Technology News

In March, authorities in Arizona suspended Ubers ability to test its self-driving cars after one of its cars hit and killed a woman crossing the street at night in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe, Ubers largest testing hub

With the global automotive universe moving towards autonomous vehicles - be in semi autonomous with the likes of Tesla's autopilot or fully autonomous Level 5 cars that are expected in the near future, India is a ways away. While Indian road conditions are absolutely non-conducive for autonomous driving, government policy too is taking a similar direction. Speaking at a corporate event Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "for the driverless cars, I have a hesitation. We have decided not to allow driverless cars in India. I am sorry." He went on to say, "Presently, there are 30 lakh people who are getting employment (through the automotive and related industries). And in our economy, the most important thing is how to create more employment potential as our country's population is very high."

Dutch start-up Lithium Werks BV is considering Poland and other European countries for a storage battery plant alongside the 1.6 billion euro ($1.8 billion) one it plans to build in China, founder Kees Koolen told Reuters on Monday. Energy storage is becoming increasingly important as the use of intermittent renewable sources of power grows. Combining wind, solar and battery technology would bring down cost of renewable energy and help power grids balance supply and demand.

App-based ride-hailing platform Ola has announced that the company will be investing $100 million (around Rs. 710 crore) in Vogo - India's fast-growing scooter sharing network. The investment will go into the supply of 100,000 scooters by Vogo that will be used for short commutes. The collaboration will help Vogo gain a strategic supply advantage without having to incur signfiicant capital expenditure, while Ola's 150 million customer base will be able to use Vogo's services directly from the company's mobile app.

Hopping into an Uber or a Car2Go is a great way to get around. Unfortunately, hackers agree, exploiting weaknesses in apps to go on "phantom rides" with someone else's profile.

The Indian Government has finally announced a policy for the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In an official document that was sent out by the Ministry Of Power on December 14, 2018, the government has outlined several key facts, figures and a plan to support the expansion of electric vehicles in the country. The push for electric mobility charging stations will first be rolled out in cities with a population of greater than 4 million residents i.e. Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat and Pune. The rollout means that after much waiting and uncertainty, India will finally have public electric charging stations as a reality rather than just a pipe dream.

Lighting is one of the most under-rated components of a vehicle. But no more! Volkswagen is all set to revolutionise the automotive lighting technology with new innovations which could be used in the future.

Initially developed for sailors, Citroen has adapted the technology so that it can be used on any means of transport. The Seetroen glasses were developed by Boarding Ring, a start-up company based in Var, south of France.