self-driving cars
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The National Transportation Safety Board has published its first findings after investigating a fatal highway crash in 2016 involving a Tesla Model S and a tractor trailer. The crash occurred on last summer after 40-year-old Joshua Brown was driving with Tesla's Autopilot engaged. The system failed to apply the brakes when a tractor trailer turned left in front of him and left Brown dead on impact. DON'T MISS: NHTSA to investigate Tesla Model S Autopilot crash that killed driver: UPDATED Although Autopilot failed in this instance, it turns out there's considerably more to the story. The NTSB...
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Self-driving Chevy Bolt EV electric test cars to be deployed
It's widely acknowledged that most, if not all, of the autonomous vehicles expected to reach our roads in volume will be electric cars. Without the complexity of a combustion engine and transmission that must be electromechanically controlled, the task of automating the driving of a vehicle is...
John Voelcker -
If autonomous electric cars are coming, why not ships too?
Vehicle engineering and development focuses heavily on passenger cars and light trucks, but what about other forms of transportation? In an effort to cut congestion on its roads, the country of Norway is experimenting with the idea of autonomous, electric ships to replace large semi trucks, reports...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla Autopilot gets automatic braking just as Consumer Reports downgrades safety rating (updated)
Six months ago, Tesla abruptly announced that it had upgraded its electric cars with a new package of sensors for the Autopilot driver-assist system, known as "Hardware 2." The equipment was being fitted to all new Tesla Model S and Model X electric cars then in production—but there was a...
John Voelcker -
Drive Oregon goes Forth: new name, broader mission, more states
Oregon is a state that punches well above its weight in promoting and adopting zero-emission vehicles and plug-in electric cars. Smaller than California, it offers a laboratory where EV makers can try out new programs and experiment with new marketing and charging programs to see how they work...
John Voelcker -
Apple self-driving car plans emerge: how will it play with automakers?
Last year, techies, auto journalists, and Apple fans spent a great deal of time debating the existence, technology, and potential prospects of an "Apple car" project that the company never officially acknowledged. The idea that Apple would move from fast-turn, high-volume, very profitable consumer...
John Voelcker -
It's been a vision of the future for decades now: self-driving cars that let you get in, specify your destination, and then curl up for a bit more sleep, waking when you arrive. That kind of anywhere-any-time autonomy remains some years in the future, most engineers suggest. Automakers are already adding individual active-safety systems that will be the building blocks of future self-driving cars, however, including adaptive cruise control, lane-correction assist, automatic emergency braking, and others. DON'T MISS: What is a self-driving car? (SAE levels explained) Now Robert Llewellyn of...
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Elon Musk as stern daddy: no central Model 3 speedo, head-up display for you!
Never let it be said that Tesla CEO Elon Musk isn't a man of strong opinions. His tweets are the stuff of legend, his dismissals of hydrogen fuel-cell cars as "fool cells" have been consistent for many years, and if you get his attention, he will definitely tell you what he thinks. Perhaps U.K...
John Voelcker -
'Thousands' of self-driving Bolt EVs to be deployed next year: report
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is a crucial car for General Motors in more ways than one. With an EPA-rated 238-mile range and $37,495 base price (before federal, state, and local incentives), the Bolt EV considered a groundbreaking electric-car game changer. But the Chevy hatchback is also GM's main...
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla to sell 200 electric cars to Dubai taxi service
If you wanted to start a green taxi service—and had ample funds to do so—Tesla electric cars would seem to be a good choice. The Model S and Model X offer plenty of interior space and range, and their popularity would like raise the profile of any taxi service using them. So perhaps...
Stephen Edelstein -
What is a self-driving car?
Self-driving cars are a popular topic in both the auto industry and general media coverage these days, with several makers testing vehicles and promising fully autonomous cars at some future point. But when it comes to self-driving cars, different automakers may not be talking about the same thing...
Stephen Edelstein -
GM releases second Chevy Bolt EV autonomous driving video
The Chevrolet Bolt EV may very well turn out to be a game-changing electric car in more ways than one. With an EPA-rated 238-mile range and a base price of $37,495, the Bolt EV has the potential to appeal to a much broader range of customers than previous electric cars. At the same time, it's also...
Stephen Edelstein -
What would you do if a small, knee-high box on wheels with a flag topping its tall antenna whirred toward you electrically on a sidewalk at 4 miles per hour? It turns out three-quarters of the pedestrians in several cities who've seen one didn't stop or even stare as it avoided them and continued on its way. That box is an electric sidewalk delivery robot, and the British company Starship Technologies now has 75 to 80 of them testing in 59 cities in 16 countries, including the U.S. DON'T MISS: Tesla's autonomous-car efforts use big data no other carmaker has A demonstration of the robot...
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Tesla Autopilot features edge closer to self-driving in 3 to 6 months
Last year, after Tesla updated the radar, camera, and ultrasonic sensors on its electric cars, CEO Elon Musk said the new hardware's capabilities would lag behind the cars on the street already. Now, Musk has projected that the "Hardware 2.0" cars may surpass the older generation of "Hardware 1.0"...
Aaron Cole -
Panasonic sees Tesla as deeper partner for self-driving cars too: CEO
Japanese electronics firm Panasonic has been a close partner of Tesla Motors for many years now. It is the Silicon Valley automaker's sole battery supplier, it helps fund and operate the Tesla "Gigafactory" in Nevada, and the company owns a small stake in the carmaker. But Panasonic wants to move...
Stephen Edelstein -
When will you buy your first fully autonomous car? Poll results
While electric cars received a disproportionate amount of media attention over the last five years, the focus is now turning. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show and Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, cynical journalists were moved to propose a drinking game. Participants would have to take...
John Voelcker -
Chrysler Portal concept: all-electric minivan for CES offers some self-driving (specs updated)
It was widely rumored that Chrysler would reveal an all-electric minivan at this week's Consumer Electronics Show—and now we have the details. But the Chrysler Portal concept that will debut at CES won't be showing up at your local dealer any time soon. Far from it, in fact: the Portal is...
John Voelcker -
Faraday Future unveils FF 91, its first production electric car; deposits open, no price given
Faraday Future unveiled its FF 91 electric car on the sidelines of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The battery-powered 1,050-horsepower vehicle is intended to rival (or perhaps best) anything Tesla Motors may have up its sleeve. As an upright crossover, it appears to be designed to...
Andrew Ganz -
Data may be Tesla's advantage in the race to launch self-driving cars.
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Fusion Hybrid again used for latest Ford autonomous test vehicle
Ford will deploy a second-generation version of its autonomous Fusion Hybrid sedan in 2017.
Stephen Edelstein -
Electric Chevy Bolt EV will be GM's first autonomous car
Prototype autonomous versions of the Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car will test on public roads in Michigan.
Stephen Edelstein -
For car-sharing to grow, 6 assumptions are key: Daimler
The CEO of Daimler's Car2Go service discusses assumptions about the future of the business.
Stephen Edelstein -
Rinspeed Oasis electric urban car to appear at CES, Detroit Auto Show
The Rinspeed Oasis is a self-driving electric-car concept from a Swiss firm known for unusual ideas.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla to roll out Autopilot self-driving capabilities 'very soon'
Tesla launch a software update to add Autopilot functions next month, according to Elon Musk.
Stephen Edelstein