TECHNOLOGY
Toyota to launch its own version of OnStar
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS Toyota Motor Sales said today that it is launching a telematics system similar to General Motors' OnStar that will be available on some Lexus and Toyota vehicles in late summer. At the Consumer Electrics Show today in Las Vegas, Toyota detailed its plans for the system, which has different features for each brand. » Read Article [REG] |
2008 YEAR IN PHOTOS
Technology
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS In a year of turmoil and turbulence, engineering know-how was still king. » Read Article [SUB] |
Your car the problem-solver
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE
|
Talk from the Top
Manufacturing
| A123’s proposed battery plant hinges on loan from feds >> |
Design
Green Cars
| A123’s proposed battery plant hinges on loan from feds >> |
| BorgWarner rejects unsolicited tender offer >> |
Cutaways
Ford to offer parking assist on 2 Lincolns
Hands-free parallel parking will be an option on the 2010 Lincoln MKS luxury sedan and the all-new Lincoln MKT crossover due in dealerships in mid-2009. Ford Motor Co. said today that the new technology, exclusive to Ford, is called Active Park Assist. The system uses ultrasonic sensing and electric power-assisted steering to position the vehicle for parallel parking, calculate the steering angle and steer the vehicle into the space, all at the touch of a button. » Read Article
[REG] 12:48 pm U.S. ET | Dec. 30
Kelley Blue Book: Honda Civic is most-researched new vehicle in 2008
The Honda Civic topped the list of most-researched new vehicles in 2008 on Kelley Blue Book's Web site, the vehicle information company said today. Seven Toyota-brand models and six Hondas found a place in the top 20, which included 15 Asian models. The Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry filled out the top three most-researched new cars. The Accord and Camry have joined the Civic in the top-researched trio since 2004. Kelley Blue Book ranks all new vehicles. » Read Article [REG] 3:30 pm U.S. ET | Dec. 29
Daimler sticks to r&d investment plan
Daimler will stick to its plan to invest about 14 billion euros ($19.58 billion) in research and development by 2010 despite the financial crisis, its head of r&d told Automotive News Europe's sister publication Automobilwoche. "We will stick to this dimension despite difficult times. » Read Article
[REG]
Dec. 29 09:00 CET
10 hot features
The top 10 hot features of 2008 are: paddle shifters, rearview camera systems, turbochargers and smaller engines, cylinder cutoff systems, Ford's Sync infotainment system, small cars with spacious interiors, gasoline-electric powertrains, keyless ignition systems, Ford's capless fuel system and navigation systems. » Read Article
[SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 29
Celgard wins battery contract
The United States Advanced Battery Consortium, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, awarded Celgard LLC, of Charlotte, N.C., a $2.3 million, 18-month development contract for lithium ion battery separator technology for fuel cell, hybrid and electric vehicles. » Read Article [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 29
SKF bearings enable stop-start
The Swedish company AB SKF is supplying a magnetic-sensor ball bearing for stop-start hybrid systems. The bearing, supplied to Valeo SA, creates a magnetic field that allows the system to stop the engine when a vehicle slows to speeds below 4 mph or stops at a red light, then restart it. » Read Article [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 29
GM will equip Chevy Equinox with fuel-saving technology
General Motors' revamped Chevrolet Equinox crossover will carry direct-injection engine technology across the line, boosting fuel economy in the base model while delivering the same amount of horsepower. The move will contribute to GM's goal of equipping most of its North American vehicles with direct injection. » Read Article
[REG] 3:57 pm U.S. ET | Dec. 18
Suppliers team up on advanced batteries
Battery and materials companies are teaming with the Argonne National Laboratory to develop manufacturing capability for advanced auto batteries in the United States. The new National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture said emerging and future vehicles will need advanced lithium ion batteries but the capability to make those batteries exists mainly overseas. » Read Article [REG] 9:54 am U.S. ET | Dec. 18
Continental will close S.C. plant, move work to Va.
Continental AG will close its Blythewood, S.C., plant by the end of 2010, idling 440 workers, the automotive supplier said yesterday. The factory's diesel-parts manufacturing operations will move to the company's Newport News, Va., plant. » Read Article [REG] 3:13 pm U.S. ET | Dec. 16
Dealers shop for computer system bargains
Ford dealer Bob McCormick likes his Reynolds and Reynolds Co. dealership management system and thinks highly of his Reynolds rep. But he's switching to another computer systems supplier anyway. It's all about price, he says. And today, for many dealers like him, it's all about survival. » Read Article
[SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 15
Hyundai-Kia, Microsoft join for in-vehicle electronics
Lee Seong-chul's assignment: Give his company's vehicles an information-technology edge. To do that, the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group executive vice president plans to mix Korean government money, Microsoft Corp. know-how and local entrepreneurship. » Read Article
[SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 15
ADP, Reynolds chase dealers, manufacturers around the globe
Kevin Henahan avoided an airport horror story when he left Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 24. Just hours after he left, anti-government protesters seized the international airport, stranding thousands of passengers. The senior vice president at ADP Dealer Services was returning home after visiting ADP's new offices in Thailand and China. » Read Article [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 15
Battery-management chips enable stop-start
Battery-management chips illustrate how sophisticated electronic control units are proliferating in cars. Most vehicles already have some form of battery management system in place. At the very least, it monitors the battery's charging and discharging, and how much of a charge the battery has left. » Read Article [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 15
Electronics overload may limit option choices
The proliferation of electronic content in cars and trucks is fast reaching a point where consumers may be unable to get all the options they desire when buying a new vehicle. As electronic content grows, so does the amount of electric power required. That demand may bump up against battery capacity. » Read Article
[SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 15
Quick-fire prototyping wipes away delays
Rapid prototyping has long held the promise of shorter, cheaper product development. Getting it to work and recouping initial investments, however, has sometimes been tough. Now Federal-Mogul Corp.'s wiper division in Europe is making rapid prototyping work. It visits customers' development centers with a novel approach that slashes a tedious four- to six-week trial-and-error program into a quick and efficient half-day process. » Read Article
[SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 15
