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Volvo: Tesla's Autopilot is just a 'wannabe'

Using the words "unsupervised wannabe" in an interview with The Verge, Volvo's Trent Victor says the Tesla Autopilot is "giving the impression it's doing more than it is." According to Victor, Tesla's self-driving tech is merely appearing to be autonomous because, with the Tesla system, the driver has to be fully alert all the time, ready to regain control. Tesla says its system is Level 2 autonomous, although some experts regard it as Level 3, which means it takes over safety-critical functions from the driver. Volvo says it pays more attention to actual crash avoidance, and that its Drive Me system is Level 4 autonomous, meaning that in the event of a hazardous situation the vehicle will handle the appropriate procedures and bring itself to a halt in a safe fashion. There will be no need for the driver to take action, which is important in case the driver has been incapacitated while the Drive Me autopilot has been controlling the car. Another thing with the Volvo setup is that it monitors the road in case of a conflict situation, or someone suddenly appearing in front of the car, be it a pedestrian or a runaway child. Tesla has never said that its Autopilot is anything other than a beta version under trial usage. It costs $2,500 when you purchase your Model 2 or X, or $3,000 as a add-on once you've taken delivery. The company also just announced that it would offer Autopilot for free as part of a one-month trial. Tesla declined to comment on Volvo's comment. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: The VergeImage Credit: AOL Green Tesla Volvo Technology Autonomous Vehicles Electric Future Vehicles Tesla Autopilot volvo drive me

Volvo planning Golf rival, 'breathtaking' C60 coupe

Despite just having refreshed nearly its entire portfolio, Volvo is still in the middle of a big product offensive. Vehicles like the C30 hatchback and C70 convertible have been given the axe, but a brand-new platform is being developed in addition to the Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) that will underpin larger vehicles. According to Automobile, this means some very interesting newcomers may be on tap for the brand.
Volvo, in collaboration with Geely, is said to be working on a new platform about the size of a Volkswagen Golf that will likely spawn both a sedan and hatchback. Automobile reports that while the automaker's new scalable architecture is quite flexible, it cannot be stretched (or rather, shrunk) to accommodate a smaller vehicle.
Instead, SPA will be used for the company's larger offerings, starting with the V40 on the small end. (Though to our eyes, the current V40 looks plenty Golf-sized to us.) A new XC40 is apparently in the works, as is an S90 flagship, and new versions of the XC60, XC90 and S60 will all be coming based on this new flexible architecture.

Volvo returns to profitability

Ford sold Volvo to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Limited in 2010. Just two years later, Geely announced an $11-billion investment in the Swedish carmaker, its charismatic fugleman Li Shifu saying, "We want to revive Volvo and give the brand its strength back." Two years later, after having introduced the Concept XC Coupe at the Detroit Auto Show this week, Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson (above, second from right) declared the company profitable again after a solid 2013 and predicted a positive 2014.
Intending to break even on operating profit in 2013, Volvo exceeded expectations and landed on the plus side due to a mix of factors. US sales declined 10.1 percent for the year to 61,233, that number still making us Volvo's largest market, but Chinese sales were up nearly 46 percent to 61,146 units, and even its home market saw a bump of 0.8 percent; total sales for the year were 427,840, a margin of 1.4-percent over the previous year. Volvo was able to do more with the tiny gain and reverse its half-year operating loss because of a global cost restructuring and thorough revamp of its Chinese distribution network. An announcement of 2013's financial results will come in March.
Bullishness on 2014 comes from the company's intention to focus on its two biggest markets with new models, new technology and more spending. The first product of an independent Volvo, the new XC90, will be revealed later this year on the new SPA architecture. On top of the Sensus Connect infotainment system, Volvo will add driver-aid systems like adaptive cruise control with steer assist and night-time pedestrian detection. It also has a new North American CEO and will spend more on marketing and communications here. In China it will begin to feel more effect from the two Chinese factories opened last year - it has three in the country - and, if need be, can take advantage of more advantageous exchange rates by exporting from China instead of the US. Said Samuelsson of what he expects in the US in 2014, "we will outperform the market."