Faraday Future – The Tesla Killer?

Faraday Future officially revealed its futuristic conceptual electric-car last January (2016) at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  Though it’s been several months now since the announcement…and likely,  a few years until production begins of anything more tailored for the consumer market…anticipation remains high.  Why?  They just got approval to start testing autonomous cars in California later this year.

 

What many people don’t know is that Faraday Future has already sniped away a nice chunk of industry talent from the tech and auto industry with former employers like SpaceX, Tesla, Ford, BMW and GM.  And…they’ve already made agreements with Nevada lawmakers to build a $1 billion factory there…touting that a first production car could be hitting the streets by 2020.

 

But tough challenges remain:

  1. Cheap Gas
  2. Cheap Credit
  3. Regulatory & Legislative environment still favoring gas-powered vehicles
  4. Scant demand overall in the electric-car market…as a result of #1, #2, and #3 above.

Prediction: the number of electric cars on the road in the US probably wouldn’t outnumber the gas-powered ones until at least 2034.

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Driverless Cars: The Future of Our Highways?

Driverless cars…Self-Driving Cars, Autonomous Vehicles…what you call them might be less important than the projected fact that they will make up 75%+ of cars on the road by 2040.  Cadillac announced in April 2012 that it’s been developing a self-driving car that could be ready by 2015.  Tesla announced last month that it will have a car that’s “90 percent autonomous…developed solely by Tesla with in-house technology” within three (3) years.  Nissan is planning to introduce commercially viable autonomous vehicles by 2020.  California has already passed legislation that requires the California Department of Motor Vehicles to draft regulations for autonomous vehicles by January 1st, 2015.  Google…a major player in the legislation…has it’s own fleet of self-driving cars that have travelled over 300,000 miles in testing…”without a single accident.”

Most recently, Mercedes-Benz recently tested an autonomous S-class on public roads and declaring its desire to be first to market with such a car… this decade.  And finally, Nissan has proclaimed plans to sell affordable self-driving cars by 2020,

Autonomous driving is said to be safer simply because machines work more quickly than we do. Our eyes capture fewer frames per second than a high-speed camera, our brain processes data and reacts to it more slowly than a CPU, and our hands and feet are trounced for pace by electronic actuators.

Besides the safety and mobility benefits, autonomous cars would make us tremendosly more efficient.  Why stress out over the daily grind of your commute…when working on your upcoming presentation that morning or simply reading a relaxing book?

But a major factor that will determine who’s most successful in bringing driverless technology to market is…trust. “Consumers trust technology companies like Google and Apple more than automakers when it comes to building self-driving cars, a new KPMG LLP study reveals.”

  • Consumers trust technology companies like Google and Apple more than traditional automakers when it comes to building self-driving cars, a new KPMG LLP study reveals.
  • “What came through loud and clear was that technology companies scored highest among consumers in the focus groups,” according to the advisory firm.
  • The survey shows technology companies logged a median score of eight on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest level of trust.

Read More – Edmunds

Read More – AutoCar

 

Auto Body Gilroy News: 2-19-13

2014 Chevrolet SS Photos and Info: A 415-hp Real American Hero (Via Australia)

by Don Sherman

Ages from now, when we look back at 2008–2013 with 20/200 hindsight, we’ll likely deem GM’s quick-rinse bankruptcy a blessing. Case in point: the 2014 Chevrolet SS sedan arriving later this year. This car is an amalgam of a once-revered nameplate (SS) and one of the best cars developed by pre-Chapter 11 GM, the Pontiac G8. Without GM’s trip through the reorganization wringer, a rear-drive Chevy flagship might not have happened. READ MORE ››

 

Tesla test drive report had problems, Times editor writes | AutoNews

 The New York Times auto critic who had a Tesla Model S stall during a test drive took imprecise notes that left him open to valid criticism, the paper’s public editor wrote. [Read More]

 

Acura pushes new car technologies in 2014 RLX | CNET

by Wayne Cunningham

The RLX, Acura’s new technology flagship, replaces the old RL model.  (Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)

For years Acura struggled with the fact that its biggest and best sedan was a far cry from the $100,000 luxury cruisers produced by the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Lexus. The 2014 RLX also does not punch in that uberweight class, but delivers a big luxury upgrade over its predecessor, the RL.

Although only slightly longer than the RL, the all new RLX comes in at almost 2 inches wider, and the cabin feels much roomier. Acura rightly compares the RLX to the Lexus GS, BMW 5 Series, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

More than just an upgrade to the RL, Acura uses the RLX to showcase technology such as four-wheel steering, LED headlights, direct injection, and connected features. Most of these features may not be entirely new, but they are new to Acura.
Acura sets new luxury standard for itself with 2014 RLX (pictures)

GEICO Joins State Farm in Seeking Gag Order Against Gunder’s Auto Center | BodyShopBusiness

Insurer sends notice to Gunder’s attorney that they will also seek delay/continuance for several scheduled depositions. [Read More]

Auto Body Gilroy News: 4-15-12

To prevent unintended acceleration, NHTSA proposes new standard – CNET

(Credit: Lexus)

Toyota has already made brake-throttle override a standard feature on all its vehicles; now the NHTSA wants all manufacturers to do the same.

If you press the brake, the car should always stop–even if you’re also pressing the gas pedal at the same time. That’s the way the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration sees it, and it is proposing new regulations that would require brake-throttle override systems in all new vehicles.

In 2009, Toyota vehicles were recalled after a fatal crash involving a Lexus ES350. All occupants of the Lexus were killed when the driver, a 19-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol, was unable to stop the vehicle … [Read more]

 

Tesla banks on low factory outlays in drive to profits – AutoNews

Holding down costs at a refurbished California plant is crucial to the success of electric-car maker Tesla, which has yet to record its first profit.

Ford survey shows many European drivers ignore distracted driving risks – AutoNews

The risks posed by distracted driving don’t deter many drivers, according to a European survey commissioned by Ford. Half of the drivers who took part in the study admitted to taking their eyes off the road to read text messages.