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Tesla owner Pat Larson has invented his own automatic charger.A Raspberry Pi computer serves as the brains of the operation.The charger uses a camera and a smart light bulb to position its long arm that connects to the car’s charging port.Earlier this month, YouTuber Pat Larson flaunted his “Tesla Automatic Charger” in a new video. The robotic charger can automatically connect to the car’s charging port with an arm-like apparatus that uses a camera, a Raspberry Pi computer, and a bit of machine learning. It’s the kind of charging technology that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has teased before, but hasn’t yet delivered. So let’s take a look at Larson’s charging setup to see what’s going on under the hood.
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The Raspberry Pi is “the brains of everything,” Larson says in the YouTube video. To start, the system moves back and forth on linear bearings, aligning roughly with the charging port area of the car. A linear actuator (basically, a joint) pivots the charging arm mechanism away from the wall and toward the parked Tesla.An automated servo motor “rotates the charging handle out when it’s needed,” Larson explains. Then, an ultrasonic distance sensor gives feedback to the computer so that the charging arm doesn’t strike the car. Finally, a tiny camera snaps pictures and feeds them back to the computer system to help line up the charging arm mechanism. The Raspberry Pi is equipped with a machine learning framework called TensorFlow, which helps the system understand where to move based on the photographic evidence. There’s also a light to illuminate the right spot, just in case it’s dark inside the garage. In the video, Larson presses a button to boot up the system, then watches as the “fairly complex TensorFlow model” kicks into gear slowly. “It’s not a fast process,” he says. The arm navigates away from the wall, while the bright light centers on the spot where the arm should go. Then, the software opens the charging port using the Tesla API.

Next, the actuator swings out the large portion of the arm with the charger tip. Finally, the pivoting charger head fully aligns itself flush with the charger port. The charger head spots the hole by identifying the bright Tesla “T” that always shows when the charging port is open. The charger lines itself up perfectly and pushes into the slot, activating the charging port. Larson explains that all of the software runs over the internet, which technically means the system could go out if there were an internet outage—a “weak point in the system,” he admits. But of course, in that scenario, he can just plug the charger in himself.
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Automatic chargers have long been a Tesla talking point. In the past, Musk has even talked about the idea of an official Tesla-branded automated charger. But that was in 2015, with no news since. Musk did, however, confirm last year that the “metal gear snake” automatic charger is still on Tesla’s development road map. For now, plan to plug in your charger yourself.

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Automakers are packing their upcoming electric pickup trucks with all kinds of useful and unexpected features, like the Hummer’s Crabwalk and the Ford F-150 Lightning’s offboard power setup.In a new Twitter video, Rivian’s CEO reminds us that the upcoming R1T will feature a Camp Kitchen in the vehicle’s modifiable Gear Tunnel.Two cooking elements, a four-gallon sink, and a 30-piece equipment set are part of the deal. And, really, when was the last time you bought a new car that came with a teakettle?

Rivian

The electric-truck wars have started, and now we’re in the phase where automakers highlight the unusual features their plug-in pickups offer as a way to stand out from the competition. Ford spent plenty of time during the recent launch of the F-150 Lightning talking about the EV’s ability to power a construction site’s worth of tools for three days. GM’s upcoming GMC Hummer EV can drive diagonally using a feature called Crabwalk. And Tesla has made all sorts of claims about its angular Cybertruck, including multiple pull-out tables in the rear that can be used as a mobile kitchen.
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Not to be outdone, Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe tweeted this video of his company’s Camp Kitchen feature, which was already announced way back in 2019. This small countertop includes a two-burner induction cooktop and a collapsible sink with a spray faucet and a four-gallon water tank. Everything slides in and out of the R1T truck’s body in a so-called Gear Tunnel that’s located just behind the rear seats.The Camp Kitchen is one of many available accessories for the 11-cubic-foot side-access Gear Tunnel. The 1440-watt induction stovetop draws power from the R1T’s 135.0-kWh “large pack” traction battery.

Rivian

The Camp Kitchen isn’t cheap—the package costs $5000 on top of the R1T’s nearly $70,000 starting price—but it comes with more than just the burner and the sink. The built-in mini-kitchen’s drawers come with custom molded insets that have a place for every fork, knife and spoon of the included 30-piece kitchen set from Snow Peak. Spatulas, tongs, a can opener, titanium cutlery, a water kettle, and more are all part of the package. Rivian says the inserts are so well designed you won’t hear a rattle when you drive all of these utensils around town.

The Gear Tunnel could become a popular way for Rivian R1T owners to customize their rides. As designed, the Camp Kitchen is made up of three main parts, each of which installs onto the R1T’s “shuttle system” that allows the components to slide into and out of the body. Rivian has said the shuttle system platform was “developed to support a range of future Gear Tunnel accessories,” and, based on the responses to Scaringe’s tweet, a standard workbench would be a popular options, as would two turntables and a microphone.

Rivian

For overnight outdoor adventures, Rivian will offer a separate package that includes a three-person tent that mounts onto the top of the bed for $2650. The Skyrise HD Medium Rooftop Tent has a 56-by-96-inch footprint, is 48 inches tall, and comes from Rivian’s partnership with Yakima. Opting for the tent package brings with it a set of Rivian Cargo Crossbars that sit across the truck bed. You can find it all on the Rivian configurator.Rivian says will start deliveries of the R1T (and the similar R1S electric SUV) in January 2022.
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We’ve finally had our first taste of the 2021 Ford Bronco, and it was worth the wait. Ford’s newest ute is refined on-road and off, and if you’re one of the horde of people awaiting your date with the delivery truck, it’s time to get properly excited. Read our review here. This Week in SheetmetalVolvo debuted an EV SUV concept intended to showcase the brand’s evolving design direction. In true Volvo style, safety is an obvious focus—the car features a roof-mounted lidar sensor supplied by Volvo’s autonomous driving partner Luminar.

E-Legend

E-Legend, a German EV startup, says it will hand-build 30 copies of an electric Audi Quattro rally car revival. E-Legend says the EL1 will have 805 horsepower and a 249-mile range, but we wouldn’t bet our lunch money on ever seeing one on the road. Porsche will put its most powerful V-8 ever, a 631-hp twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter beast, in the forthcoming Cayenne Turbo GT. Porsche says the V-8 will launch the Cayenne to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds, but it’ll cost you. The Turbo GT will cost $182,150 when it goes on sale in the U.S. next year. We spied a camouflaged version of a convertible we believe to be the Mercedes-Benz CLE-class. If we’re right (we’re basing our speculation on a recently renewed trademark), the CLE will be a new model for the brand, available as a coupe or a droptop, and would replace the C- and E-class coupe and convertible variants. Promises, Promises

A push to convert the global vehicle fleet to EVs by 2035 picked up fresh steam this week when Canada said it would ban the sale of new gas-powered light vehicles by 2035 and Volkswagen said it would stop selling internal-combustion engine vehicles in Europe the same year. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said the 2035 ban was a necessary steppingstone on the way to the country’s goal of producing net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. VW board member Klaus Zellmer said the company is hoping EVs will account for 70 percent of its European sales by 2030, but that an end to gas-powered car sales in the U.S. and China will come later, though still before 2050. So far, EVs account for just 3.5 percent of new vehicle sales in Canada. EVs and hybrids made up 12.4 percent of Volkswagen’s European sales in 2020.

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Halfway ThereThe second quarter came to an end this week, bringing the usual crop of forecasts and sales reports. The news is broadly good, as automakers notched huge gains compared to the dismal first half of last year. Every brand that had reported sales as of our writing reported double-digit sales gains despite the ongoing global semiconductor shortage that has been fouling production plans all year. Toyota’s second-quarter sales nosed ahead of GM’s by 5116 units. GM is the longstanding sales leader in the U.S. market. The industry still has rough waters ahead. Ford announced new plans for plant shutdowns related to the microchip shortage this week, plus a planned shutdown of the plant that builds the Bronco and Ranger due to an unrelated parts shortage. Stellantis lost an unknown number of new cars to a heavy rainstorm that flooded the Detroit-area shipping yard where the vehicles were being stored. And industry analysts warn that surges of new variants of the coronavirus, especially in countries with limited access to vaccines, could continue to affect microchip supply.Further Reading Read about the details of the not-dead-yet bipartisan infrastructure proposal that President Biden has said he will sign into law if given the opportunity.The New York Times has an examination of the Monterey Car Week auctions ahead of the event’s August return.Or read in the Wall Street Journal about the increasingly common phenomenon of dealers charging well above sticker price for the few new cars on their lots.

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Rick Ross had some of his vintage vehicles on display in a recent Instagram video, walking the camera down a line of retro eye candy that included several Chevy Bel Airs.Ross’s passion for cars is well documented in his music, and he recently said his collection includes around 100 vehicles.Ross, who named his record label after the luxurious Maybach automotive brand, also recently visited Jay Leno to film a segment on his custom 1957 Bel Air.Back in 2010, Rick Ross rapped the lines “New Mercedes sedan, the Lex’ sport/So many cars, DMV thought it was mail fraud” on Kanye West’s “Devil in a New Dress.” Although it’s certainly not uncommon for rappers to brag about owning dozens of luxury cruisers and exotic supercars, Rick Ross wasn’t exaggerating—in a recent Instagram video, the rapper gave a brief tour of some of the old-school metal in his expansive collection.In the video, Ross ambles down the seemingly endless driveway to his 400-acre, 109-room estate in Georgia, giving a taste of some of the classic cars he owns. We can spot at least 12 vehicles in the video, although Ross apparently has around 100 cars to his name. The video begins with multiple blue Chevrolet Bel Airs, all second-generation models from between 1955 and 1957, and wraps up with some retro trucks, including a brown and tan 1980s Chevrolet C/K with aftermarket LED headlights. His cars all look to be in beautiful condition, glistening under the Georgia sun, and most of them appear to be stock, although a few ride on glitzy chrome or gold rims.

Ross is certainly one of the biggest car enthusiasts in hip-hop. Along with his sprawling collection and referencing cars in his music, he is the CEO of Maybach Music Group, a major record label that Ross founded and named after the opulent Mercedes-owned brand. Ross also recently met up with Jay Leno, touring the famous garage before filming a segment for Leno’s show about his red custom 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. Ross clearly has a thing for the Bel Air, as the ’57 that he shared with Leno is not one of the four Bel Airs in his most recent Instagram video.
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GMC shared a video of the upcoming 2022 Hummer EV pickup doing a “Watts to Freedom” launch-control start. The new Hummer EV pickup, when equipped with its available 1000-hp three-motor setup, is claimed to launch to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds. The Hummer EV pickup will arrive by the end of the year and an SUV model and cheaper configurations will go on sale within the next few years. GMC’s new Hummer EV pickup will enter production this fall, and GMC says it has up to 1000 horsepower and will reach 60 mph in 3.0 seconds. That’s with its launch-control mode that’s called Watts to Freedom, and GMC shared a video of the feature in action on a prototype truck—a fitting way to launch into the holiday weekend.

GMC

We’ve yet to experience it for ourselves, but Watts to Freedom aims to provide a different experience than traditional gas-powered cars’ launch-control systems. It still involves the driver mashing the accelerator and brake pedals simultaneously, but Watts to Freedom aims to elevate the auditory experience thanks to the lack of a noisy internal-combustion engine. The Hummer EV first lowers itself by 2.0 inches via the air suspension followed by a series of sounds, haptic feedback in the driver’s seat, and visual elements in the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, including a g-force meter. Once this sequence is complete, then it’ll launch to 60 mph in a claimed 3.0 seconds.

The GMC Hummer EV will eventually offer pickup and SUV variations, and they will be the first General Motors products to use the automaker’s new Ultium battery platform. In its most powerful configuration, the Hummer EV has three electric motors producing up to 1000 horsepower and all-wheel drive. Cheaper models have two-motor setups and less power. The first Hummer EV to arrive will be the fully loaded Edition 1 pickup starting at $112,595, and the cheaper configurations and SUV models will go on sale in the next few years. We’ll let you know how quick the electric Hummer is when we get our hands on one for testing, and we’ll show you all about how Watts to Freedom and the Hummer’s other features work.
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After existing solely in the digital realm for a year, a real-life version of the Vision Urbanaut has been released by Mini and is on display in Germany.The Vision Urbanaut is designed to be autonomous and electric, putting the emphasis on passenger comfort and convenience.The interior can shift among three modes—Chill, Vibe, and Wanderlust—that alter the lighting, layout, sound, and fragrance inside the Urbanaut.The Mini Vision Urbanaut first appeared last year as a series of renderings, but the sleek minivan concept has now returned as a full-scale model, debuting at the Digital-Life-Design Summer conference in Munich. The Urbanaut is a peek into Mini’s crystal ball, showcasing a future of electric lounge-style autonomous pods.

Mini

At 175.6 inches long, the Urbanaut is only about six inches longer than Mini’s diminutive Countryman crossover, but the interior appears far more spacious thanks to an electric powertrain, which allows for a flat floor and living-room-like proportions. The exterior design of the Urbanaut is smooth and simple, and the front and rear ends are dominated by LEDs. In the original renderings, the LEDs were lit up in organic patterns to resemble traditional headlight and taillight units, but the new photos give a sense of how the LED panels look when not in use during the daytime. The only other major change from the renderings is the color, which goes from green to a light bluish silver.Apparently Mini “sees its future self primarily as an enabler of and companion for unforgettable times,” which it dubs “Mini moments.” The Urbanaut features three such “moments”—think of this marketing jargon like a drive mode, except only one of the settings is actually centered around travel. The first, called Chill, turns the car into a retreat from the outside world. The interior lighting mimics “a green forest canopy,” and the instrument panel transforms into a table lamp, “eliminating displays or switches that might remind the customer of their automotive surroundings.”

Mini

The Vibe mode is all about socializing, with the door sliding open and the windshield raising up to create a welcoming, airy environment. The instrument panel is now dedicated to entertainment, and the Urbanaut will project graphics that move along to the rhythm and tempo of your tunes for what Mini claims is “a pleasant club atmosphere,” which sounds like an oxymoron. The only driving-oriented moment is called Wanderlust, which sees the instrument cluster switch to displaying an animation of the route, the estimated arrival time, tourist attractions along the way, and other trip information. Although the Urbanaut is envisioned as being capable of autonomous driving, a steering wheel and pedals will emerge at the press of a button.

Mini

Mini also touts the Urbanaut’s sustainability. The design team decreased the number of components by having certain features serve two functions—the dashboard can morph into a day bed, for instance. The interior is swathed in recycled textiles including wool, polyester, and Tencel, and the steering wheel and sections of the floor are made from recyclable cork.

The Vision Urbanaut will not go into production, but expect the design philosophy seen here to appear on Minis across the next decade as the automaker transitions towards electric propulsion. Mini also points out that the Urbanaut’s interior does not feature chrome or leather, an approach it says will be implemented on its next-generation models.
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Volvo aims to have half of its sales be EVs by 2025 with a transition to an EV-only lineup by 2030, and its partnership with battery maker Northvolt will be crucial for these ambitions.A new in-house operating system, developed in partnership with Google, will underpin a revised infotainment interface designed to limit driver distraction.Volvo will analyze data from its vehicles’ lidar and radar sensors in real time so it can quickly roll out over-the-air updates that will increase its cars’ autonomous abilities.While rolling out the Concept Recharge today, Volvo used its Tech Moment event to reveal plans for technological advancements in the coming years. The company focused on a few key areas: battery production, computing power, infotainment, and, of course, safety.

Volvo wants electric vehicles to comprise 50 percent of its sales by 2025 with a full EV lineup by 2030, and it has stopped work on internal-combustion engines. Volvo has entered into a partnership with Swedish battery maker Northvolt, working together to boost energy density by up to 50 percent over today’s batteries and slash charging times in half by the mid-2020s. Volvo and Northvolt aim to produce batteries using only renewable energy and to recycle as much material from old batteries as possible. The next generation of Volvo EVs will also include bidirectional charging, so homeowners could—in theory, at least—power their house via their car’s battery during periods of peak demand when electricity can be more expensive and dirtier than at off-peak times. This will depend on the owner’s charging equipment and their local utility’s billing policies. Long-term, Volvo is dedicated to vertical integration for EV production, hoping to bring the design, development, and production of batteries, motors, and software in house.Volvo’s reputation is built on its dedication to safety, and the company highlighted how autonomous driving systems will help reduce crashes. Lidar sensors, like the one atop the Concept Recharge, will supplement radar and traditional cameras to improve the precision of the car’s ability to visualize the environment around it. Volvo will—with owners’ permission—process the data collected by these sensors in real time so it can deliver over-the-air updates more quickly and gradually increase the level of autonomous driving its cars are capable of. Volvo said it is focusing on bringing unsupervised autonomous driving to highways first before expanding it to different geographical locations one by one as the data from those areas becomes available.

Volvo

Volvo also announced a new core computing system, which it will introduce on an EV arriving next year. Developed with partner Nvidia, the system is made up of three main computers, with one dedicated to vision processing and artificial intelligence, another for general computing, and a third focusing on infotainment. The core system will also decrease the number of electronic control units onboard each Volvo from 100 to 50, saving weight and improving energy efficiency. The core computing system will be coupled with Volvo’s own in-house operating system, dubbed VolvoCars.OS, developed in collaboration with Google. The new infotainment system is focused on safety, with the vehicle’s screen splitting up information in clear and simple ways to prevent distracted driving. Only the most relevant information, based on the driving situation, will appear on the screens, with important functions front and center instead of buried away in a sub-menu. With Volvo’s future products, your phone will act as a key and the Volvo Cars app will be used to find and pay for charging and activate remote features like pre-heating and cooling. Many of the features Volvo previewed at the Tech Moment will make their first appearance on the flagship SUV due to be revealed next year. This is expected to be the electric successor to the XC90, the largest vehicle Volvo currently builds, and should bear a strong resemblance to the Concept Recharge.
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The Volvo Concept Recharge is a demonstration of the design changes that dedicated electric platforms will bring, such as more flexible proportions and more interior space.The concept debuts Volvo’s new design language, which places an emphasis on technology through features like the prominent LiDAR sensor on the roof.The design of the Concept Recharge will likely be similar to that of the electric XC90 successor due to arrive next year.Volvo has unveiled the Concept Recharge, which previews the future of the Swedish automaker’s design language and shows how the company will increasingly integrate advanced technology into its cars. The concept takes the form of a two-row SUV using electric propulsion, and it demonstrates how Volvo thinks electric-vehicle platforms will revolutionize transportation design.

Volvo

Volvo’s existing EVs, such as the XC40 Recharge, are still based around an architecture designed for internal combustion engines, meaning the vehicles are largely beholden to the packaging requirements of gas cars. The next generation of Volvo EVs will instead be based on a dedicated EV platform. Like most dedicated EVs, the battery pack will live under the floor of the car. Volvo’s desire to have a large battery pack to boost range meant extending the concept’s wheelbase. This in turn means more interior space and shorter front and rear overhangs, with the wheels pushed to the edges of the vehicle. With no engine under the hood, Volvo was able to slide the A-pillars forward and lower the hood, which is said to improve aerodynamics and thus range. Because EVs also don’t require a chunky transmission housing in between the front seats, the flat floor also opens up room for extra storage space.

Volvo

The Concept Recharge also debuts what Volvo says is a new design language. Although the concept is still recognizable as a Volvo, its styling is more streamlined and simple compared with the company’s current offerings. Some EVs have tried to mimic the grilles required on ICE cars, such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E, but the Concept Recharge ditches the traditional face for a flat “shield-like” design broken up by the classic Volvo look featuring the logo bisected by a diagonal line. There is also an updated version of the Thor’s Hammer headlights, featuring a graphic which unfurls at night to display the main headlight units.

At the rear, thin vertical taillights continue a design theme from Volvo’s station wagons and SUVs but gain small fins which extend at high speeds to help aerodynamics. The interior of the concept is open and airy and includes a 15.0-inch touchscreen which will form the basis of Volvo’s next-generation infotainment system. The roof of the concept also proudly displays the car’s LiDAR sensor, the product of a partnership with tech company Luminar which is a key part of Volvo’s upcoming autonomous driving features. Volvo also used the conference to announce a new flagship electric SUV that will arrive next year, which will likely be a successor to the current XC90. Although there are no explicit plans to produce the Concept Recharge, this upcoming EV SUV will likely heavily draw design influence from this future-looking concept.
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