Innholdsfortegnelse for April 12, 2024 i Newsweek

BEING A VISIONARY IN the business world means more than just planning based on predicted trends. It means working to define the future. Ola Källenius, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group and CEO of Mercedes-Benz, does exactly this. He leads a team of over 150,000 employees that is dedicated to moving the company that invented the car into a new era of mobility. “Today’s auto industry is all about constantly hitting ‘refresh’ and getting your products as well as your business future-proofed. Together with the whole Mercedes team, we are 100 percent dedicated to that task. Having invented the car is fantastic. Better still is reinventing the future of mobility. Mercedes-Benz is determined to lead the way in the new automotive world as well,” Källenius told Newsweek.…

MERCEDES-BENZ IS LEADING THE WAY when it comes to hands-free, eyes-free driving. The company’s Drive Pilot technology is now authorized for use in California and Nevada, the first U.S. states to allow it. It has arrived ahead of similar technology promised by Tesla and General Motors. Drive Pilot is considered a Level 3 conditionally automated driving system by SAE International, a professional organization that develops standards for the automotive industry. That level indicates that the system can fully operate the drive functions of a vehicle when certain conditions have been met. These include the vehicle’s location, roadway type, full “visibility” from the car’s sensing systems and speed and driver behavior, among other things. The system requires a driver to safely operate the vehicle, to activate the system and for all…

SUSTAINABILITY ISN’T JUST ABOUT BUY-ing an electric vehicle or driving in a way that saves fuel. The entire life cycle of a vehicle is considered in its footprint, from the mining of rare earth metals to make batteries and computer chips to recyclability once its usable life has ended. MINI began making cars when the world of high-priced gasoline collided with the trend of large car ownership. Big cars weren’t just costly to fill up, they were impractical for use on European roads. “In 1959, the first Mini was created to address an energy challenge and an urban mobility challenge. The result was a car that was both energy efficient and space efficient that helped grow MINI into an enduring icon. That first Mini also showed that being sustainable did…

In FocusTHE NEWS IN PICTURESBALTIMORE The Coast Guard leads the search on March 27 for six victims following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which occurred when the cargo ship Dali collided with it the day before. The 984-foot vessel, carrying nearly 4,700 containers, struck the Baltimore bridge in the early morning hours following a mayday call that allowed authorities to block access to the bridge. A construction crew was caught in the collapse—two were rescued, two bodies were recovered and four others are presumed dead. The incident has closed one of the U.S.’s largest ports, which generates $15 million daily in economic activity.…

FOR DECADES, CHINA HAS TRIED to rein in its population growth, permitting families only one child. Now, as it faces a decline, Beijing is trying to reverse what appears to be an almost inevitable trend, including by limiting abortions. In January 2023, China’s National Bureau of Statistics revealed the population had fallen for the first time in decades—down roughly 850,000 people in 2022 from the previous year’s 1.41 billion. For a country whose massive workforce has helped push toward a rapid economic expansion, falling birth rates spells pessimism. Wang Feng, a professor of sociology at the University of California, Irvine, and a leading expert on demography, aging and inequality, said the decline in the most populous country is unprecedented. “It is long-term, irreversible and deep,” he told Newsweek. “By one…

WHY GO TO A SHOWROOM WHEN A showroom can come to you? The traditional car sales model is dead. Brick-and-mortar shops have evolved to add online shopping and purchase options, meeting customers where they are. One luxury brand is taking that philosophy a step further. Range Rover House was conceived to court well-to-do owners with a global series of invite-only luxury experiences at some of the world’s top destinations. Multimillion-dollar homes perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean playgrounds for the rich and famous, a world-renowned historic English estate and the best ski resorts in the world are among the locales. “As the proud creators of modern luxury, Range Rover House serves as a platform to provide our clients with a curated lifestyle experience which embodies the Range…

MERCEDES-BENZ HAS ENGINEERED a new powertrain that aims to revolutionize vehicle efficiency. Developed to push the limits of production models, as previewed in the Vision EQXX concept car, the next-generation electric drive system raises the bar for the brand and automakers across the globe. As demonstrated in the EQXX, the powertrain is chock-full of advances that deliver solutions to the main sticking points consumers have with battery-electric vehicles: charging speed and range. The drive system will be housed within the new Mercedes Modular Architecture in the future CLA Class vehicles. “The Concept CLA Class is the forerunner for an entirely new all-electric segment of entry-level vehicles at Mercedes-Benz. The range will comprise a total of four new models—a four-door coupé, a shooting brake and two stunning SUVs—each with significantly elevated…

FROM THE FIRST CREATIVE SPARK IN DESIGNING a car to the manufacturing, marketing and sales cycles of a vehicle, the digital future of the automotive industry is here, with artificial intelligence (AI) proving to be a vital tool. While the application of AI to increasingly self-driving vehicles may be well known, it is accelerating all aspects of the industry as car makers apply it in different ways. “AI technology is moving at the speed of light, and its impact on the auto industry is just as disruptive as anywhere else,” Stephanie Brinley, associate director of research and analysis at S&P Global, told Newsweek. “AI and generative AI are having an impact on workflows in all kinds of industries, and this also includes design and engineering of automobiles. The potential for…

KIA’S RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT team has been on a roll, bringing excellent products to market at great price points with a suite of technological features that would look comfortable in luxury vehicles costing twice as much. When a company raises the bar once, the pressure is on to raise it again. To do that, Kia’s team approached the development of its three-row Kia EV9 electric vehicle in a way that combined everything it has learned in design, engineering, convenience and sustainability. “The EV9 is a flagship for Kia and an engineering achievement that demonstrates leadership and innovation in both the EV and SUV segments,” Heuiwon Yang, president, Kia R&D Division, told Newsweek. “We developed the EV9 to set new benchmarks, and the EV9 reflects the speed of progress at Kia…

AUTOMAKERS AND VISIONARIES FROM around the world gathered at Newsweek’s global headquarters in New York City on March 26 to celebrate the third annual World’s Greatest Auto Disruptors. “These visionary executives and companies are elevating standards, positively affecting the lives of consumers. We take pride in recognizing their remarkable contributions,” said Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad. This year’s honorees included Ola Källenius, the CEO and Chairman of the Board for Mercedes-Benz. Named Visionary Disruptor of the Year, Källenius said the award is “confirmation of our collective mindset.” Mercedes-Benz was also recognized for pioneering work in the Technology and Powertrain divisions. Other teams recognized were Kia, named Research and Development Disruptor of the Year; MINI, Sustainability Disruptor of the Year; and Land Rover as Marketing Disruptor of the Year. Executive of the…