Volkswagen, Google Forging Ties

Computers have changed cars at least as much as they have changed our daily lives, but a new partnership between Google and Volkswagen could transform transportation further still: The two are collaborating on how to apply quantum computing to solving some fundamental car-related problems, including optimizing traffic flow, making machine learning more intelligent, and helping to crack the issue of building new battery technologies that can extend range and improve charging rates. Of course, quantum computing is not a magic panacea that can deliver all of the above just by flicking a switch, but it can calculate much more efficiently than a tradition computer, which is great for dealing with high volume work like artificial intelligence and running simulations, Tech Crunch reported. This partnership is just a study for now, but it could become something more later on, especially as automakers focus more on the broader issue of transportation and moving around cities, instead of focusing more narrowly on cars and vehicles themselves.