At nearly every auto show, there are ambitious visions that automakers play with which tickle the imagination and present an extremely unlikely possibility for better transportation options in the future. The majority of cars on the road today are unsustainable. The question that these concept vehicles try to answer is, “When will humans accept the challenge of traveling better?” It’s not an easy question to answer. In most cases, the roadblocks to entry for more efficient vehicles are insurmountable. Logistics, infrastructure, safety, style – they are all relatively embedded in the current…

Some of the best minds in modern technology migrate to the automotive industry every year. From software to design, aerodynamics to aesthetics, the art and science of building cars is something that is in a constant state of flux. There have been innovations and additions made to vehicles, but there hasn’t been a game-changing shift in decades. Volkswagen and engineer Ulrich Hackenberg are working on changing that with their vision of a “global car”. It’s a concept that has been discussed for decades but has been too ambitious to implement. VW as been riding a string of victories over the past…

It’s been a long time since a concept car has really sparked the imagination of tech geeks and car enthusiasts alike. When Toyota unveiled their latest concept car, the Fun-Vii, at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show this week, everyone from Automobile Magazine to Mashable jumped in to discuss its proposed paradigm-shifting features. It’s clear what the “Fun” part of the name means just by watching the second video below. The “Vii” stands for Vehicle, Interactive, Internet. Inside and out, most aspects of the car can interact with the internet and be controlled by a smartphone. Most surfaces on and within…

Japan and the US are teaming up with two automotive powerhouses announcing a deal today to develop new hybrid systems and telematics standards. The joint venture will put Ford and Toyota as equal partners to accelerate bringing advanced hybrid systems to market. They will also be working towards next-generation standards, bringing the automotive industry in line with internet and GPS-based technologies. The hybrid systems will be developed specifically for light trucks and SUVs, a market that is currently behind the smaller-vehicle market currently dominated by the Toyota Prius. While…

As the roads fill with the quiet, environmentally-friendly hybrids, most people are now aware of the premise. The electric half of the hybrid starts the vehicle going, then the gas half kicks in once it gets to a certain speed. While the basic concept is easy to understand, there’s a lot more to it than that. This graphic by AutoMD breaks down the ins and outs of hybrids, giving us a glimpse of what really makes the engine go. Gas prices rising makes purchasing a hybrid a potentially valid option. “We thought that the interest in the Prius had hit its peak last year, but it’s gone beyond anything we could…

The aftermath of the recent earthquake and tsunami that crippled much of Japan is being felt by two of the country’s largest manufacturers, Sony and Toyota. While Toyota is hoping to open some plants next week, the supply chain and power grid are still question marks. “This will be played out not in days, but in weeks,” said John Hoffecker, head of the automotive practice at consulting firm AlixPartners LLP. Stocks for both companies are down 12% since the day before the earthquake. Sony is looking at approximately 2 weeks worth of available inventory before the work-stoppage truly hits their…

Infotainment has become an important area of research and development in the automotive industry. Many consumers want it, but most automakers are still playing catch-up. Ford and Microsoft introduced SYNC nearly four years ago and other automakers are still lagging behind this system in terms of features and availability. Ford will soon offer SYNC throughout its lineup, and already the system has been installed on more than 3 million vehicles….