Automotive
Practically, this may be a terrible idea, but as a tech demo, it's an excellent illustration of OLED, and its potential to kick holes in the divide between what we think of as display technology and what we think of as lighting technology. The concept is called Swarm, and is in essence an ultra wide aspect ratio TV placed on a car's derrière where the taillights should be. The idea is that the swooping, fluid animations displayed will relay all sorts of useful information to other road users. Read More
Volkswagen may be a bit late to the electric vehicle game, as far as major global manufacturers go, but it's making up for it quickly. Hot on the heels of the world premiere of its e-Co-Motion electric van concept and the revolutionary XL1 hybrid, the company is introducing its first electric production car – the e-up! – which made its debut at its Annual Press and Investors Conference. The electric up! is a city car that can travel up to 93 miles (150 km) per charge. Read More
According to a recent study by the American Automobile Association, seven out of ten drivers admit to text messaging while driving. Combine that with a study by Virginia Tech, which concluded that texting drivers are 23.2 times more likely to be involved in an accident, and you begin to see how big of a problem it is. ORIGOSafe is one of the latest products designed to stop texting-and-driving – it won’t let your car start unless your phone is plugged into the device. Read More
VŪHL, a new supercar manufacturer with roots in Mexico, is preparing its debut car for this July's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The company has teased the car, promising that it will be a lightweight supercar "endowed with exhilarating performance." Read More
The Geneva Motor show isn't just about supercars. There’s also room for a bit of lateral thinking. Online fashion retailer Zalando may seem an unusual participant in the show, but the company’s Zalando fashion car concept aims at merging motoring and shopping for clothes. The concept uses an iPad augmented reality app to spot, identify, order, and pick up fashions worn by passing pedestrians, and the car even morphs into a changing room to try on the items. Read More
In what might seem like an odd pairing, Birmingham City University and Westfield Sportscars have joined forces to develop the world’s first build at home electric race car kit. The iRACER is an all-electric vehicle designed to educate and excite, while also supporting the growing forces urging the sport of racing to go local-emissions-free. Read More
Perhaps you’ve got a decent, several-year-old car that you’re still happy with, but that you wish had some of the helpful computerized features of today’s newer models. Should that be the case, don’t go trading in your ride just yet. The Automatic system accesses your existing car’s onboard computer, then displays driving and diagnostic data on your smartphone’s screen. It could potentially save you money, trips to the garage, and even 911 calls. Read More
Set to up the eco-ante later this year is Audi’s new e-fueled g-tron 5-door hatchback. Carrying design elements and other familiar amenities from previous A3 outings, the new g-tron is similar in every way except the fuel option. But in this story, the car is only part of the eco-tale. Read More
A concept clearly aimed at a young, urban demographic, the all-new Kia provo concept is a small, sporty, three-door hatchback with eye-diverting looks and a focus on technology. Designed at Kia's European styling center in Frankfurt, Germany, the colorful provo concept looks as ready for SEMA as the Geneva Motor Show, where it was unveiled last week. Read More
Doing away with the cord presents obvious advantages when it comes to the challenge of keeping electric vehicles juiced-up and Qualcomm is among those putting wireless charging platforms through real-world tests to prove the technology. Read More
