Multiple companies are now developing and testing driver-less cars. EcoSalon takes a light-hearted look at how a self-driving car could change your life.

As a freelancer, I’m used to working pretty much anywhere I can find a plug and a strong WiFi connection. The only place I really can’t work is in the car, which is annoying on long road trips during which I’d love to be able to get some work done. I must not be the only one who feels like travel time could be better spent.

Regus, which operates close to 2,000 business centers around the world, and Rinspeed, a Swiss studio focused on the automotive industry, recently made headlines with a self-driving car that doubles as an on-road office. Revealed at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, the XchangE features two fronts seats that swivel backwards to create a meeting space for four people. The electric car’s advanced infotainment system would also make it possible for workers to connect to their office and create presentations–which means less panic when you run into a wall of traffic on the way to a big meeting.

Rinspeed’s mobile office concept got us thinking about all the other things that will be possible once the self-driving car becomes reality…

4 More Things You Could Do With A Self-Driving Car

Sleep – Forget those uncomfortable road trips fueled by energy drinks and gut-busting fast food. With a self-driving car, the vacation starts the moment you buckle in. Just pull up a blanket and let the snoring begin.

Read/Study –  Never mind those books on tape. When you’re cruising in a self-driving car, you can pore over the pages of your favorite book without slowing down. And if you opted to go that concert instead of studying for your upcoming mid-term, the three-hour trip home in a self-driving car becomes a valuable cramming session.

Put on makeup – Nothing terrifies me more than being stuck in morning rush hour traffic and watching the woman behind me putting on makeup. With a self-driving car, you’d always be able to set the alarm 15 minutes later, and take care of make-up in the car without putting anyone at risk.

Fool around – With no need to keep your hands on the wheel, a self-driving car like the XchangE presents a prime opportunity for some quality snuggle time with your traveling partner. Just swivel those seats around and see what happens. You’re likely to arrive at your destination in a much better mood!

What funny/crazy/productive thing would you do in a self-driving car? Tell us in the comments!

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Images via Rinspeed

The post 5 Crazy Things You Could Do With A Self-Driving Car appeared first on EcoSalon.

Rumor has it that the country’s most successful electric car company could be working with Google to introduce self-driving capabilities.

Nearly every auto manufacturer on the planet offers or is working on an electric car. For some, it’s only a tiny aspect of their fleet. For Tesla Motors, it’s everything. Dedicated only to the creation of sleek, high-performance plug-in cars, Tesla recently made headlines by announcing that it is on track to repay a $465m Department of Energy loan 9 years ahead of schedule. For car makers just struggling to break even on their EV dreams, the news was proof that Tesla is ahead of the game. Way ahead.

The success helps to explain another astounding announcement: Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, is talking with Google about adding driverless technology to his already awesome line of electric vehicles.

Google is the poster company for auto-piloted vehicles, a project that is already in testing on open roadways and has the entire auto industry buzzing. In an article describing the experience of riding in an auto-piloted car, Forbes’ Joann Muller writes, “The car we were riding in was a white Lexus RX450h outfitted with a $65,000 laser sensor on the roof, and other gear that included radar sensors in the front and rear bumpers, a high-def camera looking out from the windshield, and another looking inward at the passengers…On the instrument panel, a graphic depicted each of the cars around us as a white rectangle and tracked its movement relative to ours.”

Once you get over the initial shock and horror of allowing the car to merge onto the freeway at 65 mph without your help, the idea of riding in a self-piloted vehicle starts to sound cool. Eventually, you could take a road trip to catch up on some reading, safely send a text, or perhaps even sleep. The only imperfection would be that you’re still flinging pollution into the atmosphere. But that would change with an autonomous Tesla that runs on electricity.

“I like the word autopilot more than I like the word self-driving,” Musk said in an interview. “Self-driving sounds like it’s going to do something you don’t want it to do. Autopilot is a good thing to have in planes, and we should have it in cars.” As Engadget reports, “a hidden configuration page in current Tesla vehicles’ digital control panel reveals some additional features, including Blind Spot Detection, Adaptive Cruise and Lane Departure Warning. Though currently disabled, each could indicate plans to add automation features to the all-electric car.

The biggest hurdle, of course, is money. “The problem with Google’s current approach is that the sensor system is too expensive,” Musk said. “It’s better to have an optical system, basically cameras with software that is able to figure out what’s going on just by looking at things.”

If anyone can find a way to squeeze more tech into a car for less money, however, it’s Tesla. The company’s Model S sedan has a $69,900 base price, a far cry from The Roadster, the company’s first offering, which started at $109,000. The goal, according to Musk,  is to offer a model for about $30,000 within a few years.

Image: jurvetson and jurveston

The post The Next Tesla Could Feature Google’s Autopilot Tech appeared first on EcoSalon.