In somewhat of a twist on the forward motion of the development of self-driving vehicles, there seems to be a movement in vehicles that use a driver, but via remote control.
An electric, self-driving truck has been unveiled by a Swedish tech company with the intent of creating 200 of the remote-controlled vehicles.
The ˜T-Pod' is 23 feet long and has an operating weight of 20 tons, smaller than normal heavy trucks. It's controlled by an operator, but also has the ability to take advantage of a self-driving system, according to Einride, the company making the vehicles.
Like parents helping their child learn to walk, automakers are trying to teach their cars how to drive on their own.
And Nissan will take a big step closer to that goal later this year when an all-new version of the Leaf battery-electric vehicle comes to market.
The 2018 Nissan Leaf will see its range roughly doubled, the automaker signaling it will be able to deliver around 200 miles per charge. It also will feature a number of new technologies, including the e-Pedal system announced earlier this week, as well as something it has dubbed ProPilot Assist.
Nearly eight of 10 Americans – including 68% of Republicans – favor the strict Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards set to phase in between now and 2025, according to a new study by the Consumer Federation of America.
The non-profit group published the results of its findings as the Trump Administration prepares to reopen a review of the mileage regulations enacted under President Barack Obama. CFA officials also countered auto industry claims that the CAFE rules are too expensive, arguing that motorists would save more than $900 on fuel over a five-year period, or nearly three times more than high-mileage technology would add to the price of the typical vehicle.
One morning in early June, Jim LaPointe was driving on the outskirts of this Michigan city when a deer bounded across the road in front of his Ford Fusion.
Mr. LaPointe braked and avoided hitting the doe, but was caught off guard by what happened next.
“All of a sudden I see this little blip dart out, and it’s the little one running after the mother,” Mr. LaPointe said. He slammed on the brakes and the youngster evidently scooted away. “I didn’t see any fur on the bumper, so I guess I didn’t hit him, but it was close.”
Conventional wisdom on self-driving used to go like this: A smart tech company, like Google's Waymo, writes the self-driving software. A smart chip company, like Nvidia, provides the computing power. A smart automotive supplier, like Delphi, brings the car parts. A smart carmaker, like GM, furnishes the cars - and everything runs on the platform created by a smart ride-hailing company, like Uber or Lyft.
This line of thinking explains why players in this industry are partnering up like their survival depends on it. In the stage production that is getting you from A to B in a robocar, everyone plays a role.