VW and its brands embrace Tesla’s NACS for EV charging

Photo: Volkswagen

Volkswagen and its subsidiaries Audi, Porsche, and Scout Motors are joining the growing list of automakers that support Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) for electric vehicles (EVs). Starting in 2025, their EVs will be compatible with both Tesla’s Supercharger network, which has over 15,000 stations, and Electrify America and Canada’s 3,800 DC fast charging outlets. They are also exploring ways to retrofit existing models with NACS adapters.

Tesla’s charging solution is becoming the dominant choice for EVs in North America, as GM, Volvo, Polestar, Mercedes, Honda, BMW, Lucid, and others have also committed to using the NACS soon. ChargePoint and Electrify America are also adding NACS connectors to their EV charging stations by 2025.

Source

Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone will find and unlock new cars from Audi, BMW, Ford, and Genesis

One of the more exciting functionality announcement from Samsung's Galaxy S21 line of smartphones is that they will be able to use Ultra Wide Band Bluetooth to find and unlock new vehicles from Audi, BMW, Ford and Genesis. Samsung is expanding its ecosystem by partnering with carmakers to add the convenience so smartphone owners can access and unlock upcoming vehicles.

“With precise distance calculation, Samsung’s UWB-enabled digital key sends short pulses between the mobile device and the paired car, unlocking the door once you reach it,” Samsung explained. “Without UWB, users will be able to use their compatible smartphones as a car key through NFC.” Models like the Galaxy S21 Plus, Galaxy S21 Ultra, and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra support UWB for finer and more accurate location tracking. Turning smartphones into digital key fobs can be very convenient since car owners can possibly share access to their vehicles without turning over their real keys. The feature is expected to roll out later this year pending some standardization.

Source: XDA Developers

Audi's new digital OLED lights can display warnings to drivers

Audi's newest digital OLED lights might change how automakers use headlights and taillights in their vehicles. At the very least, it might change Audi's lineup. With digital OLED, the German automaker can customize its lighting designs. The varied lighting designs are possible by "dividing the OLED light sources into a much greater number of individually energized segments." We get over 50 segments that can be activated as needed with their brightness continuously adjusted. In comparison, the current OLED lights only have four segments. 

This technology would allow their lights to display everything from signals, symbols, and even messages instead of merely acting as brake lights or turn signals. Symbols can be used to warn other drivers and road users about upcoming hazards. The warnings are available in multiple forms like angled and horizontal lines as well as triangle-shaped warning signs. With these digital OLED lights at 1mm thick, they're the "perfect technology for executing a highly precise and versatile form of customizable lighting design." Audi hasn't specified which one of their vehicles will get digital OLED lights first. But expect it soon as the company plans to showcase it next month at the International Symposium on Automotive Lighting.

Source: Auto Industriya

Audi teases AI:me self-driving city car concept

Volkswagen isn’t the only one with a self-driving concept that will be debuted at the Shanghai Motor Show. Audi will be showing off the AI:me. The car maker teased a sketch of the car and describes it as a “vision of an automated driving compact car for the megacities of tomorrow.”

Click to read more ...