Seniors May be Decisive for the Success of Autonomous Vehicles

There are many drivers who don’t want to give up driving and let cars do all the work, but companies that push for the use of autonomous vehicles may get a helping hand from demographics.

While younger customers don’t want to be pushed away from the driver’s seat, the elderly are more open to choosing self-driving cars, as they provide mobility to those that are not able to drive anymore. Rising numbers of older drivers being killed or injured in accidents may also boost demand for autonomous vehicles.

Almost 90 percent of traffic accidents are caused by human error, which is a factor that doesn’t exist in autonomous cars. Many of these accidents are caused by seniors, according to data from Japan. Of the 4,411 people who died on Japanese roads in 2012, more than half (2,264), were 65 or older.

The situation is not very different in developed countries where the population is aging, with analysts predicting there would be a huge global market for autonomous cars in the future. ‘‘Autonomous driving could be very helpful to people who have physical challenges, or the elderly,” said Mitsuhiko Yamashita, executive vice president of Nissan.

Carmakers are introducing automated-driving systems that may ultimately lead to autonomous cars. Toyota said earlier this month that it would introduce systems in about two years that will allow cars to communicate with each other to avoid crashes. Nissan has received a permit to test autonomous cars on Japan’s public roads and plans to introduce a self-driving car by 2020. GM is also planning vehicles by 2020 that will drive themselves on controlled-access highways.

By Dan Mihalascu

Story References: Bloomberg

PHOTO GALLERY

Study Claims EV Sales will Grow 48 Percent Every Year Until End of Decade

It’s not the first time we’ve had studies predicting a massive growth in electric vehicle demand, and so far all of them have seemed to be unattainably optimistic in their outlook, especially since consumers are still not buying enough all-electrics to justify visions of such a prolific future – they are gaining ground, but not nearly as rapidly as older studies predicted they would have until the present day.

Therefore, when we tell you that UK-based market surveying firm ABI Research says EV sales (not hybrids, plug-ins or range-extenders) will be consistently going up at a rate of 48 percent per year until 2020, be sure to add a pinch of salt yourself, and not necessarily take the numbers presented as facts.

Their report states that the number of such vehicles “shipping yearly will increase from 150,000 in 2013 to 2.36 million in 2020,” with heavy reliance on growing Asian markets that are seen to have the most potential in embracing the trend.

They do note that “true mass market uptake,” will only really begin to become visible after the turn of the decade, as governments and the public increase their support for these alternative technologies, while their actual benefits will shine through.

However, for us to get to that point, the technology needs to get better, costs need to go down and charging stations need to become far more frequent than they are now, because let’s face it, aside from the a few EV-centric regions (like California, the Netherlands, the northern European states, Japan und Germany), progress has been slow.

If you've never been in an electric car before, the POV video we have posted below is as close as you're ever going to get, without actually doing it.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Study Suggests People Would be More Inclined to Buy a Self-Driving Car from Google than GM

Now that the prospect of self-driving cars is approaching a point where they will soon be commercially viable in the near future, and most manufacturers (along with Google) have announced their intention to enter this soon to be created niche, one begins to wonder if the established order in the industry will stay the same, and which cars from what manufacturers people will go for.

One study gives a simplistic answer to the problem, narrowing down the choice to either GM or Google, then using the focus group technique to come up with an answer. Surprisingly, it’s not the established automaker that people would prefer buying form, and it’s Google that comes out on top in terms of preference.

The study was carried out by an audit and advisory firm, called KPMG, which, according to Wired, questioned drivers from Los Angeles, Chicago, Illinois and Iselin, New Jersey, and found that the further away from LA you get, the less popular the idea of self-drivers is – it never drops lower than 6 out of 10, though, so the idea is still what we’d call popular.

When asked to rank the companies involved, the respondents of which one third owned a premium car ranked Google and Apple at 8 out of 10, with the highest ranking automaker to be featured being Mercedes-Benz, achieving a score of 7.75, while Chevrolet and Nissan got a round rating of 5.

This proves that of the extensive media coverage surrounding Google’s autonomous car testing, their pushing for law changes and future plans, have not gone unnoticed by the general public – people are now waiting to see what Google comes up with and they seem very confident that the internet giant won’t disappoint, and neither will Apple.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Porsche Buyers Spend More on Options Than Anyone Else, UK Study Finds

It goes without saying, buyers of expensive cars can usually afford to add as many optional extras as they want, but if you were wondering who are the biggest spenders, a new study from the UK has the answers – at least in what concerns British consumers.

According to an analysis from HPI Spec Check, a valuation service providing factory fitted options data, Porsche buyers are most likely to spend big money on optional extras. Buyers of the Cayenne luxury SUV spend on average almost £10,000 ($15,950) on factory fitted options. With that money, they could buy a Dacia Duster and still have some change left.

Next on the big spenders’ list are BMW X5 buyers, who add extras worth £8,000 ($12,780) on average. Third place goes to Mercedes SLK drivers, who spend £6,290 ($10,050) on optional extras. Owners of the Audi R8 and A8 complete the top 5, with £5,351 and £5,338, respectively.

Porsche is also on top when all models from a brand are taken into account, with an average of £7,394 spent on options for each car sold. BMW is second with £3,892, followed by Mercedes-Benz with £3,510. Mini (£2,974) and Audi (£2,370) are fourth and fifth, respectively.

But don’t think only luxury car buyers are tempted by the long lists of additional equipment. The Vauxhall Insignia has a reasonable average spend on extras of over £1,400, followed by the VW Golf with a little over £1,000. Data includes factory fitted options in the UK from the last six months and worth £75 million, across 19 manufacturers from Alfa Romeo to Volvo.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

Clean Diesels are Experiencing a Renaissance in the U.S. as Sales Rise by 25.6 Percent

In contrast to Europe, where they account for more than half of new cars sold, diesel-powered models hadn’t really caught on with U.S. new car buyers. In the past two years, though, numbers show that more and more Americans recognize the benefits of the new generation of “clean” diesel engines.
That is, the advances in diesel technology have resulted in today’s diesels being nothing like their crude forebears of the ‘80s, while they are also up to 40 percent more fuel efficient that comparable gasoline-powered versions.
According to data from HybridCars.com and Baum and Associates, sales of diesel-powered cars in the States increased by 25.6 percent in 2012, almost double the total market’s 13.8 percent increase rate.

EPA Says 1 in 4 New Vehicles Meets 2016 Emission Standards Today; 2025 is Another Issue

Apparently, meeting future emission standards shouldn’t prove too hard for auto manufacturers as one would expect. That’s because according to an Environmental Protection Agency official, one-quarter of all new vehicles today already meet federal emission standards that won’t come into effect until 2016.
Jeff Alson, senior policy advisor at the EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, said during an event at the agency’s Ann Arbor test facility that nearly 90 new models sold today either meet 2016 emission targets or can meet them simply with air condition improvements and no powertrain changes.

Unbreakable: These are the 10 Most Reliable Cars in the UK of the Last 15 Years

About a week ago, we posted a list of the 10 least reliable cars in the UK of the past 15 Years. This list was compiled by the Warranty Direct insurance company, which has been collecting data since 1997.
In the company’s own words, the 'Reliability Index' uses a “complex formula” that includes factors such as the number a car breaks down and its repair costs, for more than 450 models.

Toyota Prius Not a Car Thieves’ Favorite, Will Most Likely be Recovered Even if it’s Stolen

If you happen to own a Toyota Prius, you’ll be glad to learn that your car is not very popular with car thieves. On the contrary; compared to other models of the same age, Prius is less likely to be stolen.
At least that’s what the National Insurance Crime Bureau data reveals: as of the end of June, only one in 606 examples of the 2008-2010 MY Prius cars had been stolen compared to one in 78 of all other vehicles of the exact same model years.
California is the “capital” of stolen Prius cars with 1,062 thefts; Florida, New York, Washington and Texas followed with 127, 111, 92 and 89 cars respectively. NCIB data show that, despite the Prius not being completely immune to theft, it has a 96.7 percent recovery rate.

TomTom Publishes List of Most Congested Cities in North America and Europe

It’s happened to most drivers: congestion, that is, that plague of modern cities that increases traveling times and, of course, pollution.
Since 2007, Dutch manufacturer of automotive navigation systems TomTom has initiated a program to better understand the traffic flow of more than 80 major cities in all continents to improve its guidance systems.
Instead of relying purely on mathematical models, the company is collecting real-life GPS data from millions of TomTom customers and has created an accurate database of their driving patterns.

New Study Examines Why Luxury Car Buyers Stay Loyal to their Brands

Brand loyalty is a priority for any car manufacturer. It ensures that they have a healthy core of buyers who will remain loyal when the time comes to change their car for a new one. Luring customers away from a rival, or “conquest” sales, as it is commonly known in the industry, is also one of their key objectives.
Therefore, when a report like the 2012 New Luxury Vehicle Loyalty Study comes out, you can bet automakers pay attention. Conducted by Polk and AutoTrader, the study examines the reasons why luxury car buyers stay loyal or “defect” to another brand.
“Understanding behaviors and attitudes is critical in helping automotive marketers to more effectively reach and influence luxury shoppers during their decision making process”, said vice president of automotive insights at AutoTrader, Rick Wainschel.

J.D. Power Says 2011 U.S. New Car Sales to Reach 12.7 Million, 2012 to be Even Better

The economy may not be at its best, but new car sales in the States keep on rising. J.D. Power and Associates and LMC Automotive said on Thursday that U.S. auto sales in December are expected to top 13 million on an annual rate for the fourth consecutive month.
"For the third straight time, light-vehicle sales are posting strong selling rates at the close of the year", said LMC Senior Vice President Jeff Schuster.