Car Tech
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General Motors on Friday revealed a self-driving car devoid of a steering wheel and pedals. Called the Cruise AV (Autonomous Vehicle), the car is based on the Chevrolet Bolt EV and will hit the road as early as 2019, assuming GM receives regulatory approval. The automaker is seeking approval from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration to operate as many as 2,600 of the vehicles, according to TechCrunch. GM also needs approval from the individual states it wants to run the cars in. Should all go to plan, the cars will join a ride-sharing fleet either operated by GM or a partner...
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Mercedes to introduce 3-word navigation in next-gen A-ClassMercedes-Benz is ready to double-down on its efforts to bring you a better in-car navigation experience. The German automaker is ready to roll out its integration of what3words navigation. This is a navigation system that has divided the planet into 57 trillion squares and each one has been given...
Jeff Glucker -
Baidu to have self-driving vehicles in operation in 2018
While most companies competing in the self-driving space are closely guarding their developments, Baidu, a search engine giant from China and leader in the development of artificial intelligence, is taking the opposite approach. It's developing a fully open-source self-driving system called Apollo...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ferrari Challenge to use Intel-powered AI, drones to hone racer skills, improve fan experience
Ferraris are often associated with pure driving pleasure, but that doesn't mean technology can't help refine things further. Intel and Ferrari announced a three-year partnership at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show to implement artificial intelligence (AI) and drone technology to help refine...
Sean Szymkowski -
iPhone users can soon use Waze on their Ford infotainment screens
Waze and Ford have good news. The social navigation app announced on Wednesday at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show that beginning in March iPhone users piloting a Ford vehicle will be able to experience Waze on their vehicles' in-car infotainment screens. Waze made the capability possible with...
Sean Szymkowski -
Hyundai details its Intelligent Personal Cockpit concept at CES
Hyundai detailed its vision of future in-car technology this week at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, and it includes the brand's upcoming in-car personal assistant slated for a 2019 introduction. The in-car technology didn't come with a firm timestamp for production, but many of the elements...
Sean Szymkowski -
Mercedes-Benz will roll out a next-generation user interface system starting this year, offering both drivers and passengers its cars new levels of interaction be it via voice, touch or conventional controls. It's called the Mercedes-Benz User Experience, or MBUX for short, and it debuts in the next-generation A-Class hatchback due this spring. We got our first look at MBUX on Tuesday at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, where Mercedes Vice President Digital Vehicle & Mobility Sajjad Khan helped introduce the technology. There are two large screens, one serving as the instrument cluster...
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Harman shows digital dashboard with 5G connectivity at CES
The 2018 Consumer Electronics Show is full of futuristic vehicle technology and connected-car solutions, but Harman is differentiating itself by bringing 5G connectivity to the automotive world. The company revealed its digital cockpit and 5G-ready telematics solution and announced a "leading...
Sean Szymkowski -
If your car recommends premium gas, should you use it?
You know those car ads you see filling every commercial break of your favorite television show? Look closely and you'll see a fair number of them touting either a given vehicle's power output or perhaps the estimated fuel economy figures. There's usually also a disclaimer stating that a certain...
Jeff Glucker -
Fisker solid-state battery promises 500-mile range, 1-minute charging
Solid-state batteries represent the holy grail for automakers as they promise a driving range for electric cars comparable to internal combustion models, along with charging times that could match the speed of filling a gas tank. Revived electric car company Fisker last fall announced it had filed...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Toyota reveals e-Palette concept, previews its future mobility services
Toyota previewed one of its visions of future mobility at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show on Monday. Meet the e-Palette concept, a cube-shaped self-driving and electric vehicle that wants to delivery pizza, packages, and serve as a ride-sharing vehicle. The automaker said the e-Palette will...
Sean Szymkowski -
Nvidia partners with VW, Uber and Baidu on artificial intelligence for self-driving cars
Nvidia kicked off the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show on Sunday by announcing a trio of new partnerships: one with ride-hailing company Uber, China's Baidu, and Volkswagen. CNBC reported on the new partnerships, which positions the computer-chip maker as a force in self-driving technology. With...
Sean Szymkowski -
Toyota isn’t as vocal as some rivals in the self-driving space but the Japanese firm is making steady progress and at next week’s 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas will unveil a third-generation prototype. While previous prototypes featured a lidar sensor with a 660-feet range, they could only monitor the area in front of them. The third-gen prototype covers the complete 360-degree view thanks to four lidar sensors, which precisely detect objects in the environment including difficult-to-see dark objects. The third-gen prototypes also feature a more integrated design for...
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How the Ford GT's trick suspension has two unique spring rates
The second-generation Ford GT packs incredible engineering no matter where one's eyes may scan. Be it aerodynamics, engine technology, or the suspension, there's always more than meets the eye. Here, however, we're talking about the GT's suspension, which is anything but traditional. It uses coil...
Sean Szymkowski -
Hyundai aims for Level 4 self-driving car by 2021, with help from Aurora Innovation
Hyundai on Thursday announced a strategic partnership with self-driving car technology company Aurora Innovation. Hyundai plans to tap Aurora’s talents to bring to market a self-driving car by 2021. Level 4 means a vehicle can fully operate on its own in select conditions. Specifically...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
VW self-driving car edges closer to reality with Aurora deal
The Volkswagen Group will use next week’s 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to formally announce a strategic partnership with a self-driving company by the name of Aurora Innovation. You may not have heard of Aurora but you’ll definitely know of the key people behind it if...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Self-driving electric cars will need stronger batteries to cope with extended use
In a future with autonomous cars, batteries must be more resilient to operate constantly and serve multiple masters. That's Akira Yoshino's belief. He's the man who invented the lithium-ion prototype battery in 1985. Yoshino told Bloomberg in a report published last Wednesday that future batteries...
Sean Szymkowski -
Lyft users will able to sample a self-driving taxi service at CES thanks to Aptiv
Once the stuff of science fiction, the idea of a self-driving taxi service is fast becoming a reality. Boston, Massachusetts-based self-driving car startup nuTonomy made headlines in 2016 when it launched the world’s first self-driving taxi service. That was in Singapore and limited to only a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Imagine a world where you can send instructions to your car with your thoughts alone. It might sound like science fiction but Nissan is actually attempting to develop such a system. The Japanese automaker on Wednesday said it was developing a technology called Brain-to-Vehicle, or B2V, which will enable cars to interpret signals from the driver’s brain. The applications could benefit both manually driven cars as well as fully self-driving cars, Nissan says. For example, in a manually driven car, the system would be able to catch signs that the driver’s brain is about to initiate a...
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Do vehicle exhaust systems need back pressure?
When we have an automotive concept that involves complex science, we know just who to turn to for a proper explanation. That would be Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained. Today's concept is all about pressure. More specifically, it's about the idea of back pressure and whether or not this it's...
Jeff Glucker -
What's the difference between turbo lag and boost threshold?
The automotive enthusiast community occasionally mixes and matches a few of its key terms. Wheels versus rims, for example. Another example can be found when dealing with engines that breathe through a bit of forced induction. On a turbocharged engine, there are two physical concepts that can often...
Jeff Glucker -
Here's how Mobil 1 ensures it makes a 20,000-mile claim
Not all oils are created equal, and there's a new product on the market that comes with a pretty bold claim. Mobil 1 Annual Protection promises a life of 20,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first, before the oil needs to be changed. Intrigued by the claim, chief explainer Jason Fenske of...
Sean Szymkowski -
Does the Tesla Roadster really have 7,000-plus pound-feet of torque, and what's its horsepower?
The 2020 Tesla Roadster's surprise introduction came with some pretty tantalizing specs. One of them is Tesla's claimed 0-60 mph sprint in just 1.9 seconds, but another figure washed over the internet. According to Tesla, the Roadster will have 10,000 newton meters (more than 7,000 pound-feet) of...
Sean Szymkowski -
Watch a VW Beetle engine be rebuilt in 6 minutes
Wouldn't it be nice to have a proper work space in which you could wrench on your pride and joy? To have the tools and the time to do so is a wonderful luxury to be enjoyed whenever possible. Perhaps you're short on one of those things. It's most likely going to be the time aspect of it all...
Jeff Glucker
