Car Tech

  • GM's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Milestones

    The puzzle is almost complete: General Motors and Honda have signed an agreement to work on the future of fuel cell technology. They're the latest large automakers to announce a fuel cell technology share agreement, as car companies continue to explore the future of alternative propulsion. GM and Honda are calling it a "long-term, definitive master agreement to co-develop next-generation fuel cell system and hydrogen storage technologies, aiming for the 2020 time frame." That's longer term than the 2015-2017 discussed by several other collaborating manufacturers, including Toyota--whose first...

  • LC Super Hybrid lead-carbon battery technology
    Lead-Carbon Batteries The Next Step For 'Micro Hybrid' Vehicles?

    There's a fairly good chance that, over the next decade or so, an increasing proportion of cars will use micro and mild hybrid technology. That means sourcing batteries with good energy density, lifespan and potential for recycling will become ever more important--and a battery consortium aims to...

  • 2012 Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost
    2025 Gas Mileage Reachable With 'Radical Downsizing' HyBoost Engine, Says Ricardo

    Noticed engines getting smaller recently? You're not alone. "Downsizing", as it's called, involves using a smaller engine to do the work of a larger alternative--usually through turbocharging--while enjoying the fuel efficiency benefits associated with its size. Engineering firm Ricardo thinks this...

  • 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid - production model
    New Gas Mileage Rules Will Reshape What Americans Drive: Hybrids, Electrics, Cost

    Hybrids and plug-in electric cars probably get more press than they deserve, given how small their numbers are in the vehicle fleet. The U.S. has roughly 250 million vehicles on the roads, of which less than 2 percent are hybrids and plug-ins of all kinds. Nonetheless, both technologies are...

  • Controlled Power Technologies' stop-start system
    How Often Can Stop-Start Systems Restart An Engine? More Than 1 Million Times

    Visit any European city, and you'll be struck by an unfamiliar sound: That of engines, previously silent, re-starting on every green light. A large number of cars in Europe now feature stop-start technology as standard, and while EPA mileage figures aren't favorable to its effects, they're starting...

  • VW logo and sign at opening of Volkswagen engine plant in Silao, Mexico
    New Gas Mileage Rules Will Reshape What Americans Drive: Engines And Transmissions

    Smaller, more efficient engines better matched to more complex transmissions will have some of the biggest effects in making tomorrow's cars more fuel-efficient. The 2025 corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) level of 54.5 mpg translates to about 42 mpg on the EPA window sticker. And while Toyota...

  • 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG, First Drive, Bilster Berg

    No, we won't all be driving golf carts. In fact, as cars change over the next 12 years to meet much tougher fuel-economy rules, automakers will likely do their best to keep the changes invisible. Your next vehicles will deliver better gas mileage than ever before, no matter how large or small they are. By 2025, the industry has agreed to meet an overall corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) level of 54.5 mpg. That translates to about a 42-mpg combined EPA rating on the window sticker, due to differences in how fuel efficiency is calculated. That's lower than three different Toyota Prius...

  • 2012 Ford Escape Hybrid
    Ford: Regenerative Braking Has Saved 100 Million Gallons Of Gas

    It's pretty easy to take regenerative braking for granted, these days--virtually every electric and hybrid car on sale uses it to some extent. Maybe we should be a little more appreciative of its benefits, as Ford estimates owners of its vehicles have saved 100 million gallons of gasoline over the...

  • Lithium-ion battery pack for 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV electric car
    Electric-Car Battery Breakthroughs: Ultimate Guide

    If it wasn't so important for the future of electric cars, it could almost get tiresome: Just how do you improve batteries for longer life, quicker charging and a greater range? It's a question being investigated by great minds all around the world, and has turned up some surprising and exciting...

  • Opel Ampera dashboard
    The Gas-Mileage Parasite You Can't Live Without? Air Conditioning

    Name one car convenience feature you absolutely couldn't live without, and it'd probably be air conditioning. Whether you live in a hot or cold climate its cooling and demisting benefits can't be understated--it has safety benefits as much as comfort and convenience ones. It also has an effect on...

  • Audi future lab tron-experience at Berlin Tempelhof
    Audi Tron Program: Latest Update On Plug-In Audis, More, From Berlin

    Audi's 'tron' program has been, well, a little confusing over recent years. Back in the early days it was oh so simple--one concept car, known simply as the Audi e-tron, represented Audi's foray into future mobility. Since then it seems a dozen models have come and gone, but after presentations...

  • Volvo S60 KERS Engineering Prototype
    Volvo S60 KERS Hybrid Prototype: Brief First Drive

    Is KERS an energy-saving technology we'll be seeing in production cars any time soon, or is it just a way to help increase performance? We've been to Sweden to find out at Volvo's Gothenburg test track.

  • OX low-cost flat-pack truck for developing countries

    The dispersal of automobiles is quite an uneven one. For every three or four-car household in the developed world, there are huge swathes of land in developing countries without access to any sort of motorized transport however badly they may need it. One British entrepreneur hopes to change that, says Autocar. His simple diesel truck, called the OX, can be shipped flat-pack to the areas that need them. Brainchild of Sir Torquil Norman, the rugged OX isn't pretty, but there's still beauty in its brutal fitness for purpose. Its unusual shipping requirements mean a unibody structure is...

  • 2012 Buick Regal with eAssist
    'Micro Hybrids' The Next Big Thing, Less Costly Than Mild Hybrids?

    Not all hybrids are created equal. In fact, several different types are sold throughout the automotive industry, all offering varying economical benefits and priced at varying levels. Technology and innovation firm Johnson Controls Inc. suggests there's room for even more, and the next big thing in...

  • 2013 Tesla Model S
    Tesla Model S To Get Adaptive Cruise, Lane-Departure Warning, More?

    Drivers of the Tesla Model S are generally pretty happy with their cars, but as with any new product there are always a few ways it could be improved. Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] is one of few companies that can execute those improvements without you having to lift a finger, as software updates can be...

  • 2015 Volkswagen Golf, at 2013 New York Auto Show
    2015 VW Golf Sheds Even More Weight With Optional Carbon Roof

    Volkswagen has made large strides in most areas with the 2015 Golf, but largest of all is the car's weight reduction. Some models are over 200 pounds lighter than their equivalent in the current Golf range, thanks to clever use of stronger steel, lighter components and other weight-saving measures...

  • 2013 Chevrolet Spark minicar, New York City, Aug 2012
    2014 Chevrolet Spark To Get CVT, Replacing 4-Speed Automatic

    The Chevrolet Spark, the smallest Chevy sold in the U.S., will get some mechanical changes next year, according to Christi Landy, the brand's small-car marketing director. The 2014 Chevrolet Spark, which will go on sale late this year, will offer a continuously-variable transmission (CVT) in place...

  • Ford and Schaeffler eWheelDrive electric Fiesta prototype
    In-Wheel Motor Electric Ford Fiesta Previews Future Urban Vehicles

    When automakers test prototypes and new technologies, it's often done under the skin of an existing vehicle--partly to save costs, partly to avoid the gaze of prying spy photographers. That's why the Ford Fiesta you see here looks nothing special, save for some basic wheels and its not-for-U.S...

  • 2014 Volkswagen e-Up electric minicar

    Volkswagen chairman Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn covered virtually every area of green technology in his talk at the recent Vienna Motor Symposium. Plug-in cars, natural gas vehicles, diesels and a new ten-speed dual-clutch transmission were all discussed, pointing to a bright future for Volkswagen's future vehicles. Winterkorn emphasized that several different techologies will be used to reach future emissions and fuel economy targets, and Volkswagen's own intention is to bring the carbon dioxide emissions of its European fleet down to as low as 95 g/km by 2020. For comparison, that's...

  • Volvo flywheel Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS)
    Volvo Flywheel Hybrid System (aka KERS) Tests Completed Successfully

    If you follow Formula One racing, you'll have heard of KERS, or Kinetic Energy Recovery System. There are several techologies being used, but among them is flywheel KERS, using a spinning flywheel to capture energy which can then be used at a later time. Volvo has been trialing such a system for...

  • Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid
    Yes, Combustion Engines Will Be With Us For Decades; However...

    It should be fairly obvious, but apparently it isn't: Plug-in electric cars are not going to sweep the marketplace overnight. Their sales will grow slowly and steadily from a low base. U.S. plug-in sales in 2012 tripled over the previous year, and most projections are that they'll double again this...

  • Volkswagen e-Golf electric car leaked images
    Will New High-Power Microbatteries Matter For Electric Cars?

    We've heard it all before--new battery technologies appear, set to revolutionize the way we use electric products. The story is the same for new microbatteries developed at the University of Illinois, but the researchers there are making even bigger claims than most. Imagine a battery so small it...

  • Protean in-wheel electric motor
    Protean Launches Production In-Wheel Electric Motor

    The benefits for dedicating an electric motor to each wheel of a vehicle were clear to see in Drive's recent video of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive. Make those motors in-wheel units, and in theory you get even more benefits. It's a design that in-wheel motor company Protean has been...

  • Six-speed automatic previously developed by Ford and GM
    Fuel-Efficient 9- And 10-Speed Auto Transmissions Coming From GM, Ford

    The modern automotive business is a funny thing, making bedfellows of the unlikeliest of couples. Ford and General Motors don't collaborate often, but when they do it's usually on a transmission. This tradition continues as both companies announce an agreement to co-develop new 9- and 10-speed...

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