Transportation

"I’m in a car looking down on traffic. And it flies real nice."

Automakers, their suppliers, telecommunications giants like Verizon and AT&T, and governments are all working to make some vision of autonomous cars a reality.

As Montanans prepare for the winter holiday travel season, a website developed at Montana State University is set to provide motorists in the Rocky Mountain region with up-to-the-minute information on weather and road conditions.

As cars get smarter, he argues, so too should the infrastructure that supports them.

Consider buses.

"She seemed very excited, and we’re super excited," assistant general manager Whitney Kembel said. "It’s a real cool thing to have this close to us and get to interact with all the Tesla owners."

As much larger cities on the progressive coasts struggle to prioritize multi-modal transportation against car-loving codes, infrastructure and voting populations, what is the Midwest city’s secret? What, exactly, is it doing right?

"We are glad Americans are embracing the electric car."

Concerned about slow sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids, automakers are increasingly betting the future of green cars on hydrogen fuel cell technology.

The Los Angeles Times reported that by 2025, as many as 230,000 new autonomous vehicles could hit world roads each year.