Car Tech

Volvo is hard at work developing its next-generation XC90 SUV, which the automaker promises to launch at the end of 2014. While there’s still a significant gap until the new SUV’s launch, Volvo is providing numerous details to keep audiences primed. Today, the automaker has revealed...

When developing new cars, the typical method is to first build a handful of prototypes and then extensively test them. Unfortunately, the process of building all the parts required to make the prototypes, usually through stamping of sheet metal, can often be just as difficult as that of building...

Audi has been an innovator and pioneer in the area of headlight technology, having been one of the first to introduce lighting technologies such as adaptive lights, full-LED headlights and even fuel-saving LED lights. Now the automaker is extending its leadership in headlight technology with the...

Audi’s revolutionary e-gas plant, first announced in May, 2011, has finally come online. The plant can create a variety of energy sources including pure electricity, hydrogen or a synthetic gas similar to natural gas which Audi calls e-gas. The plant, located in Werlte, Germany, will produce...

Volvo has previewed some of its upcoming technology with a demonstration of a new self-parking system which doesn’t require the driver to even be present in the vehicle. You may recall that Audi previewed just such a system earlier this year and it’s likely many more automakers will be...

Bosch is out to show that in a world of ever-tightening emissions regulations, performance cars can still have a place. To prove its point, the German supply giant built an Aston Martin DB9 plug-in hybrid capable of delivering 740 horsepower. The vehicle is strictly a prototype and was built to...

New Car-2-Object and Car-2-Car communication will enable your car to warn you of an impending crash, or perhaps even take action itself to avoid one, by knowing well ahead if there’s a potential hazard in the road ahead or approaching at the next intersection. It will do this by...

Earlier this week, we had the good fortune to interview Audi racer Allan McNish ahead of next week's 24 Hours of Le Mans. During the interview, he made a case for the Le Mans formula being very well-designed to yield the most relevant form of racing, both now and in the future. But is that really...

Audi is clearly on a mission to make parking a much easier affair. We recently showed you the latest Audi Connect feature that pairs up with the INRIX parking database. It shows drivers what local garages are charging and if they have any spots open. This is a neat feature that should make the...

It was a mere year ago that Apple introduced its Eyes Free hands-free system. At the time we were told over the next 12 months automakers would begin to integrate this new system into new vehicle's infotainment systems. We're still waiting on that to unfold, but today Apple has another angle for...

Finding a parking spot is just one of those chores many drivers face on a daily basis. You roll up and down the rows at the parking garage hoping for that empty space, only to be foiled by the odd motorcycle or MINI Cooper. Audi is looking to help out its owners, and the German automaker has teamed...

Just yesterday we brought you details about upgrades BMW plans to add to its ConnectedDrive infotainment system over the coming years, the highlight of which was a built-in SIM card that will turn the automaker’s cars into smartphones on wheels. Today, BMW has revealed which of those upgrades...

If you have a fast car you're probably going to want to drive it quickly. You might also want to know just how well you're doing on your local track with regards to speeds and lap times. You could spend a whole lot of dough on a multitude of data logging devices, or you could find an app that has...

BMW is further enhancing its ConnectedDrive infotainment system with the latest slew of updates focused on improving the level of online-based in-car services. The German automaker plans to do this by fitting many of its vehicles with their own built-in SIM cards starting from this year. This will...

Speaking during the recent All Things Digital conference, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that the number of his company’s fast-charging ‘Supercharger’ stations would be expanded considerably over the coming years. He has since confirmed that the coverage would be almost tripled by...

Despite Will Smith's aversion to technology in iRobot, there's really nothing to worry about the current and near-future crop of artificial intelligence products coming our way. In fact, many of them are designed to make our lives easier. Such is the case with a future product from Visteon called...

When I was 19, I was in Rhode Island attending college while trying to figure out ways to make the radio in my '87 Honda Prelude louder. I wound up being forced to sell that car when I got bad grades my first semester and nearly lost an academic scholarship. Romanian student Ionut Budisteanu is...

Have you ever wondered how the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety goes about its crash-testing process, naming Top Safety Picks or crash-test losers? Do you just love to see brand-new cars get slammed into immovable objects at high speeds? Either way, this new "Inside IIHS" video series is for...

According to a study by Cisco Systems, a large portion of consumers are ready jump into the driverless seat of an autonomous car. In fact, 57 percent of consumers say they would trust a computer-controlled car. Brazil leads the way here, with a full 95 percent of those polled responding that they...

Racing video games are quite fun. Some are more realistic than others but all of them are usually filled with enough action to satiate the average enthusiast. Track rats, however, might want something a bit more realistic. This is where simulators come in, and realism is the name of the game here...