Electric Vehicles & Cars - Page 42

Toyota will jump into the emissions-free, hydrogen-powered vehicle market with the launch of Mirai next month in Japan. The vehicle will debut in the United States and Europe and while the $57,600 price tag will scare many potential buyers away, there will only be several hundred released in Japan, as Toyota tests the waters.

The Japanese automaker hopes Mirai is the first successful step to help bring fuel cells to the mainstream - and prices will drop as technological breakthroughs occur - as interest in next-generation vehicles continues to increase.

"In time, the fuel cell vehicle will become mainstream. We wanted to take the first step," said Mitsuhisa Kato, Toyota executive vice president, in a recent statement. "We want to beat the leading edge."

The increase of keyless entry and ignition is leading to criminal groups spoofing keys that can unlock doors and turn vehicles on. The United States and United Kingdom have both seen a rise in auto theft for these newer vehicles, as criminals are able to bypass the keyless security. Automakers are working diligently with insurance companies and law enforcement to find new methods to ensure these tactics can be limited - and keep the equipment in the hands of licensed mechanics.

"The criminal act of stealing vehicles through the re-programming of remote-entry keys is an on-going industry-wide problem," said Jaguar Land Rover. "Our lineup continues to meet the insurance industry requirements as tested and agreed with relevant insurance bodies. Nevertheless we are taking this issue very seriously and our engineering teams are actively working in collaboration with insurance bodies and police forces to solve this continuously evolving problem."

Although this most recent report was based in the UK, the US National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) also found a similar "spike" in stolen vehicles in the United States.

As expected, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has signed a controversial bill that will ban the sale of Tesla vehicles in the state. Michigan isn't a major target for Tesla at the moment, but the company has ambitious nationwide growth plans through 2020, providing less potential future customers.

"This bill does not, as some have claimed, prevent auto manufacturers from selling automobiles directly to consumers at retail in Michigan - because this is already prohibited under Michigan law," Snyder said to lawmakers.

Not surprisingly, GM was in favor of the anti-Tesla bill, as Michigan joins Texas and North Carolina, shutting Tesla out in the cold. Due to the state's current laws, along with major influence from Michigan automakers, it seems unlikely that the bill would be overturned anytime soon.

Tesla showed us all the D last week, unveiling their dual-motor AWD Model S vehicle, but now its founder is talking about the future of autonomous vehicles, where he says that a full autonomous vehicle isn't that far away.

Elon Musk, the Tony Stark of the real-world, has said "That will be the case at some point in the future. Like maybe five or six years from now I think we'll be able to achieve true autonomous driving where you could literally get in the car, go to sleep and wake up at your destination". He did add that it would be a few more years after that before regulators, governments and red tape can be cut before these things will be driving us around autonomously.

When it comes to a self-driving car, Musk reiterated that Tesla's autopilot system is not the same as a fully self-driving car. Tesla's autopilot system uses radar, ultrasonic sensing and cameras, where it creates a kind of super-smart cruise control, obstacle avoidance and lane-keeping system - but, it's not a self-driving car, not yet. Musk continued "Autopilot is what we have in airplanes. For example we use the same term that is in airplanes where there is still an expectation that there will be a pilot. So the onus is on the pilot to make sure that the autopilot is doing the right thing".

Not everyone is happy with the FAA's decision to allow use of personal electronic devices during flights, with news that on behalf of the flight attendant's union, a lawyer has filed a case in U.S. Court of Appeals raising safety concerns.

The Federal Aviation Administration gave a nod to 31 US airline operators to allow its passengers to use small electronic devices like tablets and smartphones during the flight, especially when taking off and landing; smartphones however need to be in airplane mode. It is also claimed that the FAA disregarded the Federal Administrative Procedure Act, and according to the union, passengers are not interested in listening to the safety announcements, with these devices quickly becoming dangerous projectiles.

The judges however, aren't convinced. Judge Harry T. Edwards said that airlines always had discretion on how to handle this. The lawyer for the government also argued that such small devices are no more dangerous than a book if such a turbulence occurs.

Most are expecting self-driving cars to be something real before the end of the decade, but 2020 is too far away for Tesla. During a recent interview with CNNMoney, Tesla Motors' boss and real-life Tony Stark, Elon Musk, has teased that an autonomous car from the company is only months away from retail.

Musk said: "Autonomous cars will definitely be a reality. A Tesla car next year will probably be 90 percent capable of autopilot. Like, so 90 percent of your miles can be on auto. For sure highway travel. How's that going to happen? With a combination of various sensors. You combine cameras with image recognition with radar and long-range ultrasonics, that'll do it. Other car companies will follow. But you guys are going to be the leader? Of course. I mean, Tesla's a Silicon Valley company. If we're not the leader, shame on us".

Tesla Motors has an announcement ready for October 9, inviting media and promising to unveil "the D and something else". A self-driving car is a total surprise at this point, and could be the catalyst Tesla requires to become the undisputed new big thing in vehicles not only in the US, but the world. Cheap to run, high-quality, safe, autonomous cars? Sure, they might be expensive at first, but with the new Gigafactory, we could be looking at cheaper, mid-range autonomous cars being the norm by 2020, instead of the first one rolling off the production line.

Much of the attention related to car technology is focused on in-car features to woo potential buyers - but not the technology that could prevent a vehicle from starting. A harsh lesson for those people late on car payments, as lenders are using technology to prevent vehicles from moving until payments are made.

Subprime auto loans have increased over the past five years - 25 percent of car loans in 2013 were made to people with credit scores at or below 640 - so vehicle lease holders want to try to protect themselves if payments aren't made. The starter interrupt device provides lenders the ability to remotely disable locks, along with track vehicles via GPS.

However, customers have complained that their vehicles have been shut down for payments just a few days late - or randomly shut down while waiting in traffic - further igniting a car technology debate.

Drivers are used to seeing gas pumps, but California, the No. 1 electric-vehicle market globally, is seeing a wider expansion of electric vehicle charging stations. EV owners are able to recharge their vehicles at home, but there are a number of free charging stations being installed - and helping woo a growing number of car buyers to consider purchase electric vehicles.

Not surprisingly, most of the charging stations can be found in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, but are increasing in number in more rural areas. The state currently has more than 1,840 charging stations statewide, and that figure is only increasing.

"To put it in perspective, I sold 10 (Leafs) last month but the numbers out of the Bay Area are much higher," said John Driebe, Nissan car dealer in Elk Grove near Sacramento, California. "I'm seeing (monthly dealership) sales of 60, 70 and 74 at those dealerships. With the population density and the all high-tech people working in the Bay Area, it's crazy how many they're selling there."

Delays in getting the Tesla Model S into the Chinese market lead to one disgruntled customer smashing in the front of his brand new car with a wrench.

Yu Xinquan in China wrecked his new vehicle as a "protest against the company," he said. "Tesla's arrogance made me angry." A video of Mr Yu began going viral on Friday, and is just the latest of his protests against the company. Earlier he led other customers to protest against delayed deliveries on 21 April, a day before Tesla planned its first China delivery.

At the time, Tesla's Elon Musk apologized and said he'd ensure the cars would start being manufactured. But Yu, himself an e-commerce entrepreneur, claimed the company still hadn't delivered on its promises, and he claims he was misled about availability when he first ordered the vehicle. "I feel like I just married a woman who has been married before," Yu said, according to the Wall Street Journal, which reported the response on social media has been mixed.

When it comes to autonomous vehicles that can drive themselves, Google is the name that many think of. Google isn't the only major company working in the autonomous car market though. A company called Cruise is now taking pre-orders for a product called the RP-1 that will turn two Audi car models into self-driving cars. The RP-1 product works with the Audi A4 and S4 cars.

Cruise will begin to put the RP-1 on cars early next year with pre-orders underway right now for the first 50 RP-1 units. Cruise is working on making its self-driving tech compatible with other cars, with the product dubbed a highway autopilot.

Once the driver is in a lane on the highway, they can press a button and the RP-1 system will take over control of the accelerator, brake pedals, and steering. The system can be turned off easily if the driver takes over the steering wheel or taps the throttle pedal. The Cruise RP-1 accessory costs $10,000 and straps to the roof of the car.

The current fastest train in the world is the Shanghai Maglev Train, which is capable of hitting speeds of 260 miles per hour (430 kmph), making it the world's fastest passenger-carrying train. But this could all change with the "Super-Maglev".

Chinese researchers at the Applied Superconductivity Laboratory of Southwest Jiaotong University claim that they have a new concept train that is based on magnetic levitation (Maglev) technology, which could transport passengers at three times the speed of a passenger airplane. The new "Super-Maglev" is a new concept train that is encased in a vacuum tube, which removes the speed limitations that air resistance puts on the regular Maglev trains.

If the project ends up being successful, a working prototype will be created as the new standard for the future evacuation tube transportation (ETT). Dr. Deng Zigang, who has been developing this technology for the last few years said: "ETT systems might allow HTS Maglev trains to attain speeds in a new order of magnitude, such as super-high 3,000 km (1,800 miles) per hour, which could be applied to some military or space launch systems". This new system could eventually link China with the United States, Canada and Russia - which would truly change the world.

Self-driving cars are the future of automotive transportation, and today one of the largest vehicle manufacturers in the world has announced that it's self-driving car program has entered the public road testing phase. Volvo announced this morning that it has begun road-testing its self-driving cars on public roads, and is happy to report that the cars can now handle most of the roadway duties autonomously.

"The test cars are now able to handle lane following, speed adaption and merging traffic all by themselves," said Erik Coelingh, a technical specialist at Volvo. "This is an important step towards our aim that the final 'Drive Me' cars will be able to drive the whole test route in highly autonomous mode."

Volvo says that its near-term goal is to have a fleet of 100 of these self-driving vehicles on a 50km route in Gothenberg, Sweeden by the beginning of 2017. "That Volvo Cars' hometown of Gothenburg becomes the world's first arena for self-driving cars in everyday driving conditions demonstrates both our technological leadership and Sweden's dedication to pioneering the integration of self-driving vehicles," stated Coelingh. "This public pilot will provide us with a valuable insight into the societal benefits of making autonomous vehicles a natural part of the traffic environment."

Ford is getting ready to launch the all-new 2015 Ford Mustang soon and this is one of the most significant redesign of the Pony car since it was introduced. For the first time, all models of the Mustang will have independent rear suspension. Ford is also giving the car some new tech on the inside as well.

We know that the Mustang GT will have launch control to help people launch the car without excess wheel spin. We also know that the car will have the first factory line lock in the industry. A line lock is a feature that locks the front brakes of the car so the driver can do a burnout.

Line locks have been around for a long time, but typically, you have to add them in the aftermarket. Ford's tool will let the driver step on the brake pedal and only lock the front brakes when activated. The driver can then use the right foot for the throttle and do a burnout until the tires roast off the car if they want. Ford says that this feature is for the racetrack only, but you can bet it will be used for parking lot or driveway burnouts around the world.

Next year is going to be a big year for both the automotive market, and more specifically, Toyota. The Japanese giant will be offering up a new hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle in 2015.

The new car will be a mid-sized saloon, something the company compares to its current Avensis, and will feature a high-density fuel stack that will be capable of 500 miles from a single tank of fuel. But, according to Toyota's European President Didier Leroy, fuel cell technology will take a while to become common: "To help that happen we will bring a reasonable number of cars to Europe. The volume will be limited, but they will be visible on the streets".

Toyota has teamed up with BMW to boost its fuel cell research and development, where Toyota Europe's second in command saying the company would pioneer the technology, pointing to Toyota's position in the widespread adoption of hybrid drivetrains. He said: "There is of course a long way to go, as with any game-changing technology, but remember the same was said about hybrid only 10 years ago. Toyota is ready to back and lead this change, so we will be pioneering fuel cell step-by-step".

Pioneer has announced that it will be among the first car audio names to bring support for Apple CarPlay to the aftermarket. Rather than having to buy a new car stereo to get CarPlay support, some existing Apple receivers will get CarPlay support via a firmware update. The updated firmware will be offered for five of the 2014 NEX in-dash multimedia receivers.

All five of those receivers have large LCD screens. CarPlay will add Siri voice control to the mix to let the driver use their phone while keeping eyes on the road. The five models that support CarPlay include the AVIC-8000NEX, 7000NEX, 6000NEX, 5000NEX, and 4000NEX.

Those units range in price from $1400 to $700. Pioneer hasn't said exactly when the update for the firmware will launch. All it has said on a launch date so far is in early summer.

Land Rover is showing off one of the coolest concept technologies I've seen in a car recently. The tech is called invisible bonnet, bonnet being a hood for those of us in the US. The tech uses a camera in the front of the Land Rover that shoots data to some sort of HUD inside the car.

The result is what appears to be an invisible hood that allows the driver to see through the car to get a look at what is under the vehicle. This could be a great feature to keep Land Rover drivers from getting stuck when off-roading. If you have ever driven off road, you know just because an obstacle makes it past the bumper doesn't mean it will make it past all the hardware under the car.

Land Rover will be showing the new invisible bonnet tech off at the New York International Motors Show. The tech is pure concept right now and there is no word of it coming to a production vehicle. In addition to seeing the surface under the car, the tech will also show the driver the position of the wheels and their angle.

Viper is a company that has been making car alarms for years. It has announced a new device called the Viper SmartKey that makes keyless entry truly keyless. The SmartKey system creates a wireless perimeter around the car that responds to your smartphone without having to press any buttons or open an app.

You do need a Viper security or remote start system for the SmartKey to work. The company says SmartKey is compatible with all Viper alarm systems. The SmartKey system itself sells for $149.99. Once installed, the system will lock or unlock the doors without you having to do anything.

All you need to do is have the smartphone on you. SmartKey will unlock the car and turn on the alarm when you approach the car without you doing anything. When you walk away from the car, it will automatically lock and arm the alarm system.

An owner of a Tesla Model S was recently fiddling about with his car after discovering a hidden Ethernet port inside the vehicle. He cobbled together some sort of Ethernet cable and set about sniffing the car's network for fun.

The owner found that the car has a 100 Mbps full duplex Ethernet network with three devices on it. The addresses on the network are in the 192.168.90.0 subnet and includes the center console, dashboard/nav screen and another unknown device.

He found that some of the ports and services were open and that Port 80 was being used to serve a webpage with the image or media for the current song being played. He also notes that the OS is a modified version of Ubuntu.

GTC 2014 - As an Australian-based editor of TweakTown, one thing I've always wanted to do is go for a drive in Tesla Motors' Model S electric car. Well, while I was at the GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California, I took the opportunity to jump in and take a look.

Jonathan Katz, Product Specialist of Tesla Motors, drove the car - and just as we were taking off, I asked if he could wear my Google Glass unit, where he was more than happy to help out. The video above gives you a first-person perspective of the drive itself, something that I don't think has been done before, at least with Google Glass.

It gives you the perfect look at the car, with Katz explaining the various features and functions of the car, of which there is actually many. There were five of us in total in the car, but the backseat did not seem cramped. The 'frunk' as Katz explains (the front trunk, as there is no traditional engine and components under the bonnet is spacious, with the trunk featuring even more space.

Audi unveiled a system during CES 2014 that is able to connect with compatible traffic lights and give the driver a countdown on the dash showing when the light will turn green. Audi has offered some more information about the system, and the carmaker says that the system will save fuel as well.

The way the traffic light recognition tool will help save fuel is by connecting with the start stop technology inside the car. The start stop system will leave the engine off until five seconds before the light turns green. Audi figures that the system could save about 240 million gallons of fuel if it was in wide use.

The system could also cut emissions by 15%. If you are wondering why the engine starts five seconds before the light turns green when most start-stop systems can start an engine in less than a second, the 5 seconds is meant as a reminder to the driver to get ready to drive.