Electric Vehicles & Cars - Page 75

Japanese car maker Mitsubishi admitted today that it cheated on fuel efficiency tests for select models in an effort to present 5 to 10 percent better than accurate numbers. President Tetsuro Aikawa and other company executives (pictured below) bowed in apology at a press conference today.

The cheating occurred when testing the air resistance and rolling resistance of tires tests, where "improper conduct" was used; Bloomberg reports this included intentionally varying the load placed above the wheels of the vehicles. Additionally, the company stated it has been using a mileage test since 2002 that isn't compliant with Japanese law.

Models affected include the eK Wagon and eK Space, as well as the Dayz and Dayz Roox as supplied to Nissan. All are mini-cars, none of which are available outside of Asia; 625,000 units were sold or supplied through March 2016.

Tesla Motors has one of the most advanced vehicles in the world with its Model S electric car, but this latest example will have more orders than ever. The autopilot system is shown off in the real-world, saving someone from an accident.

As you can see, a truck is coming up on the left of the driver, with the autopilot system kicking in and swerving to the right to get out of the way of the accident. Model S driver Joshua Brown had his vehicle automatically move out of the way, posting the video to YouTube.

Brown said: "I was driving down the interstate and you can see the boom lift truck in question on the left side of the screen on a joining interstate road. Once the roads merged, the truck tried to get to the exit ramp on the right and never saw my Tesla. I actually wasn't watching that direction and Tessy (the name of my car) was on duty with autopilot engaged. I became aware of the danger when Tessy alerted me with the immediately take over warning chime and the car swerving to the right to avoid the side collision".

In its mission to make self-driving vehicles superior to human driving in every way, Ford has been testing night driving developments in the Arizona desert. The results have been great, enough so that it can proudly say its technology is in fact better, even at night.

During the day, the tech relies on a camera, while at night, it operates on Lidar (effectively light-based radar), illuminating and scanning the ground near it for what to expect, from which it determines where to go. As you can see in the video above, it's quite effective.

Ford has tested its cars on snow-covered roads and in other poor conditions; its night test is yet another step toward a potential fully self-driving society.

Admit it--you've always wanted to fly around on the Green Goblin's hoverboard, recklessly zooming across the skies at ridiculous speeds. Soon you'll be able to.

Frank Zapata of Zapata Racing has created the Flyboard Air, a real-life hoverboard that'd make Norman Osborn green with envy (sorry, I had to). The Flyboard Air can reach staggering heights of up to 10,000 feet and hits a max speed of 93 miles-per-hour. Zapata also created the original Flyboard, a water-powered jetpack that shoots riders up in the air for some hydraulic fun.

As you can see from the video above, the Flyboard Air is still in its testing phases. The craft looks insanely dangerous (and insanely fun), and Zapata hasn't revealed how the device actually works. As if scouring the heavens at ridiculous speeds wasn't death-defying enough, the tecchies at Gizmodo think that users will need to strap a backpack full of fuel to power the craft's turbine engine. So not only could you end up a pile of broken bones, but you could explode like a ball of screaming fire in the skies.

Tesla had a huge week with the unveiling of their Model 3 vehicle priced at $35,000 - but the company is now rumored to be unveiling a more expensive, upgraded Model S vehicle.

The news is coming from CNET, which is reporting that an upgraded Model S could arrive next week, based on information from sources within Tesla. The new Model S would have "luxury-minded" upgrades, both inside and on the outside.

What should we expect? Well, Tesla wants to continue its fight against Audi, BMW and Mercedez-Benz. The new vehicle would feature a redesigned fascia front, new seats and LED lights. As for the price increase, there's no word on that just yet.

The US military has christened an experimental warship that drives itself and hunts enemy submarines for months at a time. Named Sea Hunter and measuring 132 feet, it's said it will prove a major asset in Chinese and Russian counter-warfare (both countries have been making naval advancements to a degree that greatly concerns the US).

The ship is powered by two diesel engines and can go as fast as 27 knots.

Once it is proven safe, US defense secretary Robert Work says he hopes Sea Hunter will continue testing with the US Navy's 7th Fleet based in Japan, and eventually operate on a variety of missions, perhaps even those involving counter-mine warfare.

Last week, the $35,000 Tesla Model 3 was unveiled to the world, but as it turns out, that was just part one of a two part reveal. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said as much when responding to folks on Twitter, later adding, "Wait until you see the real steering controls and system for the 3. It feels like a spaceship."

Part two will come close to production (the Model 3 is expected to launch at the end of 2017, so not too long before that).

It's speculated by The Verge deputy editor Chris Ziegler -- who rode the thing -- that the Model 3 is in fact a self-driving car. Time will tell.

The wait is finally over as the Tesla Model 3 has been revealed. Said to offer at least 215 miles of range and priced at a more than reasonable $35,000, the electric car should launch by the end of 2017.

Feature-wise, it comes in rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions, seats five adults comfortably, and includes a 15'' landscape touchscreen, autopilot hardware, front and rear trunks, and automatic safety measures. And of course, it supports Tesla's Supercharging network. As for acceleration, it can do 0-60 mph is under six seconds.

CEO Elon Musk boldly proclaimed at the reveal that the Model 3 will be one of the safest cars in the world, and that "you will not be able to buy a better car for $35,000, even with no options."

Samsung has just unveiled a new concept for its Smart Windshield, which has been teased on a motorcycle, with its awesome technological advancement for the windshield.

The new Samsung Smart Windshield could eventually find itself into normal cars and trucks, but the company says that it's a simple technology with the technology already existing, and put into production. The Smart Windshield uses a smartphone - such as the Galaxy S7 from Samsung, with an accompanying app that connects to the small projector on the windshield, throwing up specific information to the driver.

The concept project allows riders and drivers to navigate information, send automated responses over email/SMS, receive/decline phone calls and text messages, and more. Navigation feels like the best fit here, but I'm sure that eventually there will be information from the vehicle thrown to the Smart Windshield, such as gas mileage, maintenance information, and more.

Goodyear has been in the tire game for 117 years, and now it's looking to turn it on its head with spherical tires. Eagle-360 tires, as they're known, are only a concept, but the company says they "present an inspiring solution for the long-term future when autonomous driving is expected to be more mainstream."

Safety is a major concern of autonomous driving skeptics and Eagle-360 tires are a direct response to that: as they are multi-orientation and sport "active technology", they can move in all directions which is said to make for increased maneuverability and reduced sliding caused by black ice, obstacles, and so on. Additionally, sensors register tire wear for extended mileage, and communicate road conditions to the car and nearby vehicles. Interesting to note: the tread is 3D printed, and so could be customized for different terrain in different regions, making for safer driving due to better equipped vehicles.

As for luxury features, the tire is suspended by magnetic fields, and as such is said to offer more comfort and less noise than with a traditional tire.