Articles

Manned Systems

Quicker Pathways to Reduce Transportation’s Climate Impact

Current U.S. energy policies are laser-focused on addressing climate change – as they should be. Meanwhile, 2022’s soaring gasoline prices show that U.S. dependence on...

Articles

Manned Systems

BMW Reapproaches Hydrogen

Automakers have raised and dashed hopes for using hydrogen to power cars and trucks, including General Motors’ notorious 2007 promise that it would sell 1 million fuel-cell vehicles annually (actual number:...

Editorial

Manned Systems

Engineering ‘Electron Guzzlers’

Apparently, ‘gas guzzler’ now encompasses any vehicle that burns hydrocarbon fuels, no matter how efficient. Anything with an exhaust pipe.

News

Imaging

AV Life After Argo AI

The recent shuttering of Argo AI, one of the autonomous-vehicle industry’s leading tech companies, by Ford and Volkswagen might come as a surprise to commuters in San Francisco and in Phoenix, Arizona. Those who...

The Navigator

Unmanned Systems

2022 a Mixed Bag for the AV Sector

Road Ready

Manned Systems

Toyota Punches up the Prius

An undeniable technical achievement since its U.S. launch for the 2001 model year, Toyota’s Prius never has been able to shake its weenie-mobile reputation. It’s an image formed largely by the combination...

News

Manned Systems

The Olfactory Factor in AV Interiors

Whether they’re riding in an autonomous shuttle, a transit bus, a train or a rental car, passengers often face cabin air full of “mal odors” — bad smells — including cigarette and vape smoke,...

Articles

Unmanned Systems

Inner Visions

Evolving market realities have OEMs and automated-driving developers adjusting once-aggressive timelines for deploying high-level driving automation. But new materials and safety technology for vehicle interiors continue to...

News

Unmanned Systems

Volvo Engineers Luminar Lidar into 2024 EX90

Consumer skepticism over autonomous vehicles is running rampant, thanks largely to Tesla’s broken-record promises to make “Full Self Driving” a reality — along with high-profile...

Technology Report

Power

The Electrofuels That Reduce Amazon’s Fleet Emissions

Amazon has a goal of having 50% of its shipments being made net-zero carbon by 2030. In 2021, more than 100 million packages were delivered to customers with zero-emissions vehicles...

Technology Report

Robotics, Automation & Control

A Divergent Approach to Vehicle Development and Production

Among the most intriguing vehicles on display at the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours D’ Elegance was a pair developed by an obscure brand, Czinger Vehicles, and its parent company,...

Technology Report

Automotive

ZF Introduces Complete E-Drive System for Passenger, Commercial Vehicles

ZF Group said a new e-drive system architecture that is more compact, offers greater energy density and is easily adaptable will appeal to manufacturers introducing...

News

Robotics, Automation & Control

Choreographed Robotic ADAS Testing Bridges Gap Between Simulations and Real World

A Utah company has developed a system to allow fully robotic testing of ADAS on production vehicles as one solution to the dangers of testing such systems...

News

Power

Time for Hydrogen

After decades of R&D, some false starts, and a smattering of low-volume production vehicles, hydrogen has emerged as a vital enabler for carbon reduction across the transportation sector. In gaseous form, our lightest...

Supplier Eye

Software

CASE Struggles to Fulfil Expectations

The saying ‘Two steps forward, one step back’ describes the overall progress of CASE — Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electrified vehicles and infrastructures. While electrification and...

News

Test & Measurement

Tuning the 2024 Corvette E-Ray for Exceptional Drivability

The challenge with any hybrid-electric vehicle is programming two propulsion sources to provide seamless response in every driving mode—acceleration, braking, cruising, etc. And...

News

Energy

Proving out DC Fast Charging — in the Extreme

The ability to charge electric vehicles at a very fast rate is a key to electrifying mobility across the U.S. It’s a focus of the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Extreme Fast Charger project,...

News

Power

Scania Adapts On-Highway Diesel for New Off-Highway Engine Platform

Scania Power Solutions has launched a new engine platform designed to provide new power outputs, longer service intervals, longer base-engine operational life and reduced...

News

Power

BMW Plans Move to Structural Battery Packs and ‘46120’ Cells

The technology below the smooth skin of BMW’s i Vision Dee concept car, unveiled at CES 2023, marks a major step forward in the company’s electric-vehicle...

News

Power

CES 2023: Ram Unveils 2024 Electric Pickup Concept

Stellantis’ Ram brand is late to the ranks of full-size battery-electric pickup trucks, following the Ford F-150 Lighting EV and Rivian R1Tin 2022, GM’s Silverado EV due in fall 2023,...

News

AR/AI

BMW Previews an HMI Future Without Dashboard Screens

The BMW i Vision Dee is an electric tease, dialed up to Las Vegas wattage for a provocative unveiling at CES 2023: A novel digital grille, wrapped with Kindle-style “E-ink” material,...

News

Power

High-Performance Hybrid Headlines Lexus’s Re-Engineered RX Lineup

Electrification is a pillar of Lexus’s “next chapter.” The fifth-generation Lexus RX progresses this objective, offering four new powertrains including a...

News

Electronics & Computers

Making the Case for MEMS Timing

Today's high-performance automotive electronic systems rely on precision timing technology for accurate, stable frequency control of digital components, from applications processors to microcontrollers to...

News

Motion Control

A Darker Side of the Chip-Shortage Story

The effects of the global semiconductor shortage on new-vehicle availability, and industry profits, are well known. But an even more significant effect of the “chip” shortage has been going on...

Articles

Software

Dimensional Metrology Beyond the CMM

In the world of high-volume automotive cylinder-head production, the yields realized from casting processes count for a lot.

Technology Report

Green Design & Manufacturing

Environmental Testing Preps for Tighter Regulations

Most engineers are used to the steady winds of change in refrigerant regulations as global agreements lead to new standards from the U.S. EPA and its counterparts in Europe and Asia. At...

News

Electronics & Computers

Yanmar, ELEO Announce Electrification Strategy for Off-Highway Sector

Yanmar announced its strategy for electrification of future off-road powertrain offerings at the Bauma 2022 conference in late October. During a presentation, Yanmar...

News

Power

Williams Debuts New Flexible Platform for BEVs and FCVs

Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) has unveiled its latest product, the EVR electric vehicle platform. It has been designed to provide an accelerated start to a high-performance...

Technology Report

Test & Measurement

Tula’s DMD Promises Gains in EV Efficiency

Nestled in San Jose, California just south of the San Francisco Bay, the small but mighty team at Tula Technologies continues to develop advancements for optimizing the efficiency of ICE and...