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Interacting With Pedestrians To Make Road-Crossings Safer

With autonomous vehicles coming in future, the interaction between a vehicle and other road-users, especially pedestrians, will change. Without a human making decisions and a computer taking action, there will be a need to ‘communicate’ intentions in different ways. This is one of the many areas which researchers are looking into with autonomous vehicle development.

Skoda, the Czech carmaker, is developing unique technology which displays to pedestrians – via the car’s grille – when it’s safe to cross the road, as part of a wider trial scheme looking to make roads safer for children, senior citizens and people with disabilities. While this concept is being explored at this time for use in vehicles controlled by human drivers, it could lay the groundwork for autonomous vehicles of the future.

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Volvo Continues Long Tradition of Redefining Safety

Since the beginning of the automotive industry, safety has been a key component. Significant improvements in car safety have been made as a result of technological development and invention, enabling both drivers and passengers to travel with greater peace of mind.

The development of safety measures like airbags, seat belts, and anti-lock brakes is one of the most crucial parts of car safety. Through the years, these characteristics have helped to save countless lives by reducing the severity of accident-related injuries.

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2023 Lexus LM To Debut At Auto Shanghai

The brand-new LM will premiere this year on April 18 at the Shanghai Motor Show. The new “flagship people carrier” will be the first LM vehicle to join the European model lineup, according to the Japanese automaker.

The initial LM has two engine choices, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid and a 3.5-litre NA V6 and options for seven or four seats. The 2023 LM is rumoured to be a six-cylinder MPV that runs on petrol.

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Lotus Eletre Hyper SUV Debuts In Malaysia, Priced from RM578,000

One year after making its global debut, the Lotus Eletre has arrived in Malaysia. This is the British brand’s first hyper-SUV which also lays claims to being a world first in this category. Apart from being the first of a new breed of fully electric SUVs, the Eletre also bears several firsts for Lotus. It is the first model outside sportscar segments; the first lifestyle EV; and also said to be the most ‘connected’ Lotus ever.

Three variants will be available for the Malaysian market – Eletre, Eletre S and Eletre R – with prices ranging from RM578,000 to RM798,000. There is currently no duty imposed on fully electric vehicles and roadtax is also exempted till the end of 2025. So customers have only to pay for insurance and whatever options they want to include to personalize their Eletre.

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Weight of Modern EVs Could Collapse Old Parking Buildings

According to a report published in a British newspaper, old parking structures that date back to the ’60s, ’70s or ’80s could be susceptible to collapse if too many EV’s are to park in the upper levels.

This is due to the weight of the EV’s and the batteries each has to lug around in order for it to produce a decent range.

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Bringing Back Emotional Engine Roar In The EV Age

Motoring enthusiasts often talk about driving as an emotional thing and while there are various kinds of emotions – stress, fear, anger – it is often the emotion of pleasure that is publicised. ‘Driving’ pleasure is often mentioned as what can be experienced from a new car and advertisements play it up in different ways.

Going together with driving pleasure for sportscars is also the sound of the engine and exhaust – a growl or a roar or even a crackle – and it is what gets the adrenaline flowing faster. The ultimate sound comes from racing cars which, not being restricted by regulations for vehicles used on public roads, are typically louder.

With electrically-powered cars, there is no combustion engine, no exhaust pipe – and therefore no sound. Environmentalists are happy with the prospect of roads becoming quieter in future as more electric vehicles (EVs) travel on them. But for those who have always loved driving and the pleasure it gives, the absence of engine and exhaust sound is a huge loss. The silence, as the saying goes, is ‘deafening’.

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