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This could be your first autonomous vehicle

While Google's autonomous fleet of robot cars prowls Silicon Valley and gets all the press, the first, or one of the first, truly autonomous vehicles you may ride in could be something like this: The humble, people-moving Navia. Developed by a French company called Induct, the Navia is ringed with laser beams (not frickin' laser beams. Ed.) that help it navigate through city streets or college campuses without the aid of a track in the ground, a rail or even GPS (GPS is not accurate enough, Induct says).

Chicago Auto Show interactive web tour launches

Interactive media company 360° Revo and the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA) has launched a web-based, interactive tour of the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. Automobile enthusiasts worldwide who could not make it to the show – the press days of which ran from 8-9 February – will be able to tour the exhibitions and even go inside specific vehicles featured at this year's show. This is the first time the CATA, producer of the Chicago Auto Show, and 360° Revo has worked together and with the media company's technology comes the ability for online users to navigate and explore the auto show floor and visit individual exhibits.

Drivers unmoved by electric cars

SUPPORT for electric cars appears to be failing to spark off real interest from drivers, according to a survey of more than 3,000 motorists. Only 1% of UK drivers own an alternative fuel vehicle (AFV), while CO2 emissions are at the bottom of the checklist when Britons are shopping for a new car, the poll by Auto Trader found. Since January 2011, motorists have been eligible for up to £5,000 upfront cost relief on the purchase of a new electric vehicle but the survey showed that 35% of drivers were unaware of this grant.