Audi shows the grandsphere concept at IAA

What you see here is the second of the "sphere" concepts revealed by Audi, the Audi grandsphere. (the first was the skysphere - with the adjustable wheelbase - which I didn't care for, so I passed on covering it.)  But the grandsphere concept (yes Audi is still doing the lower-case name thing) is Audi's luxury vision of the future with stand-out styling and a private-jet-inspired interior. The interior uses the latest (and future) technology to create a comfortable environment that allows...well a lot. Make dinner and entertainment reservations, watch your favorite movies and TV, relax while the car gets you to your destination and keeps you updated. The steering wheel parks in a binnacle in the dash for fully autonomous driving. I mean you wouldn't want your reclined seat to hit the steering wheel, right? Completely overlooking the socio-economic issues this vehicle brings up, it is nice to see Audi stretch themselves with a forward-looking concept. The concept is sleek and beautiful even if the grille is kind of a misstep that a little black or matte gray paint couldn't fix. No specs were given, but then why should they guess what will be available when this car might see production. Could this be an e-tron luxury sedan? Click on "read more" to view the extensive media release, a grille pic and a steering wheel hidden pic, and two videos. The first one is the unveiling video that is long, but goes into detail about the car's features and the second just shows off the concept. Enjoy! As Audi says, "First class toward the future..."

Source" Audi - Media release, pics, and videos (2)

Zoox Robotaxi videos

   

Source Zoox/YouTube - second (more informative) video after the "read more" jump. Robotaxi write-up.

Zoox Incorporated shows its Robotaxi autonomous vehicle

 

Zoox Inc, unveiled its purpose-built Robotaxi autonomous vehicle that could be used in urban settings replacing "normal" taxis and ride-share services. Zoox's autonomous tech is far along in the development process with prototypes currently testing in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Foster City (Zoox's home town). Zoox was purchased by Amazon this year and became an independent subsidiary of the giant corporation. Zoox's Robotaxi makes a lot of sense for big cities and, just possibly, for the delivery of goods between warehouses, consumers. etc. Could this be the source of Amazon's interest? The Robotaxi has a large 133 kW battery pack that would allow for 16 hours of continuous usage and fast recharges. The Robotaxi is bi-directional making parking, etc. a breeze. It also features four-wheel steering for improved maneuverability. Top speed is limited to 75 mph. In developing the Robotaxi, Zoox developed more than 100 pieces of new safety tech such as special airbags that would protect riders in the Robotaxi's open interior and more. We are very close to having totally autonomous vehicles and if you live in a fairly large metropolis, you could see Robotaxis soon. See the videos in the preceding post. We shall see. More to come...

Source: Zoox - Media release, pics. Video post.

Nissan seriously enters the EV market with the new Ariya

Nissan was in the EV forefront for many years with the Leaf EV, so what happened? Why did it take so long for Nissan to get serious with electrified vehicles? I do know that Nissan is not alone in this, since most of the Japanese automakers seem to be "behind the EV curve" so to speak. I think the success of Tesla and their superb vehicles caught Nissan off guard. So it's catch-up time and Nissan is showing it's next EV step with the new Ariya (pronounced like aria?) crossover. Since the compact to mid-size vehicles market is the hot segment in the marketplace, this is no surprise. Final numbers surrounding range, speed, and charging rates are not available but expect the Ariya to be competitive, maybe not class-leading, but competitive.

So it comes down to styling, since final performance numbers aren't yet available. The Ariya is an attractive crossover and should tickle the fancies of many buyers. All though the execution here is better, I'm personally getting tired of Nissan's application of the buck-tooth grille to every vehicle (yea, trucks and vans get it too). The golden orange color of the intro vehicle isn't my taste either, but when it comes time to make the choices, a broad range of hues should be available. The interior is a bit spartan but could be Tesla-esque in design. I mean, if everyone liked the same things, all vehicles would look alike, right? According to the releases, prices should start around $39k when you add in shipping, delivery, and taxes. Options, and fees will force prices higher when the Ariya arrives next year.

Did I mention that Nissan is calling their EV systems e-4orce, which seems incredibly contrived. The press release (after the jump) seem to have been written in Marketing by someone with a thesaurus. When I worked in the newspaper biz, I did this kind of work so... Stay tuned for more info as it becomes available. Also catch the intro video in a separate post.

Source: Nissan for pics and press info