Nissan, Honda consider partnering on software, EV charging infrastructure, report says
Two of Japan’s three biggest automakers are looking to jointly develop the operating system that controls cars in a bid to bring down costs, according to Nikkei.
Using tech to keep Central Florida’s expressways clean, safe
Autonomous technology used nowhere else in the nation is helping workers gather couches, washing machines and other trash totaling 400 tons annually along the 125 miles of Central Florida Expressway Authority roads.
The state agency, which operates a network of expressways in the region and charges drivers to use them, strives to provide motorists with safe, clean roadways in return for their tolls.
Achieving this is a challenge requiring CFX to spend over $130 million annually, according to Don Budnovich, director of maintenance.
Budnovich said that money is doled out for expenses such as contractors who drive roads daily; vehicles with so-called lane blades to push debris onto shoulders for safe removal; and technology that aims to help speed up repairs to damaged highways.
Last year, CFX began using a system of four dashcamlike devices called Route Reports secured to patrol vehicles that autonomously takes photos every 32 feet — while blurring faces and license plates. The photos feed into a database of changing road conditions in real time, with the agency receiving alerts to damage or debris. The technology created in England is used on many European roads but CFX is first to use it on American ones.
Dodge Durango engine problems plague Indiana police
Indiana State Police said nearly 20 percent of the Dodge Durangos they bought over the past year have had oil cooler defects requiring lengthy repairs.
Tesla gets German environmental authority approval for controversial site expansion
The expansion is part of a wider plan by CEO Elon Musk to double the plant’s capacity to 100 gigawatt hours of battery production and 1 million cars per year, setting it up to dominate Europe’s EV market.
Dealers say EV sales training provides a competitive edge
Staff learn how to sell EVs to consumers who have different concerns than buyers of internal combustion vehicles.