Virtual test drives, plastic pollution, Remodel Lives

A move toward "virtual validation" of driving systems, participation in a G7 summit on ocean pollution, and a neighborhood revitalization initiative were among the items promoted by automakers recently.

• Volkswagen has announced that it intends to speed up the production of its driver assistance systems by using virtual reality. The automaker says testing the systems in virtual driving situations could allow it to complete millions of miles of testing, allowing a system to be validated more quickly and efficiently than real world test drives. Volkswagen says the software benefits include accelerating the learning speed of the vehicle systems, bringing a system to production more quickly, and creating a virtual library of driving situations for a system to draw on. The automaker is currently testing software to simulate thousands of different parking lot layouts.

• Volvo recently attended the G7 Ocean Partnership Summit as the only automaker to be invited to the conference. Volvo expressly endorsed the G7 Ocean Plastics Charter, which commits the governments of G7 members to taking "concrete and ambitious steps" toward using more recycled plastics and addressing the problem of plastic pollution of the oceans. The automaker has already committed to having every one of its newly produced vehicles use at least 25 percent recycled materials by 2025 and is in the process of eliminating single-use plastics from its offices and events by the end of 2019.

• For the fourth year in a row, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is partnering with the Detroit-based nonprofit Life Remodeled. Nearly 1,000 members of the automaker's Motor Citizens volunteer group will participate in neighborhood revitalization efforts such as planting trees and perennials, building community gardens, establishing little free libraries, and installing new bus shelters. Last year, FCA volunteers helped repair 53 homes, board up 534 vacant residences, and remove blight on 367 city blocks.