Will Apple sell its Touch ID and Face ID technology to automakers?
Recent patent filings suggest Apple wants its Touch ID and Face ID technologies to spread across the automotive industry. The company outlined how motorists could use their finger or their face to unlock their car, and even make in-car purchases. It hasn't made a firm commitment to bring the technology to production.
Someone stared at a Volvo on their phone for nearly 10 hours to win it
Volvo didn't want you to watch the 2019 Super Bowl or the million-dollar ads that pepper it. Instead, it gave those willing to ignore the big game the chance to win a two-year subscription to a brand-new S60. The three participants who many spent hours staring at the S60 on their phone won the contest.
Mercedes-Benz predicts cars will evolve more in the next decade than ever before
Mercedes-Benz lead designer Gorden Wagener needs to push the company's design language further without diluting it. He also wants to use the growing amount of tech packed into modern-day cars to his advantage. Digital Trends sat down with Wagener to gain insight into how Mercedes-Benz design will evolve.
Serious, funny, and controversial: Every car commercial from Super Bowl 53
Advertising during the Super Bowl costs a small fortune; analysts peg the cost of a 30-second commercial at about $5 million. An immense amount of work goes into creating ads that are anything except for forgettable. From funny to controversial, here are the car commercials that aired during Super Bowl LIII.
The Mazda MX-5 Miata’s orange birthday treat sells out online in mere hours
Mazda introduced the MX-5 Miata at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show. Three decades later, it unveiled a commemorative model named 30th Anniversary Edition at the same event. The roadster gets edition-specific paint, orange accents inside, and a nine-speaker sound system. The 500 U.S-bound examples have been spoken for.
Caving to buyer demand, Toyota finally begins adding Android Auto to its cars
For years, Toyota refused to offer Android Auto due to valid privacy and security concerns. That's finally changing for the 2020 model year. The 4Runner, the Tacoma, the Sequoia, and the Tundra will all come standard with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Other models will presumably follow.
Land Rover’s new 2020 Range Rover Evoque is smart off-road and chic in the city
Land Rover introduced the all-new 2020 Range Rover Evoque. The familiar design keeps the outgoing model's shape and dimensions but receives an injection of styling cues from the Velar. The interior gets a full tech makeover with a dual-screen infotainment system and trick off-road technology never seen elsewhere.
The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI spices up the compact sedan segment
Volkswagen unveiled the 2019 Jetta GLI at the annual Chicago Auto Show. The hot-rodded model receives a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine from the GTI plus an array of brake and suspension upgrades. It stays true to its heritage by being comfortable inside and relatively low-key on the outside.
Aston Martin’s intrepid plan to compete with Rolls-Royce takes shape
Aston Martin is preparing to resurrect the Lagonda nameplate to use it on a sub-brand focused on making luxurious electric cars. It's taking aim at Rolls-Royce and Bentley, among other rivals. The Lagonda All-Terrain Concept that will break cover at the Geneva Auto Show will preview its first model.
The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD boasts monstrous torque, intimidating front end
The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD boasts impressive towing and payload figures, but polarizing exterior styling will likely be what everyone talks about. Chevy definitely took more risks in that department than Ford or Ram, but will that pay off? The Silverado HD debuts at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show.
Ducati: Electrification will affect design of motorcycles more than cars
As Ducati prepares to release its first electric model, Digital Trends spoke to Andrea Ferraresi, the company's head of design, about the possibilities electrification creates. He predicted going electric will have bigger changes on motorcycle design than on car design. Radar-based tech will change motorcycles, too.
Tesla buys a company that could help make the next breakthrough in batteries
Tesla purchased a company named Maxwell Technologies that specializes in battery tech and capacitor technology. Tesla co-founder Elon Musk is a big fan of capacitors because they store and release energy much faster than a conventional battery pack. We could one day see this tech in Tesla's cars.
Ex-Apple employee charged with stealing secret self-driving car tech
The FBI arrested a former Apple employee after finding evidence that he tried leaving the United States with stolen trade secrets. Jizhong Chen, who worked as a hardware development engineer for Apple's enigmatic autonomous car project, faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if he's found guilty.
Electrify America turns its network of high-power EV charging stations back on
Electrify America shut down most of its high-power charging stations across the U.S. after it uncovered a problem with a charging cable. The cable supplier put the cable through extensive tests and found no additional problems, so Electrify America's network of charging stations is once again operational.
Jaguar is creating a language so autonomous cars can talk to pedestrians
Jaguar wants to teach autonomous cars how to talk to pedestrians. After testing creepy eyes, it has switched to a technology which beams light bars on the ground that move to signal the car is stopping, turning, or accelerating. Communication is key to make autonomous cars safe, but standardization is also important.
The Tesla Model S reports for police cruiser duty in California
The police department in Fremont, California, will soon add a 2014 Tesla Model S 85 to its fleet as part of a pilot program. The agency worked with suppliers to install equipment like a light bar, a prisoner partition, and a push bumper. Police officers will test the Model S in real-world conditions during 2019.
2020 Lamborghini Huracán Evo review
The 2020 Lamborghini Huracán Evo looks a lot like its predecessor, but the changes turn it into a smarter, sharper, and more focused machine. It boasts a 640-horsepower, 5.2-liter V10 engine, a brand-new infotainment system, and chassis tech developed to read the driver's mind and predict the next move.
Apple sheds 200 employees from its mysterious self-driving car program
Apple has dismissed 200 employees from Project Titan, its self-driving car program. We don't know whether the workers who got moved or laid off were engineers, designers, or something else. Apple may never build a car, but a spokesperson for the company reaffirmed its commitment to autonomous technology.
Think trucks are basic? The 2020 GMC Sierra HD can see through a trailer
GMC released the new 2020 Sierra 2500 HD and Sierra 3500 HD. Both trucks are considerably more high-tech than their predecessors, and the new features mostly benefit drivers who tow on a regular basis. Power comes from a 6.6-liter turbodiesel engine rated at a mighty 910 pound-feet of torque.
2019 Lincoln Continental review
With the 2019 Continental, Lincoln is on a mission to rekindle ties with its glamorous past. The firm's flagship sedan is short on tech, but it's comfortable, spacious, and smooth -- just like a Lincoln should be. And, with the 400-horsepower engine and all-wheel drive, it's seriously quick off the line.
If Batman became a race car driver, he’d hit the track in the Vuhl 05RR
Mexican sports car Vuhl revealed the hardcore 05RR, a roadster that blurs the line between a track car and a street-legal car. The 05RR stands out with a design that looks right out of a video game, and it packs a Ford-sourced turbo four rated at 385 hp. That's plenty in a car that weighs just 1,450 pounds.
Tesla cuts workforce by 7 percent, ends referral program to trim costs
Tesla has announced plans to trim its workforce by seven percent, and will end the referral program that rewards customers who help it sell cars. These measures are ways to cut costs and boost profits. The company needs to sustainably and profitably build the long-promised $35,000 version of the Model 3.
Sibling rivalry: 2019 BMW Z4 takes on the 2020 Toyota Supra
BMW and Toyota formed an unlikely partnership to develop a sports car platform. BMW's variant made its debut as the Z4; Toyota used the architecture to build the fifth-gen Supra. Here, we're looking at performance, design, tech, and pricing to spot the differences and the similarities between the two.
Big tech, bigger grille: BMW updates its 7 Series flagship for 2020
The BMW 7 Series will enter the 2020 model year with a host of updates inside, outside, and under the sheet metal. The new-look nose with a jumbo grille hides updated engines, while passengers benefit from smart tech features like connected navigation and BMW's personal assistant. Pricing hasn't been announced yet.
Muscle cars, trucks, and EVs roared into the subdued 2019 Detroit Auto Show
The 2019 Detroit Auto Show was the quietest edition of the event in recent memory, but that doesn't mean nothing significant happened inside the Cobo Center. From V8-powered, 700-horsepower muscle cars to futuristic electric concepts, here are the new production cars and concepts we saw during the event.
Some of Volkswagen’s electric models will wear a ‘Made in the USA’ label
Confirming rumors, Volkswagen has announced it will build electric cars in its Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory. The facility currently produces the Passat and the Atlas. Scott Keogh, president of Volkswagen's American division, told Digital Trends that electric car production will begin around 2023.
Self-driving, electric, and connected, the cars of CES 2019 hint at the future
Car companies remained surprisingly quiet during CES 2018. But they spoke up in 2019. From EVs you can buy this year to super-futuristic mood-detecting technology, here are the major announcements from the event. Autonomy and electrification reign supreme, but the show put a huge focus on connectivity.
Humans will accompany autonomous shuttles as they take over our cities
Autonomous shuttles could become the first widespread, real-world application of level-five autonomous technology. They won't be entirely human-less, though. Mike Mansuetti, the head of Bosch's North American division, predicts, human intervention could keep the shuttles safe and boost consumer acceptance.
Rocket technology will allow the 2020 Tesla Roadster to hover above the road
Tesla has started developing the second-generation Roadster. Due out in 2020, the model will be developed entirely in-house, and it will boast a jaw-dropping specifications sheet. It will take 1.9 seconds to reach 60 mph from a stop, and rocket technology will allow the Roadster to hover above the road.
Bosch cautiously moving full-speed ahead with self-driving car tech
The automotive industry's brightest minds are working on making self-driving cars a reality in the not-too-distant future. Digital Trends talked to Kay Stepper, one of Bosch's self-driving car experts, during CES 2019 to gain insight on how the technology is progressing, and which direction it's going in.
Nissan turns the electric Leaf into a hot hatch with supercar-like acceleration
The Nissan Leaf isn't what comes to mind when you think of a performance car. Nismo -- Nissan's racing arm -- wants to change that. It used Leaf parts to create a track-only electric hot hatch called the Leaf Nismo RC that boasts AWD and twin electric motors. Six examples will tour the world in the coming months.
Bosch’s smart mobility division chief on connecting the world, 5G, and more
German supplier Bosch has entered the race to connect the world. The company established a stand-alone division to champion its efforts in connectivity, and we sat down with its chief digital officer on the sidelines of CES 2019 to talk about tech trends like 5G, vehicle-to-anything communication, and IoT.