Author: Futurism_Magazine Online News

Tesla Model X in Autopilot Killed a Driver. Officials Aren’t Pleased With How Tesla Handled It.

Tesla is taking PR very seriously after one of its vehicles in autonomous mode killed a passenger recently. The crash occurred at 9:27 AM on Highway 101 near Mountain View, California. Walter Huang was in the driver’s seat of the Model X, which was in autonomous mode. The car hit a concrete highway divider, marked with… Continue reading Tesla Model X in Autopilot Killed a Driver. Officials Aren’t Pleased With How Tesla Handled It.

Uber Settles with Family of AV Crash Victim

Uber has reached a settlement with the family of Elaine Herzberg, the 49-year-old woman struck and killed by one of Uber’s autonomous vehicles (AVs) on March 18. The terms of the Uber settlement were not disclosed. Click to View Full Infographic “The matter has been resolved,” the family’s lawyer Cristina Perez Hesano told Reuters. The… Continue reading Uber Settles with Family of AV Crash Victim

Electric Vehicles Are the Future, but Their Batteries Are Stuck in the Past

Electric vehicles, many believe, will save the planet, and the humans that live on it. But that only if making them doesn’t decimate it (and us) first. How’s a car owner to choose? Most traditional cars run on lead-acid batteries. Lead-acid batteries are fairly cheap, perform well in cold temperatures, and don’t put drivers at risk… Continue reading Electric Vehicles Are the Future, but Their Batteries Are Stuck in the Past

Soon California’s Autonomous Cars Will Drive All on Their Own

In Brief California’s DMV just lifted restrictions prohibiting manufacturers from testing driverless vehicles without a human behind the wheel. This move puts us one step closer to a future in which human drivers are no longer a part of the transportation equation. Fully Driverless Vehicles California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is making it easier… Continue reading Soon California’s Autonomous Cars Will Drive All on Their Own

Tesla Hit With Lawsuit Claiming They Willingly Sold Defective Vehicles

In Brief A former Tesla employee is claiming that the company knowingly sold defective vehicles in the past, and fired him for reporting the alleged practice. Tesla is being hit with a lawsuit put forward by a former employee, who claims the company sold defective vehicles and fired him because he knew about it. The… Continue reading Tesla Hit With Lawsuit Claiming They Willingly Sold Defective Vehicles

Hyundai’s Hydrogen-Powered, Self-Driving SUV Runs on Level 4 Autonomy

In Brief Hyundai recently showcased that their latest autonomous SUV, Nexo, can deliver Level 4 autonomy. The South Korean carmaker believes this breakthrough in self-driving vehicles was possible because Nexo’s electric motor runs on hydrogen fuel. When it comes to the future of clean and safe transportation, all bets seem to be on electric autonomous… Continue reading Hyundai’s Hydrogen-Powered, Self-Driving SUV Runs on Level 4 Autonomy

Elon Musk Wants to Ship Tesla Parts Using a Boring Company Underground Tunnel

In Brief In a recent Tesla earnings call, CEO Elon Musk discussed building an underground tunnel using The Boring Company to improve the production of their vehicles. If implemented, the tunnel would connect Tesla’s plant to a parts factory about 1.6 km (one mile) away. Despite making plans to boost production of its Model 3,… Continue reading Elon Musk Wants to Ship Tesla Parts Using a Boring Company Underground Tunnel

A $245 Million Settlement Has Brought the Waymo v. Uber Legal Battle to a Close

In Brief Uber has agreed to pay Waymo, Google’s autonomous vehicle company, $245 million in equity for stealing trade secrets. Uber also agreed not to use any of Waymo’s hardware or software ideas even though Google is now essentially an investor in Uber. Uber Pays for Stolen Secrets After spending nearly a week in the… Continue reading A $245 Million Settlement Has Brought the Waymo v. Uber Legal Battle to a Close

Elon Musk Calls Out LIDAR Tech as “A Crutch” in Autonomous Vehicles

In Brief Waymo and Uber’s self-driving systems use LIDAR technology to navigate traffic. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk says cameras — not LIDAR — are the way to go. Vision of the Future Elon Musk recently reiterated his stance that Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology is not a critical component of autonomous driving systems.… Continue reading Elon Musk Calls Out LIDAR Tech as “A Crutch” in Autonomous Vehicles