Car Tech
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More and more people are predicted to move to large cities in the future. Limited parking spots coupled with congestion will make owning and driving your own car a hassle. The automakers realize this and seem to have reached a consensus on the solution: self-driving city cars that run around town offering rides. Jaguar is the latest automaker to reveal its take on the idea, following the likes of Chrysler, Honda, Smart and Volkswagen, just to name a few. Jaguar’s concept is called the Future-Type, and the good news for fans of the brand is that the concept still has a steering wheel...
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Watch the 2017 F-150 Ford Raptor's suspension hard at work while off-roadingThe 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is one heck of a capable truck off-road. That much we've known for awhile, but if you've ever wondered what the suspension looks like while the truck is tackling jumps, mud, and all sorts of off-road terrain, this video is for you. It's highly entertaining to watch as the...
Sean Szymkowski -
2020 Mazda 3 prototype first drive: Can spark-less engines ignite our passions?In late August, exactly six next-generation 2020 Mazda 3 hatchbacks existed anywhere in the world. Each was a hand-built prototype, riding on a next-generation chassis and powered by a radical new 2.0-liter engine. We'll take two. But the car’s styling and design haven’t been...
John Voelcker -
Mazda execs continue to tease future rotary without any more detailsDespite its recent breakthrough in sparkless ignition gasoline engines, Mazda has no plans to abandon the rotary engine which its executives insist is still being developed for future applications. “We’re still continuing development of the next-generation rotary engine,” Mazda...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Jaguar envisions the steering wheel of the future with Sayer conceptThe future of transportation isn't known, but Jaguar envisions one in which consumers don't own a car but simply a sliver of one: the steering wheel. The British luxury marque has revealed its futuristic steering wheel concept, which it calls "Sayer." Sayer is a personal companion and resides with...
Sean Szymkowski -
This hand-made 1/3-scale V-10 actually runsAs much as we love full-size engines, it's sometimes the smaller scale stuff that sets our hearts aflutter. Working in the smaller scale allows us to get up close and personal with the inner workings of an engine. You can see all of the parts working together to create the magic that is internal...
Jeff Glucker -
There's concern among many enthusiasts that the manual transmission is on its way out. This coincides with the notion that electric cars are the future and internal combustion engines will continue to fall out of favor as electric car charging infrastructure and technology exits infancy. If there's one thing most know about electric cars, it's that traditional transmissions aren't necessary. Most EVs use a single gear setup to drive the wheels. But, what about a manual transmission in an electric car? Does it have a place? Maybe even a benefit? Engineering Explained tackled the question after...
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What is powder coating?You've heard the term before, but do you really know what powder coating is all about? It's not simply an airgun spraying a powdery substance that magically turns into a bonded surface on your wheels. There's a whole lot of science going on, which means we need to turn to our favorite engineer...
Jeff Glucker -
Smart is the latest automaker to unveil a self-driving pod carDaimler’s Smart brand will use next month’s 2017 Frankfurt auto show to preview its vision for personal transport of tomorrow. The preview is in the form of the Smart Vision EQ ForTwo concept, a fully self-driving electric pod car ideal for shared urban mobility. Some readers will...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2018 Armada is first Nissan with video-streaming rearview mirrorNissan is the latest automaker to introduce a video-streaming rearview mirror, which the Japanese automaker is calling an Intelligent Rearview Mirror (I-RVM). We first saw the technology introduced by Cadillac on the 2016 CT6. What it is, essentially, is a traditional rearview mirror with an...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Tesla Model S has no problem fitting inside The Boring Company's tunnelsNo surprises here. Elon Musk's proposed solution for Los Angeles, California's horrendous traffic will fit a Tesla Model S inside. The solution comes from Musk's latest venture, The Boring Company, and it's begun to dig underneath the headquarters of another Musk venture, SpaceX. Musk took to...
Sean Szymkowski -
Domino's is working with Ford for autonomous pizza deliveryThe pizza guy, or lady, may one day be a thing of the past as Ford and Domino's announced a new partnership to deliver pizzas with self-driving cars. With a fleet of self-driving Ford Fusion Hybrids, Domino's will begin to carry out pizza deliveries with the advanced cars, though a Ford safety...
Sean Szymkowski -
Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer revealed this week he plans to offer a hybrid option on every model in the line-up by the middle of the next decade. And some models will offer a pure electric option, too. Palmer reckons a quarter of the range will have an electric option by the end of the next decade. By then, Aston Martin should have—at a minimum—seven distinct model lines. And instead of outsourcing its electric car powertrains, as it currently does with some of its internal combustion engines, Palmer wants Aston Martin to produce the powertrains, both the motors and batteries...
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Smart bringing self-driving city car concept to Frankfurt auto showMercedes-Benz’s Smart brand will use the upcoming 2017 Frankfurt auto show to preview its vision for personal transport of tomorrow. The preview will come in the form of a concept that Smart describes as a fully self-driving electric car ideal for shared urban mobility. That’s already a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Aston Martin's full lineup to offer hybrid tech, mid-engine supercar tipped to feature V-6Aston Martin is the latest automaker to commit to an all-electrified lineup, following the lead of Volvo which said in July that every vehicle in its lineup will have some form of electrification by 2019. However, for a low-volume manufacturer of exotic sports cars, Aston Martin’s commitment...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Is it OK to skip gears on a manual transmission?For those who daily drive a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission, it's likely a common practice. Rather than rowing through all five or six gears, drivers will skip from third to fifth, fourth to sixth and so on. But is this practice safe to do? Engineering Explained tackled the common...
Sean Szymkowski -
Learn the difference between rally and street tiresWhen you want to learn how to drive a rally car, you have two main options to choose from if you're living in the United States. On the West Coast, there's Dirtfish. While on the East Coast you have the Team O'Neil Rally School. The latter's been cranking out a lot of videos lately, and each one...
Jeff Glucker -
Report: Tesla semi truck to have 200-300 miles of rangeTesla in September will reveal the design of an electric semi-trailer truck currently in the works. Plans for the truck were first detailed a year ago in part two of Tesla’s overarching product strategy known as the Tesla Master Plan. And in April we got our first taste in the form of the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Audi has inked a deal with solar panel expert Alta Devices to fit the energy-generating panels to the roofs of its future cars. Alta Devices, based in California, is renowned for its highly efficient solar panels. It will work with Audi to develop thin, lightweight solar cells that can be integrated into the panoramic glass roofs commonly found on cars. The first prototype should be ready in late 2017. Later, the two firms will develop solar cells that will be able to line a car’s entire roof surface. Audi will initially fit the solar roofs to its electric cars. The generated energy...
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What happened to Apple's self-driving car?Only a couple years ago, bombshell reports surfaced. Apple, the longtime computer, smartphone, and technology company, was ready to build its very own car. Not just a car, but a self-driving car. Flash-forward to 2017 and things have changed—drastically, at that. Apple has scaled back its car...
Sean Szymkowski -
The way Porsche creates carbon fiber wheels is beautifulIf you've been following along lately, you've noticed that Porsche is quite excited to tell you all about its new limited-edition car. The 911 Turbo S is being offered in a small batch called the Exclusive Series, and it's serving as a 607-horsepower welcome mat for the Exclusive Manufaktur...
Jeff Glucker -
Say goodbye to flat tires thanks to a self-healing rubber from HarvardIt's a situation drivers are all too familiar with: cruising along the road when suddenly a tire goes flat. Curse words, struggles, and inconvenience ensue. Researchers at Harvard University have developed a potential solution that could put flat tires, and the baggage that comes with them, in the...
Sean Szymkowski -
Toyota patent shows device that can make car pillars transparentLong gone are the days of narrow roof pillars that not only looked good from the outside but provided optimal visibility from inside the cabin. Safety standards, while necessary, have enlarged car pillars to sizes that sometimes make it pretty difficult to check surroundings. Toyota may have...
Sean Szymkowski -
The advantages of the Mercedes-Benz 48-volt systemAs fuel economy and emissions standards continue to tighten around the world, automakers continue to seek ways to make power while using less fuel. Mercedes-Benz, never one to let its engines rot on the vine, is taking the next step to do just that with a 48-volt system for a new 3.0-liter...
Kirk Bell