Environment

Weather and climate

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Power

Pumping EV Heat

The Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC) that I founded over 20 years ago provides training and tech support to the world’s independent electric-vehicle (EV and hybrid) technicians, who will be asked to fix and...

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News
AR/AI

The Navigator: Mapping the Way to Safe Automated Driving

When it comes to automated driving systems (ADS), Tesla CEO Elon Musk often runs counter to the consensus of almost everyone else in the sector. His disdain for lidar sensing is...

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News
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Venting for EV Battery Packs

Batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) need protection from harsh external conditions. Generally located on the underside of the vehicle, EV battery enclosures protect the cells from exposure to water, dust,...

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News
Transportation

Is Ground-Penetrating Radar the Next Innovation for Automated-Vehicle Sensing?

Most of the existing autonomous-vehicle (AV) localization strategies try to replicate how human drivers perceive the world. But reliable autonomy requires new...

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Articles
Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Thrust in Space - The Nuances of Thruster Valve Design

More and more companies are designing rockets, satellites, and reusable space vehicles that require thruster valves to position, maintain, or change vehicle orbit in space.

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Technical Innovation
Energy

Paving the Way to Improved Truck Fuel Efficiency

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving fuel efficiency are much-sought-after goals in the commercial-vehicle industry. Various methods have been proposed to achieve these...

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News
Software

Inside GM’s Expanded Electric-Vehicle Battery Lab

General Motors aims to sell more than one million electric vehicles (EVs) annually in North America and China by mid-decade. The pathway to success leads directly through the company’s...

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News
Sensors/Data Acquisition

Metamoto Goes Deep on AV Simulation

Autonomous-vehicle (AV) development companies frequently boast about the millions of miles their test vehicles travel in real-world testing. The claims reflect a long-held, more-is-better mentality when...

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Articles
Electronics & Computers

Air Exchange System Shows Potential to Reduce Winter BEV Range Loss

Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) range loss from winter use of PTC (positive temperature coefficient) heating has become a source of major concern as the industry works to...

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News
Connectivity

SAE Innovations in Mobility Conference: Advanced Weather Data Can Boost AV Functionality, Safety

Acknowledging that foul weather is a challenge for automated-vehicle (AV) operation, the CEO and founder of a company that creates highly...

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Briefs
Transportation

SnowMicroPenetrometer Applications for Winter Vehicle Mobility

Characterizing the mechanical properties of snow and their impact on vehicle performance could improve vehicle winter mobility modeling.

News
Power

Electric-Truck Startup Rivian Gets Big Amazon Order

Before it’s produced a single production vehicle, electric-vehicle (EV) startup Rivian – most recognized for the radical R1T pickup truck it first unveiled at the 2018 Los Angeles...

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Technology Report
Power

As Automotive Climates Shift, GKN Ramps up Its Winter Testing

As the influx of electrification continues to roil the industry, seamlessly integrating the hardware and wealth of software it brings with it creates a far broader engineering...

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News
Power

AAA Studies Thermal Effects on EV Range

It’s been a tough winter in much of the U.S. When the Midwest hasn’t been dealing with a Polar Vortex it been smacked by a “bombogenesis.” But even normally temperate seasonal regions like...

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News
Photonics/Optics

2019 Nissan Leaf plus Nets Extended EV Range

The 2019 Leaf Plus has a longer driving range and provides quicker acceleration than its platform-sharing counterpart, the second-generation Leaf, thanks to a higher-output motor and additional...

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Articles
Manned Systems

DATC Spells Progress for Defense Prototyping

A slogging bureaucracy, miles of “red tape,” and a sea of acronyms are just some of the hurdles that keep many suppliers from working with the U.S. defense industry on ground vehicle...

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News
Energy

Mercedes-Benz C220d AMG Line Cabriolet

Until relatively recently in Europe, “buy a new diesel car and help reduce CO2”, was accepted by most governments as a responsible piece of advice. In simple terms a late level Euro-6 diesel emits...

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Articles
Manned Systems

BEV Heat Pumps Recovering Cost Investments

Can a heat pump-equipped battery electric vehicle (BEV) overcome major energy losses for cabin heating comfort in cold ambient conditions –and at reasonable system cost? These questions were...

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News
RF & Microwave Electronics

High-Altitude Pseudo Satellites: New Battle for Inner Space, Part II

A new development applicable to the production of the Airbus Zephyr lightweight, solar unmanned aircraft is the Airbus Spider radar payload, a novel commercial...

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Technology Report
Propulsion

Detecting Battery Leaks at Production Speeds

Inficon has launched what it said is an industry-first, robotic-compatible leak-detection system that can use either helium or hydrogen-forming gas to ferret out minuscule cracks in the batteries...

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News
Manned Systems

SaraniaSat Wins $5M NASA InVEST Contract for Hyperspectral Thermal Imager

SaraniaSat, an aerospace start-up in Los Angeles, won a three-year, $5.1 million NASA In-Space Validation of Earth Science Technologies (InVEST) contract to test and...

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News
Software

Connected Aircraft Technologies Benefit Manufacturers, Airlines, and Travelers

Connected aircraft means more than just in-flight movies, free texting, and Facebook posting with friends while in flight. In fact, the connected aircraft...

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News
Power

Studies Seek to Reduce Range Impact of EV Cabin Conditioning

If the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) is to enter the affordable mainstream, it has to overcome the challenge of 50-60% loss of range from the impact of cabin heating, ventilation...

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News
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Simulation 'Libraries' Will Support Testing of High-Level Vehicle Autonomy

The challenges of validating autonomous vehicles designed to operate at SAE Level 4 and 5 are a major focus of driving-simulation specialist rFpro. The advent of...

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Application Briefs
Data Acquisition

Miniature Data Recorder

DTSSeal Beach, CA+1 562-493-0158www.dtsweb.com Harsh, wet and dusty environments pose serious reliability issues for data collection. The SLICE IP68 data acquisition system is designed to measure physical signals in...

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Application Briefs
Software

Automated Flight System Software

KittyhawkSan Francisco, CA+1 415-598-7757https://kittyhawk.io Kittyhawk recently announced new features to its flight system software platform. Kittyhawk is adding an automated flight system to its Flight Deck...

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What We’re Driving
Manufacturing & Prototyping

BMW 440i

When reviewing a new BMW, it’s important to note the car’s most vital attribute first. And that would be…powertrain performance? Steering precision? Chassis reflexes? The optional ($1700) M Sport brakes? While all are nearly...

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News
Manned Systems

Rolls-Royce Starts Lean-Burn Combustion Engine Icing Tests

In March, a new demonstrator engine by Rolls-Royce, featuring a cutting-edge lean-burn and low-emissions combustion system for future jet engine programs, began icing tests at the...

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Application Briefs
Defense

Gun-Mounted Rangefinder

Optics 1, Inc. (Safran)Bedford, NH603-296-0469www.optics1.com Optics 1, Inc. (Safran) recently announced that its Integrated Compact Ultralight Gun-mounted Rangefinder (ICUGR) has been selected by the United States...

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