Posts by: Sean Alder

The Challenge of the Maserati EV

Since December of 1914, Italian luxury automaker Maserati has been known for premium performance vehicles with their own signature power sound. While vehicles have certainly evolved over the last century, the brand now faces one of its biggest challenges ever in order to produce an electric vehicle that is true to what is expected of a Maserati vehicle.According to Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat C

Toyota's Relaunch of the Avalon

Toyota has been well known for its sedans such as the Camry and the Avalon, as well as its luxury Lexus brand. The Toyota Avalon has been available in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the Middle East since 1994. It was also sold in Australia from 2000 to July of 2005 when it was replaced with the Toyota Aurion. Although the market trend has been toward crossovers and SUVs, Toyota Motor

The Range Rover Velar

The Range Rover Velar has been a long time coming as a new Range Rover hasn’t been born since the 2012 Evoque. The Velar is not only relatively affordable compared to other SUVs from this brand, but it is also the most eye-catching.Sitting in size between the smaller compact Evoque and the midsize premium Sport, the Velar has also received a visual update on its interior and its exterior. Th

Ford and Alibaba Test New Sales Model in China

As of December 2017, Ford Motor Co. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. were expected to strike up a deal to test selling cars to Chinese consumers via Tmall. Tmall is Alibaba’s online retail platform. In addition, an auto vending machine concept is in the works.Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. and Ford CEO Jim Hackett were in Hangzhou in December to sign the letter of intent that details th

Mini Cooper Goes Electric

The Mini trademark has been parented by the German automaker BMW for over a decade. Like any good parent company, BMW has played up the image of the Mini Cooper. Their latest announcement stays true to this mission. In November of 2017, BMW announced that it would be introducing an electric concept Mini Cooper in 2019.BMW board member and Mini head Peter Schwarzenbauer reported to Reuters that it

Waymo Partners with Insurance Firm to Cover Autonomous Vehicle Riders

Insurance startup company Trov is now partnering with Waymo, a descendant of Google, to give trip-based insurance coverage to riders who are in autonomous vehicles. This partnership was announced in December of 2017 and is making history with one of the first attempts to get insurance practices on board with mobility service insurance instead of driver insurance.Trov and Waymo intend to provide lo

Rinspeed Oasis: A Garden Inside a Car?

Just when you thought you had seen and heard it all in the auto and technology world, another car may prove you wrong. Rinspeed, a Swiss automaker has been thinking outside the box, or rather inside the car with their new concept car. The new innovative vehicle was revealed at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show and may now be even closer to coming to a dealership near you.Not only does this car ha

Samsung Using Startup Tech from Silicon Valley in Their Self-Driving Cars

With the help of the global leader in smartphone manufacturing, a small startup company in Silicon Valley is getting a boost. Samsung is collaborating with the startup company Renovo Auto. Renovo has created a type of operating system that combines and manages the necessary software for shared self-driving cars that are within the same commercial fleet. Together these two companies will test, deve

Norway's Electric Vehicle Demand Higher than Supply

Electric cars have been making the headlines in recent months. Not only have new developments driven technological advancements forward, but the proven efficiency of these vehicles have driven up demand. In some places, tremendously so. Norway, in particular, has been met with a tremendous demand for electric vehicles, more than they can supply, at the current rate. With the demand primarily drive

Ford Believes Hybrids Are Best for Autonomous Cars

Electric vehicles, as well as autonomous vehicles, are gaining interest from many consumers and commercial companies. Many companies are choosing to combine these technologies. Lyft, Nissan, and Mercedes-Benz have paired their self-driving car trials with electric vehicles. However, Ford Motor Company reported in December of 2017 that they intend to keep experimenting with fossil fuels in the auto