Fisker revealed that the Ocean EV will have a multi-link rear suspension that promises a “supreme balance” between driving performance and comfort. Furthermore, that system is mounted on an isolated sub-frame to reduce vibration and noise.

It uses computer-controlled active aerodynamics to optimize airflow to the battery in order to maximize range. The battery also has extra protection against side impacts, and the vehicle body is also reinforced to protect the driver and passengers in accidents.

The Fisker Ocean is around the same size as an Audi Q5, while offering 25 cubic feet of cargo volume. It’s powered by a 300 horsepower electric motor, but will be available with a higher performance option that will take it from 0 to 60 mph in under three seconds. Meanwhile, the 80 kWh battery pack will deliver up to 300 miles of range. While Fisker has made some wild claims about solid state batteries and supercapacitors, the Ocean will use a standard lithium-ion battery pack.

Despite a pretty complete reveal, the Fisker Ocean isn’t set to arrive until the fourth quarter of 2021. When it does, it’ll start at $37,499, with US federal tax credits taking that down to $29,999. Given Fisker’s delays and battery backpedaling, though, it’d be wise to be skeptical about the price and delivery date.

At CES 2020, I stepped into a makeshift ‘car’ that comprised of an office desk, laptop and webcam, Bosch’s so-called Virtual Visor and a tiny tarpaulin roof. It wasn’t the most immersive experience, but I did my best to ignore the convention hubbub and pretend I was driving down Route 66 in a classic Ford Mustang. A Logitech webcam recorded my imaginary driving and some algorithms correctly deduced which parts of the image contained my face. The tracking was perfect and the LCD panel darkened the correct areas to ensure a nearby torch never reached my retinas.

The experience wasn’t flawless, though. The “transparent” sections of the LCD panel, for instance, are actually 50 percent transparent. I could make out objects just fine — it was like looking through a light fog or a windscreen that hadn’t been washed in six months. Still, that level of transparency is better than most sunglasses, a Bosch spokesperson told me, and increases your overall visibility of the road dramatically. I didn’t have a pair of Ray-Bans to hand, so I had to take his word for it. I can confirm, however, that the Virtual Visor is better than a piece of plastic.

For now, it’s just a prototype. Bosch said it’s talking to car manufacturers and commercial fleet operators, though, to see if the concept can be taken further. The upsides are obvious, though I would miss those tiny sun visor mirrors that let you check whether you still have crumbs on your face.

How ICE picks its targets in the surveillance age
McKenzie Funk,
The New York Times

Through the lens of officers operating in the Pacific Northwest, The New York Times explains how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) collects information on possible targets. That includes monitoring social media accounts and tapping into “the world’s largest privately run database of license-plate scans.”

Tesla’s vehicles have an array of goofy Easter Eggs. From fart noises to Atari video games, the company isn’t afraid to fly its freak flag. So it was no real surprise when the world found out that Tesla would be adding more games and that an SDK would be available for developers to port their own titles to the cars.

The latest game to appear in the dash of Teslas is Beach Buggy Racing 2. A Mario Kart-esque racer that’s gotten some tweaks specifically for the Tesla. Specifically, the cars in the game are Teslas (the owner’s model and color no less) and you have the ability to choose Spaceman as a character, the space suit SpaceX shot into space in February of 2018.

I had a chance to sit in a Model 3 and enjoy a few virtual laps. I had a blast. Using a real steering wheel makes all racing games better. The video the company put out showing Spaceman playing the game used some creative license on the amount of turning your real-world wheels do while playing the game. In reality, it’s not enough to be concerned about unless you have a new concrete driveway and you don’t want black marks on it.

That would, of course, mean you’re playing the game at your home when really it’s meant to be played while you’re waiting to charge your car. Anyone that drives an EV knows the deal. You plug in your car and either you wander off to a nearby store, coffee shop, restaurant, or abandoned warehouse full of evil spirits, or you sit in your car and wait. You could play games on your phone (or worse, browse Twitter), but Beach Buggy Racing 2, is more engaging.

Porting the game to the Tesla only took a few days, according to the CTO of Vector Unit (the maker of the game) Ralf Knoesel. It helps that Tesla’s infotainment system is Linux-based and the company already has ports of the Beach Buggy Racing 2 on similar platforms.

For the Tesla version, in addition to using the steering wheel, the brake pedal is in play. The vehicles in the game are always at full acceleration, so you depress the brake to slow down and even initiate a drift. I’m not a fan of braking, so I kept running into walls. It also didn’t help that I initially chose a difficult track and location at the outset.

But after a few tries and after toning down the difficulty and picking a beginner track I was doing better. Like most games, there are additional levels and drivers to unlock as you get better. And you can even play two players via split screen (the passenger has to use on-screen controls). The driver can use them too, but they’re nowhere near as fun as using the steering wheel.

More games are headed to a Tesla near you including side-scroller Cuphead. Fortunately, you can use a USB gamepad to play so you’re not turning a wheel to go forwards and back. Plus, there’s already the Atari games onboard.

I rarely play video games. I’m usually too busy to just sit down, fire up a console or launch a game. But when I drive EVs, that downtime at the charger? That’s an opportunity. Sure I could call my family or learn a second language, but I think driving on the beach is the better option.

Driving in an unfamiliar city can be stressful, and finding parking is even worse. Eventually, we’ll have autonomous vehicles to deal with that for us, but until then, companies are looking at ways to ease the strain. That’s why car rental brand Avis has partnered with mobility solutions company Arrive to add a space-finding feature to its app.

The Avis app already lets drivers rent a car on the go, and includes a bunch of other helpful features such as remote car locking — with Arrive integration customers in the US can now instantly find, book and pre-pay for parking. Arrive is already used in some 230 cities around Canada and the US, predominantly by third-party and business customers. Encouraging consumer use makes sense, especially as many city-dwellers don’t drive a car on a daily basis — knowing parking is already taken car of is just one less thing to worry about when you’re behind the wheel.