Technology Reviews

California, the largest U.S. car market, plans to allow testing on public roads of self-driving vehicles without human backup drivers by the end of the year, state officials said. The state's Department of Motor Vehicles is seeking public comment on proposed regulations for driverless testing and public use of autonomous vehicles that will no longer be required to have conventional manual controls such as steering wheels and pedals.

Connected technologies maker, Harman is looking at a solution which will do away with the wire altogether. Through a combination of Wi-fi and Bluetooth, customers can soon pair their iPhone wirelessly with CarPlay for the first time.

The Skoda plant at Mlada Boleslav recently rolled out the 13 millionth engine from its assembly lines. And, as if that was not reason enough to celebrate, Skoda also announced that it has commenced production of the all-new 3-cylinder 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine at the same plant. This new engine belongs to Skoda's EA 211 family which has 4 variants of different displacements.

Honda Motor Company and Hitachi Automotive Systems have announced plans for a joint venture to build electric motors for vehicles. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding and they plan to announce concrete plans in March 2017, with the new company established in July. Fifty one per cent of the new company will be owned by Hitachi Automotive Systems and 49 per cent by Honda, with the partners investing $44.5 million in the project.

Mahindra-owned SsangYong is one among them. The carmaker is currently readying an industry-first touch-operated electrical window system for its vehicles. SsangYong claims the new touch-operated electrical windows will be introduced to the public before the end of 2017.

Tata Motors has decided to consolidate all its future product offerings to only two platforms. Comparatively, Tata Motors currently has six platforms between the range of SUVs and hatchbacks it makes today.

Hyundai has showcased an interesting innovation of the future with the Mobility Vision Concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2017) in the US, which envisions the world of up-close and personal mobility, where the car is an extension of your home or vice versa.

The 2017 Consumer Electronics Show was all about mobility this year and keeping with this ongoing theme was Toyota. The Japanese car maker is known for its quirky concepts and this one is no exception. The company introduced the Concept-i - an advanced, artificial intelligence-equipped vehicle that learns and grows with the driver. Like most autonomous vehicles, the Concept-i was designed around the driver.