Volvo testing new safety features

Volvo outlined three new technologies that it says will help make the Volvos of the future a good deal safer: autonomous driving, “Intersection Support” and animal detection. Volvo says it's tailoring technologies to the way people drive, by which it means poorly. The company claims that “surveys from three different research institutes in the United States reveal that modern drivers spend 25 to 30 percent of their time behind the wheel doing other things, such as focusing on mobile communication.” Volvo's new technologies are said take this into account and “provide the driver with the right support at all times.” By using a camera and radar, future Volvos will be able to follow the car in front while driving in slow traffic using an autonomous-driving function.

Hyundai i10 Electric introduced

The all electric Hyundai i10 will show at Frankfurt (click for bigger image) This is a bit of a surprise from Hyundai, as they’d always said they would concentrate on hybrids until hydrogen fuel cell technology was advanced enough to make it viable in a budget car. But Hyundai are being pragmatic. There is a desire from the public for all electric cars – however misplaced that may be – and Hyundai aren’t going to be left out.

Jaguar F-Type production threatened by unions

Jaguar F-Type Production plans thwarted by unions Jaguar is attempting to up production at Castle Bromwich to deal with the new F-Type, but unions reject the deal. Just last week we had news that Jaguar are to invest £200 million in to their Castle Bromwich plant ahead of production starting on the new F-Type. As part of the Jaguar Land Rover plan to get Jaguar F-Types flying out of showrooms in the same way Range Rover Evoques do, Jaguar had brokered a deal with unions on working practices at Castle Browmwich to make sure they can cope with demand when the F-Type goes on sale.