information.
Honda conducting pilot of new road condition monitoring system
Honda Research Institute USA, Inc. announced it is developing a road condition monitoring system that uses vehicle technology to evaluate road conditions in an effort to detect possible hazards. With this vehicle-generated road condition reporting system, Honda hopes to help road operators monitor lane marking conditions in a more frequent, efficient and cost-effective way that helps fulfill Honda’s concept of “Safety for Everyone.”
Honda Research Institute is conducting a pilot program in Ohio to evaluate a system that uses GPS coordinates and sensors such as cameras to collect real-time road condition information that can be shared with road operators. Honda is collaborating with the Ohio Department of Transportation and plans to start providing road condition data in early 2022, from Honda vehicles used as part of the pilot program, to help enhance the efficiency of the road maintenance operation in Ohio. Honda Research Institute also is exploring how connected vehicles can access the anonymized data to adjust Honda and Acura Advanced Driver Assistance System’s (ADAS) perception settings, and if needed, warn drivers if lane markings are faded or are in need of repair.
When monitoring lane marking conditions, the system visually classifies lane lines to the left and right of the vehicle using four color codes: green, yellow, grey and red. Green and yellow classifications respectively indicate ideal to good lane marking conditions. The system displays grey classifications when there are no lane lines and red if the lane markings need repair.
That road condition information, including longitude and latitude coordinates along with relevant images and video clips, is captured by the vehicle, anonymized, and then streamed to a secure platform for analysis. Road operators can access this platform to identify the location, type and severity of the road condition and hazard information, and obtain a still image and video.
In addition to lane markings, Honda Research Institute plans to expand the system’s application to monitor other types of road conditions. It hopes the system can prove useful in keeping all roads safer for everyone.
Ford Motor Company said it is planning to nearly double production of the F-150 Lightning™ pickup at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn to 150,000 trucks per year to meet high demand for the first allelectric version of the F-Series.
“With nearly 200,000 reservations, our teams are working hard and creatively to break production constraints to get more F-150 Lightning trucks into the hands of our customers,” said Kumar Galhotra, president of The Americas & International Markets Group, Ford Motor Company.
Due to “unprecedented customer interest,” Ford announced it is implementing a wave-by-wave reservation process, with reservation holders being asked to watch for an invitation via email from Ford or to log into their Ford.com account over
the next few months. Those who don’t receive invitations to convert for the 2022 model year will have an opportunity to order a future model year vehicle in due course.
Flexibility is key to Ford’s production system and the way teams are now working to deliver the company’s future lineup of electric vehicles. To deliver this latest increase, a small task force of employees from manufacturing, purchasing, strategy, product development and capacity planning are finding ways to quickly adapt and expand production of the groundbreaking pickup, the company said. Ford is working with key suppliers – as well as with its own manufacturing facilities Rawsonville Components Plant and Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center – to find ways to increase capacity of electric vehicle parts, including battery cells, battery trays and electric drive systems.
Audi increasing investments in electromobility
Audi doubled its product portfolio of purely electric models in the last year, the company said in a release. With the world premiere of the Audi e-tron GT1 at the start of the year and the Audi Q4 e-tron in the spring, 2021 was characterized entirely by implementation of the roadmap. Furthermore, with its investment planning for the next five years, Audi is accelerating the transition toward becoming a provider of networked and sustainable premium mobility. In particular, advance payments for future vehicle projects are being increased once again, with a sum total of about €37 billion. The premium manufacturer is earmarking about €18 billion for electrification and hybridization alone and thereby emphasizing its clear commitment to electromobility.
From 2033 on, the future of the Audi brand will be fully electric, the company said. The company is continuing to pick up speed along the way: Audi doubled the number of fully electric models in its range in 2021. That means that Audi is putting more electric cars than combustion engines on the market in the current year. With the new models Audi e-tron GT quattro1, Audi RS e-tron GT2, and the first fully electric models in the compact segment, the Audi Q4 e-tron and Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, the electric portfolio has grown by four additional models. By 2025, the company aims to have more than 20 fully electric models in its lineup.
