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SAN JOSE, CA – Stanley, the history-making autonomous vehicle developed by the Stanford Racing Team returns home to Silicon Valley after a global victory tour. Showcased at museums from South Africa to Singapore, Stanley will be on exhibit at The Tech Museum of Innovation from June 20 through July 17. After the close of this exhibition, the robot will go on display at the newly renovated Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Stanley was the accomplishment of the Stanford Racing Team, a collaboration of nearly 100 technology and business experts from Stanford University’s School of Engineering, Volkswagen’s Electronics Research Laboratory in California, Volkswagen Research and Development in Wolfsburg, MDV–Mohr Davidow Ventures, and Intel. The Stanford Racing Team worked like a Silicon Valley start-up to design and implement this experimental robot vehicle, which is a modified biodiesel-operated Volkswagen Touareg.

Stanley earned its place in the history books in October 2005 when it became the first driverless vehicle to successfully navigate and win the Grand Challenge, sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Stanley beat 22 other robot vehicles in the 132-mile course competition—without any human assistance—cruising through the Mojave Desert to complete the course in under seven hours. DARPA sponsored the competition to accelerate research and development in autonomous ground vehicles.

Stanley incorporates many technological advances that have since led to more advanced driver assistance systems in production vehicles, including adaptive cruise control and ESP (Electronic Stabilization Program).

A synthesis of these advances and other technologies allows Stanley to drive without human intervention. It “sees” the road ahead through special sensors, including radar, lasers, a camera system and Global Positioning System receivers. Advanced computer systems and artificial intelligence integrate these technologies to allow Stanley to have a sense of his environment and autonomously avoid obstacles and steer clear of trouble. Stanley demonstrates promising advances in artificial intelligence—or machine learning—and driverless vehicles.

Two of the Stanford Racing Team organizations, Volkswagen of America and Stanford University, continue their collaboration on automotive-related research through the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab (VAIL) on the university’s campus. Last fall, Volkswagen announced a $5.75 million contribution to Stanford for VAIL, its corresponding CarLab research and a new teaching program. The goal is to accelerate automotive-related research on campus, increase opportunities for collaborations between VW and Stanford, and build a global community of academic and industrial partners committed to the future of automotive research.

“I think I can speak for the entire Stanford Racing Team when I say that we are honored to have Stanley back in San Jose and at The Tech Museum. After touring some of the key international exhibition sites for technology history, it is appropriate he return home,” said Dr. Burkhard Huhnke, executive director, Electronics Research Laboratory, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “We hope that Bay Area residents will stop by to wish Stanley well before he makes his way to the Smithsonian later this summer.”

The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. regards the Stanley Project as a pioneer project and devoted a special exhibition to it in the fall of 2006. That presentation was followed by a tour that took Stanley to some of the key international exhibition sites for technology history, including the Science Center in Singapore, the Scibono Discovery Center in Johannesburg and the Traffic Centre of the German Museum in Munich.

The Stanley exhibit will be located in New Venture Hall on the lobby level of The Tech, where all visitors can see and experience the exhibit for free. The exhibit complements other interactive, hands-on exhibits and unique floor programs at The Tech that showcase not just how technology works, but how it affects who we are and how we live, work, play and learn.

The Ford Focus ECOnetic boasts class-leading CO2 emissions of 114g/km, equating to 65.6mpg. Priced from £16,050, Focus ECOnetic slots into the range between Studio/Style and top end Zetec/Titanium models.

It is the first of a series of ultra low CO2 models announced by UK vehicle market leader Ford. The sub-140g Ford Mondeo ECOnetic, capable of 53.3mpg, goes on sale in July from £18,455 and an ECOnetic version of the all-new Ford Fiesta will follow in early 2009.

Sales for Ford’s existing Focus, Fiesta and Fusion models with CO2 emissions under 120g have risen by a third in the last year. During this period it has been announced that cars in this sub-120g segment will be exempt from the daily £8 London Congestion Charge from October this year. In addition, this year’s Budget declared that the £35 road tax applied to those vehicles will be waived from 2010 for the car’s first year on the road.

In the first four months of this year alone, 2,800 more new car buyers opted for low CO2 Fords than during the same period last year.

Roelant de Waard, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said: “Drivers want to be green but without giving up comfort and performance or paying a high price. ECOnetic answers that demand.

“Ford ECOnetics, along with the low CO2 169g Ford Kuga crossover, deliver style with a green conscience.”

Ford Focus ECOnetic: what’s different?
Improved aerodynamics: Focus ECOnetic is lowered by 10 millimetres at the front and 8mm at the back. Its aerodynamics kit, comprising modified front bumper skirt, rocker claddings and rear spoiler, helps to deliver an aerodynamic drag coefficient (cd) of 0.31
Low rolling resistance 195/65R15 tyres
Enhanced lubrication: New low-viscosity transmission oil developed by Ford’s fuel partner BP
1.6 Focus TDCi Max
mph 0-62
(secs) Urban
(mpg) Extra urban Combined
(mpg) CombinedCO2
(g/km)
5-door
90PS 112 12.6 51.3 78.3 65.6 114
110PS (DPF) 119 10.9 50.4 78.3 65.6 115
Estate
90PS 112 12.9 51.3 78.3 65.6 114
110PS(DPF) 119 11.1 50.4 78.3 65.6 115
1.8MondeoTDCi Max
mph 0-62
(secs) Urban
(mpg) Extra urban Combined
(mpg) Combined
CO2 (g/km)
5-door
125PS 126 10.4 41.5 64.2 53.3 139
Estate
125PS 123 10.6 40.9 62.8 52.3 142

· Audi TDI Power remains unbeaten at Le Mans
· First Le Mans appearance with second-generation bio fuel
· Audi R10 TDI achieves new distance record
Ingolstadt/Le Mans – At one of the most exciting and fastest races in Le Mans history, AUDI AG clinched another triumph at what is arguably the world’s toughest motor race.

For Audi, this marked the eighth Le Mans triumph in just ten races. This puts Audi in third place – just one victory short of Ferrari – on the perpetual list of winners of the endurance classic which has been staged since 1923.

In its third running at Le Mans, the Audi R10 TDI again remained unbeaten. Audi continues to be the only manufacturer to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a diesel-powered vehicle.

Le Mans 2008 marked the Audi R10 TDI’s 29th race and the 16th victory of AUDI AG’s diesel-powered sportscar.

In 2008, the victorious Audi R10 TDI ran with second-generation bio fuel for the first time: In addition to the well-known GTL components, a small amount of BTL (Biomass-to-Liquids) was added to the Shell V-Power Diesel fuel.

5,192.649 kilometres (381 laps) were completed by Dindo Capello, Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen in the victorious Audi R10 TDI (chassis number 204) in the race, setting a new record for the current circuit version.

With an average speed of 216.300 kph the 76th running of the 24 Hour of Le Mans was the fifth-quickest in the event’s history and the fastest since the Hunaudières straight was slowed by adding two chicanes in 1990.

The fastest race lap of the Audi R10 TDI was set by Alexandre Prémat on Saturday afternoon on lap 75 with a time of 3m 23.939s (average: 240.584 kph), which was 3.237 seconds less than Allan McNish’s fastest lap from last year.

The fastest lap an Audi R10 TDI has ever achieved at Le Mans so far was driven by Allan McNish in Saturday morning’s warm-up at 3m 23.319s (average: 241.317 kph).

Only for the fifth time in the Le Mans 24 Hours’ total history, and for the first time in 20 years, a vehicle marked as car #2 won the event.

During the race, four different cars were running at the front, with the lead changing 25 times altogether. The Audi R10 TDI that ultimately won the race led the field for 178 of the 381 laps – more than any other car.

Of the 55 vehicles that had started from the grid, 19 retired. Audi Sport Team Joest finished the race with all three Audi R10 TDI cars.

The victorious Audi R10 TDI spent just 31 minutes and 56 seconds in the pits. The vehicle pitted a total of 32 times – thanks to the fuel-efficient TDI engine, the number of pit stops was four lower than that of the second-placed Peugeot – and not a single one was an unscheduled stop. 20 times the tyres were changed. The winning car did not encounter a single technical problem.

One tank of Shell V-Power Diesel took the Audi drivers over a distance of twelve laps – one more than their rivals from the Peugeot camp. On average, the engine’s fuel consumption was just 45.56 litres per 100 kilometres.

There were only eight driver changes with the winning car. The longest stint was driven by Allan McNish: from 6:11 to 9:31 a.m., the Scotsman was at the wheel of the Audi R10 TDI for a solid 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Tom Kristensen celebrated his eighth victory at Le Mans, thus extending his previous record. For Allan McNish, this was the second Le Mans triumph after 1998 and the first with Audi. Dindo Capello won for the third time. For the trio, this marked the first joint success achieved in their third joint race.

On race day, the average age of the victorious drivers’ squad was 40.3 years. Dindo Capello celebrated his 44th birthday on the Tuesday following the Le Mans victory. Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen turns 41 on 7 July, Allan McNish 39 in December.

In summary, this was the 26th Le Mans appearance of a German car manufacturer, the 50th of an open cockpit sportscar and the 17th for Michelin, Audi’s tyre partner, who has not been beaten at Le Mans since 1998.

For the team around Reinhold Joest, this was the tenth triumph at Le Mans, for Audi Sport Team Joest, the sixth.

Audi Technology was victorious at Le Mans for the ninth consecutive time. Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich was responsible for all nine victories.

Auburn Hills, Mich. - “Concept to reality” has become a term that epitomises the Chrysler Group design philosophy, and many observers are hoping that it will apply to the company’s concept vehicles for 2007.

Chrysler Group’s latest concept vehicles clearly demonstrate a design tradition that has become a key strength of the company: an ability to design the coolest-of-cool concepts, which are as relevant as they are innovative.

This approach started with the Frankfurt Motor Show reveal of the Lamborghini-engined, cab forward-styled, four-door Chrysler Portofino concept sedan in 1987. Almost 20 years and more than 100 concepts later, this continuous development has helped Chrysler Group reinvent and maintain its reputation as a car company driven by design and engineering.

Concept vehicles have two major roles for the Chrysler Group: they showcase to management, the media and the public the potential future design direction for Chrysler Group cars and trucks, and they help to attract the best young designers in the world into its design studios.

Chrysler Group’s concept vehicle program allows designers to test new colors, features, vehicle size and segments. Concepts can also be showcases for new design cues, which often find their way into production on future vehicles – even if the entire concept vehicle does not.

Importantly, the designs that are revealed to acclaim and accolade at auto shows around the world each year are not just built to look good. That is where the company’s design-to-reality tradition really kicks in.

Not only does Chrysler Group produce concept vehicles that can actually be driven – especially by journalists for feedback and publicity purposes – but many ultimately become production vehicles within a few years of their first reveal. The latest example is the Dodge Challenger. First revealed as a concept at the 2006 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, it was announced that the Challenger will go into production in 2008.

According to Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President – Product Design Office, Chrysler Group, “We’ve always said at Chrysler that we don’t just produce concepts for fun. We have proved year after year that our concepts are innovative and relevant.

“Our track record shows that many Chrysler Group concepts, and several of the design features showcased on our concept vehicles, have gone into production,” he added. “While we can’t say yet if any of our 2007 concepts will eventually be seen in our showrooms, they clearly hint at exciting and innovative future design directions that could find their way into our company’s products.”

2007 Concept Vehicles

This year’s group of concept vehicles includes one for each of the Chrysler Group’s brands. Combining refinement, function and style, the Chrysler Nassau concept explores a new expression of the Chrysler brand. First shown at the 2007 NAIAS, the four-door, four-passenger Nassau luxury coupe is a more emotional and artistic articulation of what it means to be a Chrysler.

The Jeep® Trailhawk, which also had its premiere at the 2007 NAIAS, merges the spectrum of the Jeep brand by combining the core off-road features of the new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with the refined sophistication of an all-new on-road, open-air concept vehicle, providing a unique and fresh expression for Jeep.

The Dodge Demon is a compact, nimble “roadster with an attitude” – a perfect balance of classic sports car proportion and simplicity blended with modern design and performance. The vehicle is designed to be an affordable Dodge sports car that merges brand cues of bold design and powerful performance with an open-air “fun-to-drive” attitude. This concept had its debut at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show.

Twenty Years of Modern Concept Vehicles

The Chrysler Group has a long history of innovation in design and engineering, going back even as far as the first 1924 Chrysler sedan. In the modern era, since 1988, the company has created more than 100 concept vehicles in a variety of shapes, sizes, configurations and materials.