Toronto, Ontario — In this weekly electric and autonomous vehicle report, BMW consumer’s app offers drivers EV alternatives to its internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles; while Waymo self-driving vehicles in San Francisco, California, are keeping citizens up by honking at each other in the middle of the night.
A charged proposal
BMW Group recently launched an update to its consumer partner smartphone app that aims to convince ICE vehicle owners that electric vehicles are a viable option.
The tool, which the automotive group refers to as the Electric Vehicle Analysis function, is specifically designed to simulate how well an electric BMW would suit a driver’s current driving habits and lifestyle.
To access this function, users first have to register their ICE vehicle on the app while also running BMW Operating System 7 or later. From here, a driver must then embark on at least 200 journeys in the vehicle covering an overall distance of at least 2,000 kilometres.
After selecting one of BMW’s EV alternatives as a comparison vehicle, the app will then aim to determine how many of the 200 journeys could have been covered on a single EV charge.
Techradar originally noted that for BMW, the purpose of this application is to combat consumer range anxiety.
While the app will suggest total EVs, it will also suggest hybrid models. The app will also notify the driver of charging facilities in the area.
Honking and hollering
Waymo taxis have reportedly been waking people up in the San Francisco, California area as the vehicles honk at each other while trying to park themselves to “rest.”
Waymo’s self-driving vehicles began fully operating in San Francisco on June 25. In between rides, many of the vehicles return to a preset parking lot to “rest” before they are hailed again for a ride.
Here, residents living around the parking lot have reported that while attempting to independently park themselves in the lot, the vehicles will honk at one another to determine where free spaces are in the area.
Unfortunately, the vehicles perform this act of automotive musical chairs at all times of the day—including four in the morning.
Waymo is reportedly working on a solution to the problem but has not yet identified what this fix would entail.
