Car Tech

A cloud-based database of highly-detailed maps updated in real time will be essential for self-driving cars, as they can provide information on traffic and road conditions far beyond a car's onboard sensors. Two of the leading firms developing such maps have now joined forces to help accelerate the...

Our friend Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained has already taught us how to change the oil in our cars. It's an easy process, and it's one that will allow you to get closer to your own machine while making sure it's properly maintained. Now it's time to take things a step further. Jason is...

It used to be that the drive home was a chance to fully escape the office. Not anymore thanks to the ever-increasing level of connectivity filtering into cars. For example, with Volvo’s 90 series cars, the S90, V90 and XC90, it’s now possible to liaise with colleagues via Skype for...

A complete engine rebuild can take weeks or months—even years—at the hands of highly skilled mechanics. Don't have that kind of time? (Who does?) Here's a 5-minute compressed video melee of a complete rebuild that took the Hagerty team 10 months and eleventy billion hours to complete...

In mid-December, Uber added San Francisco, California to the list of cities where the company is testing self-driving prototypes. However, the ride-sharing giant on Thursday said it was moving the prototypes to Phoenix, Arizona. Uber never obtained a permit for testing self-driving cars on...

Google has been working on autonomous technology since 2009, and it recently spun off that business into a company called Waymo. Instead of building its own car, Waymo seems intent on working with automakers to incorporate its self-driving technology into their vehicles. Waymo recenly showed a...

You've heard it probably 300 times just this year alone. You've been hearing it for the past few years as well. When the weather turns frightfully cold, you need to have winter tires on your car. You'll protest and decry that all-seasons get the job done, or that it doesn't matter because you have...

One of the fashionable yet totally unnecessary trends in the automotive world is the use of logo-displaying puddle lamps. You open the door of your car at night, and there's a bright shining beacon letting you know exactly what you've just stepped out of or about to step into. It's a gimmick for...

Google on Monday unveiled a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid-based self-driving prototype that will be taking part in various trials run by its new self-driving business Waymo. Waymo, which is led by auto industry veteran John Krafcik, aims to be among the first to offer a self-driving taxi service to the...

Change your oil. Let me repeat that. Change your oil! Tell your friends and family to get their oil changed, too, because neglecting that precious fluid will turn your car into an expensive lawn ornament. Amazingly, not everybody fully understands this concept. Some just forget to get this done...

Uber may be known around the world for its ridesharing service, where volunteer drivers earn money by offering rides. However, Uber is out to eliminate the driver by developing its own self-driving technology. The company already has a fleet of self-driving prototypes offering rides in Pittsburgh...

Winter has begun to embrace the country in its icy grasp, and that means it's past time you started thinking about winter tires. But are they really worth it and what do they actually do? Our friend Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained is here to help us understand the massive difference winter...

Following its September presentation of guidelines for the safe testing and deployment of self-driving cars, the Department of Transportation proposed a ruling on Tuesday that would advance the deployment of connected vehicle technologies. The DOT proposed requiring all new cars and light trucks to...

Google’s self-driving car project is no longer just one of the many moonshot ideas of the Google X advanced research skunk works as it has been transformed into a standalone business unit under the Alphabet umbrella. (Alphabet is the parent company of Google and its related businesses.) As...

Most people will recognize Nvidia as a company that makes graphics cards for computers. But the company is also heavily involved in the auto industry, making computer chips with powerful processing capabilities that control everything from infotainment to self-driving systems. It turns out Nvidia...

A countdown clock silently ticks down to 0:00 in the Audi A4’s instrument cluster display, almost like the timer on an oven. Except instead of a baked casserole, the A4’s timer ends just as the traffic light in front of us turns from red to green. This is no coincidence; the Audi has...

The Volkswagen Group has formed a new unit tasked with the development of new mobility solutions. The unit is called MOIA, a name that's meant to signify independent mobility for all. The VW Group rightfully sees the automotive landscape undergoing rapid change. Alongside the traditional business...

As Toyota slowly renews its fleet with cars built around its TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) modular platform unveiled in 2015, we’ll see new technologies that should dramatically improve efficiency and dynamic performance levels for the brand. Of most significance to buyers of...

Besides fuel, oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle. It keeps your engine rotating smoothly. This is accomplished by the properties of oil that allow it to lubricate moving parts and reduce heat generated by friction. If the moving parts in your engine weren't lubricated, you'd hear a lot of...

As cars become more and more connected it won’t be long until they are communicating with each other as well as with the surrounding infrastructure to aid traffic flow as well as safety. In fact, some of the technology is now available. Audi is the first automaker to launch cars capable of...