Image Source: TheNickster The lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries that will be powering the electric cars of tomorrow are much greener than originally expected, according to new research conducted. Much has been made of whether electric cars will actually be the saviour of our future, or whether they are just redistributing the environmental damage to other [...]
A researcher installs an enviromental chamber in the special laboratory in which metals' susceptibility to stress corrosion can be tested. (Credit: Fraunhofer IWM) ScienceDaily (Aug. 21, 2010) — Ask people to think of the ultimate future car, and their answer is often K.I.T.T. — the legendary talking supercar from the US television series "Knight Rider." [...]
Audi is sending a robotic version of its TTS sports car to navigate to the top of Pikes Peak only guided by computers and GPS NO DRIVER NEEDED: This driverless Audi TTS is headed to the top of Colorado's Pikes Peak next month. © SUSAN KUCHINSKAS In September a driverless Audi TTS will speed to [...]
Once relegated to the sidelines due to bulky components and complicated controls, these systems are benefiting from lightweight materials and ecofriendly fluid formulas PEDAL TO THE METTLE: In a hydraulic system, the diesel pump [left] pushes hydraulic fluid into the accumulator [red] to reach pressures of up to 385 kilograms per square centimeter. By pressing [...]
As the electric car market expands, Sandia National Laboratories' battery-abuse testing facility gets a workout The forthcoming Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf rely on lithium-ion battery packs, as do other contenders on the electric-car circuit. Yet perhaps mindful of a few highly publicized fires touched off by early lithium-ion power packs in laptops, are consumers [...]
It's bad enough forgetting to recharge your mobile phone overnight – the inconvenience is likely to be far worse if you fail to plug in your electric car. Now an array of technologies are being developed to ensure that absent-minded drivers don't run out of power on the road, but the come with a downside: [...]
Image courtesy Terrafugia For anyone who’s ever wanted to skip airport security lines and boarding delays, a newly designed flying car may pave the way for future personal transportation. Developers unveiled a scale model of the redesigned Transition "roadable aircraft" (pictured in a digital rendering) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Monday. The new design is both a [...]
Hybrid electric power makes the most sense for trucks that make numerous stops and starts, like utility vehicles, analysts say. Courtesy Daimler Trucks North America Don’t expect to see electric-powered 18-wheelers roaring down the interstate any time soon. What you are more likely to see are smaller highly fuel-efficient utility trucks and buses on neighborhood [...]
WayPilot has developed systems for warning drivers when their vehicle unintentionally is leaving a marked lane. (Credit: Image courtesy of SINTEF) ScienceDaily (June 5, 2010) — When the steering wheel starts vibrating strongly, your car is too close to the edge of the road. WayPilot, a new Norwegian product, helps to keep it where it [...]
The next time you're at a music festival and see a giant rainbow trout swishing around in the sky, there's just a chance you might not be intoxicated. Instead, it might be materials scientists from Switzerland testing their latest invention: an airship that moves like a fish. Of course, they call it the Airfish. Is [...]
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