Elon Musk’s Tesla Motors promises the car of the future today. In September, the billionaire promised something new for his electric vehicles: autopilot, mostly. Well, “90 percent of your miles can be on auto.” Left unsaid is how exactly that’s going to happen.
Early this year, when it became clear that the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf had missed their 2011 sales targets, critics declared the electric-car revolution over. Yet at Detroit's annual North American International Auto Show in January, plug-in cars abounded. BMW displayed its forthcoming i3 electric city car, along with its i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. Acura unwrapped a hybrid concept version of the NSX supercar. Tesla Motors brought its all-electric Model S sedan. But the most important car on the show floor might have been one that, on the surface, seemed much less exciting: the new Ford Fusion, which will be available in gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions.
A survey into consumer attitudes towards electric cars in the United States has found that by far the biggest barrier to a purchase is maximum trip distance, but also found a rather large percentage of people are worried that the vehicles are actually more dangerous than standard cars.
Without a doubt, the best part of an auto show is the test drive - you can sink into the cushiony driver's seat, behold the beautiful control panel, feel the steering wheel slip comfortably between your fingers. At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, that won't happen. Test drivers will sit in the back seat of an autonomous Prius, letting the car drive them around by itself. It'll probably be worth the back seat view.