Could Autonomous Trucks Be Far Behind?
Every day seems to bring more and more news about the future of the automotive industry…
- Uber will introduce self-driving cars in Pittsburgh within the next few weeks while Singapore introduced driverless taxis this week.
- Ford has jumped into the fray, promising its customers a fully autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals by 2012.
- Apple hinted that it plans to deliver its self-driving cars to the market at least a year earlier.
- Auto parts makers Delphi and Mobileye are reportedly developing a plug-in device that could allow any recently-built car or truck to drive itself.
But now the innovative electric car maker Tesla has announced news that could change everything.
A Battery that Lasts 300+ Miles
Up until now, the biggest drawback to electric vehicles has been their range. While the battery-powered Chevrolet Volt, the Ford Focus Electric, and even the BMW i3 are growing in popularity, right now few mass-produced electric cars can go further than 100 miles without recharging.
That has required drivers to plan carefully before taking their vehicles out of the garage. While 100 miles may seem like a long distance, the distance on the odometer can add up very quickly while you are out running errands or driving your kids to soccer practice. Guess wrong and your environmentally-conscious electric car is little more than a high-priced roadside paperweight.
But Tesla’s announcement that has developed a new battery that can travel up to 315 miles — about the same range as your typical tank of gas — without recharging could be the breakthrough the industry has been waiting for.
Tesla’s Model S Sedan will soon feature the 315-mile range battery, according to reports. While the car’s high price tag of about $70,000 could prevent most drivers from getting behind the wheel of the long-distance electric vehicle, if the battery is included in the company’s more affordable Model 3, which has a price tag of about $35,000, it could transform more traditional drivers into electric vehicle believers.
A True Driving Revolution
Self-driving electric cars with a range of 300 miles or farther are something that most drivers — and car company engineers, for that matter — could only dream about just a few years ago. But today that future is just around the corner.
When it arrives, it could revolutionize not only the way we drive, but the way products are delivered to our doors, how productive we are, how much we spend on fuel, and even how much influence industries such as oil have on the global economy.