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Sony Honda Mobility, a joint venture between the two Japanese companies, has revealed a prototype of a handsome new electric sedan that it plans to sell in the U.S. as soon as 2026.It will be part of a new brand called Afeela, but we don’t yet know what name the production version of this prototype will use.Afeela will start taking orders in 2025, and says that deliveries will start in North America in 2026.Sony has entered the EV chat. After a number of interesting electric-vehicle prototypes over the past few years, the consumer electronics giant made its EV ambitions clear with the announcement of a new EV brand called Afeela at CES in Las Vegas.SonySonyTechnically, the new EV concept comes from Sony Honda Mobility, a joint venture between the two Japanese companies. Together, they revealed the prototype of a handsome new electric sedan that they plan to sell in the U.S. as soon as 2026. It will be part of a new brand called Afeela, but we don’t yet know what name the production version of this prototype will use. Afeela will start taking orders in 2025, and says that deliveries will start in North America in the spring of 2026.SonyAs you would expect from an EV presented by the electronics giant, the prototype EV has a whopping 45 cameras and sensors placed inside and outside the vehicle. Paired with the 800 TOPS of maximum computing power for ECU, the Afeela concept is more than just a new way to think of EVs. The EV embraces entire suites of next-generation software, from Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Digital Chassis for ADAS and telematics solutions to a collaboration with Epic Games on the entertainment side of things.The concept itself is a relatively standard-issue EV design with a low profile and aerodynamic wheels. Claiming that the EV concept is here to “create a new value standard for mobility,” Sony and Honda don’t want you to think about the car in traditional terms like power and performance. Instead, the highlights here should be on “software, networks, and user experiences.” In other words, areas where Sony has some experience.SonyDigital features in the concept can be changed via over-the-air updates, but Afeela’s initial statements include the expected claims about autonomous driving and other connectivity features. Level 3 automated driving will be offered “under limited conditions” with Level 2 driver assistance available in more situations, including urban driving.More on Sony CarsSonySony also plans to open up the EV to partnerships with customers and “our automotive industry partners,” Sony said, with Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Digital Chassis system-on-a-chip providing the technological support for this ability. Back on planet Earth, we can see that the Afeela concept’s exterior uses a “Media Bar” to communicate with nearby humans and the simple interior was designed to “[wrap] occupants in a soft cocoon.”This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

GM passed Toyota in 2022 U.S. auto sales, recording 2.2 million units sold.Toyota had beaten GM in 2021, dethroning the American automaker from the top spot for the first time since 1931.Chevy’s Silverado pickup was the best-selling GM model, while the RAV4 was the top Toyota.Order has been restored in the U.S. auto sales race. After Toyota’s 2021 total put it ahead of General Motors, breaking GM’s longstanding winning streak that stood since 1931, the American automaker once again overtook its Japanese rival in 2022. GM sold 2,274,088 units in 2022, recapturing the number one spot with a winning margin of 165,630 units.Three of GM’s four brands saw year-over-year increases in 2022, with Buick being the only brand to decline, by 42 percent. Chevrolet sales grew by 6 percent, GMC sales by 7 percent, and Cadillac sales by 13 percent. Unsurprisingly, the Chevy Silverado full-size pickup was the top seller, with 513,354 units sold, but other mainstream Chevrolet models including the Equinox SUV (up 28 percent to 212,072 units) and Malibu sedan (up 193 percent to 115,467 units) increased significantly compared with 2021. GM credited strong demand combined with additional manufacturing capacity for its overall 2.5 percent increase compared with 2021.Chevy EquinoxChevroletToyota TundraToyotaMore Sales DataToyota, meanwhile, declined pretty much across the board, citing continued parts shortages that forced it to adjust its production plans downward throughout the year. The Toyota brand was down 9 percent, and the Lexus luxury brand was down 15 percent. The only high-volume model within Toyota’s portfolio that gain sales compared with last year was the Tundra full-size pickup, which recorded 104,246 sales, an increase of 27 percent. The RAV4 compact crossover was Toyota’s top seller, with 399,941 units sold, a 2 percent decrease compared with 2021.As more sales reports come in, we’ll be updating our list of the top 25 best-selling models, so stay tuned.This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Connected cars have gotten reliable enough not just for safety features but also for shooting sprites on a screen. At CES this week, Nvidia announced it will bring its GeForce Now cloud-based gaming service to vehicles from the Hyundai Motor Group, Polestar, and BYD.Playing games on your car’s screen while it charges is one use case, and if you have a strong enough 4G or 5G connection, passengers can also play on the go.In a separate announcement, Nvidia said it will work with Foxconn to manufacture new electronic control units for upcoming automated electric-vehicle platforms.Video games in cars are nothing new, but Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud-based gaming service hasn’t yet made the jump to vehicles. That’s about to change after Nvidia announced at CES that three automakers have now agreed to stream GeForce Now games in “select vehicle models.”Nvidia describes GeForce Now as a low-latency streaming service that “instantly transforms nearly any laptop, desktop, Mac, SHIELD TV, Android device, iPhone, or iPad into the PC gaming rig you’ve always dreamed of.” The tech company can now add select Polestar, BYD, and Hyundai/Kia/Genesis vehicles to its list of supposedly dreamy PC gaming setups. GeForce users can play over 1,000 paid and free-to-play games, including popular favorites Fortnite and Destiny 2, from online stores like Steam and Epic Games Store. GeForce Now is available in North America and Europe from Nvidia and GeForce Now Alliance partners in other areas of the world.”We’ve done a lot of optimization to enable it to run on all different devices, whether it’s a laptop or a phone or a tablet, a smart TV, and now cars,” Nvidia’s vice president of automotive, Danny Shapiro, said during a briefing with reporters. “The tuning that has to happen is to enable what we call the shortest amount of time from click to photon.” “Click to photon” describes the time it takes between when a player pushes a button, sending a signal up to the cloud and back down to cause a reaction on the screen, Shapiro said. When in an electric vehicle that’s sitting somewhere as it charges, a strong Wi-Fi connection should be enough for the service to work well, he said, but cars are notorious for not staying in one place all the time.Nvidia “On the road, you need a reliable 4G or 5G connection,” he said. “So it really depends on the strength of your network. We’re doing a lot of tuning and optimizing with our automotive partners to basically have a seamless experience in the car integrating GeForce Now into the infotainment system.”Other automakers have introduced video gaming to their vehicles with different levels of success. A year ago, both Tesla and Mercedes both had to rethink how their screens worked for passengers who wanted to play games while in motion. Last month, Tesla updated its in-car gaming service to include Steam, while BMW just announced that it will bring casual games to its cars through AirConsole in 2023. BMW’s service requires a smartphone to serve as a game controller.Nvidia has partnerships with many automakers, so it’s not a surprise that the three OEMs that will bring GeForce Now to their vehicles first already have Nvidia components in some of their cars. Hyundai Motor Group and Polestar use Nvidia Drive technology in their vehicles, while BYD is developing new EVs on the Nvidia Drive platform.Nvidia also announced a new strategic partnership at CES, this one with supplier and automotive manufacturer Foxconn. The two companies said they would build automated electric vehicle platforms, with Foxconn producing new electronic control units based on the latest Nvidia Drive Orin technology.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.A storm is coming | Aston Martin DBS 770 UltimateWatch onThe 2023 Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate is a high-performance send-off to the grand tourer.Aston teased this special edition in a short video on YouTube and said production will be limited to 499 copies.Along with expected performance enhancements, the DBS 770 Ultimate has 759 hp—44 more than normal. The Aston Martin DBS is knocking on death’s door. That imagery is rather dramatic, but it matches the tone of the short video the automaker released teasing a send-off to its sultry grand tourer. While the DBS nameplate lives on for 2023, that model year looks to be the last with the introduction of the limited-production DBS 770 Ultimate.Going Out with a 759-HP BangBilled as the “ultimate finale” to the DBS lineup, Aston says it has been “re-engineered” with a “sharper dynamic focus”. We assume that means it has some enhanced performance hardware and other upgrades, but we won’t know the full details until the company releases them.Aston MartinWhat we do know is that the special DBS has 770 metric horsepower—title drop—which translates to 759 mechanical horses. That’s 44 ponies more than the normal DBS coupe and convertible make, both of which are powered by a 715-hp twin-turbo 5.2-liter V-12. We presume the 770 Ultimate uses a retuned version of the same engine, but, again, we don’t know for sure. That’s part of the tease. Aston Martin’s Dramatic TeaseAs far as teasers go, Aston Martin certainly put an effort into the short video it posted on YouTube. A lot of dramatic imagery is packed into the 55-second clip, which is mostly shot in black and white, save for some glimpses of the DBS bathed in green light.Aston MartinAston MartinAmid images of storm clouds forming, a wick for a dynamite stick burning, and pressure building, a baritone voice narrates the video with a poem called “The night is darkening round me” by British author and poet Emily Brontë, probably best known for her book Wuthering Heights.It’s all very theatrical, and viewers don’t get any clear shots of the car, but it successfully builds tension and excitement, to some degree. Now, we just have to wait for the actual reveal of the 2023 Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate, which the company says will be early this year.This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Last week, German police evidently faced a new sort of dilemma: how to pull over a driver who appeared to be asleep. According to a report from the Bavarian police, the cops tried to pull over a Tesla—model not specified—on the A70 autobahn, but the driver didn’t respond. They pulled alongside and saw Herr Teslaman appeared to be asleep at the wheel. Thus ensued 15 minutes of a game we’d call, “Wake up the guy who’s pretending to be asleep so he can blame his car for whatever he did to get pulled over in the first place.”Deeper Dive into Self-DrivingWe guess there’s an outside possibility that this all really happened in the way it’s described, but the report omits some key details. It does say that the police pulled in front of the car and it maintained a safe following distance at 68 mph, but that the driver appeared to be reclining in the seat, eyes closed, with his hands off the wheel. The police then resorted to 15 minutes of honking (or perhaps sirens—we’re thinking there’s a nuance to the translation of “hupen”) before the 45-year-old sleepyhead acknowledged it was time to hit the ausfahrt and talk to the polizei. Once he actually stopped, they found a weight in the footwell. Which, as we proved, could be hung on the steering wheel to trick the car into thinking there’s a sentient being at the helm.The cops also said the guy was probably on drugs. That we can believe.This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.KITT Helps Michael Lose The Cops | Knight RiderWatch onSure, Blame the CarBut was he really asleep? That’s a good question. It would be helpful to know why the police decided to pull him over in the first place. Because if the reason was erratic driving, that’s at odds with the narrative that Tesla’s Autopilot system is so good that it drove for more than 15 miles just fine all by itself. Just maybe—bear with us here—our man knew he was busted for whatever caused the stop in the first place, so he decided to double down and blame it all on the car. Not that being asleep at the wheel is great, but maybe that’s better than whatever else he was doing. These dang Teslas! You take an Ambien or three and the next thing you know, your car brought you from Bamberg all the way to Bayreuth! Also, if the cops noticed that the Tesla maintained a safe following distance, why didn’t they just get in front of it and stop? Was there a second car to prevent a lane change? So many questions.We’d ask Tesla for comment, but its PR department is a laughing-crying emoji on Twitter. So let’s just say that either someone in Germany pushed their Tesla’s driver assistance to the limit, or they came up with a novel new way to defend a traffic ticket. Or maybe both. But we know at least one crime was committed: driving at 68 mph on the autobahn. This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Honda has announced pricing for the new 2023 Accord.It starts at $28,390 and ranges up to $38,985 for the loaded Touring model.The LX and EX have a carryover turbo 1.5-liter engine, while the Sport, EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring models are offered only as hybrids.The 2023 Honda Accord looks good and already won a 10Best award, and there’s good news in terms of pricing, too. Not only is there still a base LX model, unlike some other new Hondas, the prices rise by just $300–$825 depending on trim level, and the EX-L is actually $500 cheaper than last year’s equivalent model.The 2023 Accord LX is the only trim to slide in below $30,000, at $28,390, and it comes standard with a 192-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four and a continuously variable automatic transmission. It also includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen, a digital gauge cluster, and 17-inch wheels. The $30,705 EX, also powered by the 1.5T, adds heated front seats, a sunroof, a power driver’s seat, and dual-zone automatic climate control.More on the New AccordUpper Trims Now Hybrid-OnlyThe bigger changes come in play starting with the Sport model. It starts at $32,990 and is now available only as a hybrid—the old model’s optional 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four is gone. The hybrid lineup also includes the $34,635 EX-L, the $34,970 Sport-L, and the fully loaded $38,985 Touring.The 2023 Accord’s hybrid system has been revised and now provides slightly better fuel economy: 44 mpg combined for the Sport, Sport-L, and Touring, and 48 mpg combined for the EX-L. Those ratings are each up 1 mpg compared with the 2022 Accord hybrid.All hybrids come with a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. The Sport, Sport-L, and Touring are visually differentiated with black 19-inch wheels. Notable features available on the Touring include a head-up display, a Bose audio system, and a number of Google functions for the infotainment system.Honda says the 2023 Accord will start to reach dealerships this month.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More