automobiles – Impact Lab

Alternative Transportation, Automobiles, Driverless cars, Driverless vehicles, Electric Automobile, Mass Transit, Science & Technology News, Self-driving Cars

How will maintenance change with the autonomous vehicle?

May 2, 2017

All machines eventually break down. Self-driving vehicles are no exception.

Autonomous vehicles pose two problems for the future of vehicles. The removal of the driver means there is no person providing feedback on how the vehicle performs over time. You are removing the point-person who says “something feels wrong, this needs to be checked out.” An autonomous truck could easily arrive at its destination with one fewer wheels than it left with at its origin without recognizing there is a problem.

Continue reading… “How will maintenance change with the autonomous vehicle?”

AI, Artificial Intelligence, Automobiles, Driverless cars, Driverless vehicles, Electric Automobile, Electric Vehicles, Engineering, Future, Futurist, Science & Technology News, Self-driving Cars, Tom Frey

The first self-driving car will debut in three years, but will you want to buy one?

April 10, 2017

Right now, you can head over to a local Volvo dealership and test drive a 2017 Volvo S90. With the push of a button, drivers can watch the car take over steering to stay within a lane, slow itself down in rush-hour traffic and accelerate — up to 80 mph — on the highway. It’s the first Volvo to include the second-generation Pilot Assist as a standard feature.

But, even equipped with radar and a 360-degree camera that can distinguish humans from deer, bicyclists and other cars, the $47,000 S90 sedan is not an autonomous vehicle. A driver must be in the seat and frequently touch the steering wheel. Otherwise, the car slows down.

Continue reading… “The first self-driving car will debut in three years, but will you want to buy one?”

Alternative Transportation, Automobiles, Business, Ecological Products, Energy, Engineering, Environment, Famous Inventor, Green Friendly, Science & Technology News, Transportation

New plug-in hybrid mobile home design, the Model H, unveiled by Tesla

July 23, 2015

The Tesla brand is a perfect example of the current trend of the best designed products come with a hefty price point. Elon Musk understands that many people make great sacrifices to purchase one of Tesla’s incredible sexy electric cars. Now in an attempt to ease the burden, and perhaps expand their market share, Tesla unveiled plans for their next ground-breaking innovation: a plug-in hybrid mobile home. Continue reading… “New plug-in hybrid mobile home design, the Model H, unveiled by Tesla”

Alternative Transportation, Automobiles, Green Friendly, Science & Technology News

Electric car registrations are up 350% in the UK

July 14, 2015

Over 14,000 electric cars were sold in the UK in the first half of the year, the increase over the same period in 2014 is a whopping 350%. Continue reading… “Electric car registrations are up 350% in the UK”

Alternative Transportation, Automobiles, Business, Economy, Google, Science & Technology News, Transportation

The death of car ownership?

July 2, 2015

Owning a car, in just a few short decades, could be a lot like owning a horse — mostly for hobbyists and really unnecessary for transportation purposes. Continue reading… “The death of car ownership?”

3D Printer, Alternative Transportation, Automobiles, Business, Science & Technology News, Transportation

Hope of a car industry revolution from a 3D-printed car

June 10, 2015

You can make your own movie with a smartphone, go to university without ever leaving your living room, and build your own kitchen with a little help from the internet. We live in a do-it-yourself age. Continue reading… “Hope of a car industry revolution from a 3D-printed car”

Alternative Transportation, Automobiles, Science & Technology News

New tiny car that can change shape and drive sideways

June 3, 2015

Why is the Mercedes Benz Smart Car called smart? In reality it is just small. A true smart car might be able to change shape, and even drive sideways, like the EO Smart Connecting Car 2. Continue reading… “New tiny car that can change shape and drive sideways”

Alternative Transportation, Automobiles, Business, Science & Technology News

FTC paving the way for direct-to-consumer cars

May 18, 2015

Last Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission derided legislative attempts to prevent consumers from buying cars directly from manufacturers in a strongly worded blog post. Continue reading… “FTC paving the way for direct-to-consumer cars”

Alternative Transportation, Automobiles, Google, Science & Technology News, Self-driving Cars

Google’s self-driving cars have already been in 11 accidents

May 16, 2015

At least we know they’re not distracted by their cellphones, but the viability of self-driving cars will likely be debated and scoffed at for a long time. Continue reading… “Google’s self-driving cars have already been in 11 accidents”

Alternative Transportation, Automobiles, Science & Technology News

Automakers rushing to double electric car milage

April 4, 2015

Betting that technical breakthroughs by big battery suppliers such as LG Chem Ltd will jump-start demand and pull them abreast of Tesla Motors Inc, global automakers are readying a new generation of mass-market electric cars with more than double the driving range of today’s Nissan Leaf. Continue reading… “Automakers rushing to double electric car milage”

Automobiles, Science & Technology News, Self-driving Cars

Study: People are ready for self-driving cars

March 3, 2015

General Motors pioneered a version in the 1950s, in the 1970s Ford engineers predicted their own version would be on the road by the year 2000, but self-driving cars have remained a science fiction dream for decades. Continue reading… “Study: People are ready for self-driving cars”

Automobiles, Crazy Stuff, Culture

Drivers refusing to talk to police at DUI checkpoints

February 19, 2015

It has never been said that it is fun to go through a DUI checkpoint, at the very least because they slow people from getting to their destination. However, it is generally understood that while not very fun, the checkpoints help to keep drunk or impaired drivers off the road. Continue reading… “Drivers refusing to talk to police at DUI checkpoints”