Vehicles need fewer screens and more buttons, says EU automotive body

Car makers in Europe are being encouraged to stop using touchscreens for basic functions like turn signals and wipers in an attempt to promote safer driving. As reported by the Times, the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) — an independent and well-regarded safety body for the automotive industry  — is set to introduce new … Read more

Singapore is boosting its broadband for AI and autonomous vehicles

Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images Singapore is looking to boost its national broadband network to better prepare for emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous vehicles.  The country will set aside up to SG$100 million ($74.2 million) to upgrade the current nationwide network to deliver speeds of up to 10Gbps, according to Infocomm Media Development … Read more

Switching to electric vehicles would be fantastic for kids’ health

A wholesale switch to electric vehicles would be a tremendous boon to the health of many people around the world. But a new report from the American Lung Association highlights the particular advantages for children, especially those vulnerable to respiratory illness. Based on a model in which all new vehicles sold by 2035 are zero-tailpipe … Read more

The Switch to Electric Vehicles Was Always Going to Be a Slog

In the US, analysts say consumers have balked at automakers’ pricier electric offerings. Though the gap is closing, the average electric vehicle transaction is still more expensive than the average gas-powered one. It doesn’t help that 2024 began with discontinuation of the US market’s most affordable EV, the $26,500 Chevy Bolt. (It’s due to make … Read more

Over 80 cars towed during Stockton sideshow and sheriff says no one is getting their vehicles back soon

(FOX40.COM) — Days after over 80 vehicles were towed during a sideshow in Stockton, San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said that no one will be getting their cars back anytime soon. “We’re getting a tremendous amount of calls from people wanting their vehicles back,” said San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow. “To those people who’s … Read more

How to Guarantee the Safety of Autonomous Vehicles

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Driverless cars and planes are no longer the stuff of the future. In the city of San Francisco alone, two taxi companies have collectively logged 8 million miles of autonomous driving through August 2023. And more than 850,000 autonomous aerial vehicles, or drones, are registered … Read more

Toyota group plant raided in test cheating probe as automaker says it sold 11.2M vehicles in 2023

TOKYO — Japanese transport officials raided the plant of a Toyota group company on Tuesday to investigate cheating on engine testing, as the company reported it kept its status as the world’s top automaker in 2023, selling 11.2 million vehicles. Hours after the probe began at Toyota Industries Corp.’s plant in Hekinan, Aichi Prefecture, central … Read more

Toyota recalls thousands of vehicles with air bag defects

Toyota has issued an immediate do-not-drive advisory for the 2003-2004 Corolla, Corolla Matrix and 2004-2005 RAV4 vehicles due to a defect in the cars’ Takata air bags that could “explode and shoot sharp metal fragments” and seriously injure or kill drivers and passengers, it said in a statement. Toyota said it will repair or replace … Read more

New Report Shows Electric Vehicles Are Unreliable — These 3 Are the Worst

Marcus Lindstrom / iStock.com A sobering new reliability report from Consumer Reports indicates electric vehicles still have a long road ahead regarding dependable performance. The survey of over 300,000 vehicles found electric models suffer 79% more maintenance problems than gas-powered cars. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids fared even worse — with a concerning 146% more issues reported by drivers. … Read more