driverless cars

A Ford Fusion development vehicle equipped with autonomous controls, seen at a test facility Tuesday in Ann Arbor, Mich.

National

Department Of Transportation Rolls Out New Guidelines For Self-Driving Cars

9:19pm September 12, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

Tuesday's report, the first such recommendations for manufacturers released under the Trump administration, trims some of the guidelines set out under Obama. Still, they remain voluntary.

Google self-driving cars are shown outside the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif., in May 2014.

Self-Driving Cars Raise Questions About Who Carries Insurance

12:14pm April 03, 2017

by Yuki Noguchi

Currently, insurance rates are calculated based on drivers' claims histories and driving records. Driverless cars are expected to shift the liability toward carmakers. But it won't happen all at once.

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National

Regulating Self-Driving Cars For Safety Even Before They're Built

7:41pm September 20, 2016

by NPR Staff

By outlining how manufacturers can ensure the safe design of driverless vehicles, the U.S. is taking a different approach than it has for conventional cars, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx says.

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While other automakers are working on a gradual progression toward more automation in cars, Google has its eyes on a fully automated self-driving car.

National

Google Makes The Case For A Hands-Off Approach To Self-Driving Cars

6:39pm February 24, 2016

by NPR Staff

California regulators say autonomous cars should have a licensed driver, but a top Google engineer says that makes as much sense as putting a steering wheel or brake pedal in the back of a cab.

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A member of the media tests a Tesla Motors Model S car with an Autopilot system. Regulators and manufacturers are debating whether self-driving cars should have a licensed driver inside as a safety precaution.

National

Should Self-Driving Cars Have Drivers Ready To Take Over?

10:32am February 24, 2016

by NPR Staff

California's Department of Motor Vehicles proposed that self-driving cars should have a licensed driver inside. It may disrupt the dream of driverless cars, but it's also seen as a step for safety.

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This Hyundai MOBIS "i-Cockpit Car" simulator let people experience autonomous driving mode at the 2016 technology show CES in Las Vegas.

Self-Driving Cars Are Coming, But Are We Ready For Them?

3:38pm January 12, 2016

by NPR Staff

Automakers and tech companies are racing to develop them. But is the public ready to give up control of their cars? The University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute has been evaluating.

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There was a lot of excitement in 2012, when the Hiriko car was unveiled at this event at European Union headquarters in Brussels. At the time, the then-president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, hailed the car as a trans-Atlantic "exchange

How A Folding Electric Vehicle Went From Car Of The Future To 'Obsolete'

7:44pm November 05, 2015

by Lauren Frayer

Engineers at MIT developed an electric, shareable car that would fold to conserve parking spaces. A prototype was made for production in Europe. But why did this promising auto never hit the road?

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New autopilot features are demonstrated in a Tesla Model S during a Tesla event in Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday.

National

Self-Driving Cars Hit The Streets, Sort Of

2:18pm October 15, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

The electric car company Tesla is now becoming the self-driving carmaker. Today it releases software to tens of thousands of Model S owners to automate steering, lane change and parallel parking.

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Mcity's "downtown" is actually a silk-screen recreation of a street in Ann Arbor, Mich. Researchers have built the small fake city at the University of Michigan as a testing ground for autonomous vehicles.

National

In Michigan, A Testing Ground For A Future Of Driverless Cars

11:18am July 31, 2015

by Jason Margolis

Automakers and researchers are using a 32-acre fake city at the University of Michigan to simulate a real-world environment for autonomous vehicles. How will such cars affect urban planning?

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Car companies are picking up automobile concepts such as this Lexus SL 600 Integrated Safety driverless research vehicle, shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January in Las Vegas.

Bump On The Road For Driverless Cars Isn't Technology, It's You

1:07am January 18, 2013

by Sonari Glinton

New technology is getting us closer and closer to the point where cars will drive themselves. Automakers are testing and refining systems that will make this happen. But our love for control may keep us from riding in these cars anytime soon.

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