Honda has launched a pawsome new technology that makes car journeys more enjoyable for cat-loving drivers. Available across the brand’s model line-up, the new Catnip Car Seats option are the purr-fect addition for drivers that regularly transport their furry friends. As all cat owners know, getting their feline friends into the car is a real challenge, especially when it ends in a visit to the vets. Wrestling them into their carry crate is hard enough, with painful cuts and scratches guaranteed. Once loaded into the car, your cat will let you know how unhappy they are with an ear-splitting soundtrack…

Škoda is offering Elroq and Enyaq owners the opportunity to send messages to each other via an optional new feature. Designed to help busy couples and families to communicate, the new ŠkodAlert system utilises the Elroq and Enyaq’s illuminated Tech-Deck face – a fundamental design element of Škoda’s bold Modern Solid design language. The illuminated Tech-Deck face is made up of multiple rows of small LED pixels that can be programmed to spell out messages at the front of the car. The system uses the different radio frequency IDs transmitted by the vehicle’s key fobs to ensure that the correct…

A cutting edge new wireless vehicle recovery system has been unveiled by leading breakdown provider Start Rescue. The Special Protection Over Outer Frame (SPOOF) technology requires no physical attachment to a car to tow it on to a recovery vehicle. Using a “magic” forcefield, the car is wirelessly recovered to protect the vehicle and allow for much quicker roadside recovery. “SPOOF tech will revolutionise breakdown recovery, and that’s no joke,” says Lee Puffett, Managing Director of Start Rescue. Developed by Start Rescue and touchless recovery experts Highway Operations and Experiments, or HOAX for short, the new SPOOF system is being…

Social care practitioners demonstrate Magic Notes to Cllr Dicicco Solihull Council is set to introduce artificial intelligence software to help adult social care teams spend more time supporting people and reduce admin hours by as much as 65% per week. The software, called Magic Notes, avoids the need for staff to write or type notes by recording information from assessments, reviews and other discussions they have with adults receiving care and support from the Council. Cllr Tony Dicicco, the Council’s cabinet member for adult social care and health, is enthusiastic about the difference it will make for Solihull residents.…

Solihull Council is hosting its first Electric Vehicle (EV) Experience Event, “Solihull Going Electric”, in Solihull town centre on Saturday 5 April. The open event will showcase the growing range of EVs now available and allow residents to explore some of the benefits of EV adoption. Visitors will have the opportunity to test drive a range of exciting new electric cars and bikes, speak to dealers, ask questions and learn from industry experts about the latest advancements in EV technology. Exhibitors confirmed for the event include: BYD, Vauxhall, BMW, Citroën, Mercedez Benz, Skoda, Smart, Peugeot, Fiat and Tesla, while many…

A trial project showing how digital technology can revolutionise adult social care has been extended after its success in Wolverhampton. City of Wolverhampton Council is working with West Midlands 5G (WM5G) and neighbouring authorities to show how Technology Enabled Care (TEC) can improve the lives of hundreds of city residents. As part of the project sensor devices and voice activated wireless technologies including fall detectors, smart speakers, smart doorbells and remote monitoring sensors, are being used in people’s homes to support individual care needs. The trial programme is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) under the…

A 93-year-old grandfather-of-five has given a resounding thumbs-up to autonomous driving technology currently being developed by Nissan – saying it has the potential to keep older motorists like him mobile and independent in later life. Brad Ashton from Enfield, experienced the ground-breaking tech for himself this week as Nissan marked the culmination of its evolvAD research project. He was invited by Nissan to take a ride along rural roads near the company’s Technical Centre in Cranfield, where work on autonomous driving (AD) systems continues apace. Brad, a retired comedy scriptwriter who has prepared material for the likes of Groucho Marx,…

To celebrate the milestone of reaching 1.5 million active Kia Connect users, Kia Europe reflects on the recent evolution of its connected vehicle ecosystem. “Since its launch in 2019, Kia Connect has been demonstrating the company’s commitment to innovative, customer-centric solutions,” said Pablo Martínez Masip, Vice President Product & Marketing at Kia Europe and COO at Kia Connect. “By offering seamless connectivity, high-tech features, and personalised services, it has transformed the driving experience for millions of customers across Europe.” A closer look at Kia Connect users The Kia Connect user base reflects a broad spectrum of drivers who are…

Renault Group unveiled its autonomous vehicle strategy[2] and launched, for the very first time in Europe, with its partner WeRide, an open-road experimentation, with two autonomous miniBuses running during the Roland-Garros tennis international. With 1,000 km covered and nearly 700 people transported, this first full-scale test demonstrated the maturity of the technology as well as the relevance of this passenger transport solution. Following this successful experimentation, many mobility players (local authorities, transport operators, private site managers, etc.) have shown their interest in operating this solution in their territories. New experimentations are already underway across Europe, such as in Zurich (Switzerland),…

GROWTH HAS SURGED for dealers using the latest AI-powered ‘chatbots’ to convert customer enquiries into leads, according to new analysis. Even Christmas Day and New Year’s Day saw a significant appetite among customers for ‘chatting’ with the latest generation of advanced dealer bots developed by AI tech specialists AutoConverse, new figures reveal. Last month saw a 43% increase in customer conversations with dealer chatbots compared with January 2024 – with a conversion rate of more than 48%. This means that almost half of all interactions between customers and bots resulted in a concrete lead for the sale of a product…