Tech

In the course of duty, Police officers have to transport strangers in their vehicles. This can create all kinds of health risks, as you don’t know what sort of illnesses their passengers might be carrying. Cop cars often use plastic rear seats that can be hosed down and cleaned with disinfectants.

With Teslas, Bolts, I-PACEs, and E-TRONs, the era of pure electric cars is upon us, and their presence will only will expand over the coming years, as companies look to reduce greenhouse gasses and the use of traditional combustion engines.

Ford has announced that it is the first automaker to test its autonomous cars at the new University of Michigan test facility called MCity. The test facility is a simulated city environment spanning 32 acres. The test location has fake city streets, traffic signals, curb cuts, bike lanes, hydrants, sidewalks, signs, construction zones, and traffic control devices.

The team from Bloodhound SSC is aiming to break the land speed record with their jet- and rocket-powered car that will some day reach an insane 1,000MPH. In this clip, the Bloodhound mechanical design lead Brian Coombs explains just exactly what it takes to slow down the vehicle at the end of its run, and bring it safely to a stop before it reaches the edge of its desert runway.

During the 2014 CeBIT consumer electronics show, Audi introduced a prototype of what it thinks could be the future of automotive cockpits. The Audi James 2025 concept provides a glimpse into potential future functionality and design.

Toyota has announced it will begin testing a wireless charging system in Japan that will allow plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles to recharge without a physical connection. The Toyota system uses magnetic resonance technology to deliver 2 kilowatts of power and should be able to fully charge a battery in about 90 minutes.

Car companies maintain a wide variety of methods for testing out the driving characteristics of their cars. While an actual race track is probably the best way to go hands-on with a car, sometimes vehicles aren’t yet ready to be driven, or weather conditions prevent testing.