Mercedes: Pay us again to unlock full accellaration on EQS and EQE – yes you already own the hardware.

Mercedes-Benz has new finalized pricing on its vexing “Acceleration Increase” subscription revealed last year that can eke out more electric performance — without any physical modification — from the automaker’s current EQE and EQS EV models, Car and Driver reports. The updated Acceleration Increase pricing starts at $60 per month, or you can save about Read more about Mercedes: Pay us again to unlock full accellaration on EQS and EQE – yes you already own the hardware.[…]

Rolls-Royce won’t let customers buy another car if they sell its new EV for a profit

The first Rolls-Royce EV, the Spectre, is going on sale soon at a cool $425,000 — and at that price, purchasing slots will be limited, to say the least. But any buyers planning to flip one for a quick profit may want to think twice. CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said that any customers attempting to resell Read more about Rolls-Royce won’t let customers buy another car if they sell its new EV for a profit[…]

Joby Aviation gets first passenger electric VTOL testing certification from FAA

Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY), a company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced it has received a Special Airworthiness Certificate for the first aircraft built at its Pilot Production Line in Marina, California. Issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, the certificate allows Joby to begin flight testing of its first production prototype. The Read more about Joby Aviation gets first passenger electric VTOL testing certification from FAA[…]

electric VTOL Pilot Training Outlined in US FAA Proposal (which could be used as urban air taxis, maybe)

US aviation regulators on Wednesday unveiled their first framework for how to train pilots for the expected new breed of electric-powered urban air taxis designed to revolutionize short-hop travel in cities. From a report: The Federal Aviation Administration published a proposed set of regulations that attempt to create an orderly process for building a pipeline Read more about electric VTOL Pilot Training Outlined in US FAA Proposal (which could be used as urban air taxis, maybe)[…]

Air New Zealand to weigh passengers before they board the airplane

That’s right: New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority is asking that its national airline weigh passengers departing on international flights from Auckland International Airport through July 2, 2023. The program, which Air New Zealand calls a passenger weight survey, is a way to gather data on the weight load and distribution for planes, the airline said. Read more about Air New Zealand to weigh passengers before they board the airplane[…]

Automakers Are Making Basic Car Functions A Costly Subscription Service… Whether You Like It Or Not

Automakers are increasingly obsessed with turning everything into a subscription service in a bid to boost quarterly returns. We’ve noted how BMW has embraced making heated seats and other features already in your car a subscription service, and Mercedes has been making better gas and EV engine performance something you have to pay extra for Read more about Automakers Are Making Basic Car Functions A Costly Subscription Service… Whether You Like It Or Not[…]

This Chinese Electric Supercar Can Drive on Three Wheels, Jump in the Air

A week before the 2023 Auto Shanghai show, Chinese EV maker BYD revealed Tuesday the coolest suspension technology since the Citroen DS’s hydropneumatic system. However, instead of being used on a quirky French sedan, BYD’s DiSus-X suspension was showcased on a quad-motor electric supercar, the BYD YangWang U9. With DiSus-X, the U9 can drive on Read more about This Chinese Electric Supercar Can Drive on Three Wheels, Jump in the Air[…]

Cardboard drones running open source software take flight

An Australian engineering company has created a cardboard drone that runs on open source software, standard hardware, and can be assembled and flown with no prior experience. The Corvo Precision Payload Delivery System (PPDS) costs less than $3,500 apiece, a price made possible by the craft’s use of FOSS and commercial-off-the-shelf hardware. Michael Partridge, SYPAQ’s Read more about Cardboard drones running open source software take flight[…]

John Dodd Rolls Royce 27-Liter Merlin V12-Powered, Street-Legal Fiberglass Legend From the ’70s for sale

Many cars claim to be a beast although just a few have a resume to back it up. This 1972 Rolls-Royce-ish plants its flag as “The Beast” so hard it’s right there on the name. This beige-on-beige-on-beige masterpiece is heading to auction to find a new home, and hopefully, one with a very long garage Read more about John Dodd Rolls Royce 27-Liter Merlin V12-Powered, Street-Legal Fiberglass Legend From the ’70s for sale[…]

Beijing grants XPeng X2 ‘flying car’ a flight permit

HT Aero, a subsidiary of Chinese automaker XPeng, says the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has granted it a flight permit for its two-seater electric “flying car,” the XPeng X2. The aircraft is the first manned electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle to obtain the permit and HT Aero’s fifth-generation eVTOL. Calling the Read more about Beijing grants XPeng X2 ‘flying car’ a flight permit[…]

Wearable Ultrasound Patch size of a stamp Images the Heart in Real-Time

A wearable ultrasound imager for the heart that is roughly the size of a postage stamp, can be worn for up to 24 hours, and works even during exercise may one day help doctors spot cardiac problems that current medical technology might miss, a new study finds. Heart disease is the leading cause of death Read more about Wearable Ultrasound Patch size of a stamp Images the Heart in Real-Time[…]

Coating to protect spacecraft from heat and harvest sun energy developed

[…]The research team working with Airbus at the University of Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute claims its nano-coating, referred to as a Multifunctional Nanobarrier Structure (MFNS), can be applied to the surfaces of equipment, including antennas, and it has been shown to be able to reduce the operating temperature of such surfaces from 120°C to 60°C Read more about Coating to protect spacecraft from heat and harvest sun energy developed[…]

DARPA’s New X-Plane Aims To Maneuver With Nothing But Bursts Of Air

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has moved into the next phase of its Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors program, or CRANE. The project is centered on an experimental uncrewed aircraft, which Aurora Flight Sciences is developing, that does not have traditional moving surfaces to control the aircraft in flight. Aurora Flight Sciences’ Read more about DARPA’s New X-Plane Aims To Maneuver With Nothing But Bursts Of Air[…]

We Found Subscription Menus in Our BMW Test Car. And other models have different subscriptions. WTF BMW?

[…] We were recently playing in the menus of a 2023 BMW X1 when we came across a group of screens offering exactly that sort of subscription. BMW TeleService and Remote Software Upgrade showed a message that read Activated, while BMW Drive Recorder had options to subscribe for one month, one year, three years, or Read more about We Found Subscription Menus in Our BMW Test Car. And other models have different subscriptions. WTF BMW?[…]

JetBlue no longer plans to offset emissions from domestic flights, will use sustainable fuel instead

[…] Back in 2020, JetBlue became the first US airline to voluntarily offset greenhouse gas emissions from all of its domestic flights. That effort ends in 2023, the company announced this week. The airline now plans to effectively cut its per-seat emissions in half by 2035. For flights to take off without generating as much Read more about JetBlue no longer plans to offset emissions from domestic flights, will use sustainable fuel instead[…]

RIVM Study: ‘Perception of General Aviation in Netherlands’

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management wants to know how residents aged 16 and older in the Netherlands experience their living environment. In that context, it was investigated whether people experience nuisance from the noise caused by GA (“small aviation”). T he research shows that people experience little inconvenience from small aircraft. Most of the Read more about RIVM Study: ‘Perception of General Aviation in Netherlands’[…]

Rolls-Royce successfully tests hydrogen-powered jet engine

Britain’s Rolls-Royce (RR.L) said it has successfully run an aircraft engine on hydrogen, a world aviation first that marks a major step towards proving the gas could be key to decarbonising air travel. The ground test, using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine, used green hydrogen created by wind and tidal power, the Read more about Rolls-Royce successfully tests hydrogen-powered jet engine[…]

40k Tesla cars recalled over patch that broke power steering

Tesla has initiated a voluntary recall of more than 40,000 Model S and Model X vehicles thanks to a bad firmware update that could cause the cars to lose power steering “due to forces from external road dynamics,” also known as bumps. According to a recall report [PDF] filed with the US National Highway Traffic Read more about 40k Tesla cars recalled over patch that broke power steering[…]

Physical buttons outperform touchscreens in new cars, test finds

Vi Bilägare gathered eleven modern cars from different manufacturers at an airfield och measured the time needed for a driver to perform different simple tasks, such as changing the radio station or adjusting the climate control. At the same time, the car was driven at 110 km/h (68 mph). We also invited an ”old-school” car Read more about Physical buttons outperform touchscreens in new cars, test finds[…]

‘Switchblade’ Flying car with foldable wings and a retractable tail gets FAA approval, fits in your garage

A flying car called “Switchblade” can now be sold in the US market. This three-wheeler can fly at a height of 16,000 feet (4.8 km)in the sky. It runs on premium gasoline and has a maximum air speed of 200 mph (321 km/h) A flying sports car named Switchblade recently passed the safety tests of Read more about ‘Switchblade’ Flying car with foldable wings and a retractable tail gets FAA approval, fits in your garage[…]

EU will require all new cars to include anti-speeding tech ISA by 2024

Every new car sold in the European Union will soon include anti-speeding technology known as intelligent speed assistance, or ISA. The EU regulation (part of the broader General Vehicle Safety Regulation) goes into effect today, and states that all new models and types of cars introduced to the European market must include an ISA system. Read more about EU will require all new cars to include anti-speeding tech ISA by 2024[…]

Flying car wins airworthiness certification – BBC News

A flying car capable of hitting speeds over 100mph (160kmh) and altitudes above 8,000ft (2,500m) has been issued with a certificate of airworthiness by the Slovak Transport Authority. The hybrid car-aircraft, AirCar, is equipped with a BMW engine and runs on regular petrol-pump fuel. It takes two minutes and 15 seconds to transform from car Read more about Flying car wins airworthiness certification – BBC News[…]

Tesla Is Selling 2021 Model 3s With Degraded Batteries From 2017

When someone buys a new car, they generally expect to be getting a vehicle that’s fully up-to-date, not one built with leftover parts. Tesla customers who don’t read the fine print, though, could accidentally end up paying the price for a “new” Model 3 with a years-old battery, one which Tesla acknowledges may have already Read more about Tesla Is Selling 2021 Model 3s With Degraded Batteries From 2017[…]

DARPA Funded Researchers Accidentally Create The World’s First Warp Bubble

Warp drive pioneer and former NASA warp drive specialist Dr. Harold G “Sonny” White has reported the successful manifestation of an actual, real-world “Warp Bubble.” And, according to White, this first of its kind breakthrough by his Limitless Space Institute (LSI) team sets a new starting point for those trying to manufacture a full-sized, warp-capable Read more about DARPA Funded Researchers Accidentally Create The World’s First Warp Bubble[…]