Vehicles soon to “talk” to roads

Posted on June 29, 2014 by editor

vehicles to talkCars communicating with roads are just around the corner. Novel technology will soon offer congestion relief on roads and highways. A new intelligent transportation system will allow vehicles to wirelessly communicate with each other as well as with the roads around them.

The Florida Department of Transportation is currently introducing vehicle detection sensors that can measure speed, travel times and volume of traffic. Florida along with other states is at the forefront of a national program to introduce an innovative transportation network system. Continue reading →

Posted in Cars, New Technologies, Traffic | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Hovering cars- will we need roads in the future?

Posted on June 22, 2014 by editor

800px-Toyota_FT-86_II_(5488848006)Toyota, one of the largest automakers, seems not to be content with just building conventional cars, hybrids or even testing self-driving cars. They are moving ahead by developing vehicles that are capable of hovering above the road, company officials revealed last Monday.

Hiroyoshi Yoshiki, the managing officer in Toyota Motor Corporation, said in an interview in San Francisco that the Japanese car manufacturer has investigated the possibility of vehicles hovering over the road. Continue reading →

Posted in Cars, New Technologies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

World’s highest railway tunnel already operational

Posted on June 14, 2014 by editor

Mount_Yu_Shan_-_TaiwanAt an altitude of 3,607 meters, the 16, 3 km long railway tunnel in Northwest China is the highest in the world and after completely linked up, it became operational on May 1.

The line that runs through the Qilian Mountains has two sections and passes over a bridge.

The construction works began in 2009. The 1,776 km line is designed for trains running at over 200 km per hour and will come into use at the end of 2014. Continue reading →

Posted in High-speed trains | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The US roads turned into an energy farm?

Posted on June 8, 2014 by editor

Solar_Roadway_Parking_Lot_PrototypeAround 8 years ago, Julie and Scott Brusaw from Idaho started throwing around the concept to replace the asphalt on current parking lots, driveways, streets and eventually highways throughout the US with solar panels that generate electricity and were tough enough to be driven upon.

Their project Solar Roadways is a modular paving system made of solar hexagonal photovoltaic segments covered with textured glass. The cells are toughened enough to withstand 250,000 pounds and feature embedded lighting to act as road markings and warnings and could be heated to prevent snow and ice build-up. Continue reading →

Posted in New Technologies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

China to scrap millions of cars in attempt to reduce pollution

Posted on May 31, 2014 by editor

MetalScrapYardThe Chinese government is determined to tackle the air pollution problem in the country. In a bid to cut the emissions, China plans to take up to 6 million vehicles that don’t meet required standards off the road by the end of the year. 7,8% of the cars in China don’t meet the minimum national standards, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Only in Beijing 330,000 cars are set to be withdrawn and the city’s authorities have recently offered subsidies to drivers who voluntary have their cars scrapped.
Many provinces forbid cars that don’t meet the standards from entering the cities. The authorities also limit the number of new car licenses as a way of reducing car use. Continue reading →

Posted in Cars, Traffic | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Drivers are not wanted yet

Posted on May 24, 2014 by editor

800px-Jurvetson_Google_driverless_car_trimmedWe have all had those days: rushing around, trying to get everything done, talking on the cell phone while driving. Your mind was somewhere else when suddenly the car in front of you stopped and you jammed your breaks. Too late! What could have prevented the accident? Obviously you, by paying more attention. Distracted driving is the most common cause of traffic accidents.

In the not-so-distant future, vehicles will be able to drive themselves. The autonomous cars will make our lives easier and we won’t have to concentrate on the road. The idea of a vehicle that can operate itself is not new at all. From the Batmobile to K.I.T.T. the driverless cars appear to have caught people’s imaginations. Continue reading →

Posted in Cars, Events, New Technologies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Hi-tech patrol plane helps catch the speeders

Posted on May 14, 2014 by editor

800px-2008_Kawasaki_Z750_ABS_OrangePeople never know who is watching at them while they are driving on the highway. A story that sounds like a hi-tech moral tale caused a sensation.

A California Highway Patrol plane was patrolling over the East Bay a month ago. The Air-37 is equipped with a gyro stabilized thermal camera that has lens capable of zooming in from several miles away so the finest details can be seen.

The Officer Tony Jackson spotted a man on an orange Kawasaki motorcycle doing wheelies and other stunts, including standing on the bike. Continue reading →

Posted in motorcycles, Traffic | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The mileage-tax project launched

Posted on May 9, 2014 by editor

“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
Quote by Ronald Reagan, Remarks to the White House Conference on Small Business (August 15, 1986) 

800px-Atlanta_75.85Cars are becoming more and more fuel efficient and the number of hybrid and electric vehicles is increasing over the last years. It is inevitably resulting in less revenue for the roads and highways. Although the gas tax has been mounting, it isn’t generating enough money for road construction and maintenance.

Lawmakers in some states are considering alternative ways to enhance the revenue. They are looking at introducing a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax, a fee that charges the motorists for every mile they drive. Continue reading →

Posted in Cars | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Top 10 must-visit new extreme attractions for 2014

Posted on May 2, 2014 by editor

Banshee_(roller_coaster)Are you afraid of heights? If no, maybe you are of those people who love the thrill adventures; the scarier, the better. The attractions are becoming much taller, faster, steeper and wetter than ever. Are you ready to take on these all-new mega extreme experiences?

1. Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, N.J.
Get ready for an “Oh no, we’re gonna die!”
New Jersey’s Six Flags Great Adventure has just opened the world’s tallest drop tower. The Drop of Doom is part of the iconic Kingda Ka which is ranked as the world’s tallest and second-fastest roller coaster as well.
A floorless eight-seat gondola takes you up to the top of the 415 feet tour in 30 seconds and then, after a few seconds pause in the air, gravity pulls your gondola back to earth at 90 mph, reaching ground level again in 6 seconds. This brand new scream machine offers an adrenaline rush like no other. Who’s brave enough to try it? Continue reading →

Posted in Events | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How ‘green’ are biofuels?

Posted on April 29, 2014 by editor

Champ maïsMost of us are at least a little familiar with biofuels, but how much do we actually know about them? Biofuels are considered the most suitable alternative to fossil fuels. According to previous reports, biofuels can reduce the effect of carbon dioxide emissions on the environment. Governments have been working toward reducing greenhouse gas effect to slow down global warming. For this reason, funding to support the production and expansion of biofuels has been provided.

However, over the last few years new researches show that ‘environmentally friendly’ biofuels are more harmful than conventional gasoline. Continue reading →

Posted in Cars, New Technologies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment