Tag Archives: handsfree

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Electric Range Rover Velar to introduce hands-free driving

JLR (previously Jaguar Land Rover) will introduce hands-free, eyes-on driving in 2025 with the launch of the primary mannequin on the brand new electrical EMA platform, understood to be the alternative for the Range Rover Velar.

Hands-free, eyes-on functionality, recognized within the trade as stage two-plus, is the ultimate step in the direction of autonomous driving, the place the automobile absolutely takes over. Currently solely the Ford Mustang Mach-E offers level two-plus within the UK, though BMW is poised to roll out the characteristic on new fashions such because the i5.

The functionality for better autonomy comes with JLR’s adoption of US tech specialist Nvidia’s Drive chip and software program mixture. The new Range Rover mannequin, to be in-built Halewood close to Liverpool, is the primary to make use of the brand new tech, a spokesperson instructed Autocar. They didn’t, nonetheless, affirm that this mannequin is the Velar.

Car makers consider hands-free functionality will grow to be more and more well-liked amongst prospects, with many keen to pay month-to-month for the comfort. Ford fees £17.99 a month for BlueCruise stage two-plus within the Mach-E, whereas BMW fees from £55 to obtain the hands-on improve Driving Assistant Plus.

JLR has additionally dedicated to providing level-three hands-off, eyes-off expertise sooner or later. Tom Stringer, product technique director, stated: “I think for the modern luxury customer, level three will be a really important part.” He added that it’s a “possibility” by the top of the last decade.

The first prototype for the electrical Velar was noticed testing just lately, forward of a reveal within the coming months.

A sibling to equally sized replacements for the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque, it is tipped to enter manufacturing as early as this 12 months, as the present mannequin approaches the pure finish of its life cycle, having been launched in 2017.

Details of the next-generation mannequin stay firmly below wraps, however clearly the corporate stays dedicated to the Velar’s extra overt road-going focus than the opposite fashions within the Land Rover line-up. 

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BMW to introduce hands-free driving in the UK next year

BMW has announced that it will offer hands-free driving capability in the UK on a variety of models starting next year.

Drivers will have the ability to take their hands off the steering wheel in all models of the new 5-series range including the electric i5, as well as in the BMW i7 large electric saloon and the iX electric SUV, according to Matt Bacon, head of product for BMW’s large models in the UK, in an interview with Autocar.

BMW is making use of new regulations in the UK that permit drivers to remove their hands from the wheel as long as they remain attentive to the road, also known as Level 2+ in the autonomy categorisation scale.

BMW is following in the footsteps of Ford, which is introducing its BlueCruise hands-free system on the Ford Mustang Mach E electric SUV in the UK.

Read more: Autocar drives ‘hands-off’ in UK with Ford BlueCruise

In the US, the system enabling this change is called Highway Assistant, and BMW is advocating for it to be renamed Motorway Assistant in the UK, according to Bacon.

The feature is part of Driving Assistant Professional, available in the new 5-series in addition to Tech Pack Plus, which includes adaptive cruise control and lane centering.

BMW has not yet determined whether the system will be available as a monthly subscription, as it is in the Ford Mustang Mach E, or as a one-time fee at the time of purchase. BMW stated that the additional cost is partly to cover the license fee for the higher definition mapping required for better car location.

The specific roads on which the system will function have not yet been finalized, although the minimum requirement is for them to be dual carriageways with a central divider. If you drive onto a qualifying road, the car will alert you. Ford has indicated that roads covered by BlueCruise will include the M25 and M40.

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2026 Bentley EV to Feature Hands-Off Driving Technology

Bentley’s CEO, Adrian Hallmark, has confirmed that the company’s first electric car, set to be released in 2026, will be equipped with hands-free driving capabilities.

The upcoming electric vehicle, to be revealed in 2025, will be built on the new Performance Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, which was developed in collaboration with Audi and Porsche. It will also utilize the Volkswagen Group’s 1.2 software, enabling hands-free driving.

Hallmark verified that Bentley will incorporate Mobileye’s SuperVision technology, which has recently been approved for use in the Porsche e-Macan. This technology utilizes 11 cameras, Mobileye’s EyeQ5 chip, and crowd-sourced high-definition maps to enable hands-off, eyes-on level two-plus autonomy.

Initially, the Bentley EV will offer partial hands-off driving on motorways and automated parking, with full autonomous capabilities to follow at a later stage, according to Hallmark’s statement to Autocar magazine.

Mobileye claims that SuperVision enables level three autonomy, allowing for hands-free and eyes-off driving on motorways.

The Bentley EV, along with the Porsche e-Macan and Audi Q6 E-tron, has experienced delays due to the sluggish development of the 1.2 software within the Volkswagen Group.

The final approval process for the 1.2 software, which is intended for premium vehicles within the group, is currently being overseen by Peter Bosch, former Bentley manufacturing head and current head of the Cariad software unit.

The PPE electric architecture, as stated by Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume, will allow for power outputs of up to 939bhp, revealing the potential performance that can be expected from the Bentley EV.

Hallmark has previously mentioned that the electric vehicle will be an incremental addition to the existing Bentley lineup. He expressed the company’s intention to not only introduce an EV but also to carve out a new segment in the market.

Bentley has announced its plans to launch five new electric cars within a span of five years, starting with the groundbreaking model in 2025.