car

MIT, Volkswagen's In-Car Personal Robot Thinks You're Driving Like a Maniac

My parents already treat the GPS on their car like it's a person: "Shh! She's talking!" Now researchers at the MIT Media Lab, in partnership with Audi, want to take that relationship one step further with AIDA, the "Affective Intelligent Driving Agent."READ»

Is Apology By Toyota Prexy Disingenuous?

This morning Toyota President Akio Toyoda apologized profusely to the Japanese people for making vehicles that have not excited domestic buyers. He was also contrite over the company's projected loss of $5 billion for the year, and ...READ»

Audi EV Concept Boasts Insane Torque

The Tesla Roadster may be fast, and the VW E-Up might be economical, but those go-karts don't have anything on the Audi e-tron. The concept vehicle unveiled at the International Auto Motor Show in Frankfurt looks a lot like ...READ»

Is VW's Electric E-Up The Beetle of the 21st Century?

The electric car really is due at a showroom near you, we can confirm, because VW, maker's of the "people's car" will have one in 2013. VW's even dubbing the E-Up the "Beetle of the 21st Century". Can this lofty claim be ...READ»

Future Ford PHEV's Will Talk to the Power Grid

As it stands today, the power grid is a sensitive thing. Too many people turn on the air conditioning at the same time, and the whole thing collapses. It's a problem that should ease up as smart grids and variable pricing become more ...READ»

Video Tour of Ford's Tech Suite: Voice Control, In-Dash PCs and... Printers

Ford is doing things with navigation that you never expected--namely, bringing it to the masses, with voice control. The new Taurus, redesigned as the company's flagship for 2010, now sports the kind of nav you'd never have expected ...READ»

Lamborghini Cuts Emissions, But Remains in Hybrid Slow Lane

Luxury car maker Lamborghini has pledged to cut carbon emissions 35% by 2015. As part of the pledge, Lamborghini is investing $49 million in carbon cutting efforts. The company has already reduced emissions significantly with ...READ»

CarGo Concept Is Compact Meets Pick-Up Meets Transformer Autobot

Everyone wants to be a do-gooder and drive a compact, gas-sipping car, but sometimes a larger vehicle is necessary to transport cargo. Adam Schacter's CarGo concept is a solution to the compact car/pick-up truck ...READ»

Toyota's Third-Generation Prius Hybrid Has Solar Panels, Remote Control Air Conditioning

Car companies can't make hybrid vehicles fast enough, but the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle still reigns supreme. Toyota unveiled the third-generation Prius today in Tokyo, Japan, with a slew of new features to ...READ»

What Will Cars Look Like in 2049?

The U.K.'s Royal College of Art recently launched a competition asking students to design the future of Opel/Vauxhall automobiles in 40-years time. Only 19 students entered, but the results are impressive ...READ»

Sign of the Times: Ford Transforming SUV Assembly Plant Into a Small Car Plant

Ford Motor Company is spending $550 million to turn its Michigan SUV plant into a small car plant for the fuel-efficient Ford Focus. The plant will eventually manufacture the 2011 battery-electric version of the Focus as well. ...READ»

Can ZipCar Remake Government Fleets?

For the last 10 years, ZipCar has succeeded in getting urban drivers to share cars. Now it's trying to get government in on the game. The car-sharing company announced plans on Monday to venture into the public sector with a ...READ»

Sony Patents Remote Controlled Spy Car

Nintendo may have active gameplay locked up, but Sony appears to be pursuing something much more realistic: a PSP-controlled model car equipped with a camera and some extensive virtual reality software. No, it's not just ...READ»

Fisker Karma Moves Closer to Production

The Fisker Karma luxury plug-in hybrid electric car (PHEV) is the all-electric Tesla Model S' biggest competitor. After raising $85 million in funding for the car's development from Eco Drive Partners LLC and venture capital company ...READ»

GM and Segway Collaborate on Networked "PUMA" Two-Seater

Every year, more people worldwide flock to cities, where congestion and pollution are quickly becoming intolerable. GM and Segway have teamed up to build what they believe is the solution: a two-seat, two-wheeled Segway with zero ...READ»

Ecotricity Greenbird Smashes Wind Power Speed Record

We've been hearing a lot about plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and straight-up electric vehicles (EV), but Ecotricity's wind-powered carbon fiber composite Greenbird moves just as fast--and looks like way more ...READ»

Why Does Tesla Get All the Love? It's Selling California, Not Cars

Yesterday, Tesla Motors fulfilled its stereotype as a Silicon Valley startup by botching the unveiling of its second major product launch, the four-door Model S sedan. The feverish response to the news--from Digg co-founder Kevin ...READ»

Mercedes Hybrid F-Cell Roadster Kicks It (Very) Old School

Most next-generation concept cars have futuristic dashboards and electricity consumption monitors, but the Mercedes F-CELL hybrid roadster is a blast from the turn-of-the-century past. The roadster can only reach a turtle-like ...READ»

Microsoft Directs TomTom to Drop Dead

At the end of February, Microsoft [MSFT] brought suit against GPS company TomTom [TOM2] for several patent infringements pertaining to TomTom's Linux-based GPS navigation software. Now the Linux community is preparing for a fight, ...READ»

Rumor Mill: Is IKEA Entering the Eco-Friendly Car Market?

We already know that IKEA is debuting a line of solar-powered lights; could the Swedish giant actually enter the eco-friendly car market?READ»

The Horseless Carriage Will Never Catch On

Regardless of which technology any of us may prefer, I’m proud to be the world’s first automotive customer to trade in a hydrogen fuel cell car for a newer one! After nearly five years driving several generations of the Honda FCX, I traded in mine for a new Honda Clarity. I also get bragging rights for being the first retail customer to buy hydrogen at a gas station in 2004.READ»

Microsoft's Metered PC Idea Is Not Greedy. In Fact, It's Almost Brilliant

Microsoft's new "metered PC" concept has the nerd world united in a chorus of outrage. Despite all the yelling, the pay-as-you-go model might be one of the best ideas Redmond has had in years.READ»

6 Electric Cars Coming Soon [pics]

Here are six electric cars on their way to showrooms across the world.READ»

• Inside The Chevy Volt
• Mercedes BlueZERO Eco Cars To Come With Three Alternative-Fuel Options

Who Gets "It"? Travelers Insurance Does

I was in a car accident a few weeks ago, and like everyone that has that misfortune, I also was not looking forward to dealing with the insurance company. A little damage to the cars, but I tweaked my neck. All is well but I ...READ»