The Verge - The best automotive news of CES 2014https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52801/VER_Logomark_32x32..png2014-01-17T08:36:13-05:00http://www.theverge.com/rss/stream/50491092014-01-17T08:36:13-05:002014-01-17T08:36:13-05:00BMW i3: driving the electric rebel in Munich's stable
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<img alt="BMW i3" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ebcfMEr0PbaGZ7--iw9vgK4auAw=/0x0:1020x680/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/3874267/bmw-i3-lead.jpg" />
<figcaption>BMW i3</figcaption>
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<p>Let’s just get this out on the table: I’m a BMW fan. I’ve owned a couple of them over the years. There are multiple BMW-branded articles of clothing in my closet. I’ve written treatises on <a href="http://blog.zieglerc.net/post/53166066514/a-greedy-bmw-continues-to-shoot-itself-in-the-face" target="_blank">the misappropriation of the company’s emblems</a>. Hell, my <a href="http://twitter.com/zpower" target="_blank">Twitter handle</a> is an homage to the slogan of BMW’s Motorsport division, “M Power.”</p>
<p>You might say that I take BMW seriously. So when I had an opportunity to go on a multi-hour drive of the curious, all-electric i3 at CES last week, I was happy to do so — but I had my reservations. The i3 doesn’t <em>look</em> like a BMW. It doesn’t sound like a BMW. It doesn’t suck BMW gasoline into a BMW engine. Could it possibly drive like a BMW?</p>
<p>Perhaps I was asking the wrong question.</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/17/5317032/bmw-i3-driving-the-electric-rebel-in-munichs-stable">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/17/5317032/bmw-i3-driving-the-electric-rebel-in-munichs-stableChris Ziegler2014-01-14T10:00:03-05:002014-01-14T10:00:03-05:00The car of the future is in Detroit and the desert
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<img alt="stingray" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GlX5lS6jRhNsushY6mYJPyD6uhQ=/59x0:961x601/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/3859063/stingray_002.jpg" />
<figcaption>stingray</figcaption>
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<p>CES is an interesting new venue for the auto industry, but traditional car shows are still going strong</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/14/5305072/im-in-the-desert-with-a-car">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/14/5305072/im-in-the-desert-with-a-carChris Ziegler2014-01-10T11:08:34-05:002014-01-10T11:08:34-05:00Automakers want to see through walls in the name of safety
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<img alt="Ford V2V 1020" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mXtsVCUaIfBX02FWJs8s_NIn4y0=/0x17:1020x697/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/3844759/ford-v2v-lead.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ford V2V 1020</figcaption>
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<p>The cars we found parked on a closed course across the street from the Las Vegas Convention Center this week can't <i>actually</i> see through walls, but they come pretty close: Ford is here at CES demonstrating <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/22/3259387/connected-car-ann-arbor-umtri-dot-pilot-program">Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication (V2V)</a>, a promising technology under development that could have a significant impact on road safety.</p>
<p>V2V has been in development for a number of years, using 802.11p — a simplified form of Wi-Fi geared specifically at the automotive industry — to beam bite-sized pieces of information between nearby cars. The specific mode that Ford is demonstrating is known as "Where I Am," which simply broadcasts your car's position, direction, speed, and other bits of situational information ten times per second to...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/10/5293892/automakers-want-to-see-through-walls-in-the-name-of-safety">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/10/5293892/automakers-want-to-see-through-walls-in-the-name-of-safetyChris Ziegler2014-01-08T11:23:17-05:002014-01-08T11:23:17-05:00What happens if you fall asleep in a self-driving car? Audi knows
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<img alt="Audi" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-IN7M76uLcrGlqnQb1bUkX6VMhA=/0x0:1020x680/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/3831807/audi-assist-007-1020.jpg" />
<figcaption>Audi</figcaption>
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<p>Audi brought several high-tech car demos to CES this week — <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/9/3853738/audi-self-driving-car-ces-2013">as it did last year</a> — including two that took us out into the mean streets of Las Vegas, subject to the whims of rush hour traffic. Fortunately, we had a couple interesting new features making our bumper-to-bumper commutes just a little bit easier.</p>
<p>First, we tested a system that feeds upcoming traffic light data directly into the cockpit. While driving, the next light on your road is indicated in green with a suggested speed next to it — if it says 45mph, for instance, that means you'll make the light if you're going 45. When the light's red or about to turn red, the system indicates how many more seconds you've got before it changes back to green; if the car has a start-stop...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/8/5286598/what-happens-if-you-fall-asleep-in-a-self-driving-car-audi-knows">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/8/5286598/what-happens-if-you-fall-asleep-in-a-self-driving-car-audi-knowsChris Ziegler2014-01-07T20:01:15-05:002014-01-07T20:01:15-05:00The electric grand prix: the world's first Formula E car packs a punch
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<img alt="Spark-Renault SRT_01E Formula E (STOCK)" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KZtUpjZK6ubzZUSUtZg4Ax840Js=/160x0:1881x1147/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/3830837/spark-renault-formula-e9_2040.jpg" />
<figcaption>Spark-Renault SRT_01E Formula E (STOCK)</figcaption>
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<p>Electric cars have a bad reputation as ugly, expensive, slow cars with limited range. Cars like the <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/12/3969260/going-the-distance-driving-tesla-model-s-in-the-real-world">Tesla Model S</a> have gone a long way towards reversing public opinion, but what if there was a Formula 1 for electric cars? Come this September, there will be: <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/10/5195190/leonardo-dicaprio-formula-e-racing-team">it's called Formula E</a>, and we've just seen the series' very first race car here at CES. It's called the Spark-Renault SRT_01E, and it has been made in conjunction with legendary motorsport companies like McLaren, Williams, and Dallara.</p>
<p>There's nothing slow about this electric car: it maxes out at roughly 140mph and accelerates from 0 - 62mph in just 3 seconds. But unlike its motorsport cousins powered by combustion engines, it sounds nothing like a race car. Former F1 driver Lucas di...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/7/5285946/first-formula-e-car-makes-its-public-debut">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/7/5285946/first-formula-e-car-makes-its-public-debutDante D'Orazio2014-01-07T16:28:23-05:002014-01-07T16:28:23-05:00The self-drifting car: taking a BMW to the limit in Las Vegas
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<img alt="BMW CES 2014" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0lH5g2kBX3RG40hiCvE_9EBjntI=/0x0:1020x680/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/3828965/bmw-self-driving-ces-2014.jpg" />
<figcaption>BMW CES 2014</figcaption>
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<p>Self-driving cars aren't supposed to make you puke, are they?</p>
<p>A couple laps in BMW's latest autonomous driving demo, taking place here at CES this week, are all it took to get me feeling a little woozy. And there's a good reason for that: the car was whipping itself around an infield road track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the very outer limits of its capabilities, guided only be its own high-resolution GPS and the usual array of sensors found on every automakers' self-driving cars.</p>
<p><q class="right">There's method to BMW's madness</q></p>
<p>As thrilling and entertaining as the ride was, there's actually method to BMW's madness. The company notes that self-driving systems won't really be ready for prime time until they're able to handle <i>all</i> road situations —...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/7/5285204/vegas-drift-taking-self-driving-bmw-to-the-limit">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/7/5285204/vegas-drift-taking-self-driving-bmw-to-the-limitChris Ziegler2014-01-07T13:36:21-05:002014-01-07T13:36:21-05:00A tablet for your car? Audi shows Android-powered Smart Display at CES
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<img alt="audi smart display" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1JHFnPLsUvK9dPD5bfZ4tnkoBhU=/0x0:1020x680/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/3828085/vs01-07_1033mn.jpg" />
<figcaption>audi smart display</figcaption>
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<p>Audi didn't show a new car today — it showed a new tablet. The so-called Audi Smart Display integrates with the car's systems via Wi-Fi, letting passengers control the radio and access the internet via the car's built-in LTE connection (the company just announced a <a href="http://live.theverge.com/audi-2014-press-event-live-blog/">new partnership with AT&T for connectivity</a> yesterday evening) on the 10.2-inch display. It's also a ruggedized unit that can be used in extremely cold temperatures, so it's clearly meant to be taken beyond the car once you reach your destination. The Smart Display uses Nvidia's Tegra T40 processor — a Tegra 4 variant — which means it's no slouch, but not quite on pace with 2014's latest and greatest. It offers Google Play, so it has access to the entire universe of Android...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/7/5284638/audi-shows-android-powered-smart-display-tablet-at-ces">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/7/5284638/audi-shows-android-powered-smart-display-tablet-at-cesChris Ziegler2014-01-07T11:57:01-05:002014-01-07T11:57:01-05:00Mercedes-Benz announces in-car integration with Nest thermostat
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<img alt="MB Nest integration" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pwLyeoKhPUEmQ3b764sO8ghoBjo=/32x0:608x384/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/3827427/13C1370_42.jpg" />
<figcaption>MB Nest integration</figcaption>
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<p>At CES today, Mercedes-Benz announced that it will be adding <a href="http://www.theverge.com/products/brands/nest-labs/230">Nest</a> support to its vehicles, meaning that drivers will be able to tweak the temperature at home right through their dashboards. The integration makes quite a bit of sense — remote control is one of the big features of Nest's popular connected thermostats — but Mercedes is taking it a step further: you'll be able to set your house to automatically heat up or cool down when you're on your way home.</p>
<p>The connected car has been one of the main stories of CES this year — multiple automakers are <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/5/5276536/cars-are-the-new-smartphones-chevrolet-adding-lte-and-app-store-to-2015-models">debuting apps and app platforms</a> at the show — but many of the announcements have focused on streaming music and location-based services. In that regard, smart-home integration is a...</p>
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<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/7/5284152/mercedes-benz-announces-in-car-integration-with-nest-thermostat">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.theverge.com/2014/1/7/5284152/mercedes-benz-announces-in-car-integration-with-nest-thermostatChris Ziegler