The Stanley Steamer
Now that electric cars are becoming more popular, and there’s talk about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, our attention has been turned to what’s powering our cars. In this context, it’s interesting to one of the solutions used in the past as an alternative to petrol or diesel power: steam.
A good friend of mine, during a discussion on fuels, EVs and similar topics, wondered whether steam could be used to drive a car. I was sceptical, but it turns out that I was wrong. A little over 100 years ago, steam-powered cars were indeed a thing. They aren’t just a steampunk fantasy, as I had thought.
The Future of Driving: AR and VR in the Automotive Industry
Over the years, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have been (re)shaping the way we see the world. In fact, you might be more exposed to AR and VR than you realise
What’s Behind The Automotive Supply Chain Shortage?
One thing that I’ve noticed (and perhaps you have too) is that sometimes, car manufacturers can’t quite pump out as many units as they had planned, meaning that sometimes, we have to wait for a great new model to hit the Australian market – or else we find that when it does get here, it might not quite have all the electronic features that had been planned. What’s behind all that? This hasn’t happened before for as long as I can remember, including during the Global Financial Crisis of 2007–08.
The problem seems to be that the automotive manufacturers can’t get hold of enough computer chips (semiconductors) to produce as much as they want to. After all, car manufacturers make cars, not computer chips, so they have to get them from somewhere else. These semiconductors are used in just about everything inside a new car, from the power steering through to the entertainment system, to say nothing of all the driver aids and sensors that every modern car comes with. Given their importance to motoring safety and convenience, a shortage of semiconductors obviously has an effect on the amount of cars that can be produced.
Autonomous Cars With Eyes?
I’ll make no secret of the fact that I’m not a fan of autonomous cars. For one thing, a lot of people like the feeling of being in charge of where they’re going. For another, well, we’ve all had those moments when other electronic bits and pieces flop and crash, and generally don’t do what they’re supposed to do. An autocorrect fail is not usually life-threatening, and an app that refuses to open won’t kill you. However, we can all imagine what could go wrong with a car that (supposedly) thinks for itself. However, computers don’t get drunk or distracted, so the idea is that autonomous cars will make things safer overall on the roads.
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