Vehicle manufacturers offer smart features such as lane and braking assist to aid drivers in hazardous situations when human reflexes may not be fast enough. But most options only provide immediate benefits to a single vehicle.

What if, like a murmuration of starlings, our cars and trucks moved cooperatively on the road in response to each vehicle's environmental sensors, reacting as a group to lessen traffic jams and protect the humans inside?

This question forms the basis of Kuilin Zhang's National Science Foundation CAREER Award research. Zhang, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan Technological University, has published "A distributionally robust stochastic optimization-based model predictive control with distributionally robust chance constraints for cooperative adaptive cruise control under uncertain traffic conditions" in the journal Transportation Research Part B: Methodological.

The paper is coauthored with Shuaidong Zhao, now a senior quantitative analyst at National Grid, where he continues to conduct research on the interdependency between smart grid and electric vehicle transportation systems.

Creating vehicle systems adept at avoiding traffic accidents is an exercise in proving Newton's First Law: An object in motion remains so unless acted on by an external force. Without much warning of what's ahead, car accidents are more likely because drivers don't have enough time to react. So what stops the car? A collision with another car or obstacle -- causing injuries, damage and in the worst case, fatalities.

Savvy consumers are always looking for ways to save money. After all, you work hard for your money … why spend more than you have to?

When it comes to auto repairs, however, spending wisely often looks a little different. In our experience, the best way to save money on auto repairs is by following a preventative maintenance schedule that catches small problems before they become big ones.

In contrast, some vehicle owners wonder if they can save money by doing their own repairs. Take your A/C system, for example … is it wise to use a DIY A/C recharging kit to get your system running properly again? We don’t think so, and here’s why.

Why NOT to use an A/C recharging kit

When your A/C system stops blowing cool air, you’re typically frustrated and want to get it fixed as soon as possible. Before you head to the local auto parts store for an A/C recharging kit, however, consider this:

A/C recharging kits aren’t compatible with every car. If you have an older make and model, or a very new one, the refrigerant in these kits may not be compatible with what’s in your vehicle. Mixing the two is not a good idea and many auto repair shops won’t want to service your vehicle if you’ve put in the wrong refrigerant.

Mounting concerns about the increase in global coronavirus cases and the reinstatement of lockdown policies in some countries has driven crude oil prices down to the lowest closing price – $35/bbl – since June. In comparison, last year at this time crude was pricing at about $20/bbl more expensive.

As crude prices decreased last week, the U.S. saw fluctuation in gasoline demand and supply. Demand increased from 8.2 million b/d to 8.5 million b/d while supply decreased 90,000 b/d to 226 million bbl. Despite the jump in demand, motorists are paying less to fill up. The national average pushed four cents cheaper to $2.12, while every state except South Dakota (+1 cent) saw gas prices hold steady or decrease.

“The national gas price average at the start of November has not been this cheap since 2004. If crude oil continues to push cheaper, we could see the national average drop below $2/gallon before the end of the year,” said Jeanette Casselano McGee, AAA spokesperson.

Across the country, state gas price averages are cheaper on the month and the week. Today, motorists can find gas for $2/gallon or less at 52% of gas stations.

Quick Stats

The nation’s top 10 largest weekly decreases: Ohio (-9 cents), Indiana (-8 cents), Washington, D.C. (-8 cents), Michigan (-7 cents), Kentucky (-6 cents), Texas (-4 cents), North Carolina (-4 cents), South Carolina (-4 cents), Tennessee (-4 cents) and Minnesota (-4 cents).

The updated design could bring many little improvements.

Tesla has been refining the Cybertruck’s design ever since its debut a year ago (aka the Before Times), and it might be close to showing what has changed in the months since. According to Roadshow, Elon Musk told one fan that Tesla could show the updated Cybertruck “maybe in a month or so.” That certainly isn’t a firm schedule, especially for a company prone to delays, but you might not have to wait too long to see if the design is slightly less polarizing.

The emphasis is on “slightly.” Musk added that the refreshed electric pickup has “many minor tweaks,” and that “even the small details matter.” Tesla had toyed with the possibility of a smaller body, but decided against it after determining there wasn’t much room for change.

H&I Automotive will be holding their rescheduled car show on Saturday, November 14th!

3rd annual Cars 2 Show We Care
Nov 14th 10:00am to 2:00pm
4550 S Higley Rd Gilbert, AZ 85297

All proceeds from this show will be used to support the local non-profit. Military Assistance Mission. MAM provides financial assistance and morale aid to our Arizona military and their families. 

The car show will feature entrants from all eras and styles. There will be food and service vendors on site.

Please join them for a day of cool cars, family entertainment and all while supporting a great cause!

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