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Xpeng and Huawei have revealed a mega, 87in head-up display...

Xpeng and Huawei have revealed a mega, 87in head-up display...

Top Geara day ago

Future Tech
... that takes over the whole windscreen and uses augmented reality Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading
Xpeng has taken the old adage 'go big or go home' literally, and created a mega head-up display (HUD) that covers the whole windscreen .
Partnering with Huawei, the AR-HUD uses augmented reality to give navigation directions, alert drivers to safety issues, and minimise, reaction times, blind spots and, er, distracted driving.
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The 87-inch (woah) display shows the speed limit, the speed of the car, the nav directions, plus the time it'll take to get to wherever you're going.
Oh, and should you drive the wrong way down a road (more common than you might think), a graphical and unmissable 'X' will flash up on the screen. You might like
The system will show how it plans to execute self-parking manoeuvres too, and in dense fog will flag up corners to reduce the odds of getting suddenly familiar with the nearest hedge/ditch/ravine/sheer cliff face. Nice.
The two companies hope to use the massive HUD to engender trust with drivers, particularly when driver assistance – and subsequently self-driving – features are deployed. 'The system will show when the car needs to overtake, it will show the choice of the overtaking path," explains Chen Yonghai, vice president of Xiaopeng Automobile.
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Trump Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issues cryptic hypersonic missile warning to China
Trump Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issues cryptic hypersonic missile warning to China

Daily Mail​

time3 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Trump Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issues cryptic hypersonic missile warning to China

President Donald Trump's trade guru brought up China's fearsome hypersonic missiles during tense trade talks – but in a surprising way that eased, rather than blew up, negotiations. It was a fraught topic to broach – given the strong feelings in the military establishment about advances in China's development of the state-of-the-art weapons, which can fly at more than five times the speed of sound and make course corrections in flight. That makes them a rising threat to U.S. naval superiority through its ability to project force through its fleet of powerful aircraft carriers and battleships. It was Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who recently butted heads with Elon Musk, who took the novel approach, according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a fellow negotiator. Rather than provoke the Chinese negotiators, the comment broke the ice, said Lutnick. 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That comes despite years of reports of Chinese hacking and corporate espionage activities in the U.S., along with moves to supplant U.S. influence around the globe and partnering with Russia shortly before Moscow invaded Ukraine. The 55 percent U.S. tariff incorporates the 10 percent baseline tariff Trump imposed on imports from around the world. It also adds in 25 percent tariffs on China from his first term and another 20 percent he slapped on this year after accusing China of flooding the U.S. with deadly fentanyl. The U.S. and China clashed in a trade war in Trump's first term. Tensions rose again when a Chinese spy balloon traversed North America. After months of strain President Joe Biden sat down with Xi Jinping in Woodside, California in 2024 in an effort to get relations on a more stable path. Negotiators for the two countries met in Geneva in May to negotiate a pause in new tariffs Trump had imposed, prompting retaliation from Beijing and rattling markets. The prospect of new trade structure for the world's top two economic powers was expected to send markets soaring, although Wall Street traders have been honing their ways to gauge responses to Trump's topsy-turvy pronouncements on trade and tariffs. Weeks ago Trump exploded at a reporter who asked him about the 'TACO trade,' which stands for 'Trump Always Chickens Out.' In the case of what he announced on China, it appears Trump secured access for rare earth minerals he prizes – although some have been identified as being extracted through forced labor of oppressed minorities in China's far-western Xinjiang province. Titanium, lithium – which is critical to batteries – beryllium, and magnesium are among the products considered vital to manufacturing and products. Trump's announcement came on a day when the government announced the Consumer Price Index rose 2.4 percent in May, following a 2.3 percent increase in April. 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Elon Musk's robotaxi launch in Texas tests his vision of Tesla's future
Elon Musk's robotaxi launch in Texas tests his vision of Tesla's future

Reuters

time3 hours ago

  • Reuters

Elon Musk's robotaxi launch in Texas tests his vision of Tesla's future

June 11 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab faces an existential test this month as it aims to launch self-driving 'robotaxis' in its home base of Austin, Texas, where public-safety officials are increasingly concerned about the state's anti-regulation stance toward autonomous vehicles. For Tesla, the launch of between 10 and 20 Model Y vehicles follows a decade of unfulfilled promises of self-driving vehicles from CEO Elon Musk, who last year staked the company's future on such technology as it pivoted away from chasing rapid growth in electric-vehicle sales. The Austin robotaxi launch, which Musk says will "tentatively" open to the public on June 22, comes as Tesla tries to arrest a global vehicle-sales slide, stemming from both its aging lineup of human-driven electric vehicles and Musk's right-wing political activities. Some analysts and investors attribute the majority of Tesla's stock market value to hopes for robotaxis and humanoid robots it has yet to deliver. On an earnings call last year, Musk said investors "should sell their Tesla stock" if they did not believe the company would solve the technological challenges of driverless vehicles. For the city of Austin, Tesla's launch adds anxiety to a regulation-free landscape for autonomous vehicles. The Texas legislature in 2017 prohibited cities from regulating autonomous vehicles as a way to promote the industry's growth statewide. Now, as the vehicles proliferate, some politicians, public-safety officials and advocates are pushing for more rules. Austin police officers continually have run into problems with autonomous vehicles from Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Waymo and General Motors' (GM.N), opens new tab now-defunct Cruise freezing up when they encounter complex traffic situations, such as festivals where officers direct traffic with hand signals, said Austin Police Lieutenant William White. Vehicles have disregarded traffic barriers and driven into prohibited areas, he said. 'It's been very frustrating on our end from a safety standpoint,' said White, who oversees autonomous-vehicle safety for the department. 'If these machines are learning, they're not learning at a quick enough pace for sure.' Waymo said it works closely with Austin officials and is always looking to improve the technology. The Texas legislature passed a bill last month that for the first time would require autonomous-vehicle companies to apply for authorization to operate in the state, and give state authorities the power to revoke permits if a driverless vehicle "endangers the public." Firms are also required to provide the state information on how police and first responders can deal with the vehicles in emergency situations. If the bill is signed by the governor, it is unclear when the new system would take effect, but likely not until next year, according to a state Department of Motor Vehicles spokesperson. 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One video that surfaced on social media on Tuesday, which Musk reposted, showed a Model Y with the word 'Robotaxi' driving on a street in Austin with no human driver, followed closely by a second Tesla vehicle. In a May 28 post on X, Musk said the company had recently started testing 'self-driving' vehicles on Austin public streets with 'no one in driver's seat.' Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. Tesla advertisements for 'teleoperation' positions say the company needs the ability to 'access and control" autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots remotely, adding that such employees can 'remotely perform complex and intricate tasks.' The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration inquired last month about many of the unanswered questions surrounding the Austin rollout. The agency, which is investigating Tesla's FSD driver-assistance feature after a fatal crash in 2023, sent a detailed request seeking information about safety features, Tesla's timetable for expansion, where exactly it will be operating the vehicles and how it is preparing for accidents and emergency scenarios. The responses are due next week. A person familiar with NHTSA's operations said the agency sent the letter because it already has concerns about Tesla's current FSD technology, which it sells to customers for $99 a month, and it fears that Tesla's Austin rollout may not be safe. The Texas attorney general is considering a Reuters request for communications between Tesla and city officials in Austin over the past two years, which Tesla has opposed over trade secrets concerns. Austin's Department of Transportation and Public Works declined to discuss Tesla's operations. A person familiar with Austin's autonomous-vehicle policies said the city has been meeting regularly with Tesla since December and that the company has shared some deployment plans with the city. Safety experts say there has been a dearth of information about Tesla's technology. Phil Koopman, a Carnegie Mellon University engineering professor and autonomous-vehicle safety expert, said Musk's statements 'leave room for ambiguity' about its plans in Austin and the sophistication of its robotaxi technology. 'When you start to pin it down, it's like jello,' he said. He questioned whether Tesla would be ready for a rapid nationwide rollout soon. 'Having 10 cars on the road and not having a crash,' Koopman said, 'is sort of table stakes for this game.'

Used Suzuki Across (Mk1, 2020-date) buyer's guide: a Toyota RAV4 in disguise
Used Suzuki Across (Mk1, 2020-date) buyer's guide: a Toyota RAV4 in disguise

Auto Express

time4 hours ago

  • Auto Express

Used Suzuki Across (Mk1, 2020-date) buyer's guide: a Toyota RAV4 in disguise

With the narrowest possible model range and a high asking price, the Suzuki Across was never going to be a big hit with buyers. But while the Across has never been all that alluring as a new purchase, as a used buy it's more enticing. The entry cost makes more sense, and with all Acrosses being so well equipped, as a £25k buy it's easy to be tempted. We wouldn't try to dissuade you from making the leap, but before you do, bear in mind that the more expensive RAV4 comes with an extra two years of warranty as standard, and 90 litres of extra boot space thanks to its smaller battery pack. Advertisement - Article continues below When is a Toyota RAV4 not a Toyota RAV4? Answer: when it's a Suzuki Across (pronounced A-Cross). As soon as Toyota bought a 4.9 per cent stake in Suzuki in 2019, it was inevitable that the two companies would share resources. But Suzuki went way beyond that with the Across: it simply stuck its own badges onto Toyota's popular mid-size SUV, and it's none the worse for that. The RAV4 is a great car, but many Suzuki owners are very loyal to their local dealer, so by offering a rebadged RAV4 it opened up a new market for Suzuki. But not a very big one... The Suzuki Across arrived in the UK in November 2020. There was just one model available: a 302bhp plug-in hybrid with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors. An 18.1kWh battery was fitted, while every Across came with four-wheel drive and a continuously variable automatic transmission. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below View Across View Across View Across Just one high-spec trim level was offered, priced at £45,599. 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Advertisement - Article continues below Equipment levels are generous, with all examples coming with heating for the front and rear seats as well as the steering wheel, synthetic leather trim, dual-zone climate control, an electric tailgate, a nine-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, front and rear parking sensors plus a rear camera, and (unusually) a spare wheel. Also on the standard kit list were 19-inch alloy wheels and LED headlights; there were no options available, but dealers do offer a range of accessories. Toyota's RAV4 is the most obvious alternative; it's far more readily available than the Suzuki and there's a wider model range. If a plug-in hybrid powertrain is important to you, we'd also suggest you take a look at the Hyundai Tucson, Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland, all of which come as a PHEV. You should also shortlist the Ford Kuga, while BMW offers the X1, X2 and X3 in plug-in form. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The Honda CR-V Mk6 (from 2023) is a seven-seat alternative, while the Jaguar E-Pace and F-Pace are less obvious choices. Or you could buy a Range Rover Evoque, Mazda CX-60, Mercedes GLC or Renault Rafale – and don't forget the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Volvo XC60. All of these came as plug-in hybrids. On the pull Advertisement - Article continues below The Across is able to tow any caravan or trailer weighing up to 1,500kg; the limit for anything unbraked is half this, at 750kg. Safety Euro NCAP has tested the RAV4 but not the Across. The Toyota earned five stars thanks to a huge array of standard safety kit, which is also offered in the Suzuki. Economy Suzuki claims a 46-mile range on electric power and up to 282mpg. It's not hard to achieve that EV range in everyday use, while 50mpg is a realistic average. Peace of mind The Across comes with a three-year warranty with a 60,000-mile cap. 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Discounts of £2,000 aren't hard to find, but at this level you'll still have to stomach a lot of depreciation. Black and white are the most popular colours, but not far behind are blue, grey and silver. Red is the least common hue. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Check the price of a Suuzki Across with our free car valuation tool... The Across needs to be serviced every 12 months or 12,500 miles, with the first two services priced at £241 and £407. From year three, discounted maintenance kicks in and the schedule runs Minor (oil and filter change for £149), Intermediate (Minor plus fresh brake and clutch fluid for £219), Minor again, then Major (Interim plus new air and pollen filters for £299). The engine is chain-driven so there's no cambelt to change. 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