Tesla’s second AI day is being held today, and you can watch it right here. Stay tuned for the livestream, which is embedded below, and is set to start at 9:15 p.m. EST (6:15 p.m. PST).
We know from previous tweets by CEO Elon Musk that Tesla’s AI team has been on tight deadlines, tasked with finishing new smart summon and autopark features before the end of the month. Announcements surrounding Autopilot may also be announced at the event.
The marquee update for the event will assuredly be the unveiling Optimus. First announced at the automaker’s AI Day 1 in 2021, the concept raised eyebrows for the unusual and seeming pie-in-the-sky nature of the idea.
Musk has since doubled down on the notion and promised that a prototype of the humanoid robot would be presented at this event. The product is intended to handle “dangerous, menial, or boring” tasks, according to the company.
Optimus is expected to stand at 5 ft 8-inches tall (1.75 m) and to tip the scales at 125 lbs (57 kg). The company claims it will be able to pick up 45 lbs (20.4 kg) with its hands. Musk said previously that a bipedal robot was ideal for a world created for human bodies.
According to a job listing on its website, Tesla was looking for programmers to work on the robot quite recently. In the posting, the automaker said that it planned to use “thousands of Humanoid Robots” in its production facilities.
The wider robotics community is, however, bracing itself for more Muskian antics. Nancy Cooke, a professor in human systems engineering at Arizona State University recently told Reuters that “If [Musk] just gets the robot to walk around… or he gets the robot to dance, that’s already been done. That’s not that impressive.”
Musk, a fan of showmanship, has already presented one version of the robot, which was simply a person in a robot costume. He has also previously shown off the supposedly unbreakable glass on the Cybertruck and launched the Tesla Roadster into space. Despite that, neither vehicle can actually be bought and neither has even gone into production. That may explain, then, why Musk wants the help of robots in Tesla factories.
This article includes renderings of an eighth-generation Toyota Celica created by independent designer Alexis Poncelet, who is neither related to nor endorsed by Toyota.
There might not be any space for a modern-day Celica to slot between the GR86 and the GR Supra sportscars in Toyota’s current lineup, but fans of the nameplate have been dreaming about a new generation for years. One of them is professional automotive designer Alexis Poncelet, who envisioned a new Celica, blessing it with the widebody treatment.
Alexis Poncelet works for Chinese automaker GAC, but creates some interesting projects in his free time, which he usually shares with his followers on Instagram. The latest example is the pictured Celica T250 – a project that has been sitting in his archives for a while. Lately, he decided to revisit it, adding with visual upgrades inspired by the Japanese tuner Esprit Suzuka.
The 3D model looks longer, wider and lower than any Toyota Celica from the past. It does however incorporate familiar features, including the greenhouse and the surfacing which looks like an evolution of the seventh-gen Celica (1999-2006).
The ultra-wide front and rear fenders are combined with a massive carbon-fiber splitter, extended side sills, and side-mounted exhaust tips. The rear end looks quite dark with Genesis-style horizontally-mounted LED taillights, a fixed rear wing and an equally large diffuser. As a bonus, Poncelet created a “Bosozoku” version of the digital concept, following the lines of the fictional character Wingo from the movie Cars.
The racecar-style Celica concept might never escape the digital world, but Toyota keeps on updating the trademark of the historic nameplate, giving us hope we might see a new version of this affordable sportscar some time in the future.
As Volvo is gearing up for the presentation of its new range-topping electric SUV on November 9, the Swedish carmaker is providing new details about the EX90, with the brand’s new CEO, Jim Rowan, explaining how the company decided on the name of the first car that will come out under his leadership.
Speaking to Autonews, Rowan said it was brand familiarity that prompted Volvo to stick with its alphanumeric nomenclature for the EX90, rather than making the switch to a new, wordy name, as was the company’s original plan under his predecessor Hakan Samuelsson.
“Different options are continually reviewed when it comes to the introduction of new models and many considerations need to be taken into account, particularly brand familiarity,” said Rowan. “We have reviewed all the associated factors and ultimately the EX90 marks a new iteration on our current nomenclature and is reflective of our transition toward a full-electric lineup by 2030.”
The brand only recently revealed that the followup to the XC90 will be called the EX90. Its former CEO had different plans for it, though. Hakan Samuelsson, who stepped down from his role in March this year, said as recently as June that the vehicle “will have a name, more like a [newborn] child” and last October he hinted that the name would start with a vowel.
Those comments, in addition to a patent application filed by Volvo for the name “Embla” led many to believe that the brand (which plans to become electric-only starting in 2025) would mark the EV transition signified by the EX90 with a more human name.
Despite that, dealers don’t seem too worried about the brand continuing on with the alphanumeric names. Garth Blumenthal, an American dealer, said that “EX90” is more understandable for consumers.
“People are used to seeing XC90, XC60, and so on,” said Blumenthal. “I feel that continuity is more important than trying to reinvent the wheel.”
A German dealer, meanwhile, was typically pragmatic. “The main thing is that the cars look good and work well,” he said. Just how the new naming conventions will work throughout the line remains to be seen. As AN points out, Volvo could run into legal trouble with Lexus, which uses the ES designation for a sedan, if it names its next-gen sedans the ES60 and ES90.
Regardless, Volvo will unveil the all-electric EX90, which it recently claimed would be its safest model ever, on November 9.
This is an illustration made by CarScoops’ artist Josh Byrnes based on the official design patents from Volvo believed to depict the EX90.
A major insurance company won’t pay for the repairs on a customer’s Tesla, leaving the owner with a damaged car after a no-fault accident and needing to fork out $2,100 to cover the cost. Apparently, non of the Tesla-approved body shops in the area will take Geico — the insurer that has denied the claim — customers as company is notorious for not covering the repair bills of Teslas.
The Lamborghini Urus has been replaced with the Urus S for the 2023 model year. The S uses an improved version of the V8 that powered the Urus Performante to set a record at Pikes Peak earlier this year, rated at 657 hp (666 PS) and taking 3.5 seconds to get to 62 mph (100 km/h). It’s still slower than the range-topping Performante though, but considerably cheaper too.
Porsche is going public and will see the VW Group sell 12.5 percent of the company’s non-voting shares. The automaker will be valued at €75.2 billion ($72.8 billion), with approximately €9.4 billion ($9.1 billion) raised. An apt figure of 911 million shares will be sold in Porsche, while half of the proceeds will go towards strengthening VW’s shift to electric vehicles.
Although most vehicles sold in the U.S. are fitted with Automatic Emergency Braking systems, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the systems struggle to perform in situations where injuries and fatalities are most likely to occur. Of particular note was the result of the T-bone and left-turning vehicle-crashing-into-the-path-of-oncoming-car scenarios, in which the tested systems failed to prevent accidents.
Tesla is set to unveil a working prototype of its Optimus humanoid robot later today, as the company hosts its AI Day in California. While we’ve already heard about the Tesla Bot last year (and seen a human dressed up as one), we’re hoping to see a functional prototype this time around. In a recent job listing for programmers on its official website, Tesla wrote that it plans to use “thousands of Humanoid Robots within our factories,” and no doubt many more companies and industries will be interested in the tech.
Citroen’s Oli concept is a new look at an affordable and sustainable electric pickup and is also the first product to debut the brand’s new logo. The Oli shares stylistic similarities with the Ami quadricycle but has some unique design quirks too. These include a vertical windshield, a short pickup bed, and suicide doors. The Citroen Oli might be a design study, but the French company says we should expect to see its “ideas, design details and interior advances represented in future production models.”
The new Tiago.ev may not look like much at first glance, but it’s a hugely important car for the Indian market. In entry-level XE trim, the small hatchback features a 19.2 kWh battery pack, which enables 155 miles (255 km) of range on the Modified Indian Driving Cycle (MIDC). A larger 24 kWh pack is offered on other trims for 194 miles (315 km) of range.
What Else Is Making The News
Apple Lowers iPhone 14 Production Targets
After slow demand for the company’s latest iPhone, Apple has reportedly scaled back on its production numbers. A report from Bloomberg says that as many as 6 million units have been canceled this year. It would appear that demand for the Pro models continues to be strong.
Mcdonald’s is releasing Happy Meals for an older generation, with each meal accompanied by a retro-inspired toy. “We’re taking one of the most nostalgic McDonald’s experiences and literally repackaging it in a new way that’s hyper-relevant for our adult fans,” McDonald’s chief marketing officer Tariq Hassan said in a statement.
While the world makes a transition toward electrified vehicles there’s another shift happening too. EV manufacturers often have a different take on how to sell to customers that are centered around online interactions. Now, a new survey suggests that almost three-quarters of the population would prefer to go to a dealership instead.
According to Automotive News, the survey was conducted by market research firm Escalent and its EVForward team. Its 2022 Dealer DeepDive report surveyed 1,289 people including 88 EV owners. It then divided those participants into multiple categories based on their personal likelihood of buying an EV.
Of those 1,289 people, 74 percent of them said that they would prefer to buy from a dealer. In terms of age demographics, that number shrinks as the customer’s age does but according to Escalent, the majority in every age range still wants to visit the dealer. The testing protocol involved in part debranding experiences and gauging customer reactions says K.C. Boyce of Escalent.
“So we de-badged or de-branded some of the experiences that these EV specialist automakers are using and we said, you know, what’s your reaction to this? Is this something that would be a net positive or a net negative?” Boyce said. “‘And a lot of the things that the EV specialist manufacturers are doing really are net negatives to customers.”
Included in that list of “unacceptable” features is “ordering a vehicle and waiting for delivery” which is somewhat understandable. Having to go through a third-party call center for a service inquiry is another bugaboo with some 71 percent of respondents saying it was unacceptable.
Surprisingly, 52 percent say that “vehicles purchased online” are “unacceptable”. That seems suspect considering how many new and legacy automakers are investing billions to make online shopping easier. Very little of the methodology or statistics from this survey have been left out of the report highlighted on Autonews.
Despite what seems to be an indication that people want dealers, manufacturers like Rivian, Tesla, and others continue to have no issue selling cars without them. So there’s tangible transparent evidence to suggest that more data is needed. We’ve reached out to Escalent for a copy of the survey results themselves to get a better idea of what we’re looking at.
Audi is inching closer to the launch of its new Q6 e-tron electric SUV, which will be available in both standard and more athletic Sportback body styles. But the real athlete of the Q6 lineup will be the RS Q6 e-tron, seen here busting some moves on Germany’s Nurburgring.
We’ve spotted the regular versions of Audi’s Q6 e-tron testing multiple times over the summer, but this is our first sighting of its hot RS sister since March. Like the more humble cars in the range, the RS will also be available with a practical square-back SUV body, as seen in these photos, or a sexier Sportback shell.
Both share the same hardware, of course, which means they run on the same PPE electric platform that you’ll find under Porsche’s upcoming electric Macan and the production version of the Audi A6 e-tron wagon the folks from Ingolstadt showed last year.
While entry-level Q6s will be offered with a choice of different power outputs, potentially including the A6 concept’s 469 hp (476 PS) dual-motor setup, the RS Q6 e-tron is going to need substantially more firepower to take on rivals like the Maserati Grecale Folgore, BMW iX M60, and its own Porsche Macan EV cousin. Given that the BMW makes 610 hp (620 PS), it’s possible Audi will drop in the RS e-tron GT coupe’s powertrain, which develops 590 hp (598 hp), but can be boosted to 637 hp (646 PS) for 2.5 seconds at a time.
The RS will also get some subtle styling tweaks to mark it out from more prosaic Q6s. This being an EV, those tweaks sadly won’t include the usual RS quad tailpipe setup, but bigger wheels, and bigger intakes seen in this car’s front bumper, plus multiple RS badges, will make it stand out. All Q6s will feature on-trend split-level headlights, however.
The Q6 e-tron – no relation to the Chinese-market ICE-powered Q6 – was originally slated for launch before the end of 2022, but we’ve heard rumors that the reveal might be pushed into 2023. Porsche has said separately that the Macan EV won’t now be launched until 2024. Either way, it seems likely that Audi will give us some time to digest the standard SUV before letting loose on the RS variant sometime towards the middle of 2023.
Image Credits: Andreas Mau/CarPix, S. Baldauf/SB-Medien for CarScoops
