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Google

Kiwi pedestrian safety – it’s called the ‘Google glue’

May 22, 2016 by Alastair Sloane

Those 140 pedestrians fined by NZ police last year for making dumb choices while crossing roads busy with traffic? It’s in the Herald on Sunday. Road policing operations manager Peter McKennie told the newspaper that most pedestrian injuries or deaths could be easily avoided. "The main risk factors are pedestrians not paying attention to the traffic, being distracted by … [Read more...] about Kiwi pedestrian safety – it’s called the ‘Google glue’

Tiny Google car tours a vast city in miniature …

January 17, 2016 by Alastair Sloane

Search engine giant Google has toured the streets and railway tracks of a vast miniature city in Germany – recording the fascinating journey with the tiniest of cameras mounted on the tiniest of cars and trains. The journey begins at Miniatur Wunderland, a tourist attraction in Hamburg that houses 13km of miniature train displays, a model airport where planes actually fly, and … [Read more...] about Tiny Google car tours a vast city in miniature …

Google is dreaming about self-drive cars – there are miles to go yet

January 14, 2016 by Alastair Sloane

The progress of self-driving cars is taking two steps back for every one step forward, judging by admissions from leading developers like Google. The technology giant has admitted its self-driving cars failed 272 times in tests on California roads during 2014-15 – and each time drivers had to take immediate control. On 69 other occasions drivers felt compelled to take the … [Read more...] about Google is dreaming about self-drive cars – there are miles to go yet

Driver-less cars could be re-programmed as lethal weapons, says FBI

July 31, 2014 by Alastair Sloane

An FBI report uncovered by British newspaper The Guardian reveals law enforcement fears that autonomous cars like the current Google project could one day be used as “lethal weapons”. It predicts that cars which drive themselves without any human input are ‘game-changers’ – with the potential to revolutionise high-speed chases and impact on what both police and crooks can do … [Read more...] about Driver-less cars could be re-programmed as lethal weapons, says FBI

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The Good Oil

French carmaker Renault has won the 2025 European Car of the Year award with the all-electric R5 supermini (pictured). It’s the brand’s second win in a row, following the new Scenic’s gong in 2024. The R5 led the vote count from start to finish from the 60 jurors in 23 countries. It received 353 points, beating the Kia EV3 (291 points) and the Citroen C3/e in third place with 215 points. It’s Renault’s eighth win in the 62-year history of the Coty award. The R5 goes on sale in the UK this month. There are two main drivetrains: a 90kW motor/40kWh battery model with a 300km range, and a 112kW/52kWh example with a 400km range. The R5 starts in price at £22.995, or $NZ50,000.

EU carmakers seek trade deal with Trump

BMW and Mercedes-Benz are among carmakers urging the European Union to get a favourable trade deal with US President Donald Trump. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) wants to keep open trade with both the US and China. It fears Trump, who promises heavy tariffs on Chinese imports to the US, will look unfavourably on countries that continue to trade freely with Beijing. Ola Kallenius, president of the group and chairman of the management board of MB, said in a letter to EU leaders:  “Overall, it is essential to recognise that trade with China and the US is most vital for the prosperity of the European economy.The EU should seek a grand bargain with the US and attempt to avoid a potential trade conflict.”

Diesel fuels EV concept for US military

A  go-anywhere EV concept for the US military uses an onboard 12kW diesel generator to top up the batteries on the move.  The all-wheel-drive has 800-volt technology and a 200kWh battery pack to power three electric motors, two in the rear and one up front. Claimed output is 745kW/15,590Nm, or 1000hp and 11,500 ft-lb of torque.  The four-seater was developed by the defence division of General Motors and is based on the platform of the Hummer SUV. It rides on Fox performance shock absorbers and 37-inch tyres and comes with “exceptional” approach and departure angles for off-road mobility. Maximum range using the generator to keep things ticking over is said to be around 500km.

We are the World

The outside temperature in Midland, Texas, was 40.5C when staff at the local office of the US National Weather Service set out to show the cabin of a closed car can literally get baking hot in summer. They mixed up a batch of chocolate chip cookies and laid them on the car’s dashboard – the surface of which showed a temperature of 87.7C. A little over four hours later the cookies were ready to eat. “Even though ours weren’t golden brown, we can confirm that they are done and delicious,” the staff wrote on Facebook.

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Electric G-Wagen takes you for spin

https://youtu.be/NwHbJ7HN1sU

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