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Major Alexa deal will bring Amazon services into more cars

Amazon and its personal assistance service Alexa are partnering with HERE Technologies to create a new connected mobility service powerhouse. Alexa will integrate with HERE's navigation and location services to offer what the two companies are calling a "true voice-first-navigation experience." Alexa will come pre-integrated with HERE navigation on-demand, which the automakers can then enable, which should help cut down on development time. One of the biggest features from this partnership is how directions could be offered and delivered using HERE's Open Location Platform (OLP). Currently, the OLP uses data from several car manufacturers to provide insights into real-time location and traffic. But on Alexa, this could be used to provide directional context. For example, Alexa could say, "Turn right after [such-and-such a building]" rather than just, "Turn right." Amazon has been testing the automotive waters throughout the past decade. Its home-based Alexa-enabled devices are already offered with connections to several manufacturers. To various degrees of integration, it can already pair with Ford, Genesis, Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai and BMW vehicles. At the end of 2018, Amazon took things a step further when it introduced the Echo Auto, a Bluetooth-connected Alexa assistant device that can be physically kept in a car. Currently only available by invitation (its production and distribution have been delayed), the $25 device is essentially a voice service that works together with smartphones and connects to a car's speakers. Users can command it to do a variety of things, including playing music, setting navigation, opening the garage door, finding local stores, making calls, setting reminders, and thousands of other "skills." According to The Verge, nearly 1 million people have already ordered the device. Some (well, probably few) may know HERE Technologies from its maps on Windows Phones. We all know how that turned out, though. Today, HERE has expanded into a multi-function suite that is available in multiple mediums, including many automotive applications. HERE Automotive's connected vehicle services include real-time traffic, parking, weather, fuel prices, hazard warnings, traffic sign integration, and even EV charging stations. These all incorporate and extend the use of HERE's location and tracking programming. HERE is already partnered with BMW, Audi, Daimler, Intel, Mobileye, NVIDIA, and has investments from Bosch, Continental and Pioneer.

2015 Ford Mustang earns Five Stars from NHTSA [w/video]

We already know that the latest Ford Mustang is a pretty potent pony car in terms of its performance potential, but according to the government, it's a safe choice too. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released its New Car Assessment Program crash test results for the 2015 'Stang coupe, and it came away with top five-star overall ratings in every evaluation. The Mustang received a five-star overall score and five stars for its frontal, side and rollover ratings. The only minor ding was a four-star result just for the backseat in a side barrier crash. According to NHTSA, "Although not included in the star rating, the rear passenger's thoracic rib deflection was elevated." You can check out the full NCAP evaluation, here. According to Ford, the latest Mustang has twice as many airbags and crash sensors as the outgoing model. NHTSA also likes that the pony car offers a rearview camera and forward collision warning – two of the technologies that the agency recommends buyers getting for added safety. Watch the car crash in the video below. 2015 MUSTANG EARNS HIGHEST VEHICLE SAFETY RATING FROM NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awards the all-new 2015 Mustang a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in its New Car Assessment Program All-new Mustang has twice as many airbags, twice as many peripheral crash sensors and additional pretensioning safety belt technology compared to the outgoing model The new Mustang is the first car to offer four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines that each produce at least 300 horsepower – a 300-horsepower 3.7-liter V6, a more powerful 435-horsepower 5.0-liter V8, and an all-new 310-horsepower 2.3-liter EcoBoost® engine DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 11, 2015 – The 2015 Ford Mustang received a top safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The 2015 Mustang earned a five-star Overall Vehicle Score in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing. The New Car Assessment Program is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's evaluation program for new vehicle designs established to test for performance against safety threats. Now on sale at Ford dealers, the all-new 2015 Mustang received five stars in the frontal crash test, five stars in the side crash test and five stars in the rollover crash test. "The new Mustang was built from the ground up," said Carl Widmann, Mustang chief engineer.

Cheap gas has Ford investors nervous over 2015 F-150

Gasoline in the US continues its weeks-long descent with prices down about 13 cents a gallon over last week to $2.544, which is lower by around 69 cents/gallon from this time last year, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Many drivers are welcoming the lower bills at the gas station as a fantastic holiday gift, but Ford investors are somewhat spooked over the potential sales implications for the 2015 F-150. Market analyst Rod Lache of Deutsche Bank recently downgraded Ford's stock from a buy to hold, according to TheDetroitBureau.com, and his report to investors may have played a part in a drop in the company's share price. Lache praised the truck's powertrain and lightweight technology, but wrote, "We question whether consumers will pay the price for this content with $2-$3 gas," in his report, according to the website. Whether buyers actually turn away from the F-150 is mostly speculative at this point because it only recently began production. With around 700 pounds of weight loss thanks in parts to its new aluminum parts, the latest Ford pickup offers up to 26 miles per gallon on the highway, plus segment-best payload and towing ratings. Prices are up somewhat in part to pay for additional standard features, though. Still, any further dip in Ford's stock is bad news this year. According to TheDetroitBureau.com, the company's shares are down about 7.5 percent this year. On December 15, the price fell to $14.28, the lowest since November 10. Related Video: