Posts tagged with "World First"

Above, the market launch of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan will begin in October 2023. (Photo source: BMW)

Drivers can change lanes using just their eyes in new BMW 5-series sedan

May 26, 2023

If you are behind the wheel of the new BMW 5-series sedan, you will be able to change lanes just by looking in the outside mirror, the luxury car company announced on Wednesday, May 24, according to a report by USA Today.

The German automaker says that the Active Lane Change Assistant with eye confirmation is a “world first”—and will be available October 2023.

While driving the new BMW, the vehicle will suggest a lane change that can be carried out by the driver looking in the exterior mirror to confirm the change. The car then takes over the steering and changes lanes on its own, BMW said in a news release.  

“This comfort feature now achieves a new level of interaction between the driver and the vehicle,” BMW said.

The new Highway Assistant System, which works at speeds up to 85 miles per hour, allows drivers to travel long distances on the road without having their hands on the steering wheel as long as they maintain a “close eye” on traffic, BMW said.

The sedan also has automated parking, which can be controlled in the vehicle or by smartphone outside the vehicle for up to 220 yards.

The BMW 5-series will be available in electric and gasoline-powered versions. The i5 eDrive40, an electric version, has a suggested retail price of $68,800; while the BMW i5 M60—with all-wheel drive and two motors with a combined output of 590 hp—is listed at $85,750.

Research contact: @USATODAY

Photo source: theprocurement.it

Only 4% of U.S. small businesses are exporting

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December 29, 2017

Only 3.9% of the 6 million small businesses in the United States are exporting goods today, as opposed to 8% of European companies of similar size, based on data released by London-based financial services company World First.

With more than 70% of the world’s purchasing power, foreign markets offer lucrative opportunities for businesses to thrive. The total value of worldwide B2C cross-border ecommerce is expected to reach $424 billion by 2021, the same source reports.

The advantage of doing business in foreign markets has been well-established: Indeed, U.S. companies selling internationally are 8.5% less likely to go out of business, Small Business Trends reports.

For small businesses, ecommerce is a relatively simple and inexpensive way to reach customers worldwide. Fully 66% of consumers make ecommerce purchases from sites outside their home countries, World First notes.

However, many small business still are ill-equipped to take advantage of the international markets:  28% of them have no websites for ecommerce.

Research contact: enquiries@worldfirst.com