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A Tesla driver was caught sleeping on the highway with his car on Autopilot. https://www.facebook.com/techinsider/videos/514246548773706/
Say this for DARPA, it’s not shy about picking ominous names for its projects. Or, in this case, not worried when the partners it works with choose them. Pictured above: the “Nightmare” a “stealth bike” developed by LSA Autonomy for DARPA that has just been moved on to the second stage of development, according to Defense One. DARPA commissioned both it and another bike from Logos Technologies to meet some specific goals: run quietly on electric power, but also run on whatever fuel a soldier in the field.
Alex Dzwill of Logos told Defense One that its bike, the SilentHawk, could run on anything from gasoline to propane to jet fuel:” It will figure it out.”
Any electric car maker worth its salt knows that their vehicles are only as good as the charging stations that keep them running… and that includes Apple, apparently. Reuters sources understand that Apple is asking charging station manufacturers about their technology for the sake of its oft-rumored electric car project. It’s not certain how deep the talks go or who’s involved (the companies certainly aren’t talking). However, NRG Energy issued a vague response noting that it’s talking to “every potential manufacturer of tomorrow.” We wouldn’t rule it out, then.
There’s more evidence than that. An unnamed worldwide engineering company has already offered to help Apple build charging stations, Reuters says. Meanwhile, Apple has publicly hired EV charging experts from BMW, Georgia Tech and Google.
If true, the approach is a logical fit for Apple. Part of Tesla’s success in EVs comes from its willingness to build a network of high-speed charging stations — you’re more likely to buy a Model S if you know that you can drive it long distances without spending hours waiting for a recharge. Apple may need that same kind of reassurance. And let’s not forget that Apple’s strategy revolves around controlling as much of the experience as possible. It only makes sense that the company would want optimized charging stations instead of leaving drivers to use generic stations that might not work as effectively.
Continue reading “Apple reportedly looks into making electric car charging stations” »
Got to luv this.
Is this brand new type of battery the key to clean energy and off-grid electricity?
Lithium-ion batteries are having a moment. After becoming the de facto battery in laptops and cell phones over the years, they’re now starting to power electric cars (like those made by Tesla) and plug into the power grid.
Continue reading “A Battery Made From Metal and Air Is Electrifying the Developing World” »
In a blog post today, Uber showed off the self-driving car that’s been stealthily cruising around Pittsburgh. The car is a hybrid Ford Fusion and is currently in early stages of safety testing. This particular Uber test vehicle was first spotted almost a year ago by local Pittsburgh media, but this is Uber’s first acknowledgement of such tests.
Uber and Google (among others) have been racing to be the first to develop self-driving taxis for over a year now. Uber “cleaned out” Carnegie Mellon and the National Robotics Engineering Center to be part of its Advanced Technology Center in Pittsburgh, the research arm responsible for developing this “look ma, no hands” technology. This heavy hiring out of Carnegie Mellon could give Uber a big boost. The Pittsburgh-based university considers itself the birthplace of self-driving cars, and it probably is. CMU researchers were testing autonomous vehicles before Google even existed.
In March, Uber also joined a coalition, this time in partnership with Google, to advocate for self-driving adoption.
Continue reading “This Is Our First Good Look at Uber’s Self-Driving Car” »
New and improve fuel cells.
Fuel cells, which generate electricity from chemical reactions without harmful emissions, have the potential to power everything from cars to portable electronics, and could be cleaner and more efficient than combustion engines. Abstract: Fuel cells, which generate electricity from chemical reactions without harmful emissions, have the potential to power everything from cars to portable electronics, and could be cleaner and more efficient than combustion engines.
