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Taking a truly driverless ride in Waymo's Chrysler Pacifica

Today was a first for me: I drove in a fully autonomous vehicle on roads without anyone behind the wheel. They weren't public roads, but they did have intersections, other vehicles, pedestrian traffic, cyclists and more, and the car managed a fairly long route without any human intervention — and without any cause for concern on my part. I've done a lot of self-driving vehicle demos, including in Waymo's own previous-generation Lexus test vehicles, so I wasn't apprehensive about being ferried around in Waymo's Chrysler Pacifica minivan to begin with. But the experience still took me by surprise, in terms of just how freeing it was once it became apparent that the car was handling things all on its own, and would continue to do so safely regardless of what else was going on around it. Waymo's test track at Castle (more on that facility here) included multiple intersections with traffic lights, a roundabout, cars stopped on the shoulder, crossing foot band cycle traffic and more. Even if these were staged, they'd be hard to replicate in exact detail every time, so despite the fact that Waymo clearly had more control here than they would out in the real world, the driving experience was still impressive. In particular, one event stuck with me: A squirrel (or other small rodent, I'm no expert on the fauna of Northern California) darted out quickly in front of the car, before turning back off the road – but the vehicle perceptibly slowed in case it needed to avoid it. Barring an incredibly lifelike animatronic, this isn't something Waymo could've planned for. Regarding how it actually works, once in the vehicle and buckled up, a rider taps a button to start the ride, and then displays mounted on the backs of the front seats show a visualization of what the car's sensors see, but selectively simplified and redesigned to draw focus to things that riders find important, and to reassure them about the system's competence and ability to spot all the key variables on the road. This is essentially the same car driving riders around Chandler, in Phoenix, where the current Waymo pilot is operating. It's still essentially a stock Pacifica van, with a premium trim upgrade, but included features in that vehicle, including the many USB ports for charging located throughout, the dual screens mentioned above on the seat backs, and the rear cabin AC and climate controls all make it particularly well suited to the task of putting the rider first.

2015 Ram 1500 Rebel is rugged, oddly styled

Feeling rebellious? Ram has you covered for 2015 with its new 1500 Rebel model, which, though nowhere near as focused as the Ford F-150 Raptor with which you may think it competes, is skewed toward the always-nebulous "outdoor lifestyle" set that marketing teams the world over seem to covet so much. For such hiking/camping or otherwise outdoorsy types, the Ram Rebel offers an extra inch of suspension travel over regular-grade 1500 models, along with 33-inch tires, a new bumper that affords a better approach angle, tow hooks and a center skid plate. Those are the kind of upgrades many buyers consider mandatory for basic off-road capability, and it's nice that Ram has baked them into a single model. We're less enthused by the in-your-face styling of the rebel, particularly up front, where the traditional crosshair grille has been replaced by a protruding proboscis that's nothing if not unique. There's also massive RAM lettering on the tailgate, just in case you weren't sure who made the Rebel... The show truck's red exterior is mimicked inside, and the leather seats are embossed in a tire-tread pattern. Subtle, it is not. Buyers will have the choice of a 3.6-liter V6 or 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine, mated to an automatic transmission and the choice of two- or four-wheel drive, though we don't understand why anyone would choose a Rebel without 4x4. In any case, check out the live pics above and the press release and videos below for more details. New 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel Makes a Statement 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel takes advantage of exclusive air suspension in order to offer increased ride height Standard 33-inch tires provide capability and rugged looks First time 3.92 axle ratio available on 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine Equipped with factory lift, skid plates, tow hooks and other off-road-ready features New front grille design a significant styling departure for Ram Truck brand New interior colors and materials, including Radar Red and Black seats with tire tread-matching pattern January 13, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The new 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel brings a one-of-a-kind off-road design to the full-size truck segment. "Offering an off-road-style package on the Ram 1500 has been on our to-do list for some time but the right combination didn't present itself until now," said Bob Hegbloom, President and CEO - Ram Truck Brand, FCA US LLC.

Ram 1500 mule caught sporting Mega Cab configuration

Our intrepid spy photographers have once again captured an unusual test mule out in the wild. This time we have a Ram 1500 that looks a little lengthy in the middle. We're pretty certain this is a 1500 and not a heavy duty model judging from the grille and hood. That said, FCA clearly went to great lengths to hide the cab. It's still clear that the rear section is longer than your typical quad cab, leading us to believe that the Mega Cab option will return to the 1500 line. Other interesting details are the covered tailgate and the Chrysler steering wheel in the interior. We're not entirely sure why it's covered up, as it doesn't appear to have a different function, but there could be some styling tweaks for a new trim level. The one part we can see is the tailgate handle, which may reveal some updated camera abilities as the normal location shows a differently shaped camera lens. There are also two small spots that could be cameras, but it's tough to say for sure. Will we see 360-degree imaging on the next Ram? The steering wheel is an unusual inclusion as well. Our photographer suggests that it could be necessary for using the latest UConnect infotainment system. Other than the wheel though, the interior looks identical to the current model. This updated cab option also leaves us wondering about the future of the Ram line. We have documentation that shows FCA plans to launch some type of refreshed Ram for the 2018 model year. So it's possible we're looking at an early test mule for that updated model, and the new cab option could be launched at the same time. In many ways, this Ram brings up more questions than answers. Related Video: