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Audi, BMW, Daimler buy Nokia's Here digital mapping business

The fight for control of Nokia's Here digital mapping service appears to have drawn to a close as a consortium of German automakers has announced a deal to jointly acquire the business from the Finnish telecom giant. As anticipated, ownership in Here will now be taken over jointly by Audi, BMW, and Daimler, beating out reported rivals bids from the likes of Apple and Uber. Here is one of the largest and most advanced digital mapping and location systems. It started out in Chicago in 1986 as Navteq before Nokia acquired it in 2007, and is now slated to change ownership again. The cloud-based service maintains high-definition digital maps for nearly 200 countries and supports over 50 languages, gathering data from users to update the data continuously. Rather than transition the service into their own proprietary technology, however, the automakers insist that it will remain open "to all customers from the automotive industry and other sectors." Ownership will be shared equally between the three companies, with "none of them seek[ing] to acquire a majority interest" in Here. For another, Here's management is promised to remain independent, and "the consortium will not interfere into operational business." Though the purchase price has not been disclosed, it is rumored to be worth in the neighborhood of $2.7 billion. Assuming it passes regulatory approval, the acquisition is slated to be completed in the first quarter of next year. The German automakers anticipate implementing the service to provide connected vehicles with accurate, up-to-date information on road and other conditions. Examples it outlines include warning other drivers of icy conditions based on outside temperature and ABS activation. It could also warn drivers of impending traffic jams, or even guide traffic through green lights in an urban environment. In the future, the highly detailed maps are envisioned to enable fully automated driving as well. Related Video: AUDI AG, BMW Group and Daimler AG agree with Nokia Corporation on joint acquisition of HERE digital mapping business Ingolstadt, Munich, Stuttgart, Aug 03, 2015 - Acquisition will secure and strengthen HERE as an independent company serving customers from all industries - Real-time maps and location based services will be the basis for the mobility of tomorrow - Transaction expected to close in first quarter 2016 Ingolstadt, Munich, Stuttgart – August 3rd, 2015.

Mercedes Pullman limo, C-Class Hybrid coming to Geneva

Mercedes-Benz is preparing to show the pinnacles of its engineering and luxury prowess at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show in March. Towering in physical size among these new vehicles is the long-awaited debut of the S-Class Pullman, according to Reuters. If you think the nearly $200,000 Mercedes-Maybach S600 (pictured above) is the ultimate in opulence available on Mercedes' flagship sedan, think again. The Pullman is the true top dog at a rumored 21-feet long and at a price of around $1 million for the armored version. Earlier patent photos suggest what this behemoth might look like. The driver reportedly sits in a partitioned cabin up front, and the plutocratic passengers are nestled in two facing rows of seats in the rest of the extremely long body. It's possible that Mercedes might not even build the Pullman in-house and leave the duty up to Brabus. However, there's also a rumor that the massive model might not be offered in the US. According to Reuters, the German company is also proving that it can be green by displaying the C-Class Plug-in Hybrid in Geneva. If Mercedes' display of luxury and efficiency don't strike your fancy, then the automaker is bringing some performance with its future Mercedes-AMG GT GT3 racer to the Swiss show.

Land Cruiser, electric off-roaders and more Toyota hybrids | Autoblog Podcast #793

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer for a jam-packed news discussion that starts with an inside look at last week's Toyota Land Cruiser reveal in Salt Lake City. The two go on to talk about the possibility of a future electric FJ Cruiser, an electric baby Land Rover Defender, a theoretical Toyota Corolla-based pickup, the death of the Nissan Titan and the chance that Mercedes-AMG could go back to V8s in the C 63 S and future E-Class AMG models. After news, Zac talks about his time with the long-term 2023 Toyota Sienna and Greg chats about the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max Platinum. After that, they spend your money. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #793 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown News2024 Toyota Land Cruiser from the ground Electric FJ Cruiser possibilities Electric baby Land Rover Defender Toyota Corolla-based pickup Nissan Titan is dead Mercedes-AMG could go back to V8s What we're driving 2023 Toyota Sienna Platinum 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max Platinum Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.