The Impact of Data Analytics on the Auto Industry

by

carl-turnley-dataThere’s been a big impact in the automotive industry that involves data analytics. As of today, there’s vehicles that are capable of collecting massive amounts of data for their analysis. Vehicles contain around 50 sensors that are used to collect information of the driver’s pattern. For example, it can collect the speed, emissions, distance, resource usage, style of driving, and fuel usage. When this information is combined with predictive analytics, data scientists are able to utilize the information for the private and public sector.

Data Analysis is currently and going to have a major role in the auto industry. The data science is going to be utilized across the board. It will be used to build smarter vehicles for the consumer, auto racing, smart cities, and the insurance industry. For the consumer it means smarter vehicles. The data analysis can be used to predict potential issues before they become problems. This will benefit the consumer for negating the need of a costly repair. In F1 Racing, the team is using the analysis to collect information on the vehicle’s performance.

This technology has its pros and cons. For example, some may view it as big brother because insurance industries will have access to the information as well. The insurance industry point of view is it will lower the driver’s costs based on their safety record and safe driving habits.

Since 5G is right around the corner, big data is going to be able to take advantage of the technology. It’ll have the ability to update the vehicle’s software remotely, monitor and respond to engine performance. When it comes to interconnected highways, the data can inform the driver of incoming construction, accidents and intersections. This lead data will benefit the driver to effectively navigate the vehicle seamlessly through expected traffic congestion. The end result is traffic flow will be efficient and safer.

Data analytics is also sparking the connected cars. Connected cars will be able to provide local information to the driver from gas stations to retail outlets. Essentially, the automobiles will be using localized data to concoct customized suggestions based on the driver’s preference. For example, it’ll suggest a flower shop offering a 20% discount on your nearby route for your upcoming anniversary.

The Biggest Changes Coming to the Automotive Industry in 2019

by

carl-turnley-automotiveUntil recently, the automotive industry has been in a slump. It seems the early 2000s brought design changes that would move the industry forward; however, it was simply a new standard was set. Only a few innovative companies have been pushing the industry forward. Even a few newcomers – like Google and Tesla – have brought new technology to the automotive world in recent years. 2018 saw some interesting changes, and 2019 seems to have a lot in store as well. Below are some of the trends – some carrying over from last year and some new – for the automotive industry in 2019.

Electric Cars

Electric cars aren’t going anywhere. They may not be ideal for all areas of the world, but they are great in the cities. You won’t see many electric cars on the planes of Kansas or the mountains of Colorado, where you’ll often have to travel 100 mile round trips to visit certain points of interest; however, they are perfect for short commutes.

Ferrari’s New CEO

One of the many predictions for 2019 relates to Ferarri being under new leadership. We know that Ferrari has announced 15 new models to be released in the coming years, but they may not be what we expect. If the upcoming Ferrari Purosangue is anything to go by, Ferrari could be transitioning heavily into the crossover world. It all depends on how successful the Purosangue is. We could even see a low-cost crossover from Ferrari.

Subscription Services

Leasing or buying? This has been the question for anyone looking for a new car up until now. BMW and Porsche already have projects like these, but considering the cost, they will remain exclusive clubs for the wealthier citizens. However, if other companies hop on the trend, we could see subscription services like these that will rival the cost of leasing or buying.

Self Driving Vehicles

The innovative self driving car has met some speed bumps in the last few years, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t pushing forward. Only available in certain cities, like San Francisco and Phoenix, self driving cars could really be the future. Ideally and under perfect conditions, self driving cars would be the safest way ever invented to travel.

Making History: five cars en route to classic status

by

The last decade has been something of a golden age for cars. And it will likely go down as the final evolution in the era of the largely mechanical and driver-intensive vehicles as cars are slowly taken over by technology, eventually becoming fully autonomous.

There can be little doubt that many of the final driver-based vehicles will ultimately end up with classic car status. With the massive improvements in per-displacement power production, stability control and aerodynamic design, the last 10 years have been a golden age of car production, featuring many of the most powerful and best-performing vehicles that have ever graced the roadways.

Here are a few rides that are likely to stand head-and-shoulders above even this stiff competitive cohort.

The Dodge Viper SRT

The Dodge Viper is perhaps the longest-running production of a single, easily recognizable sports car in American automotive history. Unveiled in 1991, the Viper of that year introduced the world to the rawest and most unwieldy street car that any American manufacturer had ever produced. And all the way to the end of its production run in 2017, the Viper maintained a strong adherence to its own lineage, with the final model bearing a strong resemblance to its 26-year-old forebear.

Right up to its last iteration, the Viper earned the reputation as an automotive rodeo bull, a vehicle powerful enough to kick any competitor into the dust but a danger to any driver not skilled enough to wrangle it. Between the neck-snapping power, wild handling and venomous aesthetics, the Viper is all but assured classic status.

The Dodge Challenger

With throwback styling that strongly nods to Mopar’s heyday in the ‘60s, the Dodge Challenger is as handsome as it is thrilling. A true driver’s car, the Challenger suffers from less of the wild-stallion-like feral road handling of its Viper cousin. And it can take a cart full of groceries back home with four adults riding along.

Yet, in its upper-echelon forms, the Challenger ranks among the most powerful production cars ever churned out of Detroit. It’s not hyperbolic to call the Challenger the archetype of modern American muscle. And this means its eventual classic status is a good bet.

The Honda S2000

The S2000 is an often-overlooked convertible that, while having a sleek and competent design, just doesn’t tend to visually reach the heartstrings the way that more exotic cars can. But the S2000 remains one of the greatest driver’s cars ever built. With its screaming 9,000 rpm redline, the S2000 accelerated, handled and sounded like a Ferrari but was priced like an Accord. You can bet on its presence at the auto auctions of the 2050s.

Changes Coming to F1 for 2019 Racing Season

by

carl-turnley-racing

Those who are fans of Formula One racing are well aware of one of the problems the sport faces. In most Formula One races, those who start in the first rows almost always win unless there is an accident on the track.

There are two reasons for this. Formula One teams are experts at what they do. They know how to pace out a race to make sure that nothing goes wrong from start to finish. Another problem is that it is very hard to pass and overtake on the track.

In order to make it easier for drivers to pass, and to add some more excitement to F1, there are changes being made to the setup of the cars for the 2019 racing season. These changes are in anticipation of more extensive changes that are to be implemented in the 2021 season.

For 2019, the front wings on an F1 car will be wider, and there will be fewer flaps. This is being done in order to make it more aerodynamically possible for a driver to follow another driver closely. Right now, the setup of the cars causes turbulence when in the following position. This makes it harder for drivers to maintain the position that they need to be in to take advantage of passing opportunities.

There will also be a change in the design of the front brake ducts. There are currently small wings on the brake duct assemblies. In 2019, these will no longer be used. With this redesign, the brake ducts will be more apt to serve their intended purpose of providing cooling. It is hoped that this change will also help to end the problem of blown front axles that plagued several of the racing teams such as Ferrari, Force India and Haas during the current racing season.

There will be changes in the rear wing of the cars in 2019 as well. The rear wings will be taller and wider. The design of the rear wing will be simplified. This change will increase the downforce on the vehicle. This will stop the practice of coasting that some drivers currently use to make sure that they don’t run out of fuel.

With these changes in place for the 2019 Formula One season, the racing should be more exciting. There may be more chances for drivers to make a move resulting in fewer pole to win situations.

2 Big Myths About Driverless Cars

by

driverless-cars

What was once thought of as an impossible dream, driverless cars are becoming more and more popular in the world of technology, with betas being distributed all over the world. While we are still a number of tests away before safely releasing these automobiles out into the public world, the strides made in such short periods of time are truly remarkable. With this sudden surge in technology, it’s no wonder that there have been several misconceptions floating around regarding what autonomous cars have to offer. Below are just a few.

  1. Driverless cars will be purchasable for the public

I should preface this by saying that selling driverless cars to the public is an eventual goal, but we are far from it. There are a limited number of areas in which autonomous cars can operate at the moment, and it’s safe to assume that those asking if they can purchase one of these vehicles will want them to drive on roads and highways around their respective communities. Extremely complex mapping needs to be done in order to have these cars safely drive where they are intended to, which can take quite some time. Another consideration to factor in is driverless cars’ abilities to operate safely in hazardous weather. Yet another feature that requires the development of complicated algorithms.

For now, the most suitable role driverless cars can fill is that of public transportation. As mentioned before, due to the fact that they rely on previously mapped roads, these cars can hit the market at a much earlier time with their much simpler routes. This would be monumental for the public transportation industry, with companies like Uber and Lyft benefitting greatly from the reduced cost of employment.

  1. Their reliability must be proved through countless miles driven

Obviously, safety is the biggest concern when it comes to cars essentially driven by computers. Without a person behind the wheel, many may consider driverless cars unsafe, as there is no way to account for human error. A popular request to prove their reliability is to drive over and over again to assure that no mistakes can be made. However, there quite a few flaws that come with this argument, the first one being the average of driverless car accidents versus human-driven car accidents.

There is almost no way to predict the statistics of autonomous cars journeying across the country without the interference of human error, thus bringing up the notion that man-driven cars will always account for more accidents based on statistics. As stated by Driverless-Future.com, “These cars – that never tire, never drink, never take their attention off the road – would have to make other grave errors at much higher rates than humans which our societies would never be prepared to forgive.”

 
Driverless cars are inevitably becoming a part of our future. Though many people may feel that it is an unsafe alternative, the technology and dedication being put into perfecting these modern breakthroughs is enough to reassure most. Driverless cars will not be available for the public until their safety is as guaranteed as it can be, but when they are, they could provide significant advancements in the world of self-operated technology.