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Connectivity

FCC Actions, Incompatible Options Muddy V2X Outlook

Vehicle-to-vehicle/infrastructure (V2X) communications often is touted as a critical technology for automated driving and even to derive the utmost benefit from advanced driver-assistance...

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News
Manned Systems

Nissan's 2020 Frontier Gets New Powertrain

More transmission gears and greater engine horsepower should enliven the 2020 Nissan Frontier midsize pickup truck. “We’re launching a new transmission and new engine in the current Frontier,...

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News
Imaging

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
Power

Modeling Electric Motors

This article looks at an example of using some of the latest software technology to design a traction-drive motor for a medium-duty delivery truck.

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Technical Innovation
Transportation

Prodrive, Volta Trucks Develop Electric Truck for Urban Driving

Working with Swedish start-up Volta Trucks, Prodrive is helping to engineer what promises to be a unique 16-tonne (17.6-ton) heavy goods vehicle (HGV).

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News
Electronics & Computers

Engine Developers Increase Efforts to Decrease Fuel Usage

Engineers are leaving no stone unturned in their unceasing drive to improve fuel economy, leveraging electronics, monitoring airflow and using data from outside the vehicle....

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News
Energy

ConExpo & IFPE 2020: Go Big or Go Home

My inbox has been inundated with notifications of press conferences and exciting new construction equipment, power systems, and other advanced technologies to be revealed at the rapidly approaching...

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Manufacturing & Prototyping

Cellular-Key Solution Augments Commercial-Vehicle Security

Connectivity’s many benefits are matched by security concerns, which has prompted a number of security specialists from many fields to focus their attention on commercial...

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News
Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Volvo CE Showcases 100-Ton EC950F Excavator, New Hybrid Assist That Cuts Fuel Use by 15%

The entrance to Volvo Construction Equipment’s ConExpo-Con/Agg exhibit (F3432), through what the company has dubbed “excavator alley,” will lead...

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News
Manned Systems

2019’s Best Automotive Plastics Innovations

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) annual Automotive Innovation Awards Competition, now in its 49th year, is considered the “Oscars” for those developing polymer and...

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News
Energy

Self-Driving Trucks Cut Fuel Consumption by 10%

Enhancing safety and helping combat driver shortages are two benefits that heavy-duty autonomous-truck proponents have preached during development. You can now add significant fuel savings to...

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News
Motion Control

Low-Latency Cameras, Onboard Computing Combine to Advance Operator Assistance

Modern industrial machines have been using cameras for years to improve visibility and eliminate blind spots. With the introduction of Ethernet cameras, an...

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Articles
Connectivity

Engineering the World’s Fastest Tractor

For farmers in a hurry, JCB’s Fastrac series agricultural tractors are capable of speeds up to 43 mph (69 km/h) in stock form. But the British company believes in challenging its engineers to...

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News
Unmanned Systems

‘Active Scents’ Show Potential to Enhance Cabin Experience and Improve Driver Safety

A Tel Aviv, Israel startup company is taking the now-familiar concept of aromatherapy to a new level. Saying its research into “active scents” can...

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News
Sensors/Data Acquisition

Parker Takes Electro-Hydrostatic Approach for Electric Machines

Off-highway industrial machines require multi-function implement operation with dynamic duty cycles. In many cases, machine implements demand short bursts of full engine power...

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Energy

Isuzu Simplifies Fuel Changeovers

Isuzu is making it easier for equipment owners to switch fuels from natural gas to liquid propane, letting users switch by merely sending a signal to the engine. Released in October 2019, the dual-fuel...

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News
Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Freudenberg Designs New Seal to Cut Contamination, Improve Top-Speed Performance

Maximum efficiency under extreme operating conditions is critical for off-highway machinery. Downtime and malfunctions lead to reductions in profitability....

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Articles
Power

SAE Publishes On-Route Mechanized Conductive EV Charging Systems Recommended Practices

SAE International published SAE J-3105 Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System Using Conductive Automated Connection Devices Recommended Practice in...

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News
Communications

The Key to Autonomous Vehicle Safety Is ODD

In a perfect world, an automated vehicle (AV) would be all-knowing. Its sensors, communication systems and computing power could predict every road hazard and avoid all risks. But until a wholly...

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News
Software

New Digital Tools Driving Restructuring for Autonomy

The seemingly unending explosions of fast-changing automotive technologies continue to drive massive restructurings for both management staffs and system architectures. Automakers are...

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News
Mechanical & Fluid Systems

New GM, LG Chem Joint Venture to Build EV Battery Plant in U.S.

General Motors and longtime battery partner LG Chem announced the companies are forming an equally-owned joint-venture (JV) company to mass-produce lithium-ion batteries for...

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Connectivity

Silicon Valley Summit Refines Autonomous Safety Thinking

Until recently, leading autonomous vehicle (AV) technologists posited that ultra-safe, go-anywhere robotaxis would soon be on the road. But questions about those timelines –and the...

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Technical Innovation
Transportation

Commercial-Vehicle Battery Producer Sets up in U.S. as Electrification Takes Hold

Projecting the market for full-electric and hybrid-electric commercial vehicles will continue to expand, Germany-based lithium-ion battery specialist Akasol...

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News
Manned Systems

Removing Complexity for Autonomous Trucks

Developers of driverless trucks are eliminating some of the complexity of autonomous driving in hope of shortening time to market. They are limiting the immeasurable circumstances that face...

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Articles
Manned Systems

Narrower Focus, Bigger Payoff for Commercial EVs

Government regulations are prompting a changeover to electric powertrains, with early growth coming in commercial vehicle applications where range and recharging are more easily managed....

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Original Equipment
Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Caterpillar Launches Next-Gen Mini Hydraulic Excavator, Skid Steer and Compact Track Loaders

Covering about 2.5 million ft2 and including roughly 2,800 exhibitors, the triennial ConExpo-Con/Agg event boasts an even-larger footprint for...

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News
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Insights into Heavy-Duty Engine Design

Engine developers face numerous challenges in their work. When building the new clean-sheet design C3.6 engine, Caterpillar Industrial Power Systems considered several factors including customer...

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Technical Innovation
Transportation

Leak Testing of Commercial-Vehicle AC Systems Critical as Move to HFO Refrigerants Looms

Passenger car and light-truck makers in the U.S. already have switched to more environmentally friendly hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerants from...

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News
Manned Systems

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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