Dean Jones, VW Star, Passes Away
How many of you remember the Love Bug movies? These days, the idea of riding in a car that can drive itself isn’t too farfetched, thanks to autonomous cars being developed by several automakers and tech companies. Back in the late 1960s, a self-driving car was quite the fantasy, and Disney used the idea hilariously […]
Uber Hires Jeep Hackers to Secure Vehicles
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em—right? At least, that’s the philosophy that Uber currently has. The car-sharing service recently hired two hackers known for their recent hacking of a Jeep Cherokee to help create a secure system for self-driving cars. Stay Cool: The Jeep Renegade included on KBB.com’s “10 Coolest Cars” list Computer security […]
Ford Details Mustang Preferences Among UK Customers
It’s apparent that UK auto enthusiasts were enthralled with the news that Ford would be exporting the Ford Mustang to the Kingdom in right-hand-drive configurations for the first time in 50 years. The fact that almost 2,000 orders have been taken since January would be more evidence to that point, and it’s interesting to note […]
Don’t Hold Your Breath for an Autonomous Corvette
Autonomous technology and self-driving cars are the wave of the future—even a panel of performance executives from Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet all agreed last week that such vehicles would be commonplace 20 years from now. What they aren’t predicting, however, is the rise of driverless muscle cars. “We probably as a group will be the […]
Insurance Companies Prepare for Autonomous Vehicles
In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Allstate CEO Tom Wilson discussed how the company is preparing for the advent of self-driving cars, since the company could stand to lose quite a bit of revenue currently coming in via car policies (which comprise almost two thirds of the company’s total revenue). Avoiding Boredom in the Car: […]
DeNA Tech Company Proposes Fleet of Robot Taxis Before 2020 Olympics
With Google testing its self-driving cars—and getting a lot of attention for it—the world seems to be looking out for the next big autonomous vehicle. Now, it looks like Japanese tech company DeNA might have exactly what everyone is looking for. More Advanced Vehicles: 2015 Mirage Earns Place on Annual “Greenest Vehicles” List The mobile […]
GM Opens Active Safety Test Area at Milford Proving Grounds
The photo above—which appears to show Davey running into traffic, presumably in defiance of his dog Goliath’s warnings—is actually a shot of the new $14 million Active Safety Test Area that General Motors has just opened at its famous Milford Proving Ground. Partially in response to the ignition switch recalls, GM has been making a […]
Wife Catches Husband Sneaking a Cigarette Via Google Street View
We’ve all done it—traveled around our neighborhoods (or places we wish we could go) on Google Street View. There are plenty of pranksters who lie in wait for the Google car to come around before doing something hilarious (or incredibly dumb) that’ll forever be captured on the interwebs. But apparently, there are also those who […]
German Manufacturers Agree to Buy Nokia Mapping Service
A coalition of German automakers made up of Audi, the BMW AG, and Daimler AG (parent of Mercedes-Benz) agreed this week to buy Nokia’s mapping service for about €2.5 billion. Nokia is selling this part of its business to focus more on the phone side of the company. The sale is not yet final, but the […]
Need Help at Home? Hire This Toyota Robot
As we enter the second half of this decade, it seems that just about everything that could be automated is becoming automated. Self-driving cars are on the horizon, and we currently have vehicles that can brake for you to avoid an accident, inform you if you’re drifting out of your lane, or help you slip […]
Hyundai Developing Speed Bump Detection System, Filing for Patent
A number of “safety technology features” have been launched the past couple years to give drivers a second pair of eyes on the road–from Lane Departure Warnings to Collision Avoidance. Hyundai is adding to that list of handy doodads by developing a system that detects speed bumps. In fact, the Korean automaker has already proposed […]
Hyundai US Headquarters Lights Up to Mark New NFL Partnership
“ARE YOU READY FOR SOME (blatant advertising in your favorite sport of) FOOTBAAAALLLL?!” GM may be out of the NFL sponsorship game, but, as projected last week, Hyundai is taking its place. The Korean automaker recently announced that it had inked a four-year deal with the National Football League as official automotive sponsor. Show-Stopper: See […]
Two Driverless Car Prototypes Nearly Collide On California Public Road Causing Safety Concern
It seems like those worries about allowing driverless car prototypes to be tested on public roads in California may have some teeth after all. Last week, the California DMV finally revealed a report of all the accidents involving driverless cars and many people were relieved to learn the prototypes were not credited with being at […]
California DMV Finally Releases Report Of Accidents Involving Google ‘s Driverless Cars
When news broke that Google’s self-driving cars – or driverless cars, whatever you want to call them – had been involved in 11 traffic accidents, people were understandably concerned. Then eyebrows were raised further when Google only gave slight details about the accidents, saying they were only “minor collisions” and their cars weren’t at fault […]
Here’s What 1956 GM Thought Autonomous Cars Would Look Like in 1976
In 1956, General Motors’ Motorama exhibit (a company show that traveled through the US) showcased a forward-thinking film that tried to imagine what the future of autonomous driving would look like in the far off world of… 1976. The short film was produced and directed by Michael Kidd, the man who choreographed classic MGM musicals […]
Driverless Cars Could Cause Big Safety Concerns
The theory behind driverless cars were they’d make roads safer, but now experts are saying that might not hold true. US security firms, Mission Secure Inc and Perrone Robotics Inc, report the technology needed to operate these driverless cars could also be a security weakness that would leave them vulnerable to computer hackers. Once inside the system, […]
Study Claims Young Drivers Want Parental Restrictions in Cars
If you haven’t heard about parental controls in vehicles yet, they work a lot like parental controls on televisions and computers. These features restrict the freedom children are given. In the case of automobiles, parents can restrict things like the speed of the vehicle, the number of passengers, and the places the car can go. […]
Honda Looks Ahead to Navigate Turbulent Future of Autonomous Vehicles
The future of self driving cars is far from a clear course – but some manufacturers believe the obstacles hindering the path toward complete vehicle automation are navigable. Honda R&D Americas President Frank Paluch charted a possible track to self driving cars in an interview with the Columbus Dispatch, which published an interesting feature article […]