Jalopnik's Epic SXSW Throwdown Is Tonight And You Should Be There

If you’re in Austin tonight, there’s only one place you should be, and that’s The Great Jalopnik Throwdown at SXSW. We’re going to talk autonomous cars, we’re going to talk the future of driving, we’re going to hang out, and we’re going to listen to killer music. What’s better than...

May 7, 2025

GM And Lyft's First Self-Driving Cars Will Have Human Chaperones

General Motors revealed plans to have human chaperones in the first generation of its self-driving vehicles through its partnership with ride-sharing service Lyft, which should only make your trip even more uncomfortable than a current Lyft fare as you and your ambivalent chaperone struggle with the moral complexities of letting...

May 7, 2025

How Many Speeds Do You Need?

One of the reasons I think there’s so much automatic hate among many car enthusiasts is that for so very long, automatics were abysmal, fun-killing three- and four-speed units. Now they’re fast-shifting, with fancy paddles, and offer lots of gears. But where does the insanity end? I ask this because...

May 7, 2025

A Future With No Traffic Lights Is Terrifying

MIT’s researches have been fiddling with virtual models programmed to eliminate traffic lights at intersections with the introduction of fully-autonomous cars, and for the first time I can easily picture how terrifying flying through an intersection with no control just might be. Up until now I have personally been very...

May 7, 2025

Robotics Researcher Says Autonomous Technology Is 'Absolutely Not Ready' For Widespread Use

Self-driving cars seem to be just about all the auto industry can discuss lately, but at least one robotics expert thinks it’s time to slow that roll a little bit. While a Duke University researcher and is all for autonomous technology, she said it’s far from ready for widespread deployment....

May 7, 2025

Why Cars Might Have To Be Replaced More Often In The Future

The emergence of new automotive technologies and practices like ride-sharing, on-demand services, and the introduction of autonomous capabilities seems like it would have a diminishing effect on future automotive sales—but studies suggest we may actually see the opposite. A group of analysts at Deutsche Bank AG have come forward to...

May 7, 2025

Here Are Highlights From Our Big Driverless Car Throwdown Party In Austin

Jalopnik SXSW 2016 Sizzle Reel_Updated.mp4 You know how I knew the over driverless cars would be good? Because it started almost immediately with a diatribe from Jason Torchinsky about robotic car enslavement. And Alex Roy talking about how he’ll stash motorcycles all over the city to do “a social good”...

May 7, 2025

Why Japan Needs Smarter Maps For Self-Driving Cars

The Japanese government is joining forces with Toyota and Nissan, as well as local map-making companies, in order to include driving information from the manufacturers to help create standardised intelligent maps, reported the newspaper. You might be asking yourself why the Japanese government would get involved in what is ultimately...

May 7, 2025

Jaguar Land Rover Would Like To Throw Some Money At This 'Ride Share' Thing, Please

While “car companies are becoming tech companies,” Jaguar Land Rover is taking a slightly different tack and firing up a wholly-owned “startup” of about 30 people specifically assigned to figure out to how to sell people cars as potentially shareable transportation solutions. is doing it. is all about alternative mobility...

May 7, 2025

Luxury Resort Or Automotive Factory?

Prospective automaker has officially broken ground on its billion dollar Nevada factory today, revealing an updated design for the manufacturing facility that closely resembles a luxury resort with a giant “FF” logo on top. The ceremony for the new factory located in North Las Vegas was held today where the...

May 7, 2025

I'm Talking To A Roomful Of Automotive Engineers Today

If you’re an automotive engineer, or just someone good at sneaking into convention centers, I’d like to cordially invite you to hear me blather on in front of a huge projection of slides! at the Society of Automotive Engineers’ World Congress at the Cobo Center in Detroit. Come and heckle...

May 7, 2025

Watch This Autonomous Ford Drive In Total Darkness

While other autonomous cars continue to grapple with things like trying to figure out where lanes are on poorly painted roads, Ford’s self-driving project managed to develop a vehicle that doesn’t even need to see ahead. Ford didn’t let it, either—they shut off the headlights and let the car loose...

May 7, 2025

Florida Figured Out How To Hoverboard While Sitting

A North Miami outfit has created a remarkably low-tech “modification” for a self-balancing electric scooter () that allows it to be operated from a beach chair. It can even tow all your other giant goofy toys. I still sort of want all non-hovering self-propelled horizontal skateboards to Get Off My...

May 7, 2025

Crash Tests For Autonomous Cars Are Going To Be Way Weirder Than You Think

The more you think about autonomous cars, the more questions you raise, causing you to think even more. It’s like being trapped in the most useless perpetual motion machine. Occasionally, though, interesting questions arise, like this one: what will crash testing an autonomous car entail? At first thought, you may...

May 7, 2025

Autonomous Cars Have Their Own Massive Lobbying Effort Now

Ford, Volvo, Google, Lyft and Uber are joining forces to push the U.S. government to pen regulation that supports autonomous vehicle development and deployment, according to a report. That’s good news for people yearning to be driven around by robots, because these are some seriously rich and powerful companies. The...

May 7, 2025