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| Plans for Zoom, TikTok in cars raise safety questions |
For businesses, Zoom rapidly became the blessing and the bane of the pandemic as companies pivoted to conducting hours of daily meetings virtually. It kept operations going, but there was no escape.
Automakers noticed, and now they are bringing the office into the car by making Zoom available on dashboard screens.
Both Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Group are now integrating third-party video apps including Zoom and TikTok into their vehicle infotainment systems but with safety precautions that the automakers say will prevent distracted driving.
“There is a demand from our customers that they would like to use conferencing tools” in the car, said Alexander Schoenhals, a Mercedes-Benz engineer who worked on the third-party app integrations.
German brands are scrambling to compete with U.S. luxury leader Tesla, which announced in December that an over-the-air software update would add Zoom conferencing using a camera and microphone in the car.
Safety advocates are questioning the logic behind these integrations.
With traffic fatalities at a 16-year high, they are concerned that putting these types of apps in cars sends the wrong message about driver distraction.
— Molly Boigon
What you need to know
Near the U.S. border, Aurora teaches self-driving trucks to navigate checkpoints: Company working in Texas on first-of-its-kind project with U.S. Border Patrol.
Nikola, once the ‘Tesla of trucking,’ sells stock at discount: Roughly 90 million shares were sold at a 20 percent discount.
Ram targets 500-mile range on electric 1500 REV pickup: The truck, due out in late 2024, will offer a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.4 seconds and the ability to tow 14,000 pounds.
Roundup
With a nod to EVs, Waymo retires self-driving Pacifica hybrid minivans and plans more Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles.
Sila says range-boosting battery technology is ready for mass EV production.
China has rolled out more public EV charging facilities than the rest of the world combined. The problem is many are barely being used.
Microvast Holdings will invest $504 million in the creation of a polyaramid separator plant in Hopkinsville, Ky.
U.S. approves California plan requiring half of heavy-duty trucks to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035.
On the move
Lucid Motors layoffs are hitting across all levels of the electric vehicle startup, including its head of customer experience, Len Devanna, who announced his exit on social media.
“During my two-plus years with the company, I’ve had the pleasure of working with one of the most passionate and dedicated groups of people,” Devanna wrote Tuesday on Twitter. “Together, we took a company public, brought the world’s best EV to market and shattered every record for efficiency, performance and innovation.”
Brain food
Battery component and critical mineral sourcing requirements in the Inflation Reduction Act’s consumer tax credit for new electric vehicles will take effect later this month, the U.S. Treasury Department said. Related: Ford says all three of its EVs and plug-in hybrids will be eligible for the subsidy package.
Last mile
Walmart plans to have its network of electric vehicle charging stations for public use by 2030, to tap into growing adoption of EVs in the United States. The new fast-charging stations will be placed at thousands of Walmart and Sam’s Club stores, alongside nearly 1,300 it already operates as part of a deal with Electrify America, one of the country’s largest open public EV networks.