Car Tech
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A woman was killed Sunday night in Tempe, Arizona, after she was hit by a self-driving car operated by Uber. It is the first known pedestrian death caused by a self-driving car. The woman was crossing the street but was not in the crosswalk, according to reports. According to a statement issued by Tempe police obtained by the New York Times, a human safety driver was at the wheel when the car was operating autonomously. The driver and the car failed to react in time to prevent the fatality. The woman's name has not been released. Tempe police didn't immediately respond for comment Monday...
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Pirelli Cyber Car tire will soon talk to your carWhile Goodyear envisions a future tire that cleans as it rolls, Pirelli's latest tire is set to arrive this year. It's called Cyber Car and it's a tire that connects the rubber with the car and provides loads of information and data. With the latest Pirelli innovation, the tire can relay...
Sean Szymkowski -
Uber's self-driving trucks are now in serviceUber has officially put its self-driving semi-trailer trucks into operation under the new service Uber Freight. In fact, Uber has had the self-driving trucks in service for a few months in the state of Arizona, The New York Times reported last week. It comes after the startup Otto, which Uber has...
Sean Szymkowski -
GM to commercialize Cruise AV self-driving car in 2019General Motors will put into production self-driving cars devoid of steering wheels and pedals in 2019, the automaker said Thursday. GM also said it planned to start a commercial service for the vehicles that same year, where the public would be able to hail a ride via an app. The car, known as the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Goodyear Oxygene concept tire cleans the air as it rollsThe concept of tires hasn't changed radically for decades: they're round, they roll, they hold up your car. Companies have managed to manufacture better quality compounds and produce tires that grip, stop, and handle superbly, but Goodyear has a totally different idea for the future of the tire...
Sean Szymkowski -
Audi expands Traffic Light Information system to Washington, DCSlowly, but surely, Audi's Traffic Light Information (TLI) system is expanding across the United States. The system launched in Las Vegas, Nevada, just over one year ago, but it's now landed in the nation's capital: Washington D.C. Audi vehicles in D.C. will communicate with 600 smart intersections...
Sean Szymkowski -
Waymo is very close to starting a commercial service for its self-driving taxis, which are currently testing in 25 cities across the United States. The first service will be offered in Phoenix, Arizona, using a fleet of Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans running Waymo's own self-driving technology. What will the experience be like? Waymo has released a 360-degree video that gives a good impression of what it will be like riding in one of the company's cars. It's definitely a weird feeling at first. Waymo's self-driving technology has been in development since 2009, initially under the auspices...
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Google founder Larry Page's flying taxi takes flightMany companies have made a splash in the flying car or airborne taxi industry, which has only just begun to earn its wings (pun intended). Now it turns out Google founder Larry Page has been working on his own flying taxi, largely in secret and away from any press coverage. Apparently that means...
Sean Szymkowski -
BMW M boss says future electric cars will not be silentAutomakers are seemingly supporting the idea that the future of the automobile is, indeed, electric. Some makes will have it easier than others, but for BMW's M division, it will work to solve the issue of sound. Since electric cars are nearly silent, M division's head Frank van Meel, told CarBuzz...
Sean Szymkowski -
Chinese firm reaches deal with Techrules to use turbine extended-range electric powertrainChinese electric car startup Techrules used last week's 2018 Geneva International Motor Show to present the Ren RS, a track-focused electric supercar with a micro-turbine range extender. The company also used the show to announce it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CRRC Times Electric, a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
5G technology could unlock vehicle-to-infrastructure communicationModems are becoming commonplace in cars. Drivers like to use them to stream music and create wi-fi hotspots. Automakers like them for the data they can report and the updates they can push to their cars. Dealers like them because they tell drivers when to come in for service. Today's modems run on...
Kirk Bell -
Porsche first to bring blockchain to auto industryPorsche believes it will thrive and also set standards in the auto industry's coming electrification era, and the innovation has already begun today. The German performance marque announced it will bring blockchain to its cars, a digital ledger that records transactions chronologically and...
Sean Szymkowski -
Mercedes-Maybach aims to rethink what a car's headlights can do for the driver and for pedestrians. The brand revealed its digital headlight technology equipped on the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, which better controls regular lighting function, but can also display information on the road itself. Before you ask, no, the technology isn't bound for the U.S., as it wouldn't comply with Department of Transportation regulations. Europeans with deep pockets will see the first application of the digital lights the first time they take their Maybach S-Class sedans out at night. The brand said the light...
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VW explains the steps to full automation in carsVolkswagen will unveil a concept for a large, electric sedan with fully self-driving capability at next week's 2018 Geneva International Motor Show. The concept doesn't preview a specific model currently in the pipeline, though elements from its design may influence a new Phaeton due around 2020...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ford self-driving cars are delivering pizzas across MiamiSelf-driving cars, once strictly the domain of science fiction, are already being commercialized. And the commercial opportunities extend far beyond the transport of people, as long-haul cargo, your latest Amazon purchase, or even a humble pizza will most likely in the not too distant future be...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
How to break in a new limited-slip differentialJason Fenske from Engineering Explained is starting to wrench on his Honda S2000 project car. One of the latest areas of the car he's attacking is the rear end. His yellow Honda is getting a brand new limited-slip differential with more aggressive gearing. Before he gets to enjoy that extra...
Jeff Glucker -
What's the difference between horsepower and torque?We toss the words "horsepower" and "torque" around pretty often in the automotive industry, but perhaps the meaning of both gets lost along the way. Never fear, Engineering Explained is here. In a new video, EE host Jason Fenske helps explain in the simplest of ways what power and torque are, and...
Sean Szymkowski -
Nissan self-driving taxi service starts in Tokyo on March 5Nissan will launch its first public trial of a self-driving taxi service in Tokyo, Japan on March 5, the automaker confirmed Friday. The service, called Easy Ride, will see a handful of self-driving Nissan Leaf electric cars ferry passengers on a set route between Nissan's headquarters and the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Toll booth transponders may soon be a thing of the past in new Audi vehicles. The German luxury brand announced on Wednesday that it will roll out integrated toll-payment technology on select vehicles this year. Normally, drivers must register with a state's tolling agency and receive the proper transponder to use a fast lane. Or, drivers must actually stop the vehicle to pay a toll with cash. The new technology, called the Integrated Toll Module, uses vehicle-to-infrastructure technology developed by Gentex to forego the need for any additional equipment from local toll authorities. Drivers...
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Sony preparing AI-powered taxi-hailing systemIn an effort to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) presence in the commercial and business sector, Sony now plans to lead a project to develop an AI-powered taxi-hailing system. Nikkei Asian Review reported on Tuesday that the system, which will first be offered in Japan, will help dispatch...
Sean Szymkowski -
Which is better: a supercharger or turbocharger?There are two relatively simple options to boost (pun intended) horsepower in a vehicle: superchargers and turbochargers. But, which is better? Once again, Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained is here with an answer. It's important to understand how both options function first. A turbocharger...
Sean Szymkowski -
Mercedes integrates highly detailed HERE maps in self-driving techMercedes-Benz's future self-driving cars will rely on a cloud-based high-definition map updated in real time to see the world around them. The machine-readable map, known as the HD Live Map, will come from mapping company HERE, a former unit of Nokia sold to Audi, BMW and Mercedes in 2015 for $3.1...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Why can some engines rev to 9,000 rpm?You blip the throttle and your engine revs rise. It's a fun game that can put a smile on your face as you wait for a red light to change to green. It doesn't matter if it's a lumbering diesel in a pickup or a muscular V-8 in a pony car, you're likely to crack a smile when you tap that throttle. In...
Jeff Glucker -
You can now pick between a Chiron or Ram Power Wagon in Forza Motorsport 7Let's get one thing straight: you're (probably) never going to drive a Bugatti Chiron. At least not in real life. Now, however, you can pilot one in the Forza Motorsport 7 video game. The French multi-million-dollar road missile is part of a new downloadable pack of cars that's just made its way...
Jeff Glucker