Car Tech
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Clean tech holds more promise for big, money-making breakthroughs, a new study says.
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Self-Driving Porsche Not Only More Fuel-Efficient, But Faster Than Humans Too
Porsche is testing a semi-autonomous system designed to maximize both efficiency and performance.
Stephen Edelstein -
Better Batteries Coming Soon, Experts Agree: A Video Panel Worth Watching
The formula is simple: Put three battery and auto-industry experts in front of a camera, ask them a few leading questions, and let them debate. That's exactly what the Autoline Network did three weeks ago; the resulting 27-minute video is a must-watch for any electric-car enthusiast. The three...
John Voelcker -
Lit Motors C-1: Video Shows Self-Balancing Motorcycle On The Road
Lit Motors demonstrates a prototype of its C-1 self-balancing electric motorcycle.
Stephen Edelstein -
Ford F-150 Vs Chevy Volt Vs Tesla Model S: Which Is Most Important Vehicle Of The Decade?
Now that the 2015 model year is fully upon us, the decade is half-over. And those kinds of milestones always lead writers to look back and assess how far we've come. In the case of automobiles, we see three different vehicles launched over the last five model years that have radically changed the...
John Voelcker -
Electric Turbochargers Forecast To Boom For Gas-Mileage Gains
Electric turbochargers could become more common as carmakers work to boost fuel economy.
Stephen Edelstein -
A research firm tears apart a Tesla Model S dashboard to see what makes it tick.
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2016 Chevy Volt: Bigger Battery, More Motor Power, New Range Extender Engine Details: EXPANDED
General Motors took the wraps off its second-generation Voltec electric-drive system this morning that will power its 2016 Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car. Company executives declined to give specifications for power of the two electric motors, the range-extending engine, or range of the...
John Voelcker -
2016 Chevrolet Volt To Use New 1.5-Liter Four As Range Extender Engine
Later today, details about the powertrain of the new 2016 Chevrolet Volt will be released when GM CEO Mary Barra speaks to the Detroit Economic Club. But a GM press release this morning announcing further investments in Michigan manufacturing by the company included one nugget: The 2016 Volt will...
John Voelcker -
Can New Titanium-Dioxide Battery Last 20 Years, Recharge In 5 Minutes?
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University claim a new anode can dramatically improve battery performance.
Stephen Edelstein -
Achates Closer To Production Of Radically Efficient Two-Stroke Truck Diesel
Suppose you could take an old engine concept discarded in the 1970s, add modern fuel metering and injection control hardware and software, and offer a compact powerplant that cuts the fuel consumption of today's diesel truck engines by a third.. That's the promise of Achates Power, which has been...
John Voelcker -
Research Backed By BMW Halfway To Carbon-Fiber Cost 90% Lower
A German firm says it's halfway toward a dramatic reduction in the cost of carbon fiber.
Stephen Edelstein -
An influx of high-strength steel could take away aluminum's weight advantage, the steel industry hopes.
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Start-Stop In U.S.: 7% Now, 57% In 2020, But Drivers 'Resist': Analyst
Start-stop systems have finally started to arrive on U.S. new cars in noticeable numbers. The systems, which simply turn off a car's engine when it's sitting stationary and then switch it back on as the driver's foot starts to lift off the brake, are now fitted to 7 percent of new cars sold in the...
John Voelcker -
Volvo's Triple-Turbo Four-Cylinder Engine: 450 HP From 2.0 Liters
Prototype Volvo engine produces impressive power with help from three turbochargers, one of which is electric.
Stephen Edelstein -
Sakti3 Battery Firm: Key To GM 200-Mile Electric Car, $100 Per kWh By End Of Decade?
By all indications, there will be an all-electric 2017 Chevrolet Sonic EV for which General Motors is targeting a range of 200 miles. And one of the keys to achieving such a range from a compact car will be a more energy-dense battery than those used today. DON'T MISS: GM's 200-Mile Electric Sonic...
John Voelcker -
Will Ultracapacitors Save Start-Stop Systems From Consumer Wrath?
Start-stop systems, which switch off a car's engine while it's stopped to boost fuel efficiency, are now entering the U.S. market in serious numbers. Many European makers, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and MINI, are fitting them as standard on 2015 models, and there are more to come: By 2022, some...
John Voelcker -
Ford Adds Tesla-Like Touchscreen (But Smaller) To Police Interceptor: UPDATE
Ford's police cars get a spiffy new, Tesla-like touchscreen.
Stephen Edelstein -
Autonomous vehicles have become a hot talking point in recent years, as major firms like Google continue high-profile development of the technology. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] has also expressed an interest in recent years, and now tells Nikkei that the firm could introduce self-driving technology in the next three years. Musk says that full auto-pilot technology will appear within a "five- or six-year time frame", but some aspects of the technology would appear in the lower-priced Model 3 electric sedan due in three years time. Tesla will develop the system and software...
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Carbon Fiber Wheels Proposed To Cut Weight, Boost Efficiency
You probably don't think about your car's wheels that much, but to state the exceedingly obvious they're an essential part of every car. They're also surprisingly heavy, as you'll know if you've ever rotated your tires or had to change to a spare at the side of the road. Heaviness is a quality...
Antony Ingram -
Main Path To Better Fuel Efficiency: Lighter Vehicles, Say Automakers
There are many routes to improving fuel efficiency in modern cars, but one route in particular seems to be resonating with automakers, automotive engineers and designers: Shedding weight. A survey of 900 automotive engineers and designers conducted by Wards Auto and sponsored by DuPont showed that...
Antony Ingram -
Sakti3 Claims Solid-State Battery Breakthrough For Electric Cars
A Michigan-based startup called Sakti3 claims it has battery chemistry that doubles the energy density of today's best lithium-ion batteries. Speaking to Scientific American, Sakti3's co-founder and CEO Ann Marie Sastry says the firm's prototype solid-state lithium cells have reached 1,143...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Acura RLX Hybrid: 3 Motors, AWD--Most Sophisticated Hybrid Yet?
Several manufacturers now offer gas-saving hybrid versions of their vehicles but it's surprisingly rare to find two companies who have gone about it in the same way. The early pioneers, Toyota and Honda, fielded completely different systems at launch--and well over a decade down the line Honda has...
Antony Ingram -
2015 Ford Fusion: Smaller EcoBoost Engine, Manual Gearbox Gone
Time was when mid-size sedans routinely came with V-6 engines of 3.0 to 3.6 liters. But these days, those are rare and expensive high-end options--if they're even offered at all. The 2015 Ford Fusion sedan now has a simplified lineup of engines, and all of them continue to have just four...
John Voelcker