How Will Self-Driving Cars Work?

How Will Self-Driving Cars Work?

The latest technological advancements in self-driving cars have been incredible, and everyone from Tesla to Google are working on their prototype. Self-driving cars, also known as autonomous cars can drive without any input from a driver, with the car completely controlling itself. If these new technologies continue to develop and take off, this could radically change our current transport system.

These autonomous cars work by internally mapping their surroundings, using a range of intelligent sensors monitoring different things. These sensors differ from prototype to prototype but have used; radar, lasers, high powered cameras or sonar. Computers within the car then process all of the information from these sensors to intuitively map their location and know what is surrounding the car, and what hazards there might be.

Once the car is aware of its surroundings It can steer, accelerate and break accordingly. The car is programmed to follow rules of the road such as speed limits and stop lights, but is also instilled with responsive rules such as object avoidance and ‘Smart Object discrimination’.

It is estimated 90% of road accidents are caused by human error, whether the person is distracted, under the influence or simply made a mistake, human error can be deadly. The hope is that autonomous cars will reduce accidents by eliminating the human error aspect. These self-driving cars will soon be able to communicate with each other, this will help to avoid accidents as they will know what the other cars are doing around them.

This tech is not without its risks however, in 1018 a self-driving car that was being tested on the streets struck and killed a cyclist who was trying to cross the busy road. Whilst the cause of this incident is still under investigation, it has reminded people that there are risks, this technology is still in its infancy and will still have a lot of issues to work out before it can be set loose on our roads.

Are Mandatory Speed Limiters Coming Soon?

A proposal has been approved by the European Transport Safety Council, which plans to see all new cars fitted with devices to physically restrict them to speed limits. The plan put forward states within the next 3 years, all new cars sold in the EU will have to be fitted with one of these automatic speed limiters as standard. This device is called intelligent speed assistance (ISA) and will use GPS data or traffic sign recognition cameras to know what the speed limit is and enforce it.

If a driver does go up to the speed limit the device would not let the speed go into illegal speeds unless the driver pressed forcefully on the accelerator. This would override the system and would take the speed up, however visual and audio alerts would repeatedly signal that the car is over the limit until the speed was brought back down.

All cars produced from 2020 will have these devices, but they have already been installed in some cars out now! For all of those worried about the limits there is going to be an off button for these machines, at least when they are first implemented. The ability to disable the device is an attempt to make people more tolerant to them being introduced, but they are expected to be permanently on at a later date.

These ISA’s are being implemented to make roads safer and lower the rates of injury and death by dangerous driving. There’s also a move to implement and enforced black boxes and lane assist systems in all cars, but there are currently no plans in place for this. 

Check out The First Peak At The Brand-New styling For The Vauxhall Range

Yesterday we were treated to a sneak peak of the Vauxhall GT X Experimental brand concept.

This is the new futuristic design that’s going to be a vision of Vauxhalls next decade of cars from 2019. Vauxhall is hoping this modern design direction will revamp the brand. Vauxhall’s Vice-President of design Mark Adams has said: “Design will be at the heart of everything that we do in the future. It will truly differentiate the Vauxhall brand, and make it sharper and more relevant to our core values.”

Photos By Vauxhall

While the images leave a lot to the imagination, what’s under the sheet gives us an idea of the shape of the new range, suggesting an updated hatchback body. Whilst the modern lights and general look appears similar to other ‘futuristic’ style cars such as other electric or hybrid models. Vauxhall has explained these lights are called ‘Vizors’ and will be a prominent feature on the future range.

Overall Vauxhall has said the new range “will embrace its core values – British, Ingenious, Progressive and Approachable – and provide a template for the future design of its production cars”.

What do you think is this a good direction for Vauxhall? Let us know in the comments!

Vauxhaull – 25 Years of the Corsa

The Corsa model turns 25 this year! To celebrate this achievement Vauxhall released a list of 25 things you may not have known about the Corsa, Check it out below!

As the iconic Corsa turns 25, here’s 25 things you may not know about it 

1. The original Corsa was introduced in an advert with supermodels Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista 
2. It was once claimed that about 70% of learners make their first car purchase the same model as they pass their test in^[1]
3. Vauxhall has sold two million Corsas in the UK and 9.86 million globally
4. ‘Corsa’ means ‘race’ in Italian
5. When Arctic Monkeys signed a publishing deal with EMI publishing, lead vocalist Alex Turner celebrated by buying a Vauxhall Corsa 
6. The Corsa replaced the much-loved Vauxhall Nova
7. Matt Smith sold his Corsa on eBay for £6.3k, donating the fee to children’s charity Starlight
8. Tinie Tempah, boxer Nicola Adams and ex-Doctor Who actor Matt Smith all bought the Corsa as their first car
9. The most popular latest Corsa colour bought is the Grey, with 45,050 Grey Corsas currently on British roads
10. The original model sold for £7,195, with the price rising by just £3,850 in 25 years. Assuming an annual inflation rate of 2%, it would be less expensive now than in 1993
11. Vauxhall has sold 20,000 Corsas to UK police forces in the past ten years
12. Original Corsa designer Richard Shaw still works at Vauxhall, working through the ranks to Chief Designer for Interiors
13. Famous celebs involved in campaigns for the Corsa include Sean Paul, Claudia Schiffer, James Martin and fictional rock band, The C’mons
14. Vauxhall has supplied thousands of Corsas to driving schools including BSM, Red and Hitachi Capital
15. British artist Alex Chinneck designed a gravity-defying illusionary artwork which saw the artist suspend a Corsa fifteen feet in the air at London’s Southbank Centre
16. Vauxhall renamed its yellow colour to Maddox Yellow to show support for pensioner Peter Maddox, whose yellow Corsa was vandalised
17. The Corsa is one of the most popular used cars bought, with 63,000 sold each year through Network Q, the best place to buy a used Vauxhall
18. Over 100 models of the Corsa have featured in the annual Vauxhall Art Car Boot Fair at locations across the UK for the past 13 years
19. The latest generation of the Corsa is available in 13 colours 
20. Some Corsa models have a hidden shark on the hinge of the glove compartment
21. Unusual Corsa models have included a convertible version and a sporty pick-up
22. In 2014, the prototype fourth-generation Corsa was in gear to win the Guinness World Record for the “Largest GPS Drawing” 
23. Vauxhall created a pair of bespoke headphones in the shape of a Corsa to help launch the fifth year of the UK Beatbox Championships in 2011
24. The Corsa previously shared some of the same parts with a sports car, the Lotus Elise
25. A new electric Corsa model will be launching in 2019 – Vauxhall’s first electric Corsa. Which you can read about here!

For all Corsa parts, no matter which of the models you have from the last 25 years visit MegaVaux

Vauxhall Renames Yellow Corsa ‘Maddox Yellow’ in Support of Cotswold Pensioner

Blamed for ruining one of Britain's most picturesque villages with his brightly coloured Vauxhall Corsa, 84-year-old Peter Maddox of Arlington Row, Cotswolds, has now been appointed his own colour by no other than Vauxhall themselves!

After multiple viral reports and posts slamming his choice of car colour, outraged vandals took it upon themselves to scratch the word 'move' onto the bonnet of his Corsa, as well as smashing both side and rear windows. However, since then, after hitting the headline with his story, Peter and his yellow Corsa have gone on to win the heart of the nation!

Earlier this month, a fleet of 100 yellow cars from all across the country joined forces and rallied through the heart of Maddox's hometown of Bibury Cotswolds, in a warming act of solidarity. It was the UK's 'Biggest Yellow Car Convoy' ever, with Vauxhall Motors even joining the event in their own 'Maddox Yellow' Corsas.

The Director of Communications at Vauxhall Motors, Mr.Denis Chick commented "When we heard Peter's story we were inspired by the way it captured the heart of the public. We wanted to show our support for Peter, which is why we're renaming our yellow shade to 'Maddox Yellow'. We will also be in the car convoy to show our support. It is for a great cause and no doubt a fun day for lovers of all yellow cars, including Vauxhall."

So there you have it, there's always a silver (yellow) lining! 

MegaVaux News - Fifth-generation Vauxhall Corsa Spotted In Testing

Recently car enthusiasts have eagerly spotted the firth-generation Vauxhall Corsa out for the first time during a testing trial.

Motorists have commented how the favourite model has gone through a slight redevelopment to make the vehicle larger and more practical to the competitive market. However, it's widely disputed that not much will change under the bonnet but improvements will be made to the fuel economy and boost performance.

With a quick Google the new Corsa pictures can be viewed all over the internet, with comments coming from fans wondering if the new Vauxhall can beat the Ford fiesta.

Corsa's have always been a firm favourite here at MegaVaux, which is why we have tons of spare vehicle parts for this particular model. You can use our brand new and easy to use car part search function on our website so you can get back on the road quicker than you think.

 It couldn't be easier!

Vauxhall’s New Range

Vauxhall have released several exciting new cars recently, adding to their extensive range. Here, we take a look at some of them, as well as some that have yet to be released.

Probably the most notable is the new Vauxhall Cascada. The convertible borrows the tagline from Ford’s marketing campaign for the Capri as ‘The car you always promised yourself.’

And in many ways, unlike a Capri, it can live up to that promise. Despite sounding like a nightclub, the Cascada has a lot going for it. The car is a flagship for Vauxhall’s new 1.6 turbo petrol engine, due to appear alongside the Monza next month at the Frankfurt motor show.

It also looks good, too, and is also practical with a roof that opens or closes in just 14 seconds. It’s also big, with plenty of room for a family of 4.

At the other end of the spectrum, there’s the new Vauxhall Adam, the rival to the Fiat 500. It’s been announced that the Adam will soon receive a 1-litre turbo petrol with 130hp+. Certainly a hot hatch if we ever saw one, this will also be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show.

At the third end of the spectrum, Vauxhall have also announced an update to the Insignia VXR. One of the most insane ways to spend £30,000 , the 325hp monster has undergone a few cosmetic changes, as well as some mechanical ones too, as the Insignia receives a reworked rear axle.

The ESP has also been tinkered with in an effort to improve the handling capabilities of he car.
One thing’s assured, no matter how big or small your Vauxhall, Megavaux will always have the parts and spares to fix it. That includes any new models, too!

Good News: Car Sales Are On The Rise For 2013

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT) car sales increased AGAIN last month, providing a light at the end of the tunnel for the after math of the following recession.

It was reported that new vehicle sales increased by almost 15% last month in comparison to sales figures in 2012, which signals the strongest sales growth in a staggering 14 month period.

Figures show that new car sales have increased by 8.9% when compared to last year, and with the SMMT predicting a 2.1m car sales this year we can expect a further increase in sales when we compare sales figures to 2012.

There were 163.357 vehicles resisted last month, 81,753 were private sales and 75,067 were fleet sales. A breakdown of the statistics indicate the small economical cars are taking the market by storm, with the Ford Fiesta selling 8,083 units, Vauxhall Corsa (6,084), Ford Focus (5,944) and the Volkswagen Golf (5,283).

With car sales slowly on the rise, we are slowly but surely likely to see the car industry booming again. And, with this fact in mind, it couldn’t be more imperative to make sure you look after your newly purchased vehicle, which is where we come in. At Megavaux we’re here to give you the peace of mind that you can repair your Vauxhall or Opel cheaply and safely with our Vauxhall parts service.

For updates, tips, and advice make sure to check out our blog regularly and for more information on our vehicle parts service visit Megavaux online.