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Tag: Mercedes

  • Via raises $492.9M in IPO, and German automakers go on the offensive | TechCrunch

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    Welcome back! Did you miss me? Yes, of course you did. There is a lot of “future of transportation” news to keep track of. Let’s jump in. 

    It’s comeback week, and not just because I have returned from vacation. I’m talking about the biennial IAA Mobility conference in Munich and the purposeful effort among German automakers to show the world it can still offer compelling, technologically advanced, and affordable vehicles. The subtext of the splashy event that started Tuesday: “Hey, China, we’re not out of the race.”

    VW Group, Mercedes, and BMW all showcased numerous new vehicles, including electric ones. And executives made their battle cries: VW Group Oliver Blume struck a bullish tone in a few interviews with reporters and laid out the company’s plan to be competitive in China, particularly with EVs, a category where VW has lagged.

    But what about on the home front? Chinese automakers have been pushing into Europe, and consumers have responded. The German automakers are hoping their latest products — including a new all-electric Mercedes GLC, the BMW iX3 with its four “superbrain” computers, and the Volkswagen ID Polo and ID Cross concept — will preserve and even grow market share. But they have some work to do. Chinese companies like BYD almost doubled their market share in Europe over the past year, JATO Dynamics reported in July.

    One other IAA news item of note: Rimac Technology, the tech and parts unit of Rimac Group, has developed solid-state battery packs it says will be available by late 2027. These batteries apparently pack in the energy and can be charged from 10% to 80% in under 10 minutes.

    To get TechCrunch Mobility in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility!

    A little bird

    Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

    Hyundai appears to still be committed to Motional, according to two little birds who have shared new investment information with me. 

    Techcrunch event

    San Francisco
    |
    October 27-29, 2025

    Hyundai and Aptiv had created a joint venture (called Motional) with an agreement to invest $4 billion in the effort. Aptiv backed out in early 2024, leaving Hyundai to either invest its own money, find other outside partners, or shutter the program altogether. Hyundai opted to invest $1 billion — $475 million directly into Motional as part of a broader deal that includes buying out joint venture partner Aptiv. Hyundai agreed to spend another $448 million to buy 11% of Aptiv’s common equity interest in Motional.

    Now it appears Hyundai is investing more into Motional in two tranches. The first is being dispersed this year and is about $452 million. The second comes next year, and I’m still trying to nail down that amount. That first figure is in line with reporting from a Korean outlet. Hyundai declined (a couple of times!) to respond to my questions about the funding. That’s pretty typical for large corporations to stay mum. However, one little bird who is deep within the AV industry also noted that Hyundai might not want to make a big deal about this, considering it’s also working with Waymo. 

    In other little bird chirpings, there are two new hires at General Motors that you might find interesting. Sony Mohapatra, the former senior manager of AI compute platforms at Cruise, has landed as director of AI and machine learning engineering at General Motors. And Paul Menson, who was the senior staff account manager of Megapack at Tesla, is now director of energy storage systems business development at General Motors. 

    Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or my Signal at kkorosec.07, or Sean O’Kane at sean.okane@techcrunch.com.

    Deals!

    money the station
    Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

    Via, the transit software startup that garnered attention for its consumer-facing on-demand shuttle service, has made its IPO debut. The company, as I have mentioned before, has been batting around plans for an IPO for years. 

    Earlier this year, it filed confidentially for an IPO — the second time it took this step. But this time, Via took the big IPO leap. The company, which is known for its Citymapper mobile navigation app, said it sold 10.7 million shares for $46 per share. In all, Via raised $492.9 million at a $3.7 billion valuation. That’s just slightly above its $3.5 billion valuation that it garnered back in 2023 during its last venture raise. 

    We had to wrap up this newsletter before it officially began trading, but I’ll be back next week with an update. 

    Other deals that got my attention …

    Arc Boats, the Los Angeles startup founded in 2021 by former SpaceX employees, signed a $160 million contract with Curtin Maritime for new hybrid-electric tugs, which are expected to hit the waters around the Los Angeles port in 2027. 

    LeydenJar, the Netherlands-based battery materials startup, raised €13 million ($15.2 million) in a round led by Extantia and Invest-NL.

    Standard Fleet, a fleet management software company, raised $13 million in a Series A round led by Nova Threshold with participation from WEX Venture Capital, SNR, Garry Tan (CEO of Y Combinator), Salil Deshpande (Uncorrelated Ventures), and Apoorv Bhargava (WeaveGrid). Returning investors included Burst Capital, Canvas Ventures, Liquid 2, Night Capital, Olive Capital, UP2398, and Danny Wen.

    Notable reads and other tidbits

    Image Credits:Bryce Durbin

    The Federal Aviation Administration announced a new pilot program that will let electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) startups test some operations before they receive full regulatory certification.

    Hyundai’s once-buzzy electric air taxi startup Supernal is having trouble getting off the ground. The company paused work on its aircraft program after a rocky few months that saw staff cuts and the departure of its CEO and CTO, two people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.

    InDrive, the Mountain View-based startup that got its start in Siberia and is known for its bidding-based ride-hailing model across Asia and Latin America, wants to be a global super app. Here’s what and where it’s targeting.

    Jaguar Land Rover said a cyberattack brought vehicle assembly lines to a standstill.

    Lyft and May Mobility have launched a robotaxi service in Atlanta, the first commercial deployment in the two companies’ partnership.

    Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation after a Boring Company employee sustained a “crushing injury” working on one of its tunnels in Las Vegas. Work has stopped at the site.

    Tesla has the proper permit to begin testing autonomous vehicle technology on public roads in Nevada. As I explain in this article, securing a testing permit in the state is straightforward and easy. (Just fill out the registry form, and make sure you have the proper $5 million insurance coverage.) Tesla will still need to complete the self-certification process to be able to roll out an entire program. And it will need separate approval to operate a commercial ride-hailing service. 

    Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle startup Momenta plan to start testing robotaxis in Munich starting in 2026.

    The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Uber, accusing the ride-hailing company of violating federal law by discriminating against people with physical disabilities.

    One more thing …

    TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is right around the corner — in around six weeks or so. And we have some high-profile folks from the transportation world coming onto our stage at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The event, which will be held October 27 to 29, will include Wayve co-founder and CEO Alex Kendall, Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana, and Flexport founder and CEO Ryan Petersen. And more are coming. Stay tuned.

    You can buy tickets here. And be sure to check out our Startup Battlefield 200, a pretty incredible list of startups that will be exhibiting — and some pitching on the main stage.

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    Kirsten Korosec

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  • Mercedes Varnado picks which Sailor Scout would make the best professional wrestler

    Mercedes Varnado picks which Sailor Scout would make the best professional wrestler

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    Wrestling is a huge part of Mercedes Varnado’s career, having gained notoriety as Sasha Banks for the WWE before crossing over as Mercedes Moné for the AEW. But her fans may not realize she is also a huge Sailor Moon fan. The professional wrestler, who recently jumped to acting for The Mandalorian, has a deep appreciation of the classic magical girl fantasy anime based on Naoko Takeuchi’s 1992 manga. Fans of both wrestling and anime know she donned a Sailor Moon-inspired outfit during the 2022 Royal Rumble. So it’s no surprise that she’s openly campaigned to play Sailor Jupiter in a live-action adaptation of Sailor Moon, if that ever happens.

    Polygon caught up with Varnado during this year’s Crunchyroll Anime Awards, so naturally we had to ask: Given her love of the anime, which sailor scout does she think would make the best professional wrestler?

    “I would say Sailor Mercury,” Varnado told Polygon. “She’s such a badass; she has such a good attitude. I feel like Usagi would always be a little late to the ring, she would probably slip during her matches a little bit.”

    Image: Toei Animation

    Introduced in the eighth episode of Sailor Moon season 1, Sailor Mercury is the first Sailor Guardian that Usagi discovers and the first to join her cause fighting the forces of the nefarious Queen Beryl. Mercury’s true identity is Ami Mizuno, a shy bookworm with an abnormally high I.Q. who is known for her talent for mathematics and computers. Though initially timid, Ami goes on to become the chief strategist of the Sailor Scouts and has a positive, resilient attitude whenever faced with a challenge.

    The 1992 Sailor Moon anime would go on to run for a total of five seasons. The series’ combination of tokusatsu-inspired action and romantic melodrama is credited with revolutionizing the genre of Magical Girl anime, with the combined popularity of the anime’s assorted home releases and films contributing to the comic’s status as one of the best-selling Japanese manga of its time. In 2014, Sailor Moon was later adapted into another anime series called Sailor Moon Crystal, in commemoration of the series’ 20th anniversary. Sailor Moon Crystal is a reboot of the original anime that more closely follows the story of Usagi Tsukino and co. as it was told in Naoko Takeuchi’s original manga.

    Aside from the series’ popularity, however, Sailor Moon has had a major impact on fans (particularly girls) who grew up watching the anime, and that includes Varnado herself. “I still go back and watch Sailor Moon to get my life lessons, to get my energy,” Varnado told Polygon. “So she still inspires me to this day.”

    Sailor Moon is available to stream on Hulu. Sailor Moon Crystal is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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    Toussaint Egan

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  • Rebecca Grossman said in the ER she would be home if Mercedes hadn’t disabled her car, EMT testifies

    Rebecca Grossman said in the ER she would be home if Mercedes hadn’t disabled her car, EMT testifies

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    A Hidden Hills driver on trial for a hit-and-run killing of two boys said in an emergency room after her arrest that she would be home in her garage if the car’s safety system had not disabled her Mercedes, a hospital technician testified Thursday.

    The startling testimony came during Rebecca Grossman’s murder trial in the deaths of brothers Mark and Jacob Iskander, 11 and 8, who were run down while crossing Triunfo Canyon Road at Saddle Mountain Drive in Westlake Village with their mother on Sept. 29, 2020.

    Grossman, 60, is charged with two counts of murder, vehicular manslaughter and hit-run. Thursday’s testimony seemed to be an effort by prosecutors to support their allegation that she was seeking to flee in her heavily damaged Mercedes when the SUV’s safety system made the vehicle inoperable, about a third of a mile beyond the crosswalk.

    Emergency medical technician Teryl Grasso testified she was working in the emergency room at Los Robles Regional Medical Center when Grossman was admitted after the crash.

    “If they didn’t disable my car, I would have been at home in my garage right now,” Grossman said, according to Grasso under questioning by Deputy Dist. Atty. Jamie Castro.

    Tony Buzbee, Grossman’s lead attorney, immediately asked why Grasso said “she was stalking the news,” seemingly insinuating she could have a bias and read all the stories about the incident. Buzbee also asked why it took three years for Grasso to come forward with the allegation.

    The stalking phrase immediately led to objections from prosecutors, but Buzbee said it was Grasso’s phrase.

    “I was stalking the news and I had to go therapy too,” Grasso replied. “I was traumatized”.

    Grasso said she was prompted to come forward because of Grossman’s multiple comments that night and her behavior at the time. “I am not saying she did not care about those kids,”’ Grasso added.

    Castro then asked whether she delayed coming forward because she was unsure if speaking would violate federal law that protects patient’s privacy.

    Grasso said that was correct and that she eventually sought advice on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and learned she could report comments under these circumstances.

    Grasso testified that she had therapy for nine months in connection with the incident. “I still cannot talk about that night without crying,” she said.

    Buzbee earlier in the trial got a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy to acknowledge that when they found Grossman standing in front of her damaged vehicle it was about three-tenths of a mile from her home at the time in Westlake Village.

    On Wednesday, Deputy Rafael Mejia testified that he found Grossman standing in front of her Mercedes a short distance from the crash site. The SUV had visible front-end damage, including a buckled fender on the passenger side, which sheriff’s officials photographed.

    “She told me her vehicle was disabled by Mercedes-Benz and her air bags went off, and she did not know what was going on,” Mejia said. “She said she hit something, but she didn’t know what she hit.”

    Mejia said he noticed what appeared to be blood spatter on Grossman’s vehicle, but acknowledged that he did not have it analyzed. He said the only parts found at the scene were from Grossman’s vehicle.

    Prosecutors have presented witnesses that show that Grossman and her then-boyfriend, Scott Erickson, 55, a former pitcher for the Dodgers, sped through the intersection that evening after having drinks at a nearby restaurant.

    Prosecutors on Thursday asked to put Royce Clayton, a former baseball player who had been drinking with Grossman and Erickson that night, back on the witness stand to clarify his previous testimony.

    Clayton testified early this week explaining why he is no longer friends with Erickson. “I just don’t understand how he could be so negligent, and be responsible for running down kids.”

    The judge, however, declined to allow Clayton back on the stand Thursday.

    Much of Thursday was spent with Grossman’s legal team showing numerous shortcomings in how Deputy Michael Kelley conducted a sobriety test on Grossman when he arrested her. Kelley repeatedly conceded he did not follow very exact national standards for determining whether Grossman was impaired, including requiring that she walk a line and failing to time her during a one-legged stand.

    Though she is not charged with driving under the influence, prosecutors say Grossman was impaired. An on-site breathalyzer test showed a blood-alcohol content of 0.076%, slightly below California’s legal limit of 0.08%. A blood sample taken three hours after the crash registered at the 0.08% mark. In addition, Valium was found in her blood, according to prosecutors.

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    Richard Winton

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  • All the future of transportation tech that stood out at CES 2024 | TechCrunch

    All the future of transportation tech that stood out at CES 2024 | TechCrunch

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    Another CES has come and gone and transportation was still one of the central actors on one of the world’s largest tech stages. It wasn’t just electric cars either that captured our attention at CES 2024.

    Companies and startups focused on automated driving, EV charging, software (and more specifically AI), sensors, aviation, boats, drones, micromobility — you name it — were there. And luckily, so was TechCrunch.

    Here are some of the tech themes that stood out to us at CES 2024.

    Everything electric

    Image Credits: Kirsten Korosec

    The Big Three U.S. automakers — GM, Ford and Stellantis — may not have had splashy displays and product reveals, but numerous others were there helping cement CES as a major auto show. Honda, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Sony, Turkey’s Togg and Vinfast all showed off electric concepts and production cars at the event.

    It wasn’t just large established automakers that had a presence at CES 2024 either. Electrification has seeped into every corner of transportation from motorcycles and e-bikes to go karts, big rigs, boats and aircraft.

    For instance, Segway revealed two electric scooters, the E2 Pro and Superscooter ST1, two e-bikes called the Segway Xafari and the Segway Xyber as well as a Segway GoKart Pro 2 that can be connected to a PC and used for playing racing games like Forza.

    Startups were also in full force and could be found at a variety of CES-related events such as Pepcom and Unveiled. Cleveland, Ohio-based startup Land Energy was back with its sporty e-bike that has a swappable battery, while Finland’s Verge Motorcycles showed off its Verge TS Ultra, an electric motorcycle with a hubless ring design, advanced driver assist tech and a powertrain that produces an eye-popping 201 horsepower and 885 pound-feet of torque. Over in Eureka Park, where hundreds of startups set up shop, electrification was also present. One startup that caught my eye was Solar Buggy, a company that has developed an electric urban mobility vehicle that looks like an enclosed golf cart.

    an electric air taxi paint in white sits on a platform at CES 2024

    Image Credits: Kirsten Korosec

    And of course, there were the electric aircraft and drones. On the startup front, Pivotal opened up online orders for its personal electric aircraft the Helix while autonomous on-demand drone companies Zipline and Wing landed a huge deal with Walmart. Hyundai’s advanced air mobility unit Supernal revealed its production-intent electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and Xpeng Aeroht, the subsidiary of Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng Motors, showed off a new concept and announced that deliveries for its Land Aircraft Carrier would start in late 2025.

    With so many electric vehicles, it might not surprise folks to learn that EV charging companies were also there en masse. Outside of the better-known charging infrastructure companies, we found startups focused on EV charging software as well as those showing off novel approaches like WiTricity’s wireless charging tech.

    Generative AI

    An image showing the interior of a new Volkswagen Gold including the steering wheel and touchscreen.

    Image Credits: Volkswagen

    Before even stepping foot on the show floor, TechCrunch staff were forecasting that AI would dominate CES 2024. We weren’t wrong. AI was everywhere, including in transportation from cars and e-bikes to scooters and electric aviation.

    There were loads of companies touting AI. While there was certainly plenty of vaporware, many companies demonstrated how software is increasingly incorporating AI to offer (hopefully) more capable products, including vehicle sensors, voice assistants in cars and autonomous driving systems.

    There was also lot of chatter around generative AI, and more specifically, ChatGPT, the AI-powered chatbot functions by using by large deep learning models that have been trained on vast datasets. I checked out two ChatGPT demos: one with BMW and another from a collaboration with software company Cerence and Volkswagen.

    Volkswagen announced plans to add an AI-powered chatbot into all Volkswagen models equipped with its IDA voice assistant.

    Meanwhile, BMW and partner Amazon showed off a development project that uses generative AI, powered by the Alexa LLM, to give the automaker’s voice assistant greater capability and deliver information in a more human, conversational manner.

    Hydrogen

    2024 CES hyundai hydrogen

    Jaehoon Chang, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Co., center, and Chang Hwan Kim, senior vice president and head of battery development and hydrogen and fuel cell development for Hyundai Motor Co at CES 2024. Image credits: Getty images via Bloomberg

    Hydrogen power isn’t new, however, it’s taken a bit of a backseat lately to more traditional battery electric vehicles.  Don’t tell anyone at CES 2024, though, as this year’s show floor was littered with vehicles of all sizes that are hydrogen-powered.

    Hyundai, which has a growing portfolio of battery-powered electric vehicles, came to CES to talk about hydrogen fuel cells and its vision for the alternative fuel. Nikola finally showed off one of its first U.S.-built hydrogen trucks that it’s starting to ship to customers and Bosch, which already makes hydrogen fuel cells (like the one Nikola uses in its truck), announced it will make an engine that can combust hydrogen. Truck maker PACCAR also showed off a hydrogen-powered truck.

    We also ran into other hydrogen-focused startups that were walking the halls to meet with media, potential investors and industry folks. Croft Motors was one we came across. The startup is developing “rugged” hydrogen-powered vehicles, starting with a three-row, prototype SUV with an “anticipated 1,000 miles of driving range.

    In-cabin hardware meets software

    harman-tech-ces

    Harman shows off its ReadyCare product at CES 2024. Image credit: Kirsten Korosec

    Automakers, automotive suppliers and even some startups, showed off their respective vision for the inside of the car. Yes, there were plenty of touchscreens, including the popular curved design.

    In-car tech stretched well beyond that though into areas of safety, health assessments and entertainment. Eye-tracking tech was everywhere. For instance, Harman showed off its branded Ready Care system, which can measure a driver’s eye activity, cognitive load and vital signs to determine the level of focus and attention on the road ahead.

    A number of companies also showcased how hardware such as cameras and other sensors once used for safety are now being leveraged for other more comfort-focused services. Bosch showed how eye-tracking tech could be used during your drive to figure out what points of interest you’re looking at, and the car could offer contextual information.

    Meanwhile, Mercedes presented a whole package of features that when combined creates a full experience for the driver and passengers, including an upgraded voice assistant, in-car gaming, immersive audio and an app developed by will.i.am’s new company Sound Drive that matches the throttle, brakes and steering to a sort of intelligent multichannel mixer that influences songs playing in the car.

    My takeaway: companies understand that drivers and passengers are a captured audience, so to speak. And they’re all working on ways to bring all the tech we have on our phones and homes into the car.

    Read more about CES 2024 on TechCrunch

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    Kirsten Korosec

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  • WWE Legend Sentenced After Killing Man In DUI – Her SEVENTH Drunk Driving Arrest! – Perez Hilton

    WWE Legend Sentenced After Killing Man In DUI – Her SEVENTH Drunk Driving Arrest! – Perez Hilton

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    Things aren’t looking so Sunny for Tammy Sytch. Nearly two years after the former WWE superstar was arrested and charged with DUI causing death, she’s finally got her sentence.

    Back in April 2022, the 50-year-old was accused of killing 75-year-old Julian Lafrancis Lasseter. While driving drunk, she slammed her Mercedes into the rear of his Kia Sorento that was stopped at a stoplight in Florida. The force pushed the car forward, causing it to slam into the back of the car ahead of it — and the sever collision from both ends caused fatal injuries to the elderly man. So, so sad.

    Tammy and the passengers in the other car weren’t seriously injured, but she was found to be over the legal limit when she slammed into the Kia at a “high rate speed” as reported by police at the time. Because of her intoxication, she’s now facing almost two decades behind bars.

    Related: Tiffany Haddish Says She Needs To ‘Get Some Help’ After 2nd DUI Arrest In 2 Years!

    On Monday, the former WWE Diva addressed the courtroom in an emotional testimony. She wore an orange jumpsuit and her hands were in cuffs as she tearfully addressed Julian’s family, saying:

    “I know my words are not enough. But please know I think about you every day. Every second of every day, and I will do whatever I can to make the changes I need to make sure this never happens again. No one should have to go through this and please know that every single second of every day since the crash, I wish I could change places with him.”

    After hours of argument back in forth in court, though, the judge ultimately decided on a sentence: 17 years in prison!

    That’s a long time, but it’s much lighter than the 26-year sentence prosecutors were pushing for. They argued she was still a “danger to society”. This was someone who had previously been arrested for making terroristic threats after all. But the judge didn’t throw the entire book at her, opting for about two thirds of what they asked. However, she’ll have to serve an additional 8 years probation after.

    Tammy didn’t show much of a reaction when she received her sentencing, leaving everyone to wonder what she was really thinking. You can see the video of her entire sentencing (below):

    This wasn’t the first time the former wrestler — who went by the name Sunny in the ring — got caught up with some drunk driving charges, either. According to her criminal record, she’s been arrested at least six other times due to her impairment behind the wheel. So, a danger to society might not be that far off. It’s a stroke of pure luck no one else was seriously injured or killed during all her drunk driving before this one!

    What do U think of Tammy’s sentencing, Perezcious readers? Did she get let off too easy — or was this a sufficient sentencing? Sound OFF (below).

    [Image via WKMG News ClickOrlando/WWE/YouTube]

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    Perez Hilton

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  • Your car’s dashboard is about to get a lot more expansive — and expensive – National | Globalnews.ca

    Your car’s dashboard is about to get a lot more expansive — and expensive – National | Globalnews.ca

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    I still remember the Delco AM radio in my dad’s 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 that sat smack in the middle of the dash with its two knobs. The one on the left set the volume as well as turned it off and on. It had an inner ring on the same knob stalk that controlled “tone” (left to turn down the bass and right to turn up the treble; it was useless). The one on the right was for tuning in stations. Cranking it sent an indicator across the dial.

    Once you found the station you were looking for, you pulled out one of the five slat-like buttons on the front of the unit and then pushed it all the way back in, mechanically creating a memory for the tuning indicator. When you had all five buttons programmed, flipping from station to station was as easy as pushing the corresponding button which responded with a hearty ka-CHUNK.

    There was a lot of fighting over that radio because it was the only entertainment device available in the car. How times have changed — and continue to change.

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    I was reminded of that old Delco while attending a couple of panels at Canadian Music Week in Toronto this month. Dashboard times are a-changin’ and changin’ fast.

    As manufacturers and dealers pivot away from ICE (internal combustion engines) to electric vehicles, they’re also looking for new ways to monetize their vehicles. For example, dealers are going to be heavily impacted in the area of after-sales service, the part of the business that brings in most of the revenue.

    With electric vehicles, there are no oil changes, radiators to fix, belts to replace, injectors to clean, exhaust systems to replace, and spark plugs to change. Sure, there are still the mechanics of the electric motors that need attending along with tires to swap, bodywork to repair, and brakes to maintain, but overall, electric vehicles should need less service than ICE vehicles.

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    That lost ICE revenue needs to be made up somewhere. And that somewhere is going to be the dashboard.

    Manufacturers worldwide are looking at new ways to monetize the experience of being in a vehicle, not just for the driver but for all the passengers, too. And it all comes down to data. More and more vehicles are coming with cellular connections, linking them to the exchange of all kinds of data with the cloud. Cars are increasingly big computers on wheels run by millions of lines of code and for them to work properly, they need to be connected to the internet.

    We’re starting to see the introduction of what’s known as “pillar-to-pillar displays,” basically one long electronic ribbon extending from the driver’s side door to the passenger door. The driver will still have all the usual dials and indicators (virtual ones) while the passenger will be invited to engage in their own displays: vehicle analytics, navigation maps, video screens for watching things like YouTube and TikTok, and more. Mercedes S-Class and the company’s EQS EV are already deep into this territory as is Porsche’s all-electric Taycan. Hyundai/KIA isn’t far behind. I’ve driven all of them and it’s pretty sexy.

    Yes, we have CarPlay and Android Auto, but after years of ceding dashboard connectivity to Apple and Google, automakers are swinging back to proprietary systems that they can control — and from which they can harvest all kinds of user data. And by controlling the dashboard, automakers and their partners will start selling services and features as subscriptions.

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    Satellite radio has been delivered this way for decades. I’ve used the example of BMW’s heated seats subscription. The car comes with the mechanics installed. However, you can’t turn them on without paying a monthly fee. Think about the other options you have in your current vehicle. Which ones could be ruled remotely and only usable if you pay?

    But this is just the beginning. The next version of the BMW 5-Series will offer a Tivo option, meaning that passengers, each with their own individual screen, will be able to access all kinds of streaming TV and recorded TV. That’s a far cry from minivan DVD players, isn’t it?

    Trending Now

    Which brings me back to Dad’s old Delco. Radios have long been standard equipment, offering free news, information, and entertainment. As vehicles become more connected, AM/FM radio will be delivered via IP (internet protocol) instead of over the air from a transmitter and tower, meaning that it will be streamed to the car using cellular data and then interpreted by software instead of an old-school antenna and tuners. Data costs money, of course. And because the manufacturer controls which software goes in the dashboard, the chances of us having to subscribe to a radio tuner package is pretty much a slam-dunk.

    First, the bad news. Local radio will no longer be free and unlimited. Second, with all the other subscription offerings that will be available, radio runs the risk of getting lost in a multitude of news/entertainment choices. Today’s broadcasters will have to figure out what to do about that.

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    But there is also some good news. AM/FM radio is a one-way medium. By switching delivery to IP, cars and their occupants will have two-way communication with the broadcaster, paving the way for on-demand and personalized offerings. Real-time listening will still be a thing but there will be more curation opportunities for parties on both sides of the interface, not to mention advertising. I’m currently working with a company that envisions drivers calling up a display for, say, Tim Hortons, to order your double-double and old-fashioned glazed even before you hit the drive-through. If that’s your regular order, the car will even call ahead as you approach your usual location without you having to do anything.

    And then there’s the thorny problem of audience measurement. Compiling radio ratings has always been imperfect with results subject to wild and inaccurate swings. IP delivery of radio will allow for pinpoint determinations of who is listening to what and when — at least within the environment of the vehicle. I saw a demonstration of a system called DTS Soundstage that generates real-time dynamic heat maps of people listening to specific radio stations in their cars. Again, if you’re a broadcaster, this is the kind of accuracy and granularity you’ve been dreaming about when it comes to your audience’s habits and movements.

    How long before all this happens? Not as long as you may think. The average age of a car on Canadian roads is around 11 years; more impactfully, it’s 12.5 years in the U.S. As old analogue vehicles disappear from the roads, pushed by government demands for more EVs, we’ll see a wholesale change in the look, function, and cost of vehicle interiors in the early 2030s. Start budgeting now.

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    —

    Alan Cross is a broadcaster with Q107 and 102.1 the Edge and a commentator for Global News.

    Subscribe to Alan’s Ongoing History of New Music Podcast now on Apple Podcast or Google Play

    &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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    Alan Cross

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  • Putin drives across Crimea bridge in a Mercedes

    Putin drives across Crimea bridge in a Mercedes

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    President Vladimir Putin on Monday drove a Mercedes across the Crimean Bridge linking southern Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula, less than two months since an explosion tore through one of the Kremlin chief’s showcase infrastructure projects.

    The 12-mile (19 km) road and rail bridge, which was personally opened by Putin in 2018, was bombed on Oct. 8 in an attack Russia said was carried out by Ukraine.

    Putin, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, was shown on state television behind the wheel of a Mercedes, asking questions about where the attack took place.

    “We are driving on the right hand side,” Putin said, as he drove across the bridge. “The left side of the bridge, as I understand it, is in working condition, but nevertheless it needs to be completed. It still suffered a little, we need to bring it to an ideal state.”

    Putin also walked along parts of the bridge, Europe’s largest, to inspect sections that are still visibly scorched.

    Ukraine never claimed responsibility for the bombing of the bridge on the morning of Oct. 8, a day after Putin’s 70th birthday. Russia’s Federal Security Service said the attack was organised by Ukrainian military intelligence.

    The explosion wrecked one section of the road bridge, temporarily halting traffic across the Kerch Strait. The blast also destroyed several fuel tankers on a train heading towards the annexed Crimean peninsula from neighbouring southern Russia.

    Russia in 2014 annexed Crimea, which was transferred from Soviet Russia to Soviet Ukraine in 1954 by then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and recognised by Russia in 1994 after the collapse of the USSR.

    Ukraine has vowed to return Crimea, which relies on the bridge for supplies.

    Putin’s ally Arkady Rotenberg’s company built the vast structure, which is Europe’s longest bridge. Putin has long lauded the project, boasting at one point that Russian Tsars and Soviet leaders had dreamed of building it but never did.

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  • The Spirit Of Ayrton Senna Shines At The Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint Weekend

    The Spirit Of Ayrton Senna Shines At The Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint Weekend

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    The Brazilian Grand Prix is the penultimate race of the 2022 Formula One season, one where both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships have already been decided. It is also the final race weekend with the somewhat controversial sprint format. This is where qualifying takes place on Friday after FP1, and a sprint race of about one-third race distance takes place on Saturday (following a second practice session), which ultimately determines the grid for Sunday. It effectively adds a second race—a second lights-out moment, which is the moment in F1 racing—in place of a third (yawn emoji) practice session.

    I say controversial because there are many critics of this experimental format, not least of which is two-time World Champion Max Verstappen.

    “You don’t do a pitstop so you just put on the tire which will last the distance. You don’t really see a lot of overtaking unless there is a car out of position. So then it’s not really that fun for me,” Verstappen told ESPN.

    Others feel the drivers don’t take chances in the sprint because the small number of points isn’t worth risking a bad starting position for Sunday. And then you have the traditionalist F1 fans, who balk at any tweak to the way things have always been. They were loudest about the halo when it was introduced, and it’s since saved several lives. As a fan of the sport, I think the sprint format adds more excitement to a weekend in general. And over the past two seasons, Brazil has proved all the critics wrong.

    In 2021, we saw championship contender Lewis Hamilton take an engine penalty that had him start the sprint race from P20. He stormed through the field to finish P10 in a prelude of what was to come on Sunday. I texted a friend that evening and said that Hamilton was about to put on a clinic. That’s exactly what he did, passing everyone from from P10 to P1 and salvaging his championship hopes. Of course, a lot of that performance came from having a brand new Mercedes power unit. The press often doesn’t acknowledge how much of a performance boost that is e.g. Verstappen in Belgium this year. Regardless, the sprint format gave us one of the best Formula One performances I’ve ever seen. And it’s happening again this weekend.

    Friday Qualifying

    Friday’s qualifying gave us a lot to talk about. It started out wet with all drivers on intermediate tires (inters) as Q1 commenced. It quickly transitioned to slicks as the track mostly dried, though the threat of rain loomed. We got to Q3 under dry conditions, but the rain would most likely come during this final session, as sprinkles could already be felt in the pit lane. The best strategy, it seemed, was to get a quick lap on slicks before the track got too wet. That initial lap time on slicks would be a lot faster than one on inters. It was possible you wouldn’t get that dry lap, which means you’d pit for inters with everyone else and do a lap or two in the wet. This scenario gave an advantage to the teams closest to the end of the pit lane—teams like Haas—because you could be first to queue up and wait for the session to start.

    First in that queue was Kevin Magnussen followed by the Red Bulls and Ferraris. But one of these cars was not like the others. The Ferrari team decided to “split strategies” by sending Sainz out on slicks and Leclerc on inters. He asked his engineer if he was the only car on inters. Yes, Charles. Just you. It was a baffling call from a team that can ill afford to make these types of blunders. Indeed, it wasn’t even a risk. Because if the track proved too wet for slicks, there was plenty of time to come in for inters and set a competitive time. There was no advantage to be gained if it started raining. Leclerc would have been the first to set a time on inters…but certainly not the last. And it only got worse from there as he still decided to do a flying lap with inters on a dry track, holding up Perez in the process and ruining his lap. Leclerc ultimately would not put in a time and ended up P10.

    As the rain increased slightly, drivers were desperate to set the fastest possible time before having to switch to inters, which would really be pointless. Russell locked up into turn one and went off into the gravel only to get beached. This red flagged the session. Given that the rain had pretty much arrived, there was zero chance of putting in a faster lap on inters over what had already been set on slicks. The entire F1 universe watched as the clock ticked down on Q3 with Kevin “KMag” Magnussen at the top of the time sheets. Indeed, this was one of the best moments of the 2022 F1 season, seeing KMag and Haas get their first pole and watching the team celebrate as if they’d just won the championship. The collective sentiment on F1 Twitter: This is what the sport of F1 is all about.

    Saturday Sprint Race

    With Magnussen starting the sprint race from pole position (had to lead with that), the Danish driver had Verstappen alongside him with Russell and Norris on the second row. Everyone started on the soft tire, save for Verstappen and Latifi who started on the medium. KMag got a great start and led the race for the first lap or so. But he wasn’t actually racing Red Bull, Mercedes or Ferrari. So Verstappen, Russell and Sainz got past within the first few laps, and it became a race among the top three teams. This is really what we’ve been waiting for all season. There was overtaking. There was wheel-t0-wheel action. Plenty of risks were taken, and there was a lot of contact. The sprint in Brazil was some of the best racing we’ve seen all year. Full stop. It was a stark contrast to the worst (most boring) race of the season in Mexico a couple weeks ago.

    Verstappen was clearly struggling on the medium tires; he’d been struggling with understeer during the practice sessions, so it wasn’t necessarily the tires. Russell stayed within DRS for the first handful of laps and finally took the lead on the back straight. He quickly distanced himself and led the remainder of the race to secure his first F1 victory. Sainz and Hamilton also passed Verstappen, relegating him to P4, though Sainz will take an engine penalty. This puts both Mercedes on the front row for tomorrow. Magnussen finished P8 and earned the last point available in the sprint.

    The race saw teammates of Aston Martin and Alpine tussle, and it wasn’t pretty. Alonso and Ocon came together, which caused damage to both cars. Alonso eventually lost part of his front wing, scattering debris on the pit straight in the process, and Ocon’s car caught fire in the pit lane after the race. Vettel had better pace and tried to overtake Stroll on the back straight, only to be forced off track into the grass. Stroll received a 10-second penalty for this reckless and amateurish move. The fact that both Stroll and Alonso found themselves in these types of situations in Austin and Brazil doesn’t look good for the future teammates. Perhaps they deserve one another. But the stewards may need to employ harsher penalties if this keeps up.

    Sunday Race Strategy

    The Mercedes team have the potential to capture its first win of the season. This could also be Russell’s first official F1 race win. As long as they don’t screw it up. Because Verstappen will be ready to pounce if the silver arrows are battling one another as opposed to working as a team. No doubt, the team is setting a strategy to not only claim victory but to finish one-two and overtake Ferrari in the constructors’ standings. There is a lot to play for tomorrow, both on track and back at the Mercedes factory. Hamilton has said as much.

    The ideal strategy, in my view, is for Hamilton to support Russell in taking the victory (assuming he has the pace) and to hold up the Red Bulls and Ferraris. Russell is starting from pole and will have the advantage into turn one. The moment that Hamilton and Russell fight one another it becomes an opportunity for their rivals. If they can agree up front that this is Russell’s race to lose, it not only gives them the best chance at a one-two victory. But it sets Hamilton up for 2023, where he’s trying to win an eighth world title and Russell (realistically) just wants to win races. Russell will owe him.

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    Rob Reed, Contributor

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