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The next-generation wearable will be your car

This year's CES has had a heavy emphasis on the class of device known as the "wearable" – think about the Apple Watch, or Fitbit, if that's helpful. These devices usually piggyback off of a smartphone's hardware or some other data connection and utilize various onboard sensors and feedback devices to interact with the wearer. In the case of the Fitbit, it's health tracking through sensors that monitor your pulse and movement; for the Apple Watch and similar devices, it's all that and some more. Manufacturers seem to be developing a consensus that vehicles should be taking on some of a wearable's functionality. As evidenced by Volvo's newly announced tie-up with the Microsoft Band 2 fitness tracking wearable, car manufacturers are starting to explore how wearable devices will help drivers. The On Call app brings voice commands, spoken into the Band 2, into the mix. It'll allow you to pass an address from your smartphone's agenda right to your Volvo's nav system, or to preheat your car. Eventually, Volvo would like your car to learn things about your routines, and communicate back to you – or even, improvise to help you wake up earlier to avoid that traffic that might make you late. Do you need to buy a device, like the $249 Band 2, and always wear it to have these sorts of interactions with your car? Despite the emphasis on wearables, CES 2016 has also given us a glimmer of a vehicle future that cuts out the wearable middleman entirely. Take Audi's new Fit Driver project. The goal is to reduce driver stress levels, prevent driver fatigue, and provide a relaxing interior environment by adjusting cabin elements like seat massage, climate control, and even the interior lighting. While it focuses on a wearable device to monitor heart rate and skin temperature, the Audi itself will use on-board sensors to examine driving style and breathing rate as well as external conditions – the weather, traffic, that sort of thing. Could the seats measure skin temperature? Could the seatbelt measure heart rate? Seems like Audi might not need the wearable at all – the car's already doing most of the work. Whether there's a device on a driver's wrist or not, manufacturers seem to be developing a consensus that vehicles should be taking on some of a wearable's functionality.

Volvo-based Futuricum electric truck sets Guinness range record

There is a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled by an electric truck on a single charge. Swiss-based firm Futuricum built a Volvo-based delivery truck that drove for 683 miles on a closed test track. Although the prototype used to set the record has reportedly been in regular service on Swiss roads since early 2021, the record was set on a 1.7-mile high-speed oval operated by Continental near Hanover, Germany. The truck set off with a full charge and coasted to a stop 392 laps later; two drivers split their schedule in 4.5-hour shifts. Reaching the 683-mile threshold took about 23 hours, so the truck traveled at an average speed of 31 mph. Futuricum calls this a realistic average value for the truck's intended use — it's certainly not designed for long hauls. Whether it was empty or loaded with cargo wasn't specified, and we've reached out to the company for more details. What we do know is that the drivetrain was not modified, meaning the 680-horsepower truck is equipped with a 680-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. That's over six times bigger than the battery in a Porsche Taycan. Driving at a constant speed on a closed track is very different than delivering parcels in real-world conditions, which is what the Futuricum truck normally spends its days doing. In more normal use cases, the model (whose speed is electronically limited to about 55 mph) has a driving range of around 250 miles, according to the manufacturer. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2022 Volvo S60 Black Edition darkens the sedan's trim

Volvo revealed the 2022 Volvo S60 Black Edition today, firmly hopping on the trend of blacking out different trim bits that countless other cars offer. The staid but handsome S60 is given a dash of attitude with this appearance package, and we like the look. Volvo says the Black Edition features glossy black paint for the grille, Volvo badge, grille slash, window trim badging and exhaust tips. Additionally, the 19-inch wheels are painted in the same shade of glossy black. You’ll have two paint options: Onyx Black Metallic or Crystal White Metallic.  All of the badging in black is a unique look for Volvo products, as weÂ’re accustomed to seeing brightwork on all of SwedenÂ’s cars these days. You can get the Black Edition for the Momentum, R-Design and Recharge (PHEV) models, so itÂ’s essentially available across the model range. It adds $700 to the purchase price, meaning a base, front-wheel-drive Momentum Black Edition costs $40,995 after destination. The S60 Black Edition is going to be built in limited quantities for the 2022 model year — Volvo says only 450 total will be produced. So if you like what you see here, best go out and snag one before theyÂ’re all spoken for. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.