Long-distance EVs
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that some of the vehicles in the company’s current lineup could hit more than 430 miles of range and that the company is working on a 621-mile-range vehicle, reports Car and Driver. “We even have some under development that could do 1,000 kilometers [621 miles],” Musk was quoted as saying during the European Battery Conference. Musk said the long-term goal would be to bring down the battery pack’s cost per kilowatt-hour. Experts believe that getting battery pack costs down to $100 per kWh would bring the cost of EVs down to gas-powered vehicles’ levels.
Look out!
A small study suggests that as drivers learn to trust automated driving technologies, they take their hands off the steering wheel and engage in distracting behavior more often, reports J.D. Power. For the study, 20 volunteers spent a month driving vehicles with ADAS (advanced driver assist systems). Researchers recorded instances when the driver removed both hands from the steering wheel or directed their attention to their smartphone or the center console controls. Ten of the volunteers drove Land Rover Range Rover Evoques equipped with Level 1 ADAS (adaptive cruise control), and 10 drove Volvo S90s with Level 2 ADAS (Pilot Assist with adaptive cruise control and lane-centering capability). At first, researchers discerned no difference between the drivers of the two different models. After a month, however, the Volvo drivers were more likely to redirect their focus or to remove their hands from the steering wheel than were the Land Rover drivers. But this only happened when the Volvo drivers used both adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance at the same time. “This study supports our call for more robust ways of ensuring the driver is looking at the road and ready to take the wheel when using Level 2 systems,” said IIHS Senior Research Scientist Ian Reagan. “It shows some drivers may be getting lulled into a false sense of security over time.”
Sit-down scooters
The third option in the City of Seattle’s Scooter Share Program hit the streets in November as Wheels started deploying its sit-down electric scooters, reports GeekWire. The company was granted a permit, along with Lime and LINK, as part of a micro-mobility program authorized by the Seattle City Council in September. Wheels emerged from the selection process as the “most accessible option” because of its seated scooter. Unlike traditional stand-up models, the Wheels model is intended to offer greater stability because of its lower center of gravity. Twenty percent of the scooters in Seattle will come with an integrated helmet, with the intention of scaling to the entire fleet. The helmets, attached to the back of the scooter, come with removable biodegradable liners to assure sanitary use from one rider to the next.
Hope this doesn’t happen to you, but if it does …
What to do if a tire blows out while driving? The goal in any blowout is to keep the vehicle balanced and controllable, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Any overreaction – including slamming on the brakes or abruptly removing your foot from the accelerator – can result in a loss of control over the vehicle. Instead, take the following steps: 1) Hold the steering wheel with both hands; 2) maintain your vehicle speed if possible and if it’s safe to do so; 3) gradually release the accelerator; 4) correct the steering as necessary to stabilize your vehicle and regain control, and look where you want the vehicle to go and steer in that direction; and 5) once your vehicle has stabilized, continue to slow down and pull off the road where and when you judge it’s safe to do so.