BMW Plans to Step into the World of Autonomous Cars

It’s been a century that BMW, the German automaker is building the ultimate driving machines. Now the company wants to meet the future, where its customers will only be the passenger and the car will do the driving itself. Nothing to be surprised about as Google, Apple, and Tesla, all are working on their own autonomous car projects. So, the company doesn’t want to stick only to its high-tech futuristic helmet. Days before its 100th birthday, company’s R&D board member unveiled plans for a completely reshaped company, with half of the R&D staff as computer programmers.

“For me it is a core competence to have the most intelligent car,” said Klaus Froehlich in an interview with Reuters at the Geneva auto show. “Our task is to preserve our business model without surrendering it to an internet player. Otherwise we will end up as the Foxconn for a company like Apple, delivering only the metal bodies for them.”

BMW needs to strike deals with a new network of suppliers, most of them should be from outside the traditional automotive industry. Only 20 percent of its 30,000 employees are software engineers, which means contractors and suppliers’ staff are working on research and development for BMW.

“We have some catching up to do in the area of machine learning and artificial intelligence,” Froehlich said. “If I need to get to a ratio of 50:50 within five years, I need to get manpower equivalent to another 15,000 to 20,000 people from partnerships with suppliers and elsewhere.”  He also mentioned that schools in Germany are not producing sufficient tech engineers for BMW.

In that case, BMW is looking to outward partnerships to fill the gaps, including working with cloud computing and storage outfits to help conduct its autonomous vehicle initiative. Also the company is planning to license out its drivetrains for electric and hybrid vehicles, technology made by its own engineers. It’s a great move to reimburse those heavy R&D costs.

BMW plans for its future with intelligent, autonomous cars

It seems BMW is having a few concerns about getting left behind when it comes to the rising trend of all-electric vehicles and autonomous driving features. The German car manufacturer now has specific goals to strengthen its research and development team with engineers familiar with artificial intelligence and software development. The source of this motivation is no doubt a fear of increased competition from the likes of Apple, Tesla, Google, and other Silicon Valley newcomers with automotive aspirations.

In an interview with Reuters at the Geneva Motor Show, BMW exec Klaus Froehlich explained that the company must work to protect its business model, or else risk losing out to "an internet player." He even used a great analogy referencing Apple and the smartphone market: "Otherwise we will end up as the Foxconn for a company like Apple, delivering only the metal bodies for them."

So, BMW is feeling concerned about the future of its business, what's it going to do to evolve? "For me it is a core competence to have the most intelligent car," Froehlich said.

Over the next five years, the changes to R&D will involve moving from only 20% of the team's 30,000 employees being familiar with software up to half. BMW recognizes that it won't be able to directly hire all these new employees, so that means looking for partners with knowledge in autonomous driving, cloud computing, and programming.

This is where those recent reports about Apple and BMW having talks about possibly collaborating on the former's mysterious "Project Titan" automotive project come to mind. While the two companies were said to have been nowhere near an agreement, it at least helps paint the picture of BMW's situation and what they're aiming for.

2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e M Sport review

Half and halves can be an awesome assessment wheeze in case you're an organization auto driver. Take this new BMW X5 xDrive40e as a case; in the event that you purchase one rather than a diesel X5 30d, you'll more than split your organization auto charge bill, to only 13%. 2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e M Sport review

This is a module cross breed, as well, so following a three-to four-hour charge - relying upon whether you're utilizing a local attachment or a legitimate charging station – the 9.0kWh battery self discipline the engine for up to 19 miles of quiet running. That makes the school run extensively less expensive. 

2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e M

What's the catch? All things considered, BMW claims up to 85.6mpg for the 40e, yet just somebody wearing a protective outer layer with an obscure machine that goes "ping" will enroll that figure. Likewise, batteries are overwhelming and can limit the driving knowledge, and they make bundling issues – the 40e has a littler, 500-liter, boot and just five seats as opposed to the alternative of seven. 

So is it worth paying the £2500 premium for the 40e, or would it be a good idea for you to avoid any unnecessary risk and go for the 30d? 

What's it like 2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e M Sport review?: 

Switch the ignition on and the 40e defaults to its Auto eDrive mode, which tries to utilize the electric engine however much as could be expected and connects with the 2.0-liter petrol just when important. It does the standard electric thing of giving a lot of moment torque, while whisking you along in uncanny hush as you stroll around town. You must be sensible with the quickening agent pedal, however, and keep your rate underneath 44mph, generally the motor will fire. 

When it does, it cuts in easily and makes the 40e conveniently snappy, coordinating the 30d for through and through increasing speed and feeling livelier because of the motor's enthusiasm to rev. It hasn't got entirely as much torque as the 30d, yet the double power sources spread what it has over a more extensive territory, and with more top-end power you don't spend long in the risk zone when overwhelming. 

In the event that you have enough charge you can change it to the Max eDrive mode, which keeps running on electric force up to 75mph. However, in the event that you do that speed you'll get no place close to the gathered 19-mile range - and, shock, 85.6mpg joined isn't feasible, either; on our trek to North Wales we couldn't get substantially more than 25mpg, notwithstanding when we were being sensible. 

2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e M Sport review

On staggering Welsh streets the 40e served up some run of the mill X5 dynamic extremes. Our M Sport model on versatile dampers offered incredible body control for a 2.3-ton auto, joyfully opposing parallel g-powers and dousing up mid-corner knocks. 

Tragically, the directing's poor weighting and the front wheels' inclination to tramlining incites doubt, which, consolidated with the grabby regenerative impact from the brakes, makes you hesitant to utilize the majority of the skeleton's qualities. 

It's a story of two parts inside, as well. The lodge's magnificently made and difficult to blame ergonomically, however now and again the ride gets entirely occupied, while wind and street commotion at pace decrease its adequacy to cosset over long separations. 

Should I purchase one?: 

You have to do the entireties to check whether the 40e will give you any payback over a 30d however essentially, in case you're not an organization auto client and invest a large portion of the energy in the motorway, odds are it's not for you. 

As a bundle, the X5 40e is extraordinary from numerous points of view, however its shortcomings keep it from being the programmed decision. The more useful Volvo XC90 T8 is unquestionably worth considering too, and in case you're in the business sector for either, pay special mind to our imminent gathering test when we'll maintain absolutely which is best. 

BMW X5 xDrive40e M Sport 

Area Wales; at a bargain now; Price £56,705; Engine 4 cyls, 1997cc, turbocharged petrol and electric engine; Power 309bhp at 5000-6000rpm; Torque 332lb ft at 1250-4800; Gearbox 8-spd programmed; Kerb weight 2305 kg; 0-62mph 6.8sec; Top rate 130mph; Economy 85.6mpg (consolidated); CO2/charge band 77g/km, 13%

Feds Approve BMW Driverless Self-Parking System

One immediate beneficiary of this week’s announcement by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx that the feds would pony up a proposed $4 billion and otherwise grease the wheels to allow quicker adoption of autonomous driving technology is BMW.

That’s because the National Traffic Safety Administration said it would allow the automaker to bring its novel self-parking system offered in the redesigned-for-2016 7 Series to the U.S.

Here, after shutting off and exiting the vehicle, an owner uses the key fob, which packs a tiny video screen, to remotely pull the flagship sedan into a garage or a very narrow parking space on a fully automated basis and back it out later. The idea is that it precludes having to contort oneself into or out of the car with only minimal room for the doors to open. The feature had been banned here because of a federal safety regulation originally intended to prevent unintended acceleration that requires U.S. drivers to physically hold down a car’s brake pedal in order to shift it out of park. Other self-parking systems require the driver to physically shift gears and modulate the brake pedal.

Still, BMW’s latest system has a way to go before it can pull the car up to an owner’s front door upon command. As it stands, the driver has to leave the 7 Series straight and centered in front of the parking space or garage. Movements are monitored and modulated via a series of sensors, though the driver can bring the vehicle to a controlled stop if necessary should things not go 100% as planned.

BMW successfully petitioned the agency to make an exception to the rule as part of its newfound efforts to change existing rules – some of which have been on the books for over half a century – to help advance the development and adoption of self-driving cars. “In 2016, we are going to do everything we can to promote safe, smart and sustainable vehicles,” Foxx stated earlier this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. “We are bullish on automated vehicles.”

First Look at BMW i8 Spyder Self-Driving Concept Car

BMW has lots of ideas for the future. And most involve its i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. The latest idea is called the BMW i Vision Future Interaction Concept Car, which shows how you'll likely interact with self-driving BMW models in the future.

BMW new concept sports 3D gesture control and a self-driving mode

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, BMW AG unveiled a new concept dubbed the i Vision Future Interaction. Based on BMW’s i8 Concept Spyder that was shown at the Beijing Motor Show in 2012, the i Vision Future Interaction showcases some innovative new tech, including a new 3D gesture control system and different driving modes.

First off, there’s BMW’s new AirTouch gesture control system that allows the driver and front passenger to control the car’s navigation, entertainment, and connectivity functions with three-dimensional gestures made with a flat hand.

Using sensors installed in the instrument dashboard, AirTouch activates the motion recognition software on a large, 21-inch panorama display. The driver or front passenger can navigate the interface using basic hand gestures without the need to touch the display. Actions are confirmed via one of two concealed AirTouch buttons: one on the left rim of the steering wheel for the driver’s use and one located on the side sill in the passenger door. AirTouch also reduces the number of steps needed to perform any action by intuitively bringing up what it thinks the next step will be. For example, when activating the phone pad, the system automatically brings up contacts or call lists to the top select level so that a call can be made with just one further action.

Self-driving BMW

In addition to AirTouch, the i Vision Future Interaction boasts three driving modes: Pure Drive, Assist, and Auto.

In Pure Drive mode, the driver has full control over the car and all relevant information, such as speed, speed limits or navigation information, is shown on a heads-up display . In Assist Mode, the driver maintains full control as long as nothing goes wrong. Various driving aids will automatically kick in should the car detect an imminent and unavoidable collision with another vehicle or object in the road.

Auto Mode essentially turns the i Vision Future Interaction into a self-driving car, able to get from A to B without any input from the driver. With Auto Mode activated, the car’s steering wheel turns blue (lest you forget its driving itself) and moves forward a few inches, and the seats readjust themselves to become less supportive and allow the driver more room to move. A system alert, issued at least five to seven seconds in advance, will inform the driver should he need to take over control of the car.

Both AirTouch and the self-driving technology will make an appearance on production BMWs in the coming years.