[SeattleCat]

Just so you know, if your car is equipped with Pixel headlights, you can activate the functionality using a piece of software called OrBit (check out their site at spaycetech.com). There are pros and cons, such as the cost of the software, but enabling pixel technology in this way works flawlessly. The technology itself, as described by Volvo, works relatively well, but perhaps not quite as well in Canada (at least in the Montreal area where I'm based) as I suppose it does in Europe. But on a dark road with not external lights, it is impressive.

Do you have anywhere that has examples of pixel vs non pixel on a dark road with no external lights? I find my 2021s lights to already be exceptional in those conditions but I am intrigued as to what better looks like

 

[DcinBC]

Do you have anywhere that has examples of pixel vs non pixel on a dark road with no external lights? I find my 2021s lights to already be exceptional in those conditions but I am intrigued as to what better looks like

We already have the example of the lights on our cars, right? The way they’re supposed to work is by staying on high beam and blanking out pixels illuminating oncoming and leading vehicles with a wider than normal beam spread. Only thing I’ve heard is that some drivers like truckers can be blinded due to their height above the head or tail lights. Doubtless they can adjust for this in software updates, but other than switching them off, there’s nothing else user adjustable I’m aware of. That said, I’m pretty happy with what we have too.

 

[4Wheels]

We already have the example of the lights on our cars, right? The way they’re supposed to work is by staying on high beam and blanking out pixels illuminating oncoming and leading vehicles with a wider than normal beam spread. Only thing I’ve heard is that some vehicles like trucks can get blinded due to their height above their head or tail lights. Doubtless they can adjust for this in software updates, but other than switching them off, there’s nothing user adjustable I’m aware of. That said, I’m pretty happy with what we have too.

I agree that's exactly how they work. Also, to respond to SeattleCat's comment: leaving aside the adaptive functionality, I suspect that the non-pixel headlights provide higher-quality illumination than the pixel headlights, which are really very much like an overhead projector - there is a bit of a texture to the light, which makes the lighting just a bit uneven. But you can't have it both ways, and that's why having pixel headlights in North America that are not enabled for the adaptive functionality is doubly sad: they are more expensive, and the quality of lighting is not quite as good as that of non-pixel headlights. Note - that's just my opinion.

 

[4Wheels]

Also, just in case it’s helpful, from the outside, here is the difference in appearance between non-pixel and pixel headlights - first image is non-pixel, second image is pixel (if you blow up the second image you can read “pixel technology” underneath the lights):

 

[bogiesan]

To add even more confusion, it is my impression that, in the USA, the Pixel Tech headlights, when in auto high beam mode, physically shift up and down as well as changing the intensity of or the number of LEDs illuminated. I thought it was my imagination but I was recently driving down a single-lane alley with auto hi beam function activated. The walls on either side of the car were illuminated by the headlights. The camera picked up a highly reflective surface in the distance and automatically lowered the beams, actually physically shifted the lighting module down using what appears to be a motorized mount. I could see the movement distinctly projected on the sides of the alleyway. I'm guessing it's the same motor that raises the Pixel headlight module when the driving lights are switched on, which is easily observed in a garage projected onto a wall about two meters from the car.

I'd really like to find an accurate description of how the Pixel headlights are built, function, and are controlled. Extensive searching online reveals conflicting statements about these lighting systems from various unreliable sources. "Pixel Technologies" may be a sub brand of ZKW. And there are few resources that relate directly to what functions are avaialble in the States and why or why not.

More Polestar discussion: https://www.polestar-forum.com/threads/adaptive-pixel-headlights-in-us-and-canada.11002/

If you're not afraid of the cesspool of reddit (includes some interesting links and comments from other EV owners whose Pixels are not fully activated):

https://zkw-group.com/en/home/newsroom/news/zkw-equips-new-all-electric-volvo-c40-with-high-tech-lights/

 

[glinkadu38]

How Volvo cameras and parking sensors work? Perpendicular parking, parallel parking tips.

thanks a lot for this great video, any trick for parking reversely when it is fully dark outside, I found the back up lights and camera useless in that case making it impossible to see anything.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

Top Apple CarPlay apps for your hawt ride 2024:

Zac Johnson - Tech Entrepreneur, AI Strategist & Growth Advisor

Tech entrepreneur and AI strategist with 27+ years of experience helping businesses navigate digital transformation and sustainable growth through innovative technology solutions.

zacjohnson.com

Recommended Audiobooks & Reading Apps for CarPlay

App Name	Description
Audible	The world’s largest selection of audiobooks, including best sellers, new releases, and exclusive content.
Audio Books by AudioBooks.com	Access a vast library of audiobooks across a variety of genres and enjoy immersive stories on the go.
Blinkist	Get key insights from non-fiction books in bite-sized text or audio summaries, perfect for learning on the move.
Bookmate	Discover and read a wide range of books, magazines, and comics from around the world, curated just for you.
Google Play Books	Access a vast collection of e-books and audiobooks, customizable reading options, and personalized recommendations.
Instapaper	Save articles and webpages to read later, with a clutter-free reading experience and offline access.
Kobo Books	Choose from millions of e-books and audiobooks, explore personalized recommendations, and sync your progress across devices.
Libby by OverDrive	Borrow e-books and audiobooks from your local library seamlessly, with an easy-to-use interface.
Scribd	Access an extensive library of e-books, audiobooks, magazines, and more, with unlimited reading and listening.
Walmart eBooks	Discover a wide selection of e-books and audiobooks at affordable prices, with personalized recommendations.

Communication Apps for CarPlay
Stay connected while on the road with essential Apple CarPlay apps that support seamless communication. These top-rated Apple CarPlay apps allow you to make calls, send messages, and participate in virtual meetings directly from your CarPlay-enabled display, ensuring you never miss an important conversation while driving.
Cisco Webex Meetings/Webex
Cisco Webex Meetings/Webex is a powerful communication app that enables you to join virtual meetings, collaborate with colleagues, and share content, all from the comfort of your car. With its user-friendly interface and robust features, Webex Meetings/Webex ensures that you can stay connected with your team and clients on the go.

LINE
LINE is a popular messaging app that allows you to send messages, make voice and video calls, and share multimedia content with your contacts. With CarPlay support, you can conveniently stay in touch with friends, family, and colleagues while focusing on the road ahead.

Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a comprehensive collaboration platform that offers messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing capabilities. With CarPlay integration, you can stay connected with your team, attend virtual meetings, and access shared documents, enhancing productivity even during your commute.

Telegram Messenger
Telegram Messenger is a secure messaging app that prioritizes privacy and speed. With CarPlay compatibility, you can send messages, share files, and join group chats on the go, ensuring effective communication while maintaining the utmost privacy.

WhatsApp
WhatsApp is a widely used messaging app that allows you to send texts, make calls, and share media files with contacts around the world. With CarPlay integration, you can stay connected with your friends, family, and professional contacts, ensuring seamless communication while driving.

ZOOM Cloud Meetings
ZOOM Cloud Meetings is a popular video conferencing app that enables you to participate in online meetings, webinars, and virtual events. With CarPlay support, you can join meetings and collaborate with colleagues while on the move, ensuring productivity even during your daily commute.
These top-rated Apple CarPlay communication apps keep you connected and productive while on the road. Stay in touch with your contacts, attend virtual meetings, and collaborate effortlessly, all from the convenience of your CarPlay-enabled display.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

Some recent articles on EV advancements in charging, range anxiety, PlugShare and general EV goodness. Enjoy!🔥🔥

​ Conquer Range Anxiety With Confidence Have you ever wanted to take a road trip in your EV but hesitated due to range anxiety? Range anxiety is the fear of running out of power and getting stranded. This concern dates back to the early days of EVs when charging stations were sparse, and battery technology was limited, resulting in shorter travel distances on a single charge. However, advancements in battery technology and the expansion of charging stations have significantly increased the distances EVs can travel per charge, making them comparable to gas-powered vehicles. Don't let range anxiety hold you back—now is the time for your summer road trip! ​ From EV Range Anxiety to Range Confidence The EV Market Has Made the Switch and You Should Too. The electric vehicle (EV) market is here and concerns about finding a charging location for your EV are quickly diminishing. Here’s what future EV drivers need to know about driving EVs with a sense of security and confidence. Read More ​ How EVs Contribute to Better Air Quality Read More ​ What Is PlugShare? Read More ​ EV Range Confidence - Charged and Ready Read More Station LED Light Update To better serve our customers, our LED Indicator colors for the Series 6, 7, 8, and 9 have been updated. Over the next few months our teams will be pushing this update to our stations which will display green when idle / ready to charge and switch to blue when charging. To: Green = idle Blue = charging During this transition, you may notice a mix of old and new colors on the stations, but we will work to minimize any impact. PlugShare Spotlight With 65 check-ins and a 10-star review, the spotlight is on the charger at College Park, Maryland, located in the Downtown Parking Garage. Sign up for PlugShare to stay updated on charging stations near you. Don’t miss out — check in when charging with Blink for an enhanced experience. PlugShare ​ Longest-Range Electric Cars We've Ever Tested Range anxiety and EVs were once as synonymous as reckless drivers and Nissan's Altima. While a few automakers continue to sell EVs with EPA-estimated ranges that barely crack 100 miles, most modern battery-powered cars are capable of topping 200 miles on a full charge. Read More The U.S. Now Has Over 183,000 Public EV Chargers Recharging an electric vehicle in the United States is getting easier as more and more public charging stations are installed throughout the country. According to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, the U.S. now has over 183,000 publicly available charging ports. Read More Daimler Truck North America Provides Second Life to EV Batteries Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) is committed to reducing the company’s overall carbon footprint by integrating a comprehensive circular economy approach across its operations. This strategy emphasizes repairing, remanufacturing, repurposing and recycling lithium-ion battery materials used in all DTNA electric vehicles. Read More The $35,000 Kia EV3 Is The Electric Car America Has Been Waiting For It can be tough to get excited about new electric cars when so many are completely out of reach for regular people. Kia’s just given Americans an EV to get jazzed about actually buying: the $35,000 EV3 crossover. Read More Electric Car Battery Life: Everything You Need to Know, Including How Long They Last The battery packs of electric vehicles are quite resilient, with the lithium-ion type used in most modern EVs capable of lasting at least a decade before needing replacement. Read More

 

[Drowned Ape]

UK so didn't read the article but did notice the skinniness of those charging cables!!

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

UK so didn't read the article but did notice the skinniness of those charging cables!!

And extensibility of the charging cables recently with my experience with EVGo plug and charge has been awesome.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

Good tips to supercharge your EV at a Tesla supercharger with a NACS capable adapter: Right now this applies to Rivian as an example:

 

[DcinBC]

Check out Kyle Connor’s observations in his video about Supercharger use with a Rivian R1S Gen 1 in high temperatures.

There’s a tendency for adapter pins to overheat, causing a de-rate in speed. But he also vents about the sad state of charger improvements in the southwest, in addition to pricing.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

Top tips for EV out of town roadtrips!

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

Charging a Non Tesla EV at a Tesla supercharger Magic dock.

Nissan Ariya:

This EV is a Polestar 2.

Wirh a Rivian R1T at a Magic Dock Tesla SPC:

Kia EV6 Magic Docked:

How to charge a non-Tesla on a Supercharger

We took our long-term 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line to a Tesla Supercharger to test out how it charges now that Tesla is beginning to open up its chargers to non-Tesl...

youtu.be

VWID4:

Hyundai IONIQ5:

My IONIQ 5 Visit To Tesla Magic Dock...Greatest Backup Charger For Your CCS Car.

I loved the Magic Doc Tesla charging experience. My friend Andy (E-TRON owner) goes on a short road trip to experience the Magic Doc. I have nothing but go...

youtu.be

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

What the Tesla supercharger adapter will do and doesn’t do. A good piece of reporting from Joanna from The Wall Street Journal:

 

[randyqx]

So what's the bottom line for C40 owners

• Ford gives adapter for free. Where/how do we acquire
• Is the recco to use the Tesla app?
• How to plan on a road trip? Does the Gobble Maps app know the usable/eligible Tesla stations?

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

So what's the bottom line for C40 owners

• Ford gives adapter for free. Where/how do we acquire
• Is the recco to use the Tesla app?
• How to plan on a road trip? Does the Gobble Maps app know the usable/eligible Tesla stations?

1. Not sure what you are asking? Are you asking that Volvo gives the adapter for free? No one knows yet. There is a possibility they will have Volvo owners (first 1000) or so register on their website and they’ll dish the adapter out for free OR. They’ll have everyone pay for it for say $100-200. Ford had its owners register by a certain date and offered it for free if you did register by that specific date. If not, you’ll had have to pay to get the adapter.

2. Yes. The Tesla app will have to be used to initiate your supercharger charge until Volvo has the software balls to integrate into the Volvo Cars app (their ecosystem)

3. Likely Google Maps will integrate the Tesla supercharger stations map finding feature into their apps. Today, Ford and Rivian have integrated Tesla supercharger station map finding features into their software (Fords Blue Oval).

 

[randyqx]

thanks for clue. bottom line seems to be patient.

my faith in volvo software is based on my experience as an old software systems dog dealing with hardware makers' drivers and sdks. "see, the hardware works! what's a user?"

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

EV charging tips!

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/ev-charging-etiquette

 

[SeattleCat]

EV charging tips!

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/ev-charging-etiquette

Thankyou for the link it was a nice refresher article. 2 things in it that made me wonder about.

1. “By design, the charging of most EVs slows dramatically once you've hit 80% charge. The limit protects the battery from the tremendous amount of damaging heat created as a fast-charged battery nears its capacity.”

Is this by design? Does this mean that cars with better cooling remove more of the “tremendous” heat? Is that partially why some cars charge faster even though they have the same size battery?

2. “Don't Unplug Another Car

Remember what we all learned in kindergarten? Don't touch other people's stuff. Unless the car owner has left a note saying it's OK to unplug their vehicle, leaving it alone is just the right thing to do.

There's a gray area, though, when you desperately need a charge, and it's obvious the other vehicle has reached 100% charge. Even then, you should wait a bit to see if they come back to their car before you unplug it.”

I thought almost all charging cables were locked into the car they are charging even when they are finished. If you don’t have the key then you cannot unlock and remove the hose. So even if someone has a note it would not be removable unless they left a number for you to call so they could remote unlock their car (for a stranger) so they could remove the cable.