Car Tech

Hydrogen fuel cells for automotive use are one of those "great in theory, flawed in principal" ideas for the future of car propulsion. New technology using bacteria could eventually change that. Fuel cells have several advantages over pure battery-electric power, for example. Firstly, hydrogen has...

Urban planning games are nothing new - the seminal Sim City title has been around since 1989 and we've probably been playing it all that time. Facebook games are a more recent phenomenon and you've probably heard of Car Town, the best of the bunch for gearheads. "GreenSight City" looks like...

Improving fuel economy and reducing noise can occasionally be mutually compatible - the smooth aerodynamics of a 2011 Toyota Prius making it a refined highway cruiser, for example. However, GM is trialling a technology in the Chevrolet Equinox that makes quietness an outright necessity for...

Ford was one of the big guns behind last week's TechCrunch Disrupt. The automaker was central to a number of tech developments there, including an unofficial merger between Spotify and the SYNC telematics system, and a potentially interesting partnership between Ford and open-source hardware maker...

All the attention on Smart at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show might have been directed at the Forvision electric drive concept and the latest, third-generation 2012 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, but Smart still had a use for the previous version. Nestled next to a Ford driving experience was "Smart...

If you've never heard of pop star Hatsune Miku, don't worry. Most of her work is in Japanese. And she's only four years old. And of course, she's not real. Miku is a virtual celebrity, created in 2007 as part of a music software package called Vocaloid. (Basically, she's apotheosis of AutoTune: a...

Modern racing videogames are getting pretty good these days, with handling and graphics capabilities that allow for a pretty realistic driving experience. It's also cheaper than racing for real, not to mention safer - "Life has no 'reset' button", they often say. We were glad of that little detail...

Last spring, we told you about Terminal Mode, a new protocol being pushed by GM, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, Volkswagen, and other automakers, as well as handset manufacturer Nokia. Terminal Mode (now known as MirrorLink) promises to make smartphone integration in cars much easier, and during this...

A German exhaust component manufacturer is working on systems to produce electricity from waste heat. Their concepts may one day replace the alternator in cars of the future.

If your wallet is too small for all your crisp new $100 bills and your seventh home in Monaco is starting to feel a bit claustrophobic, perhaps you need to upgrade your Bentley Mulsanne to the new Executive Interior Concept unveiled today in Frankfurt and go for a drive. That's right: if your...

Last week, a certain alarmist antivirus software manufacturer made headlines when it tried to raise concerns about the hacking of on-board computers in automobiles. In contrast, folks at the TechCrunch Hackathon calmly demonstrated some much more viable -- and interesting -- tweaks to the Ford SYNC...

The V-6 engine is a great thing. Many carmakers, notably Volkswagen and Nissan, have used them to great effect in various implementations. But BMW has a history of inline sixes, not Vs. That may be about to change if the latest patent drawings and reports hold up. As dug up by Bimmerpost, the...

The last few years have seen a step-up in in-car telematics, with more connected systems than ever now available to drivers and their passengers. Kia is currently developing its next generation of telematics, to expand on the first-gen UVO system found in its current 2012 range of cars. The new...

The breathalyzer -- technically a brand name that, like Jello, Xerox, and Dumpster has gradually become genericized -- was invented in the early 20th century for police purposes. But scientists have recently discovered a new use for the device, one that could eliminate the need for costly medical...

In an age known for its electric vehicles, hybrid drivetrains, clean diesels and alternative fuels, you might not think there's a place in the world for a pushrod V8 with architecture dating back to the 1950s. GM disagrees though, and is currently making a case for continuing the lineage of one of...

Ammonia: Useful in fertilizers, cleaning products and fairly unpleasant in direct human contact. Used as a fuel for vehicles? Certainly not impossible, according to an article in New Scientist. John Fleming and Tim Maxwell at Texas Tech University are developing a system to produce ammonia that can...

Even if you're not a "digital native" or "millenial," born and bred on digital technology, you can surely appreciate the high-tech, socially-integrated infotainment system in the new Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class, previewed in this official video. While it's largely still just a proof of concept...

The demise of the horsepower wars, predicted for years now, still hasn't come, but a new rival is rapidly gaining ground: the transmission wars. Once it was dual clutch proliferation, but now Porsche looks to be taking it in a different direction for its new ‘991’ series 2012 Porsche...

Ever wanted to lead a car company? Ever looked at rows upon rows of sedans in a parking lot and said to yourself, "If I were in charge, I'd do things differently!"? A new videogame called Automation is about to let you put your virtual money where your real-world mouth is. On the pre-order website...

Volkswagen will soon become the first major manufacturer to launch cylinder deactivation in a four-cylinder production engine.