Ongoing Coverage:

Podcasts & RSS Feeds

smart carRSS
All ContentRSS
View all podcasts & RSS feeds

Michigan Voices

Sarah Alvarez
Sarah Alvarez
Public Insight Journalist
John U. Bacon
John U. Bacon
Essay/Analysis: Sports Commentator
Mark Brush
Mark Brush
Reporter/Producer
Cynthia Canty
Cynthia Canty
Host, Stateside with Cynthia Canty
Steve Carmody
Steve Carmody
Mid Michigan Reporter/Producer
Zoe Clark
Zoe Clark
Reporter/Producer
Sarah Cwiek
Sarah Cwiek
Sarah Cwiek - Detroit Reporter/Producer
Vincent Duffy
Vincent Duffy
News Director
Dustin Dwyer
Dustin Dwyer
Reporter/Producer
Emily Fox
Emily Fox
Morning Edition Producer
Lester Graham
Lester Graham
Investigative Reporter
Jennifer Guerra
Jennifer Guerra
Reporter/Producer
Sarah Hulett
Sarah Hulett
Assistant News Director
Jack Lessenberry
Jack Lessenberry
Essay/Analysis: Political Commentator
Mercedes Mejia
Mercedes Mejia
Reporter/Producer
Rina Miller
Rina Miller
Reporter/Producer
Jake Neher
Jake Neher
MPRN Capitol Reporter
Kyle Norris
Kyle Norris
Reporter/Producer
Mike Perini
Mike Perini
Host - Middays
Rick Pluta
Rick Pluta
Reporter / Producer - Michigan Public Radio Network
Tracy Samilton
Tracy Samilton
Auto Reporter/Producer
Christina Shockley
Christina Shockley
Host - Morning Edition
Lindsey Smith
Lindsey Smith
West Michigan Reporter/Producer
Kate Wells
Kate Wells
Arts & Culture Reporter/Producer
Jennifer White
Jennifer White
Host - All Things Considered
Rebecca Williams
Rebecca Williams
Reporter/Producer - The Environment Report

Tagged: smart car

Transportation
4:37 pm
Tue November 13, 2012

Car to Car Research in Ann Arbor

Share
E-mail
Comments
By Michigan Radio Newsroom

There are thousands of cars and trucks driving around Ann Arbor right now, constantly talking to each other.  And in 2013, bicycles and motorcycles will be added to the mix.

They'll be part of an ongoing, $18 million study at the University of Michigan that's outfitting vehicles with wireless car-to-car communication devices.  Those devices alert drivers about safety threats and traffic issues. 

Read more
Transportation
12:04 pm
Tue August 21, 2012

"Talking" cars hitting the road in Ann Arbor

Next imagePrevious image
Credit Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio
A glass panel display shows how vehicles equipped with the new technology will be able to communicate with one another and roadway infrastructure, like traffic signals
Credit Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at today's news conference in Ann Arbor
Credit Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio
The connected vehicle systems package will take up some space in the vehicles taking part in the study.
Share
E-mail
Comments
By

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is in Michigan today touting a major advance in Smart Car technology.

By October, three thousand cars, trucks and buses outfitted with a special Wi-Fi system will travel around Ann Arbor as part of a one year test of the system.

A few hundred are already on the road.

LaHood says the Smart Car system allows vehicles to “talk” to each other and hopefully avoid accidents.

Read more
Auto
1:45 pm
Wed June 22, 2011

Smart cars not catching on in Michigan

Credit Robert W. Howington / Flickr
Smart car sales fell 80 percent since 2008.
Share
E-mail
Comments
By

The only Smart car dealership in Michigan will close next week.

Aaron Bragman is senior analyst with IHS automotive. He says Smart cars never caught on in the US.

“In this market if you’re going to offer a small car and have it be successful, it has to be small and something. It has to be small and cute or small and efficient or small and well built. The smart car unfortunately was really just,  small.”

Bragman says the fuel economy wasn’t what people thought it would be.

Read more