#_autos

[michaelshulman-blog]

Seven cool concept cars that debuted at the Paris Motor Show

With more than 1.25 million visitors, the Paris Motor Show is the most popular exhibition for cars in the world. And because of this massive platform, many automakers use it to show off their latest gadgets and unveil their visions of the future. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of coolest concept cars that debuted at this year’s Paris Motor Show.

Seven cool concept cars from the Paris Motor Show

Volkswagen I.D. This concept was one of the many electric vehicles on display at the exhibition. Volkswagen plans to power the car with a 167-horsepower electric motor, which has a range of 400-600 km, according to Autoguide.com. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen)

Seven cool concept cars from the Paris Motor Show

Hyundai RN30 Lacking a performance car in its lineup, the Korean automaker unveiled the sleek RN30 concept, which is powered by a high-performance turbocharged 2.0 liter, four-cylinder engine, according to Autoguide.com. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Seven cool concept cars from the Paris Motor Show

BMW X2 The German automaker unveiled the X2 prototype, which is closer to hitting the assembly line than the other vehicles mentioned here. According to Motoring, it is a spinoff of the X4 and X6 and could begin production in 2018. (REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)

Seven cool concept cars from the Paris Motor Show

Mercedes-Benz Generation EQ The Generation EQ is one of the 10 electric cars that Mercedes plans to have available by 2025. Motoring said the car could be hitting the market in 2019, with a pair electric motors, which can produce 300kW. Its 70kWh Lithium battery pack should also be good for roughly 500 km. (REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)

Seven cool concept cars from the Paris Motor Show

Lexus UX With its hyper angular design, the UX looks more alien than SUV, and its interior is reportedly even stranger than the outside. The concept drew mixed reviews at the show, and it is likely that a toned-downed version will hit the market in the next year or two. (REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)

Seven cool concept cars from the Paris Motor Show

Citroen CXperience The concept wagon (yes, that’s a wagon) unveiled by the French automakers looks more sports car, with its suicide doors, than family utility vehicle. The plug-in hybrid also features 300 horses under the hood. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen)

Seven cool concept cars from the Paris Motor Show

Renault Trezor The Trezor is a stunning concept from the French automaker. The all-electric car can be driven autonomously and boasts 350 horsepower. But perhaps its coolest feature is that you get in through a retractable roof, much like the Batmobile. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen)

[michaelshulman-blog]

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No matter how dependable your car may be, at some point, your old faithful will break down and you’ll have to take it in for repairs. But there are some vehicles that may save you from having to give up an arm and a leg when you go to the garage and others that could cause you to take out a second mortgage. Here’s a list of the 10 most expensive and 10 most affordable cars to repair, according to RepairPal.

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 10 most affordable: Ford Focus Average repair cost: $1,064 (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 9 most affordable: Honda Accord Average repair cost: $1,060 (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 8 most affordable: Ford Explorer Average repair cost: $1,052 (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Ford)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 7 most affordable: Mazda6 Average repair cost: $1,026 (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images for Mazda Motor Co)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 6 most affordable: Mazda CX-7 Average repair cost: $988 (AP Photo/Mazda)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 5 most affordable: Nissan Altima Average repair cost: $986 (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 4 most affordable: Nissan Sentra Average repair cost: $931 (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 3 most affordable: Toyota Prius Average repair cost: $784 (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repairTop 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 2 most affordable: Ford Fusion Hybrid Average repair cost: $768 (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 1 most affordable: Nissan Altima Hybrid Average repair cost: $673 (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 10 most expensive: Chevrolet Malibu Average repair cost: $1,633 (Photo by Kevin Hagen/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 9 most expensive: Infiniti G37 Average repair cost: $1,725 (AP Photo/Keystone, Martial Trezzini)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 8 most expensive: Mitsubishi Lancer Average repair cost: $1,931 (Photo by Keith Tsuji/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 7 most expensive: Mercedes Benz C300 Average repair cost: $1,960 (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 6 most expensive: BMW 328i Average repair cost: $1,965 (Photo by Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 5 most expensive: Volkswagen Passat Average repair cost: $2,087 (Photo by Alexander Koerner/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 4 most expensive: Volkswagen Jetta Average repair cost: $2,114 (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 3 most expensive: Lexus IS250 Average repair cost: $2,234 (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 2 most expensive: Audi A4 Average repair cost: $2,259 (Photo by Alexander Heimann/Getty Images)

Top 10 most expensive and affordable cars to repair

No. 1 most expensive: Lincoln MKZ Average repair cost: $2,649 (Photo by Todd Oren/Getty Images for Lincoln)

[michaelshulman-blog]

Canadians unaware of dangers of drinking, sleeping in self-driving cars: study

[Googles Lexus RX 450H Self Driving Car is seen parked on Pennsylvania Ave. on April 23, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)]

With an A.I. driver at the helm, some Canadians say that would free them up to drink a beer or catch up on some shut-eye.

According to a survey about self-driving vehicles by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, a non-profit road safety organization, nine per cent of participants said they would drink alcohol, ten per cent said they would sleep or nap, 17 per cent said they would do other activities and 24 per cent said they would drive while tired or fatigued.

“These results are disturbing and illustrated that at least some drivers mistakenly believe that these vehicle technologies do not require driver input or attention at all times,” the organization wrote in the paper, which was released Thursday.

[Traffic Injury Research Foundation]

The figures are perhaps unsurprising given the amount of research that shows that Canadians are already getting behind the wheel while impaired or tired.

A 2011 study by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation found that 5.4 per cent of Canadians reported driving when they believed they were over the legal limit in the past year. A 2004 survey also found that 12 per cent of drivers had gotten behind the wheel of a car within an hour of having two or more alcoholic drinks.

Furthermore, Canada ranked No.1 among 19 wealthy countries for percentage of motor vehicle deaths related to impaired driving.

A 2005 study also found that one in five drivers fell asleep while driving in the past year.

While autonomous vehicles are designed to make commuting safer, as human error is responsible for an overwhelming majority of crashes, TIRF stressed that drivers are “still necessary” and that they need to pay attention.

“These findings underscored that drivers are not aware of their continued role in the safety equation as these vehicles become available,” Robyn Robertson, president and CEO of TIRF and lead researcher on the study, said in a press release.

“Such misperceptions have real potential to negatively affect driver behaviour and result in either unintentional misuse or abuse of technologies that are able to assist drivers, but not replace them.”

With self-driving technology being tested by tech giants such as Google, Uber, Tesla, and major car manufacturers, widespread autonomous vehicle ownership likely isn’t too far away.

In fact, a projection by Business Insider anticipates that there will be as many as 10 million on roads by 2020.

However, Stephen Beatty, corporate vice-president of Toyota Canada Inc., cautioned that Canadians need to be aware that the technology does not mean that people can take a nap in the back seat.

“Our view is that advanced activity safety technology is meant to enhance a driver’s control of their vehicle, but that it is not a replacement for a knowledgeable and attentive driver,” said Beatty in a press release.

“This study tells us that we, as an industry, still have lots of work to do when it comes to educating drivers about the capabilities and limitations of the technology.”

The report was financed by the Toyota Canada Foundation.

In addition to those who said they would use the opportunity of being in a self-driving car to have a drink or rest, 35 per cent of participants said they would disengage the technology to drive faster, and another 13 per cent said they would do so in order to run red lights.

Authors of the study stressed that this was “problematic” as past research has shown that speed is a “key factor” in accidents, and those involved in these types of crashes are more likely to be seriously injured or killed.

“This clear desire, among at least some drivers to turn off automated features and take over driving in order to engage in risky behaviours that are unsafe not only for drivers but for other road users they may encounter, is quite concerning,” said the report.

The TIRF advised the government to play an active role in regulating under what conditions drivers can turn off autonomous-vehicle technology.

[michaelshulman-blog]

Electric car that can charge itself in development by German startup

[Sono Motors’ compact electric van called the “Sion,” which is covered in integrated solar cells that charge its battery while on the road or parked, is seen here. / Sono Motors]

One of the major roadblocks holding electric vehicles back from widespread adoption is the lack of charging stations, which would allow owners to travel further distances and get back on the road faster without worrying about running out of power.

But a German startup may have found a way to offset some of this range anxiety at a low price point.

Sono Motors has developed a compact electric van called the “Sion,” which is covered in integrated solar cells that charge its battery while on the road or parked.

The Sion will be offered in a base model called the “Urban” for about $17,000 and the beefier “Extender” for roughly $23,000, and have ranges of 120 km and 250 km respectively.

However, its viSono solar-charging system — which uses monocrystalline silicon cells that are covered by an 8-millimetre layer of shatterproof and weather-resistant polycarbonate — can generate an additional 30 kilometres a day.

“In the morning, you drive to work in your Sion, and when you’re off at 5 p.m., the battery is fully recharged, thanks to the solar cells,” claims the company on its website.

Sono Motors said the Extender, with its 30 kilowatt-hour battery can be charged up to 80 per cent capacity, or 200 km range, in 30 minutes, at a station with alternating current of 43 kW.

Meanwhile, the Urban’s smaller battery – which is designed for city drivers – can get the same amount of juice in the same amount of time from stations of up to 22 kW AC.

[The interior of the Sion is seen here. (Sono Motors)]

Range has become a major selling point for electric vehicles, with top-of-the-line models such as Tesla’s Model S starting at $92,600 and the Model X at $101,000 for ranges of 338 km and 321 km respectively.

However, despite the sale of more than 21,000 plug-in-electric vehicles in Canada since 2011, charging stations that are needed for drivers to extend their car’s range have yet to become widespread across Canada, with many being concentrated in major cities.

The Government of Ontario announced last year that it was planning on providing $20 million in grants to create a network of level 3 chargers that can recharge a car back up to 80 or 90 per cent of its capacity in less than 30 minutes.

At the time, there were only five of these quick-charge stations in the province, despite there being 5,400 registered electric vehicle owners.

Other provinces are also attempting to boost their presence. There were more than 30 in Quebec as of April, and the government is aiming to get an additional 30 on the road by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, B.C. put $6.5 million towards the cause five years ago, and now has a “fairly robust network.”

Sono Motors’ efforts stand apart from these initiatives, and so far, consumers have been receptive to the technology.

In July, the company announced that it had created a prototype of the Sion and that it was launching a crowdfunding page on Indiegogo with the goal of raising money to reproduce it for crash test and trial runs.

For a donation of about $150 consumers could reserve a Sion and decide whether or not they want to buy one after they’re available for a test drive in 2017.

Sono Motors hopes to roll out Sions for delivery across the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, India, the United States, Canada and Australia in 2018.

As of Sept. 20, the company had exceeded its goal, with more than $311,000 raised.

“We were overwhelmed by the support of the Indiegogo supporters,” co-founder Jona Christians told Yahoo Canada Finance in an email.

“We got hundreds of emails from supporters with tips … assistance or even free support.”

Christians said time is the main challenge facing the company, but there is a “huge market” for the Sion with city-dwelling commuters, as well as businesses, such as those that use car sharing or fleets of vehicles.

“Especially for commuters in an urban environment, because the Sion would recharge itself every time you are at work,” he said.

Christians started Sono Motors in his garage along with co-founders Laurin Hahn and Navina Pernsteiner four years ago in an effort to create an environmentally-sustainable method of travel.

“We see oil as a big threat and there is no other way than getting our transport towards electromobility since in big cities air pollution is a big problem,” he said.

“Back then, we just didn’t want to wait till the (electronic vehicle) comes to a breakthrough.”

Hahn wrote on the company’s Indiegogo page that they are “simple people” who are hoping their car will help “protect the environment.”

“We finally want to see some changes and can’t stand watching our environment being destroyed any longer,” Hahn wrote.

“With (Sion’s) integrated solar cells, we ensure that a large part of its energy comes from a renewable energy source – the Sun.”

[michaelshulman-blog]

12 cars that depreciate in price quickly and are good to buy used

If you're in the market for a new car, you may be tempted to drive a brand new one off the lot. After all, many manufacturers are already releasing their feature-packed 2017 models, and the weather hasn't even turned cold yet. But, before you do, consider this: a new study by iSeeCars.com, an automotive data and research company, found that buying a new car is not always going to get you the best bang for your buck. In fact, the company discovered that purchasing some cars that are just a year old can provide consumers with substantial savings. To establish the savings, iSeeCars.com analyzed the more than 14 million cars sold from August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016, excluding models with fewer than 250 new and 250 used cars sold. The average asking prices of year-old cars were compared to those of new cars from the same model, according to the release, with the difference in price expressed as a percentage of the new model average price. This percentage was then compared to the overall percentage difference across all models. Using this data, iSeeCars.com researchers found that the average price difference between a new car and a lightly used car was 21.2 per cent, ranging from $6,099 to $19,966 in savings. (Note: For this study, a lightly used car is defined as a vehicle from the 2014-2015 model years with mileage within 20 per cent of 13,476, the average annual miles traveled in the U.S., according to the Department of Transportation.) But it isn't all cars — iSeeCars.com established a dozen vehicles that offer the best value when purchased lightly used instead of brand new, with price differences between 31.2 per cent and 34.6 per cent — at least 1.5 times more than the overall average. Click through to see those 12 cars. The content of this slideshow originally appeared as a Credit.com story found here. All figures in U.S. dollars.

12 cars that depreciate Quickly and are good to buy used

No. 12: Buick Regal Price difference: $11,525 less Percentage price difference: -31.2 per cent (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

12 cars that depreciate Quickly and are good to buy used

No. 11: Chrysler 300 Price difference: $13,351 less Percentage price difference: -31.7 per cent (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

12 cars that depreciate Quickly and are good to buy used

No. 10: Cadillac ATS Price difference: $6,099 less Percentage price difference: -31.8 per cent (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

12 cars that depreciate Quickly and are good to buy used

No. 9: FIAT 500 Price difference: $11,106 less Percentage price difference: -31.9 per cent (Petar Milošević / Wikimedia Commons)

12 cars that depreciate Quickly and are good to buy used

No. 8: Jaguar XF Price difference: $19,966 less Percentage price difference: -32.3 per cent (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Jaguar Land Rover)

12 cars that depreciate Quickly and are good to buy used

No. 7: Lincoln MKS and MKZ Hybrid Price difference: $14,177 less Percentage price difference: -33.8 per cent (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Lincoln Motor Company)

12 cars that depreciate Quickly and are good to buy used

No. 6: Nissan Maxima Price difference: $12,469 less Percentage price difference: -34.0 per cent (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images)

12 cars that depreciate Quickly and are good to buy used

No. 5: Mercedes C250 Price difference: $15,247 less Percentage price difference: -34.3 per cent (Tokumeigakarinoaoshima / Wikimedia Commons)

12 cars that depreciate Quickly and are good to buy used

No. 4: Kia Cadenza Price difference: $12,940 less Percentage price difference: -34.3 per cent (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

12 cars that depreciate Quickly and are good to buy used

No. 3: Volvo S60 Price difference: $14,204 less Percentage price difference: -34.4 per cent (Photo by Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)

12 cars that depreciate Quickly and are good to buy used

No. 2: Lincoln MKS Price difference: $16,039 less Percentage price difference: -34.5 per cent (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

12 cars that depreciate Quickly and are good to buy used

No. 1: FIAT 500L Price difference: $8,096 less Percentage price difference: -34.6 per cent (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)