cars – 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?”

Automobiles, Driverless cars, Driverless vehicles, Electric Automobile, Electric Vehicles, Science & Technology News, Self-driving Cars

‘Thousands’ of self-driving Bolt EVs to be deployed next year

March 13, 2017

Chevrolet Bolt EV self-driving prototype

The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is a crucial car for General Motors in more ways than one.

With an EPA-rated 238-mile range and $37,495 base price (before federal, state, and local incentives), the Bolt EV considered a groundbreaking electric-car game changer.
Continue reading… “‘Thousands’ of self-driving Bolt EVs to be deployed next year”

Alternative Transportation, Architecture, bicycle, Future, Science & Technology News

City of the future: A city designed for bikes only (no cars allowed!)

October 23, 2015

More people ride bikes the more that bike lanes multiply in cities, from New York to São Paulo. Over the past ten years, bike commuting in the U.S. has grown 62%. But it’s still a tiny fraction of overall transportation.

Continue reading… “City of the future: A city designed for bikes only (no cars allowed!)”

Automobiles, Business, Latest Trend, Robotics, Robots, Science & Technology News

Falling cost of robots may shift car manufacturing from China to U.S.

September 25, 2015

Cheaper robots may help move some car manufacturing work away from low-cost locations like China back to factories in Germany and North America, Donald Walker, Chief Executive of auto supplier Magna told Reuters.

Continue reading… “Falling cost of robots may shift car manufacturing from China to U.S.”

Alternative Transportation, Automobiles, Science & Technology News, Transportation

What do driverless cars mean for today’s automotive industry?

September 21, 2015

It has been confirmed, Apple is building its own autonomous car. With Apple’s entry, it’s clear. The automotive industry has opened up again. The manufacturers we’ve become so familiar with over the last century — Daimler, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota, and General Motors — aren’t necessarily the vendors we’ll be thinking of in the future. Competition is increasingly going to come from tech firms like Tesla, Google, and Apple, each of whom is building towards a future of autonomous vehicles that are basically highly advanced computers on wheels.

Continue reading… “What do driverless cars mean for today’s automotive industry?”

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?”

Automobiles, Internet, mobile apps, mobile technology, Science & Technology News, Transportation

Auto industry trying to solve IoT privacy concerns

June 19, 2015

Vehicles are collecting scads of data about the cars, their drivers, their locations, and their driving habits, as they become increasingly dependent upon cloud services and loaded down with code, processors and devices. Continue reading… “Auto industry trying to solve IoT privacy concerns”

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”