Lexus Exec: Autonomous Vehicles Are Still Five Years Away
The driverless car revolution is still a long way down the road.
That’s according to Jeff Bracken, Group Vice President at Lexus, who told Cheddar that autonomous vehicles won’t take over the industry for another “five or 10 years.”
But when we get there, he said, there “will be huge safety benefits.”
His comments come in light of Uber’s fatal driverless car crash last week, which has left the industry reeling. Late Wednesday, a top exec at the company’s autonomous unit reportedly stepped down.
Meanwhile Lexus unveiled its new UX model at the New York International Auto Show earlier in the day. It will be the company’s first car fitted with Amazon’s Alexa system. Other features include a “predictive efficient driver.”
“This vehicle, from a technology standpoint, will get to know you,” explained Bracken.
“So if the vehicle recognizes it’s on a similar route and you’re going up a hill [for example], it will actually move into the electric motor mode so that it saves the gas.”
The carmaker hopes this model will attract millennials and is even considering offering a subscription-style financing model to do that.
Though still in planning phases, Bracken revealed that the subscription could include things like “maintenance on the vehicle.”
The new UX model is scheduled to hit dealerships in December.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/lexus-unveils-a-new-compact-crossover-for-the-urban-explorer).
President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have discussed Taiwan, artificial intelligence and security issues in a call meant to demonstrate a return to regular leader-to-leader dialogue between the two powers.
April is Earth month, and while the green revolution might feel far away, the founder of climate VC Siam Capital says it’s on it’s way, and, even better: it won't cost you more.
From snow in April to heatwaves in December, it’s hard to plan a trip in a climate change world. Startup Sensible Weather thinks weather-based travel reimbursements are the solution.
Between corporate debt and the widening gap between ‘the haves and the have nots,’ there are reasons to be cautious about the economy, even with interest rate cuts on their way.
If the A.I. hype hasn’t given you enough of a reason to be excited (and a little terrified), the CEO of Zapata AI says the next frontier is designing bridges or creating pharmaceutical drugs.
Stocks are near record highs, inflation is moderating, and analyst Deiya Pernas is 'optimistic' the U.S. is heading for a soft landing without a recession – which is good news for your wallet.
Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin loved pulling pranks, so much so they began rolling outlandish ideas every April Fools' Day not long after starting their company more than a quarter century ago.
