Posts Tagged: Volkswagen

A Volkswagen with ChatGPT told me a story about dinosaurs at CES 2024

Earlier this week, Volkswagen announced plans to augment its in-car voice assistant IDA with ChatGPT. I’ll admit that I initially didn’t quite understand the point, but I got a chance here at CES 2024 in Las Vegas to hear about the vision for this integration from Cerence, the company that already powers the back-end of VW’s voice assistant. As usual, it’s a bit of a rough demo, because it’s hard to exactly see how ChatGPT will help you out when you’re on the road when you’re instead sitting in a stationary car inside of a convention center. 

But conceptually, the idea behind bringing ChatGPT into a car is all about avoiding a “dead end” when you as IDA something, Cerence told us. Drivers don’t need to do anything different — you just say “Hello IDA” or press the voice assistant button on the driver’s wheel and start talking. And if there’s something that IDA doesn’t know, it’ll check with ChatGPT. When the voice assistant hits ChatGPT, you’ll only know because the response says “According to ChatGPT” at the beginning of it.

I wasn’t able to get a great sense yet of what things ChatGPT is good for. One of the demos we saw involved asking the car to tell us a story about dinosaurs, as a theoretical way to entertain kids in the back seat. ChatGPT quickly came back and started spinning a cute yarn — a good proof of concept but probably not something you’ll need to do in the car a lot. I asked the car to tell me about Sphere, the massive new concert / entertainment venue in Las Vegas, and it started responding with details about it “opening soon.” That’s because the version of ChatGPT in the car didn’t have the absolute latest details about it. I was expecting more of a Google-like experience, where I could ask things like “who won the Celtics game last night?” but that’s not really what ChatGPT is for.

Given how capable the IDA voice assistant already seems to be, I’m not yet sure how much ChatGPT will add to the equation. But, the usual caveats apply — this was just a quick demo, not on the road, and it’s not fully ready for release yet. But VW is not alone in seeing benefits for adding LLMs to its cars. BMW is working with Amazon to bring AI-powered vehicle info to its cars, and Mercedes-Benz started testing a ChatGPT integration last year. I wager we’ll hear more about this from other manufacturers in the year ahead.

We’re reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-volkswagen-with-chatgpt-told-me-a-story-about-dinosaurs-at-ces-2024-185239472.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Volkswagen will produce an EV version of its GTI hot hatch

Volkswagen's ID lineup is pretty well fleshed out by now, with vehicles ranging from the ID.2all compact to the ID.4 crossover — but where are the enthusiast vehicles? VW has answered that question with the ID.GTI concept, an electric hot hatch that will eventually head to production. 

Much like original GTI that inspired it (the "I" no longer stands for injection but "intelligence"), it's a sporty, compact hatch that looks fast standing still. Size-wise, it's shorter but taller than the current Golf GTI, with slightly more interior volume. The ID.GTI is based on (and strongly resembles) the ID.2all compact, adding features like 20-inch wheels, front, side and rear spoilers, a rear diffuser, a honeycomb grill, striped graphics, LED fog lights and more. 

Volkswagen will produce an EV version of its GTI hot hatch
Volkswagen

It'll have handling and performance tweaks as well, but VW didn't provide any details. The ID.2all comes with a 223HP motor, good for a 62MPH sprint in under seven seconds, with an estimated 280-mile range. The ID.GTI is likely to beat those figures handily, though, and the top speed should be faster too. 

VW did say that the ID.GTI would have an electronically-controlled front-axle differential lock offering traction control, just like the current Golf GTI. And it will work even better, the company wrote, "because the setup of the electric drive motor, as any electric system, can be varied almost infinitely." It also has a low center of gravity to aid handling, thanks to the battery's location in the vehicle floor.

Volkswagen ID.GTI
Volkswagen

Inside, the ID.GTI concept has tartan sport seats, a drive selector, a sportier steering wheel and a 10.9-inch instrument cluster, along with a 12.9-inch infotainment system. It also features an AR head-up display, projecting information like speeds and even track layout, both for the driver and front passenger. A special GTI button activates a red lighting scheme. 

Volkswagen said that it will produce the ID.GTI concept, but didn't say when or what it would sell for. It's a good bet that it'll arrive around the same time as the ID.2all, though, which is priced under $ 30,000 and slated for a 2025 release.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/volkswagen-will-produce-an-ev-version-of-its-gti-hot-hatch-130029312.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Volkswagen shows off ID.4’s interior ahead of official debut

Volkswagen is giving us a glimpse of the ID.4, its first all-electric crossover, before the vehicle’s official reveal later this month. The automaker has released photos of ID.4’s interior, showing its touchscreen displays — yes, it has more than one…
Engadget RSS Feed

Volkswagen ends deal with self-driving startup Aurora

Volkswagen is cutting ties with Silicon Valley self-driving startup Aurora after only a year, amidst talks of working with Ford's Argo AI instead. Financial Times reported the news of the split, adding that VW expects to reach a deal with Argo AI thi…
Engadget RSS Feed

Watch the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak take a practice mountain run

By Sven Gustafson Volkswagen has released a new video showing driver Romain Dumas piloting its I.D. R Pikes Peak prototype up the namesake Colorado mountain in its first practice run ahead of an assault on the race's EV record. The video shows the…
Engadget RSS Feed

Volkswagen staff appear to be using Google Glass at work

It seems as if Volkswagen logistics staff are using Google Glass for work. It certainly looks that way, with the car company issuing what it describes as “3D smart glasses” to a number of employees following a successful three-month trial.

The post Volkswagen staff appear to be using Google Glass at work appeared first on Digital Trends.

Wearables»Digital Trends