Daily Archives: July 15, 2016
China Releases First Alibaba Smartcar
The Roewe RX5 runs on the Alibaba Yunos operating system.
Alibaba just started as an e-commerce business, but expanded to other areas which included launching its own electronic payment system, as well as the “world’s first smartcar.”
Essentially, the Alibaba smartcar features an integrated operating system that identifies the vehicle and allows it to pay for gas, parking and toll fees. It can even recommend drive settings and destinations for each occupant.
The smartcar was introduced by Alibaba last Wednesday. According to a source, will be available in China starting this August with a starting price of RMB148,800 or about $22,300 in current exchange rates.
Based on the Roewe RX5 compact SUV, Alibaba’s smartcar was built by state-owned Chinese automaker SAIC. It is running on Alibaba’s operating system, YunOS. Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma said his company aims to inject “human wisdom” to machines in the coming decades.
Smartphones have become smarter, thanks to operating systems, he added. The same can be done for the smartcars. YunOS can make them an indispensable part of human life in the years to come.
The operating system will allow the smartcar to automatically pay for toll charges, parking and fuel refills. The car itself can also access booking, navigation and entertainment via online. The YunOS will be able to recognize individuals through unique IDs, allowing it to recommend music, air temperature and nearby restaurants based on the occupant’s preference and past trips.
YunOS is open to third-party developers, so expect more apps to be compatible with the smartcar in the coming months. That means more features, functionality, etc.
Alibaba said it hopes the launching of the smartcar will start the development of connected transportation and infrastructure, where everything can be connected through the Internet of Things, or IoT, a concept where everyday objects are connected to a network that allow them to send and receive data.
Google and Apple are currently developing their own versions of a smartcar.
Honda Ends Production of CR-Z Hybrid
Honda is altogether stopping the production of the compact CR-Z hybrid, a slow-selling, sporty car that was not able to live up to expectations.
Production of the Japanese-made car will stop by the end of this year, Honda’s spokeswoman Nao Uzawa said. Sales, in fact, have ended in the American market since Honda already started to focus its green technology on the re-engineered Accord Hybrid with its upgraded drivetrain.
The CR-Z was first introduced in 2010, receiving rave reviews at first because of its inspired styling and the innovation of applying an environmentally friendly gasoline-electric system in a sporty vehicle.
The CR-Z hit the market in 2010 to rave reviews for its inspired styling and the novelty of applying an environmentally friendly gasoline-electric system in a sporty ride. The package promised to be a modern spiritual incarnation of the tuner-classic CR-X, blending the best of Honda’s latest eco-friendly technology with its heritage for spirited driving.
Last year, sales of the CR-Z in the US went down by 14 percent to only 3,073 vehicles. Until June this year, the number fell by another 6.7 percent to only 1,025 vehicles.
But even though the CR-Z was made for fuel economy, it never really scored high in fuel efficiency or even in sporty performance. Since then, Honda began working on sportier hybrids such as the three motor systems in the Acura RLX and the NSX sports car.
In Japan, Honda is commemorating the CR-Z with a special edition called the “Final Label.” The Japanese automaker has bigger plans for the re-engineered 2017 Accord Hybrid, which was released to the market this year.
For that vehicle, the annual US deliveries are expected to exceed 30,000 units.
The current version of the Accord Hybrid will be produced at Honda’s Sayama plant, north of Tokyo. It has been making the Accord Hybrid also in the US, but Honda stopped the output last summer to boost factory utilization rates in Japan.