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Volvo details new drive assist features for next XC90 and future models [w/video]

Volvo wants us to know what kinds of new technology will be under the sheetmetal of the offerings that will sit on its Scalable Platform Architecture, the first of which will be included on the 2015 Volvo XC90 arriving at the end of next year. The silicon-chip onslaught starts with detection and auto braking for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and large animals. The company's animal detection tech now works at night thanks to better cameras and exposure controls.
Also due for the high-riding wagon are road edge and barrier detection with steer assist, a setup that identifies the edge of the road - even ones without markings. The system can steer the car back into its lane if it detects the driver is about to leave the road or collide with a barrier. Adaptive cruise control with steer assist allows the car to not only follow the flow of traffic on a straight road, but steer itself automatically.
Beyond that, the company is planning on other safety advances, but these will rely on automaker cooperation and infrastructure upgrades. Volvo has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Car 2 Car Communication Consortium on the subject of standards for communication between cars and wants to have it implemented by 2016. Sensors in traffic lights will enable Green Light Optimum Speed Advisory, which tells a driver how fast to go on a give stretch of road so as not to hit a red light. Weather, road condition, road works and emergency vehicle warnings will also inform drivers of new developments on the road. And autonomous parking, which Volvo has already demonstrated, stands to put a lot of valets out of work since it allows the car to find its own parking space without a driver inside.

Recharge Wrap-up: 10-year sentence for biodiesel fraudsters, overhead fast charging EV buses in Luxembourg

Toyota will use addressable TV advertising to target potential Prius Prime customers. By choosing to advertise in households with specific attributes, Toyota hopes to grab the attention of buyers who "see their vehicle as an extension of their consumption of advanced technology," according to Toyota Motors Sales media manager Lisa McQueen. The ad depicts a person who is skeptical of various inventions throughout history until he finds himself inside the Prius Prime. Hyundai has also used addressable TV ads for its Genesis brand. Read more at Automotive News. Two Florida men have each been sentenced to over 10 years in prison for biodiesel credit fraud. Thomas Davanzo and Robert Fedyna of Gen-X Energy Group and its subsidiary Southern Resources and Commodities were convicted of buying fuel that had already been sold with Renewable Identification Numbers, then fraudulently claiming more credits on that fuel. The scheme raked in more than $46 million, mostly in selling the fraudulent credits. Critics of the Renewable Fuel Standard point to incidents like this as a reason to oppose the program. Read more from Reuters. Volvo electric buses in Luxembourg will use Heliox Fast Charge systems. Public transport operator Sales-Lentz has ordered three of the Heliox systems that will charge the buses using pantograph (overhead wire) contacts. The chargers will be placed at end-of-route stops for opportunistic charging of the transport agency's four Volvo 7900 electric buses. The 450-kW, Wi-Fi-enabled OppCharge system automatically connects the charger to contact plates on the roofs of the vehicles, charging them in three to six minutes. Read more at Green Car Congress. Related Gallery 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Advanced View 35 Photos News Source: Automotive News, Reuters, Green Car CongressImage Credit: Volvo Buses Government/Legal Green Marketing/Advertising Toyota Volvo Biodiesel Technology Electric recharge wrapup

Now at Costco: Bales of toilet paper and a Volvo or Pacifica to haul them

Costco, the beacon of bulk buying, where you can buy everything from gasoline to your own casket at deep discount, is offering some Costco-only incentives through its Auto Program in partnership with specific car brands: for now, Volvo and Chrysler, with other brands planned for later. First, Volvo: Now through Oct. 2, you can get both special incentives AND employee pricing (aka "A-Plan" pricing) AND whatever rebates and incentives Volvo might already have going on. The Costco incentives are: $3,000 on 2017 and 2018 S90 sedans. $750 on 2017 and 2018 S60 sedans. $750 on 2017 and 2018 V60 and V90 Cross Country wagons. $750 on 2017 and 2018 XC90 SUVs. $750 on the outgoing 2017 XC60 crossovers. Automaker incentives usually vary by region, but in the Detroit area, at least, Volvo currently has a $2,500 incentive on the 2018 XC90 and $3,500 on the 2017 model. Those end Aug. 31 but could be renewed in September, and others could be added then as well. Volvo is also offering special interest rates on financing some of the other models. And when all is said and done, if you fill out a Costco customer survey you'll get a $200 cash card. The Chrysler Pacifica deal, also through Oct. 2, is even simpler: Go to the Costco site, print out a certificate worth $1,000, and take it to a Chrysler dealership — any dealership, not just those that usually work with Costco, which is a first. The incentive covers both 2017 and 2018 models. And like the Volvo promotion, these Costco incentives can be combined with whatever Chrysler's doing — and it currently has a myriad of incentives on 2017 Pacificas, in various combinations that differ depending on whether you're leasing or buying. If you register at the Costco Auto Program website, you'll be put in touch with a dealer who can review the bottom line after all the discounts are factored in. Participating dealerships have offered special pricing to Costco members for years, up to the price automaker employees get. Costco's program doesn't typically work the way these Volvo and Chrysler programs do, though a similar joint promotion with Volvo back in 2013 sold 7,500 cars. If you haven't used the Costco Auto Program, but you don't like haggling at a dealership, you might give it a try. The beauty of it is that a dealer is obligated to offer you a set price and is also obligated to treat you by certain rules, such as not trying to upsell you. Last year, 490,000 vehicles were sold to Costco members through the program.