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Ford is helping you drive more safely with its Ford Co-Pilot360 system

Bad driver? Ford wants to help. In the 21st century, the automaker isn’t simply manufacturing machines to get you from point A to point B — it’s also creating new technologies to make sure you get to your destination safely. This week, the company introduced Ford Co-Pilot360, heralded as the most advanced suite of standard driver-assist technologies to date.

Beginning in fall 2018, Ford Co-Pilot360 will begin making its debut in key markets across the world in order to “help customers drive more safely and confidently amid rising congestion and distractions,” the carmaker noted. The system includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot-information system, lane-keeping system, rear-backup camera, and auto high-beam lighting. Moreover, Ford will be offering further premium driver-assist technologies, like adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centering, evasive steering assist, and post-collision braking. These features, however, will be exclusive to North America for the time being.

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Next year, the company is slated to debut reverse brake assist so that you don’t hit a mailbox (or something worse) when backing out of your driveway or a parking spot. Ford Co-Pilot360 will roll out across Ford’s new passenger cars, SUVs and trucks up to F-150 in North America, starting on the new 2019 Ford Edge and Edge ST this fall.

“Though our vehicles today are safer than ever, drivers tell us they are still stressed about getting in a potential accident,” Jim Farley, Ford president, Global Markets, said in a statement. “That’s one reason why we’re making these must-have technologies accessible to millions of customers each year.”

Perhaps the most important aspect of Ford Co-Pilot360 is the standard automatic emergency braking — anytime a potential collision is detected, the system will flash a warning and sound an alert, and if your reaction time isn’t quite quick enough, your car will automatically pump the brakes in hopes of avoiding a collision. By 2020, this feature will become standard on 91 percent of Ford cars in North America.

Then, there is the blind spot-information system, or BLIS, which uses radar to determine if a vehicle is entering your blind spot, and alerts you via an indicator light in your side-view mirror. The lane-keeping system is impressive on three fronts — first, if you begin drifting too close to lane markings, Ford Co-Pilot360 will notify you via a steering wheel vibration. Second, the system will actually provide steering torque to steer your vehicle back toward to center of the lane. Finally, a driver alert system will continuously keep tabs on your driving patterns by leveraging a forward-looking camera, and will provide you with visual and audio warnings when you seem to be paying less attention than you ought to be.

This seems to be just the start when it comes to Ford’s efforts regarding driver-assist technologies. The company is investing $500 million over the course of the next five years to continue developing safety technologies. A primary goal will be to simplify the technology so that they are as intuitive to use as possible, Ford notes. “Many people question the idea of autonomous vehicles,” Farley said. “But those who use advanced driver-assist technologies today say they are more open to cars doing all of the driving in the future.”

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archer air taxi la28 inglewood aerial a final

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Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted electric air taxi designed to carry four passengers, will be whisking around VIPs, fans, and stakeholders between venues and key locations like LAX, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and even Orange County. Think 10-20 minute flights that skip the infamous LA gridlock and land you right where the action is—on the roof, basically.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer Aviation.
And Midnight isn’t just a pretty rotor. It’s a whisper-quiet, emission-light aircraft with 12 rotors and a redundant, airline-level safety design.
What’s more, Archer and LA28 are working together to electrify vertiport hubs around the city—think futuristic sky stations—to serve not only Games-time needs but also to plant seeds for a post-Olympic air mobility network.
The air mobility market has been fast developing over the past few years, featuring the likes of Hyundai partnership with China’s XPeng HT Aero and Toyota's backing of Joby Aviation, a U.S. venture. Joby bought Uber Elevate in 2020, hoping to someday pair its air taxis with Uber’s ride-hailing app.
Archer, for its part, has been busy building a strategic partnership with United Airlines, which has already placed orders for the aircraft and is helping with logistics to integrate air taxis into airport-to-downtown travel. More than a demo for the cameras, the LA28 partnership will showcase urban air travel for real-world daily use, starting with one of the most high-profile events on Earth.
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The Dodge Charger Daytona R/T, once hailed as the vanguard of Dodge’s electric muscle car future, is being dropped for the 2026 model year.
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2026 Cadillac Vistiq front-quarter view.

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