Technology, features and articles | Educational Science

Oct 9, 2014

Tesla Motors Announces All-Wheel Drive Model S & New Safety Tech

After more than a week of anticipation, Tesla Motors finally revealed the D — and it doesn't stand for driverless, as had been widely rumored. Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's electric car company will now offer all-wheel-drive versions of the Tesla Model S, including one high-end option that can accelerate from...

Oct 16, 2014

Is Car Hacking the Next Big Security Threat?

It may seem convenient to have a hands-free phone built into your car, or to have a GPS system in your vehicle, but as automobiles incorporate more navigation and wireless communication technologies, could these super-connected cars become increasingly vulnerable to hackers? Actually, the idea of hacking cars isn't all that...

Nov 21, 2014

Electric Vehicle Fleet Gives California Green Energy Boost

The crowded highways of Los Angeles just got a little greener, thanks to a new electric-vehicle program sponsored by the U.S. Air Force. The fleet of 42 electrically powered sedans, trucks and vans was recently unveiled at Los Angeles Air Force Base in California. Based on technology known as V2G,...

Jan 9, 2015

Following Tesla's Lead, Toyota Makes Fuel Cell Patents Free

Toyota is making thousands of its hydrogen fuel cell patents available royalty-free, the car company announced this week at CES 2015 in Las Vegas. The company will make more than 5,600 fuel cell patentsavailable through 2020 to carmakers who produce and sell fuel cell vehicles, and to parts suppliers and...

Jun 28, 2016

Record-Breaking Electric Car Goes from 0 to 62 Mph in 1.5 Seconds

In a record-setting feat, an electric car zoomed from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 1.513 seconds last week, making it the fastest known electric car in the world. The Grimsel electric car took less than 98 feet (30 meters) to reach 62 mph, according to ETH Zurich,...

Jul 1, 2016

What the First Driverless Car Fatality Means for Self-Driving Tech

A crash that killed a driver in a Tesla Model S electric car in self-driving mode has called into question the safety of driverless vehicle technology. This week, federal officials announced the launch of a formal investigation into the accident. The crash occurred on May 7 in Williston, Florida, when...

Aug 25, 2016

Why Tesla's Model S Is So Incredibly Fast

Editor's Note: This article was updated on Aug. 25 at 1:25 p.m. E.T. and Aug. 29 at 10:25 a.m. E.T. Blink and you'll miss it: The Tesla Model S was just rated the third-fastest accelerating production car in the world, beating out cars such as the Lamborghini Aventador and the...

Sep 19, 2016

New Electric Bus Can Travel 350 Miles on Single Charge

A new electric, zero-emission vehicle has an impressive range: The city bus can travel 350 miles (560 kilometers) on a single charge, potentially being able to complete a full day's work without needing to be recharged. Set for release next year from the startup Proterra, the Catalyst E2 Series electric...

Nov 3, 2016

US Designates Electric Vehicle Charging Corridors

The federal government is designating 48 electric vehicle charging corridors along 25,000 miles of major U.S. highways as a way to cut greenhouse gas emissions and make it easier for drivers to switch to electric cars, the White House announced Thursday. The plan calls for electric vehicle charging stations to...

Nov 17, 2016

Bright Idea: Glow-in-the-Dark Dye Could Power Cars

If the world one day sees a boom in electric cars and renewable energy, people will need more efficient batteries than are currently available. Now, researchers say a glow-in-the-dark dye used to track chemicals in cells could offer a solution. The chemical is boron-dipyrromethene, otherwise known as BODIPY, and it...

Nov 23, 2016

Hackers Turn Tesla Into a Brain-Controlled Car

Oh it's turning. Brake! Alright, we're scared but we're good. The Tesla Model S had only gone a few feet, rolling mostly straight from one empty spot in the parking garage to another. The driver wasn't actually behind the wheel, though. He sat in the passenger's seat, donning an EEG...

May 10, 2017

New Battery Could Power Electric Cars 620 Miles on Single Charge

The average American drives about 30 miles (48 kilometers) per day, according to AAA, yet many people are still reluctant to buy electric cars that can travel three times that distance on a single charge. This so-called range anxiety is one reason gasoline-powered vehicles still rule the road, but a...

Jun 14, 2017

'Wired' Roads Could Power Electric Cars As You Drive

A new wireless power system could help people avoid the inevitable jumbled mess of tangled cords and offer a more efficient way to charge electric vehicles on the go, according to a new study. Researchers at Stanford University adapted a concept from quantum physics to produce a wireless charger that...

Jul 6, 2017

The World Is on the Brink of an Electric Car Revolution

The internal combustion engine had a good run. It has helped propel cars — and thus humanity — forward for more than 100 years. But a sea change is afoot that is forecast to kick gas-powered vehicles to the curb, replacing them with cars that run on batteries. A flurry...

Mar 30, 2018

Why the Fire that Incinerated a Tesla Was Such a Nightmare to Put Out

On March 23, a 38-year-old man driving a Tesla Model X rammed headfirst into an unshielded highway median while traveling south on U.S. Highway 101 near Mountain View, California. Two other vehicles subsequently rear-ended the SUV, which caught fire after the driver, who later died from his injuries, was pulled...