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Weekly Recap: Autonomous driving goes commercial in Nevada

Nevada granted Daimler Trucks North America the first license to run an autonomous commercial vehicle on public roads in the United States Tuesday, marking another milestone in the technology's rapid advancement. Gov. Brian Sandoval and Daimler truck chief Wolfgang Bernhard promptly used the license to lap Highway 15 near Las Vegas in a newly revealed Freightliner Inspiration Truck. It was a clear signal that autonomous driving is big-rig reality, though it's still a long way from widespread use. Nevada certified two of Daimler's Freightliner Inspiration Trucks, which use the company's Highway Pilot system with a stereo camera, radar, and lane-keeping collision-prevention features to regulate the brakes and steering. The radar component has a long-range sensor that can cover 820 feet at an 18-degree angle and a shorter-range unit that stretches 230 feet at a 130-degree angle. The Inspiration trucks are based on the existing Freightliner Cascadia Evolution model used on US roads. In addition to the autonomous technologies, it also has futuristic design cues, including blue lighting in the front and a new hood and grille. While there are only two Freightliner Inspiration trucks in existence, Daimler expects to bring the Highway Pilot system into mass-produced big rigs by 2025, in time to capitalize on the market's predicted growth. The German truckmaker predicts the global hauling market will triple by 2050, and the United States will be a key part of that growth. Trucks carry 69.1 percent the nation's domestic freight tonnage and hauled 9.7 billion tons of freight in 2013, according to the American Trucking Association. Daimler expects autonomous driving to augment this growth, and perhaps evolve the role of the truck driver. Still, the company points out autonomous tech is not meant to replace drivers, but to assist them and relieve fatigue and monotony on long hauls. The driver has to stay in control for passing, in city traffic, and when hooking up the trailer. The company said autonomous driving also offers the potential for improved fuel economy – tests showed a five-percent gain – and lower maintenance costs. Daimler also said the technology could reduce congestion on the road. Much of this is attributable to the constant flow of traffic, which is aided by autonomous driving. While the benefits are becoming increasingly apparent, autonomous technology is still met with skepticism.

Lamborghini Huracan replacement reportedly gets twin-turbo V8

Lamborghini is planning on electrifying its entire lineup by the end of the 2020s. One of the hybrid models in the pipeline is a supercar that will replace the popular Huracan. Its name hasn't been revealed yet, but an unverified report allegedly outlines what it will be powered by. Without citing sources, Motor Trend wrote that the Huracan's successor will downsize from a naturally-aspirated V10 to a twin-turbocharged V8. If true, that's a big deal: Lamborghini has proudly eschewed forced induction for its line of supercars, and the only turbocharged member of its lineup is the Urus SUV. The eight-cylinder will reportedly be related to the unit that powers the Urus, but the two engines won't be identical. Motor Trend learned that the turbos will be programmed to spool up between 7,000 and 10,000 rpm, which is high in the rev range. An electric motor installed between the V8 and the transmission will add a hybrid component to the drivetrain, though figures such as horsepower and torque haven't been published. An earlier report pegs the total output at 850 horsepower, but it's not official. We also don't know if the car will be a standard hybrid or if it will get a plug-in system, and whether it will use mechanical or through-the-road all-wheel-drive. Motor Trend believes that the model will be longer than the Huracan to accommodate the electrified parts of the powertrain, however, and we're curious to find out how Lamborghini will offset the hybrid system's mass. The battery pack and the motor will inevitably add weight. Lamborghini hasn't commented on the rumor, and it hasn't revealed what will power the Huracan's successor. In fact, it's not done with the Huracan: the final road-going version of the car is due out by the end of 2022 as a hot-rodded off-roader (we're not kidding!) called Sterrato. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lamborghini plans to release four new models in 2022

Lamborghini set an all-time delivery record in 2021, and almost all of its production capacity for 2022 is already spoken for. It plans to keep the momentum going by releasing four new models in 2022, according to a recent report, including updated variants of its best-sellers. Speaking to British magazine Car, Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann revealed that 2022 will be the last year that the firm launches only cars powered exclusively by an internal combustion engine; everything that comes after will be either a hybrid or electric. We're not there yet, though, and Lamborghini has a few exciting non-electrified products in its pipeline. We'll see two evolutions of the Huracan, the executive confirmed, and we're guessing that one is the rally-inspired model that our spies have spotted testing in the snowy parts of Europe. It looks like the V10-powered coupe will draw inspiration from the Sterrato concept (pictured) that made its debut in June 2019. At the other end of the Raging Bull spectrum, the hot-selling Urus will receive its first major update since its unveiling in 2017. What's intriguing is that Winkelmann said that "the facelift will be split in two." Could one be the hybrid model that's in the works? Time will tell. Those are the four new models that Lamborghini will unveil in 2022 — unless the company has other surprises up its sleeve. Enthusiasts waiting for the Aventador's successor will need to be patient because it's not due out until 2023, according to the same report. When it lands, it will pack a plug-in hybrid powertrain built around a new naturally-aspirated V12 engine. Separate reports claim that the model will be its own thing; it won't borrow styling cues from the Sian introduced in 2019 or from the sold-out born-again Countach presented in 2021. "And then, in 2024, we will have the Urus and the Huracan follow-ups, [and they'll be] plug-in hybrid cars," Winkelmann said. He stopped short of telling Car which engine will power the Huracan's replacement, but the publication speculates that the model will ditch the sonorous V10 and downsize to a V8. Interestingly, the eight-cylinder will reportedly be developed in-house. It will feature a 10,000-rpm redline and it will be capable of burning synthetic fuel. Unverified reports claim that the hybrid system's total output will lie in the vicinity of 850 horsepower.