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Aurora, Volvo partner on self-driving heavy trucks

Global heavy truck manufacturers are lining up technology partners to help build out self-driving systems for long-haul freight that could see widespread commercial service well before self-driving robotaxis. The latest alliance was announced Tuesday between Sweden's Volvo Group and California-based Aurora Innovation, building on a working relationship that dates back several years, the partners said. Analysts expect more such partnerships, as relatively young technology firms such as Aurora connect their autonomous vehicle systems knowledge with the deep manufacturing experience of legacy companies such as Volvo Trucks. “You can't go at it alone in autonomy," said Grayson Brulte, president consultancy Brulte & Company. "The trucking industry is a completely different personality" than the passenger vehicle business, with different requirements. Most of the larger truck manufacturers have turned to self-driving tech partners, driven in part by a chronic shortage of drivers and a boom in e-commerce, fueled by the global pandemic. In January, Aurora announced a strategic partnership with U.S. truckmaker PACCAR, whose brands include Peterbilt and Kenworth. Aurora's founders include self-driving veterans from Tesla and Alphabet's Waymo. Aurora last year said its first commercial product would be in trucking "where the market is largest (and) the unit economics are best." In 2020, Waymo Chief Executive John Krafcik told Reuters that "goods delivery is a bigger market than moving people" as Waymo expanded its focus to include heavy trucks. Germany's Daimler has formed a self-driving truck alliance with Waymo, while China's largest heavy truck maker, FAW Jiefang, has partnered with Plus AI. Volkswagen's Traton truck group is an investor in TuSimple, as is U.S. truckmaker Navistar. In a January earnings call, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said the long-delayed Semi electric truck is highly likely to be the first of the company's vehicles to achieve full self-driving capability. Green Volvo Truck Autonomous Vehicles Commercial Vehicles volvo trucks Aurora

2023 Volvo XC60 Review: Get the Recharge plug-in hybrid

Pros: Elegant styling and beautiful cabin; excellent plug-in hybrid option; solid value Cons: Middling handling; pricey and strange Polestar performance model The 2023 Volvo XC60 is the bread-and-butter SUV for Volvo since it’s in the very popular compact luxury segment. Thankfully for Volvo, the XC60 is a good, solidly competitive offering and one of our top-recommended choices in that segment. The most enticing part about the XC60 is its superb plug-in hybrid “Recharge” option. With 36 miles of range, a very strong electric motor and tons of power on tap from the gasoline engine, thereÂ’s no luxury compact SUV plug-in hybrid weÂ’d rather have. Of course, many of the XC60Â’s other elements are what make it so desirable. The 2022 update to revamp the vehicleÂ’s infotainment system give it a top-notch suite of tech offerings. ItÂ’s practically impossible to find the exterior styling offensive. Plus, who doesnÂ’t love an elegant Swedish-style interior? You can even get wool upholstery! One of our editors loved the XC60 so much that he actually bought one, so thereÂ’s a true endorsement coming straight from our wallets. Compared to other compact luxury SUVs, the XC60 wonÂ’t carve corners as well as a BMW X3 or Mercedes-Benz GLC. Plus, the Polestar Engineered performance model is a tad questionable considering it doesnÂ’t provide extra power and has manually adjustable dampers — yeah, you have to go twist the knob yourself. Those arenÂ’t exactly dealbreakers, though, and given the spacious back seat and cargo room, comfortable driving characteristics and excellent fuel efficiency, the stylish XC60 is an impossible-to-overlook option. Interior & Technology   |   Passenger & Cargo Space   |   Performance & Fuel Economy What it's like to drive   |   Pricing & Trim Levels   |   Crash Ratings & Safety Features What's new for 2023? For 2023, Volvo revamps its trim naming structure. Instead of the familiar Momentum, R-Design and Inscription options, buyers are now faced with Core, Plus and Ultimate. Additionally, the number of options packages are reduced and bundled together. The more important updates happened last year for the 2022 model where Volvo completely revamped the powertrain options, adding a mild-hybrid assist to the B5 and B6 models and providing big upgrades to the Recharge plug-in hybrid. You can read about these changes to the Recharge in our first drive story from 2022.

Volvo launches next-gen Sensus Connect infotainment system [w/videos]

To borrow a line from another automaker, the Volvo S60 has the power to surprise - it's likely not top of mind for most entry-level luxury sedan buyers, but it's good enough that it probably should be. There's long been one pretty serious chink in its armor, though, and that goes for the company's entire model line: infotainment. The Swedish marque's offerings just haven't been that feature-rich, but Volvo is working to improve things with its updated Sensus Connect, a suite of functions just launched at this week's CES in Las Vegas.
The new system updates center on cloud-based connectivity advancements that include a novel Park&Pay feature that allows drivers to search for parking and pay for their space from the comfort of their car. Other functions that show off the diversity of Sensus Connect include embedded, Pandora-streaming internet radio, Wikipedia, remote start via smart phone, dealer appointment booking, destination attraction searches and an available wifi hotspot.
All of this increased functionality sounds like a big step in the right direction, and Volvo is noting it has refreshed the system's interface with "graphically themed center and driver displays" along with improved voice control and text-to-speech capabilities.