Nissan is charged up about giving your electric car’s battery pack a new life
Nissan announced its Nissan Energy program at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. The program is a three-pronged effort to promote the installation of charging stations, enable smart charging in homes and business locations, and upcycle used electric car batteries into low-stress power-management applications.
Flat, fast, and flexible, Volkswagen’s new electric platform can power any car
VW recently took us to its Transparent Factory in Dresden for a deep dive into its work and plans for the all-new MEB (Modular Electric Toolkit) architecture. This new platform is designed exclusively for EV use and VW expects to produce up to 330,000 electric vehicles a year starting in 2020.
How autonomous ridesharing will reshape our cars, cities, and lives
Ridesharing is changing the way people around the world build their cities, design their cars, and choose to get around. As people choose shared rides, automakers will design their cars to accommodate new uses. Ridesharing is also driving advancements in autonomous and connected cars.
The coming hydrogen fuel cell evolution
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and on Earth. Our oceans are mostly made of Hydrogen. So why have hydrogen fuel cells had such a hard time catching on? We met with the California Fuel Cell Partnership to get the low-down on how they can make hydrogen-fed cars more mainstream.
From a bad battery to a crash, Virginia Tech’s automated car beat all challenges
General Motors and the Society of Automotive Engineers created the AutoDrive Challenge, and a team of mechanical engineering students from Virginia Tech overcame technical and human obstacles to create a basic autonomous car in one year. Over the next two years, they’ll build a true autonomous car.
How racing simulators are helping stroke victims get back behind the wheel
Researchers at Loyola Marymount University are adapting technology developed to train the world’s top pro racing drivers to assess cognitive abilities and help victims of stroke and traumatic brain injury to safely retrain themselves to drive. For brain injury survivors, this is anything but a game.
Your next car will talk to crosswalks, pay your tolls, and find its own parking
V2X stands for Vehicle to Anything communications, and it will help you avoid accidents, make all the green lights, and keep away from traffic jams. The technology is already here, and it’s being rolled out over the next few years. When you have it, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it.
How tech is helping used car sales with safe transaction zones
No one needs to be reminded that the online marketplace can be risky. Scammers and creeps have infested classified ad sites like Craigslist and made them dangerous. In response, cities and businesses are now offering safe transaction zones to meet for online sales and used car test drives.
Technology is finally going to kill car dealers, and consumers win
Traditional auto dealers are a threatened species, according to industry veterans. Rising trends like subscriptions, direct sales, and the ride-sharing industry all combine to put auto dealers in a difficult spot. Here are some of the changes we could see in the coming years, and what they mean for buyers.
Lithium metal batteries could triple EV ranges, and they’re getting closer
New research into lithium metal battery technology happening at Canada’s University of Waterloo is pointing the way to a 3X improvement in solid-state battery storage capacity.
Bikesharing has existed for a century, but tech is making it massive
Bicycle sharing programs have been around for decades, but have always been plagued by theft and vandalism problems. Now with phone-based apps and GPS tracking, bikeshare systems can provide ready human-powered transportation with accountability.
Hold my beer, I’ve got a new UTV!
Why side-by-side off-road vehicles are becoming the most popular vehicles in the desert.
Road rave: Getting muddy with Firestone’s latest off-road tire
We went to the Shenandoah mountains of Virginia to drive Firestone’s latest full off-road tires, and ended up learning the science and design process by which tires are made.
Mazda plans to make the most of gas by burning less with Skyactiv-X
Mazda’s new Skyactiv-X engine combines century-old diesel technology with the latest in engine management to deliver a revolutionary new design. Major improvements in fuel economy and reduced emissions point the way to a greener gasoline engine.
100 years of collectible Chevrolet Pickup Trucks
Chevrolet pickup trucks are just about the hottest collectible vehicles going right now, and there’s a lot to like. They’re easy to find, easy to restore, and get a lot of attention.
The Right Stuff: Clarion Builds a Hot Rod Acura NSX
The first-generation Acura NSX is a legendary sports car. Designed to take on Ferrari and win, this Japanese exotic supercar was looking like a senior citizen until Clarion Builds brought it up to date.
Not ready to drop $35K on a new EV? You won’t believe how cheap they are used
Used EVs are some of the cheapest late model cars you can buy, and they still have a lot of life left in them.
2017 Honda Clarity first drive
If you live where the hydrogen stations are, Honda’s new Clarity is an excellent choice, especially when you realize that Honda’s giving them away.
2017 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 first drive
Amid the current crowd of giant off-road specialty trucks like the Ford Raptor and Ram Power Wagon, the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 is unique. As a mid-size truck, the ZR2 offers advantages the others can’t touch, and delivers excellent performance both on and off pavement.
An inside look at Jaguar’s goals and directions
Jaguar Land Rover designer Ian Callum and product manager David Larsen give us an inside look at where the brand is headed, and why.
Breathing dust and hanging on for dear life at this year’s Baja 1000
The 50th Baja 1000 is coming up. We took a brief glimpse behind the wheel to find out why this form of racing attracts so many drivers.
Road Rave – How to tow a trailer like a boss
Most people don’t know how to tow a trailer properly, but towing doesn’t have to be a nightmare if you know what to do.
I was on the self-driving bus that crashed in Vegas. Here’s what really happened
The Las Vegas self-driving shuttle bus didn’t crash. It did exactly what it should have done. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement.
Ghost hunting with the 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe Midnight Edition
We took the 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe Midnight Edition on a creepy visit to one of America’s most notorious haunted houses – the Pennhurst Asylum.
Vehicle marketing language — how keywords on car sites influence your choices
Auto dealers who use the right words to for vehicle marketing can help their sales performance. Are you susceptible?
Volvo’s U.S. boss clears the air on electrification, self-driving cars, safety
Volvo’s Senior Vice President Lex Kerssemakers discusses plans for electrification, autonomous drive, and increased safety over the next 5 years.
You and Bambi will both appreciate the new technologies reducing roadkill
Researchers at Virginia Tech are working on reducing roadkill and animal collisions that cost over 200 lives and $1 billion annually.
Inside the Japanese factory where Pioneer still makes car speakers by hand
We took a trip to visit the Pioneer speaker factory in Tendo, Japan to learn about the craftsmanship and quality that goes into a product most of us take for granted.
Barely legal: 5 hot imports you can finally drive on American roads in 2018
Did you know you can import any car to the U.S. as long as it’s 25 years old? Here are five fantastic cars eligible for import in 2018.
Meet Motivo, the mercenary engineers quietly crafting the tech in your next car
Motivo Engineering engineers new products from scratch. To work fast and produce results, it had to invent a whole new way of working.
2018 Acura TLX first drive
Acura hopes that the revised TLX will restore the brand’s sport sedan credibility and compete with the Germans. By offering performance, tech, and value, they may be right on the money.
Potholes cost drivers $3 billion each year? Here’s how they form and why they’re so damaging
When the snow melts and the ice thaws away in spring, you’re left with gaping craters of destruction perfectly designed to damage your car and cost you big money. But you can minimize the dangers of potholes with a little common sense.
2017 Jeep Compass first drive
With real 4X4 capability and a low cost, the 2017 Jeep Compass is among the best compact SUVs on the market.
Hydrogen cars are here, but should you put one in your driveway?
Several automakers now offer cars powered by hydrogen-generated electricity. We took a look at the pros and cons of using hydrogen as an automotive fuel source. Hydrogen is a wonderful green fuel, but it does have a few problems.
With trick trophy trucks, the Mint 400 race makes Mad Max look middle-of-the-road
There’s more to off-road racing than you think. Engines that make over 800 horsepower, trucks that can jump 50 feet through the air, and the kind of can-do attitude that is sadly missing from other racing series.
How autonomous vehicles will forever change how we buy, own, and insure cars
In the brave new economy of autonomous electric cars, you may never own the car you drive -- and that has the potential to disrupt the entire automotive economy.