WeRide receives permit for robotaxis in Shanghai
WeRide, in partnership with Chery Group and Jinjiang Taxi, will deploy fully driverless ride-hailing robotaxis on public roads in the Pudong New Area, the company said in a statement.
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Top Gear
42 minutes ago
- Top Gear
Steer-by-wire: is it the next big tech leap for cars, and can it ever be... fun?
Tech It's not new, but it's coming back into fashion. Here's how it works, and who's using it Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading At motorway speed you want 'slow' steering, so that a tiny movement doesn't have the car darting out of lane. But if you're parking or rounding a hairpin, you want 'quick' – lots of front wheel angle without having to cross arms or shuffle hands. Steer by wire allows that, and much else too. It gets rid of the column, so there's no mechanical link between your hands and the road. Instead, your hands make a request. A processor uses that as just one of its inputs. Other inputs are speed, the sensors for lane keeping, and the state of grip and demands of the ESP. Maybe also if you're in a 'sport' mode or something more relaxed. The processor comes up with an 'ideal' angle of turning for the tyres, and signals to a motor on the rack to deliver it. The system can even dial in hazard avoidance and skid correction. Advertisement - Page continues below This isn't new. It was introduced a few times over the years, first by Infiniti in the 2013 Q50, but then abandoned. Merc and Saab had test cars where you steered by joystick. Now ZF is supplying its system to Nio's ET9. Toyota/Lexus is starting this year with a setup that has a yoke not a wheel. Tesla's Model S has a yoke but not SbW, but the Cybertruck has the full by wire ticket. Given Tesla is leaning into autonomous cars and cabs, you can see why it has a by wire design in production now, because in cars where there are no hands on the wheel – or no wheel at all – then steer by wire will be non-negotiable. Nissan is actually using the Infiniti system in its test autonomous Leafs. Absence of the column also improves packaging around the driver's footwell and bulkhead, so the powertrain doesn't have to work around it. Plus, it's easier to transition a design between LHD and RHD. You might like If you're worried about failure, note pretty much everything upstream from the rack is doubled: motors, wires, controllers. Manufacturers have had years to make this stuff reliable, as almost all 4WS systems are by wire at the rear. But then, if they go wrong the rear wheels just point straight and the fronts carry on as normal. Aside from reliability, the other really tricky bit is making this seem enjoyable and natural. There's force feedback to the steering wheel via a motor up there, aiming to replicate tyre feel. When the rack motor is working hard, the steering wheel motor torques back against your hands. Advertisement - Page continues below Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
Top Gear
42 minutes ago
- Top Gear
Hot or not? Here's what designer Frank Stephenson thinks of the Yangwang U9
Opinion Yangwang's thrown the book of design at the U9, but does the McLaren P1 designer think it's been a successful throw? Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Frank Stephenson is a car designer with more hits than the Beatles, including the Escort RS Cossie, first BMW Mini, Maser MC12, numerous Ferraris and the McLaren P1. These days he runs his own consultancy – Frank Stephenson Design. Here he shares his views on Yangwang's U9 with Top Gear A new wave of Chinese car design is upon us. While traditional European and US marques play it safe, Yangwang has thrown the rulebook out of the window. The Chinese are not merely catching up, they're looking further ahead, charting a future in which they define the direction of aesthetics and performance. Advertisement - Page continues below The U9's design is unapologetically extrovert. Rather than conforming to European or US tastes, the U9 shows how the Chinese design language is evolving, without any heritage or baggage from the past holding them back. But the U9 is far from visually harmonious. The convergence of edginess and the abundance of design elements are something closer to a Fast & Furious fantasy than an attempt at timelessness. There is energy, but aesthetic overload has been the route taken to achieve it. As a result, while the U9 will turn heads, it will struggle to earn the kind of enduring respect reserved for the supercar greats. You might like Still, there's something thrilling about the audacity. Yangwang isn't playing it safe – whether you love or question the result, that in itself is a sign that the balance of power in automotive design is shifting. Headlamp treatment screams of aesthetic overload! Thoughtfully placed aero and cooling elements. Advertisement - Page continues below Clean and minimal greenhouse design. Split 'T' graphic for rear lights. Split 'T' graphic repeated for rear diffuser. Material break element seems unnecessarily complicated. Verdict: NOT Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
India's April-June finished steel imports fall nearly 30% as China, Japan shipments slow
NEW DELHI, July 29 (Reuters) - India's finished steel imports dropped nearly 30% in the first three months of the financial year that started in April, due to a persistent fall in shipments from China and Japan, according to provisional government data reviewed by Reuters on Tuesday. The world's second-biggest crude steel producer imported 1.4 million metric tons of finished steel during April-June, down 28.8% from a year earlier, the data showed. Shipments from China fell 45.8%, while those from Japan declined 65.2%. China shipped 0.3 million tons of finished steel into India during the period, while Japan exported 0.2 million tons, the data showed. In April, India imposed a 12% temporary tariff on some steel imports, locally known as a safeguard duty, to curb a surge in cheap shipments primarily from China. South Korea was the biggest exporter to India, with shipments reaching 0.5 million tons, down 6.5%. India remained a net importer during the period, with exports easing 5.1%. Belgium was the top destination for finished steel exports from India, with shipments rising 40.8%. Shipments to the United States, Spain and Nepal climbed, while exports to Italy dropped. Volume-wise, galvanised plain or corrugated sheets or coils were India's biggest exports. Domestically, crude steel production was at 40.6 million tons, up 11.2%. Finished steel consumption was at 38.3 million tons, up 7.9%. Indian domestic rebar prices edged lower as underlying market sentiment remained weak amid sluggish demand and the onset of monsoon, the government said in its report.
