Electric Vehicles & Cars - Page 79

The Delphi Automotive autonomous vehicle successfully completed a trip from San Francisco to New York, marking the longest autonomous vehicle campaign. The vehicle used was a customized Audi SQ5 SUV, and was first unveiled during the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January.

The vehicle uses six long-range radars, three vision-based cameras, four short-range radars, six lidars, and customized software algorithms working to help the vehicle navigate itself. Engineers hope to use data collected during the 3,500-mile journey to help refine its efforts, while setting future goals for autonomous technology.

"The car actually handled extremely well," said Wayne Cunningham, car tech editor of CNET, after getting the chance to drive the vehicle. "When it saw other cars around, it slowed down. It was following the lane lines too."

Automakers must find ways to cater to increasingly connected drivers and passengers, with Ford saying it is trying to accommodate fitness bands, smartwatches, and other wearables in new vehicles. As more Things connect to the Internet of Things (IoT), connectivity will be expected in newer vehicles that interest auto buyers.

"Now the car is becoming the ultimate technology product, and we are becoming more of an information company," said Mark Fields, CEO of Ford, in a statement to CIO Journal. It's true that vehicles are becoming rolling Internet and tech machines - needing to cater to increasingly connected drivers and passengers.

All collected data will be encrypted and shared when owners authorize it - so Ford Sync can inform drivers if blood glucose levels are dropping, or to share data with physicians. It seems like rather obscure data for a vehicle to monitor, but Ford wants to make health and wellness even more accessible to drivers.

The newest version of the Ford S-Max vehicle has an intelligent speed limiter that is able to read traffic signs and adjust the throttle. Using a custom traffic sign recognition system, the brake pedal doesn't need to be used to slow down the vehicle - with electronic signals sent to control engine torque.

The Ford S-Max will be available this August, and should be implemented in Ford vehicles worldwide. Drivers can adjust the system so they are able to drive up to 5 mph over the speed limit.

"There's a plan for speed restrictions to be beamed to your car's computer systems and controlled from there, rather than requiring street sign visual recognition systems," said Paul Newton, automotive industry analyst at IHS, in a statement published by BBC. "This would be part of an extension of the networks that will connect vehicles, allowing cars to warn those behind them if they are slowing down, which is all part of a move toward autonomous vehicles that drive themselves."

Delphi plans to show off the true potential of autonomous vehicle technology when its driverless car begins a cross-country trip later today, leaving California and heading to New York. A driver will be present to take over in case of an emergency.

The 3,500-mile journey will be used so engineers are able to collect valuable live data that can further enhance the self-driving car technology. The vehicle is able to accurately navigate a 4-way stop, safely pass cyclists, and merge and exit highways on its own.

"Delphi had great success testing its car in California and on the streets of Las Vegas," said Jeff Owens, chief technology officer of Delphi. "now it's time to put our vehicle to the ultimate test by broadening the range of driving conditions. This drive will help us collect invaluable data in our quest to deliver the best automotive grade technologies on the market."

Elon Musk did promise an announcement later this week for the Model S, where we have a new OTA update that includes a "range assurance" application that will tell drivers when they're about to drive out of charging range. This new OTA software update will float out to Model S owners in around 10 days time.

The electric vehicle will keep a look at just how much battery you have left, where it will be always monitoring just how far you are away from the nearest charging station. The new software for the Model S will relive range anxiety as Musk teased earlier in the week, where the founder of Tesla said that the new update makes it "basically impossible" for Model S owners to run out of charge before finding a charging station.

Better yet, the new software is now "smart" enough to see if nearby charging stations are free to use, or filled up with other Model S owners charging up their electric vehicles. The new software is now also capable of planning trips for Model S owners so that they'll be automatically routed through Tesla's growing network of Superchargers. There are also some new features built into the new OTA software update, including Automatic Emergency Braking and Blind Spot Warning.

Someone has snapped pictures of the totally gorgeous Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion research vehicle, which is a driverless luxury vehicle. The company explains that it has "interdisciplinary team of experts from Mercedes-Benz has devised a future scenario that incorporates many different aspects of day-to-day mobility".

It looks like something out of a futuristic movie, but it is right-here-right-now technology. For those who don't know, the cabin of the car is absolutely beautiful, where it looks like it has been ripped right out of a science fiction movie or TV show. Mercedes-Benz explains the F 105 Luxury in Motion research car as "Sensual, flowing transitions and warm, organic materials such as open-pore walnut wood, which has been shaped to a three-dimensional veneer, and extremely soft ice-white nappa leather contrast with clearly-defined metal and glass surfaces with a cool and technical feel".

The Mercedes-Benz F 105 Luxury in Motion can travel up to 1100 kilometers (683.5 miles) to a single 'tank', which consists of an "electric hybrid system" that uses 200km on its battery, while 900km comes courtesy of the electricity of its fuel cell.

If you've ever driven the streets of "Grand Theft Auto: V" and the highways of Los Santos, you know what a difference the right customizations can make when it comes to the performance of your in-game car. "Grand Theft Auto V" has had plenty of drivers since it launched - Wired UK estimates that about two million players logged into "GTA:V Online" within the first 24 hours of launch. If you've ever wanted your real-life car to perform like your in-game ride, here's a few tips to make your car handle like the cars from GTA.

There's a lot of cars cruising Los Santos with many accessories, but you shouldn't worry about armor plates or tinted windows for your car, but a good exhaust instead. Exhaust isn't about shooting flames or making a lot of noise, but about instead about improving airflow to give extra power to your engine. Companies like MagnaFlow offer inexpensive catback exhaust kits that will improve your car's response. Whether you have a street, off-road or diesel vehicle, its systems are simple bolt-on affairs and can even be done at home with the right tools. The less mechanically inclined might need to visit their local auto shop. They can help you to choose the model that will help you get the most bang for your buck as well. If you plan to do it yourself, keep in mind that it is harder than just pressing a button on a controller; only do this sort of work on your car if you know what you are doing. If you don't, seek the help of a trusted mechanic.

Good tires make a tremendous difference in terms of performance - good grip makes your car faster, and creates traction that keeps you on the road. Cornering performance when using tires like Continental is astounding when compared to those old tires you haven't changed in years. Better tires should be your first purchase when looking to improve the quality of your ride.

Google and Apple hope to see their respective in-car mobile operating systems have a major impact in the connected car market. Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto go beyond just pairing smartphones to the infotainment system, hopefully designed to increase auto safety.

"Consumers have spoken," said John Maddox, assistant director at the University of Michigan's Mobility Transformation Center, in a statement to the New York Times. "They expect to have coordination between their phone and their vehicle."

Both companies want to improve Bluetooth connectivity and voice recognition functionality in connected cars. Automakers are creating working relationship with Google, Apple, and other Silicon Valley companies interested in developing in-car technology.

We've reported on Apple's car quite a few times, but things are becoming more real as the days flick over on the calendar. The New York Post is now reporting that Apple is offering some serious money and higher pay packages to secure car battery experts.

The New York Post has said that "Apple has been offering the best and the brightest in the car-battery field $250,000 signing bonuses plus salaries 60 percent higher than what they currently earn", something Tesla Motors CEO, founder and real-life Tony Stark, Elon Musk, said to Bloomberg Businessweek. Former Ford engineer Steve Zadesky is the boss of Apple's 'Project Titan', so there's some weight to the story, and to having Ford's former engineer working with Apple.

Marc Newson has also joined Apple, with The Post calling him "one of the more elegant engineers in the world" and is very close friends with Apple's design boss, Jony Ive. Zadesky on the other hand, has a huge 90 or so patents, and was the sole signatory on a 2010 business ocntract with a company called Liquidmetal. Liquidmetal is known for its Moldable Metal, or "Nanophosphate metal" which can be shaped like plastic. Apple, along with Liquidmetal, have filed 17 patents together, with 14 of those taking place in the last 12 months or so.

It looks like Apple is not just working on its own autonomous vehicle, but it will be building the car, too. The rumors aren't coming from unreliable sources, either, with The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times and now Reuters all chiming in.

The new information on Apple's super-secret vehicle project has the company not only building its own software platform for the car, but building the actual autonomous car, too. According to Reuters' sources: "Apple is gathering advice on parts and production methods... adding that Apple appeared not to be interested in combustion engine technology or conventional manufacturing methods".

When it comes to the iCar (that's what we're calling it until it's officially named) we should expect it to be an electric vehicle, so think of the best world's between an autonomous car and Tesla Motors' various electric vehicles. The world of automobiles is about to get very exciting.