Car Tech
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Rivian accidentally pushed the wrong build in a recent software update for the R1T and R1S, temporarily rendering the infotainment system useless.
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Ford CEO: Why legacy automakers struggle with OTA updates
Ford CEO Jim Farley discusses why electric architectures and relying on suppliers poses new big problems in the electric age.
Stephen Edelstein -
French postal vans will test Michelin airless tires
Airless tires have long been considered beneficial for EVs, and a postal-van test in France will help prove the tire tech in the real world.
Stephen Edelstein -
Goodyear greens the carbon black in tires for Tesla Model 3
The carbon black key to durability isn't from combustion but from a process from Monolith using methane and renewable electricity.
Bengt Halvorson -
Tesla heat pump detailed, gives a boost to winter EV range
All Tesla models now have heat pumps—a complete turnaround versus a few years ago when it considered the tech unnecessary.
Bengt Halvorson -
Ram Charger inductive charging robot: How it will work for Ram EV
The charging robot, developed by EFI Automotive, intelligently detects the vehicle’s charging needs, moves into place for the charge, and will choose off-peak times to do so when possible.
Bengt Halvorson -
The tech could also help with the monitoring of solid-state batteries and higher-power fast-charging.
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Bridgestone aims to make natural-rubber tires from a sustainable American southwest crop
Natural rubber from guayule could offset the oil, silica and virgin carbon black currently used in tires.
Stephen Edelstein -
How Lucid leaps past Tesla with smaller motors
Bottom line: Lucid claims that its drive units are light, compact, efficient, power-dense, and can be scaled up. And it took going back to the core physics to get there.
Bengt Halvorson -
No brakes! Will the EVs of the future omit friction pads entirely?
The E Tense Performance aims for a future in which brake dust and brake-pad replacements might be a thing of the past, and brake regen handles it all.
Bengt Halvorson -
2023 Nissan Ariya e-4orce will make all-wheel drive about more than traction: Tech preview
Nissan’s e-4orce all-wheel-drive system is the technology star of the Ariya lineup—but it’s not arriving until a few months later.
Bengt Halvorson -
Lucid confirms Nvidia architecture for its DreamDrive Pro driver-assistance system
DreamDrive Pro has been billed as an answer to Tesla's Autopilot, and Lucid has hinted that it might eventually exceed the capabilities of that and other systems.
Stephen Edelstein -
The Software 3.0 update will be made available to existing vehicles free of charge via an over-the-air (OTA) update
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35 years ago, this GM prototype had a yoke, four-wheel steering, and satellite navigation
Although the 1987 Pontiac Pursuit prototype didn't see the future as electric, it embraced many of the tech items showcased by today's leading-edge EVs.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Phone Key outage allegedly locked some out of their cars: Is this the future?
Some owners couldn't access their Tesla vehicles for a time on Friday, as app- and phone-based keys are headed toward wider adoption in tech-forward EVs.
Bengt Halvorson -
GM claims Ultra Cruise will go hands-free in 95% of scenarios, due in 2023
Ultra Cruise and Super Cruise will coexist, but Ultra Cruise adds a new sensor set including lidar, plus learning systems that sound like those employed by Tesla.
Bengt Halvorson -
BMW X5 plug-in hybrid is shod with sustainably sourced natural rubber
Natural rubber and wood-based nylon are ingredients for special sustainable tires in the X5 xDrive45e PHEV.
Stephen Edelstein -
Faraday Future shows off FF91 video-call capability ahead of SPAC and claimed 2022 arrival
The seven-year-old startup's FF91 is still enticing, and the company is showing that it plans to keep the model's leading-edge tech focus.
Stephen Edelstein -
Ford considered in-wheel hub motors such as those being used by Lordstown Motors, but it ruled them out for a long list of reasons.
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Supplier scarred by Dieselgate rejects EV future, will invest in combustion tech into 2040s
Although Bosch is proactive on climate issues, it doesn't see battery-electric vehicles as the whole future.
Bengt Halvorson -
Report: Microplastic pollution from vehicle tires is a serious global issue
As tires wear from driving, they shed particles that can be carried far away, contributing to pollution in the ocean and atmosphere.
Stephen Edelstein -
Toyota Mirai, Lexus LS 500h to debut "partial hands-free" driver-assistance system
Teammate "Advanced Drive" appears to offer some of the functionality of Navigate on Autopilot, with a more conservative approach than Tesla.
Stephen Edelstein -
Could free-piston range extenders broaden the electric-truck horizon?
A new kind of engine design doesn't produce any torque—and it might be the best fit for electric-truck range extenders.
Bengt Halvorson -
Flywheel tech helps ease grid demands of EV fast-charging
Chakratec brings back flywheel tech in a package that could do a lot of good in balancing the grid as fast-charging needs put the pinch on it.
Bengt Halvorson