Category Archives: engineering

Mercedes ‘EQ Ready’ App Picks EV or Hybrid for You

A new Mercedes “EQ Ready app” allegedly helps motorists decide whether it makes sense for them personally to switch to an electric car or hybrid. The smartphone app can record real journeys made by the user, analyze his or her everyday driving and compare it with numerous parameters of electric and hybrid vehicles. Continue reading

Posted in electric vehicles, electronics, marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mazda Recalls Takata Airbag Inflators with New Supplier As Replacement

The remedy parts for replacement are an airbag inflator that is manufactured by different part – unnamed – supplier and is free from phased stabilized ammonium nitrate that Takata uses. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, engineering, litigation, manufacturing, news analysis, public health, quality, recalls, safety | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

FCA Joins BMW, Intel, Mobileye on Autonomous Driving Development

“To advance autonomous driving technology, it is vital to form partnerships among automakers, technology providers and suppliers,” said FCA Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne, whose financially fragile company or parts of it are being explored for possible sale by a Chinese automaker.
Continue reading

Posted in autonomous vehicles, electronics, engineering | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Annual CAR MBS Conference Under Way in Changing Industry

It’s summer in northern Michigan, a time when people flock there for fun, relaxations such a swimming, sailing and fine dining amid verdant rolling hills. There is, however, a significant number of people who come each year at the beginning … Continue reading

Posted in auto news, AutoInformed Editorial, economy, engineering, environment, fuel economy or emissions, manufacturing, marketing, quality, safety, transportation | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Continental, Magna Drive Two Autonomous Cars to CAR Conference

The automated driving vehicles crossed into Windsor, Ontario before going north to Sarnia, Ontario and returning into Michigan. The first cross-border demonstration (hands free publicity stunt?) of its kind, allowed the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to test automated driving technology in a variety of settings. Continue reading

Posted in autonomous cars, electronics, engineering, marketing, milestones, mobility company, news analysis, road test, safety | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DENSO to Invest $75.5 Million in Michigan and Ohio

“Expanding our team and resources now will help us make a future of autonomous cars and advanced electric vehicles possible,” said Kenichiro Ito, chairman of DENSO’s North America Board of Directors. Continue reading

Posted in autonomous cars, economy, electronics, engineering, people | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Ford – 100 Years of Trucks – 1917 Model TT to 2017 Raptor

Ford introduced its first purpose-built truck at the end of July: the 1917 Ford Model TT, arguably changing the character of work itself. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, engineering, marketing, milestones, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mercedes-Benz Untertürkheim Plant Threatened by EVs?

For all Mercedes-Benz plants, the question of the role of locations of key components production is, of course, of great importance for the future e-mobility. Continue reading

Posted in electric vehicles, electronics, labor issues, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Models Grow

The lead of the S‑Class remains the Mercedes-AMG S 65 with its high-torque 6.0‑liter V12 twin turbocharged engine with 463 kW (630 horsepower) and 1000 Nm (fuel consumption combined: 11.9 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 279 g/km). Just bring money – $272,437, which includes 19% “value added” tax. Continue reading

Posted in engineering, new vehicle | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Kiss Your Privacy Goodbye as Mastermind Grows

More than 6,000 dealerships now have access to the Mastermind technology that uses thousands of data points, gathered from the dealer management system (DMS) and combines it with Big Data – social media profiles, financial records, product and consumer life-cycle information, socio-demographics among other privacy invasion data – to calculate when a customer is ready to buy and why. Continue reading

Posted in customer satisfaction, electronics, marketing, news analysis, people, Privacy | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota R&D Centers Expand in Michigan

Clearly in the gun sights of nit-twit Trump, Toyota claims to have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 33 million cars and trucks in North America. It currently runs 14 manufacturing plants – 10 in the U.S., but with Mexico and Canada left out of the exact count. Continue reading

Posted in engineering, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Technology Key for US Transportation Infrastructure

Department of Transportation (aka DOT) government employees responsible for the construction, management and maintenance of the main arteries that traverse the U.S should have comprehensive decision-making tools or so maintains Logicalis US, an international managed services provider. Continue reading

Posted in customer satisfaction, electronics, engineering, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2018 S-Class Takes Driver Assistance Upward?

Daimler is gushing about considerably extended driving assistance functions on the new S‑Class that appears to be a continuation of industry trends. This fall – in what is perhaps over-billed as a major step towards autonomous driving – Mercedes-Benz S-Class will have Active Distance Assist Distronic, and Active Steering Assist – forgive the marketing quasi-babble. Continue reading

Posted in autonomous vehicles, electronics, engineering, safety | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Silly, but Serious Safety Recalls from Mercedes and Kia

Recalls continue to bedevil automakers as airbag and software issues at Mercedes-Benz and a bad brake vacuum hose at Kia show. These are the result of quality control and development issues in what are admittedly complex automobiles. Continue reading

Posted in electronics, engineering, manufacturing, quality, recalls | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Autonomous Systems Ignore Users, It’s Claimed

During the last 15 years, autonomous systems offered by automakers have been a succession of partially automated parking and driving systems that are mostly accurate and sometimes comfortable, but rarely easy to discover or use, according to a new study. Continue reading

Posted in autonomous vehicles, electronics, engineering | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment