Automobiles777 articles archived since 1845

Building the Hoover Dam Bridge [Slide Show]

A photographic essay captures the construction of a 1,900-foot addition to the iconic American landmark

The Little Engine That Could

Researchers have built the world's tiniest motor

Feds Seek Cell Ban Behind the Wheel

Citing accident and injury stats, the National Transportation Safety Board has recommended a nationwide ban on the use of communications devices while driving. Larry Greenemeier reports

Scientific American's Annual Gadget Guide: 10 Reasons to Fondly Remember 2011

Our picks for some of the coolest tech of the year

Scientific American's Annual Gadget Guide: 10 Reasons to Fondly Remember 2011

Our picks for some of the coolest tech of the year

Battery Fires Reveal Risks of Storing Large Amounts of Energy

The Chevy Volt fire is just one recent example of potential safety risks associated with large-scale energy storage

Current Developments: Innovative Ideas on How to Make Electric Cars Cost-Efficient Take Shape

Expensive batteries and limited recharging stations are the big impediments to making EVs cost-competitive with non-hybrid internal combustion vehicles, but new electricity pricing and distribution models may help break the logjam...

Next-Generation Flex-Fuel Cells Ready to Hit the Market

Solid oxide fuel cells that can use conventional fossil fuels as well as hydrogen are set to take a larger role in the energy game

150 Years Ago: Ghost Photo

Innovation and discovery as chronicled in past issues of Scientific American

Recharge and Roll: Electric Carmakers Plan to Cut the Cord

Developments underway could let drivers charge their batteries with magnetic fields

50 Years Ago: Is Bad Air Bad?

Innovation and discovery as chronicled in past issues of Scientific American

Dropping Bombs from Flying Machines

Instant Health Checks for Buildings and Bridges

Sensors can detect damage that may be invisible to the naked eye

Michelin Partnership Aims to Help Renewable Rubber Hit the Road

Deal between Amyris and Michelin highlights industry's hunt for a profitable niche.

Geothermal Power Plants Could Help Produce Lithium for Electric Cars

A new process aims to extract lithium from the brines used to generate electricity in a geothermal power plant

50 Years Ago: Nerve Cells Talking

Innovation and discovery as chronicled in past issues of Scientific American

After Shock and Awe

All the gear $1.3 trillion can buy

Yes We Scan: Have Post-9/11 Airport Screening Technologies Made Us Safer? [Slide Show]

Airport security breaches on and after 9/11 have led to the continual advancement of technologies such as millimeter wave imaging and backscatter scanners to prevent future tragedies

Yes We Scan: Have Post-9/11 Airport Screening Technologies Made Us Safer? [Slide Show]

Airport security breaches on and after 9/11 have led to the continual advancement of technologies such as millimeter wave imaging and backscatter scanners to prevent future tragedies

Metropolitan Metamorphosis: The Creation of the City, 1870 to 1965 [Slide Show]

A visual tour of past efforts, many better left unrealized, that have shaped the way we live and work in cities—as seen in the pages of Scientific American