One of our favorite automative companies is again dominating headlines: stock prices are up, and the company is introducing new services to ensure complete 100 percent customer satisfaction. When Tesla founder Elon Musk isn't re-defining the space industry, donating personal funds to improve highways, or building an e-commerce empire, the man is revolutionizing how we drive. By...
Fisker Automotive announced Friday that it is cutting about 75 percent of its workforce in an attempt to drastically cut costs and hopefully save the company from bankruptcy. In an official statement, Fisker described the action as “a necessary step in our efforts to maximize the value of Fisker’s core assets.” In a Friday morning meeting, roughly 160 employees were told they were...
They say driving is a privilege, but it can seem like a terrible chore at times. Here in Southern California, the traffic is atrocious, and often times driving a few miles can take much, much longer than it should. While we can't take all the bad drivers off the road, what if technology created a world where there was no such thing as a bad driver? That's why the idea of a self-driving...
A big stink has been brewing around the Tesla’s electric Model S lately, thanks to a review published by The New York Times writer John Broder. Last weekend, he chronicled an ill-fated car trip from Washington, D.C., to Boston, which got cut short in Connecticut when the vehicle ran out of juice. End result? The reporter wound up calling a tow truck and then panning the car in a widely...
I've become hopelessly dependent on Siri, using the voice assistant pretty much every day. Those easy, no-fuss speech commands don't require users to drop everything and dig through copious folders just to find answers, set a timer, send a text or map directions. This fact isn't lost on car companies, particularly those seeking mobile features that can help drivers do more with less...
What madness is this? I’ve seen insultingly lower-spec’ed smartphones in soft colors being marketed to the ladies, but this female-oriented car takes the cake. You’d think the Honda Fit She’s comes pre-loaded with Pamprin in the glove box, a lipstick holder where the cigarette lighter would be, and spoken alerts voiced by Robert Pattinson. It doesn’t, but it’s not that far off: Aside...
I’ve driven the 2013 Chevy Volt for almost two months now, and by all accounts I love this car. When gas prices exceeded $5 in California, I was glad to have a car that essentially can be run on pure electric power. I hope to write a comprehensive review for you about the car soon, but until then I can tell you about how my driving has changed. Beyond the technical engineering...
In a world of advancing innovations, one of the biggest obstacles are lawmakers who just don't get technology. Well, any company that has been stymied by this scenario ought to take Google's lead, particularly when it comes to its self-driving cars: The company has demonstrated quite some finesse in the way it explained its project to officials. Take Nevada state assemblywoman Marilyn...
I was nervous. I’m new to the Bay Area, so I don’t know my way around very well. And yet there I was in San Francisco, about to test-drive this very expensive, extremely tech-forward luxury car. The auto that I’m talking about, of course, is the 2013 Cadillac XTS, the maker’s first vehicle equipped with its Cadillac User Experience (CUE) infotainment system. We first spotted this...
Adding to the deluge of recent car safety technologies, GM aims to bail out jaywalkers with its development of Wireless Pedestrian Detection Technology. This system will rely on Wi-Fi direct, a peer-to-peer wireless sharing system that can connect with other devices from up to 656 feet (more than two football fields away). Here's the catch, though. Wi-Fi direct is only capable of...