Car News

If a self-driving car and a human-controlled vehicle were sat side-by-side in a dealership, how much would you be willing to pay for autonomy? According to a new study from the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB), over 40 per cent of Australians and New Zealanders would be happy shelling out more cash for an automated vehicle.

UPDATE, 5 November, 2018: American Special Vehicles has issued a correction, now also accepted by the ACCC and live on the recalls.gov.au website. Where previously the concern was announced as a software issue, it has now been confirmed as mechanical. The updated notice reads: "Some RAM 2500 and 3500 Trucks may have a defective tie rod bracket and mounting hardware."

There have been a number of high-profile crashes involving Tesla Autopilot in 2018, caused by drivers overestimating the semi-autonomous assistance system's capabilities. We know leaning heavily on Level Two automation is risky, but exactly how risky is tough to quantify. A team of Australian researchers is trying to do just that, however, as part of a study into driver attention and semi-autonomous vehicles.

The Queensland Government has announced that it will be issuing defect notices to owners of more than 2000 cars fitted with faulty 'alpha' Takata airbags. The defect notice will give owners 21 days to have their airbags replaced by the vehicle's manufacturer. If owners choose to take no action, their registrations will be cancelled.

Developed in conjunction with Hancock and Lane Racing, a team specialising electric drag racing, the Chevrolet Camaro eCOPO concept has an electric motor making over 522kW (700hp) of power, and 813Nm of torque. Chevrolet estimates the eCOPO can blast through the quarter mile (400m) in around 9.0 seconds, although the company admits testing is still ongoing.