Category Archives: engineering

Hyundai Vehicles Adding Google Assistant

Posted on 3 January 2017 by Ken Zino

Hyundai tomorrow at CES will show the compatibility of its Blue Link with Google Assistant. Continue reading →

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Toyota, Daihatsu Form Emerging Market Compact Car Company

Posted on 19 December 2016 by Ken Zino

Toyota is under intense competitive pressure from global automakers and is experimenting with a different organizational approach to getting mini cars to market. Honda, Maruti and Tata, among others come to mind here. However, this – potentially – could also change Toyota’s approach and cost basis to compact vehicles in established markets. Continue reading →

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Bosch CEO – Car as We Know It Will Soon Be History

Posted on 17 November 2016 by Ken Zino

Between 2017 and 2022, the global market for connected mobility is expected to grow by nearly 25% annually. Just a few years from now, cars will be an active part of the internet of things (IoT), able to communicate with other connected modes of transportation, and even with the smart home. Continue reading →

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Intel: $250 Million More Investments for Autonomous Driving

Posted on 15 November 2016 by Ken Zino

Brian Krzanich, Intel Corporation chief executive officer, today announced that Intel Capital is targeting more than $250 million of additional new investments over the next two years to make fully autonomous driving a reality. Continue reading →

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Toyota with Plethora of Patents Tops at 2016 R&D Awards

Posted on 14 November 2016 by Ken Zino

Toyota has been awarded more patents than any other automaker over the past 8 years. Continue reading →

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Honda Has Sophisticated Language Analysis Technologies

Posted on 10 November 2016 by Ken Zino

Successful development of language software that doesn’t require precisely phrased commands has enormous potential in vehicles and other applications – think Siri squared or Asimo to the third power. Continue reading →

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Planet M Buys Space at 2017 NAIAS

Posted on 9 November 2016 by Ken Zino

Planet M was launched in June 2016 as a collaborative branding effort to promote Michigan as the “epicenter of mobility.” The messaging pushes Michigan’s leadership in talent development, auto R&D and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) testing. Continue reading →

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Toyota Moves on Connected Cars, R&D JVs, Takeovers

Posted on 18 October 2016 by Ken Zino

The latest developments come as Toyota is once again battling what is now a beleaguered, wounded Volkswagen Group for the world’s biggest car company title. The moves reflect a growing problem at all automobile companies. How do you pay for the cost of moving forward in a world with increasingly stringent safety and emissions regulations, web enabled cars, as well as the entire future of automobility and autonomous vehicles? Continue reading →

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Magna Expending in Active Aerodynamics

Posted on 3 October 2016 by Ken Zino

A vehicle’s aerodynamic profile is a major contributor to its fuel economy, of course, which is inversely is proportional to CO2 emissions. Thus, the higher the fuel economy, the lower the production of CO2, a greenhouse gas. Expect to see many more active aerodynamics – deflectors, spoilers, wings, splitters in the near future – because they can increase fuel economy by 1% or more. Continue reading →

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BYD has New Grid Linked Energy Generation/Storage Gear

Posted on 16 September 2016 by Ken Zino

BYD, of course, operates several high-tech sectors including high-efficiency automobiles, electrified public transportation, environmentally-friendly energy storage, affordable solar power and information technology and original design manufacturing services. Continue reading →

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Porsche Opens Digital Lab to Explore IT Innovations

Posted on 26 August 2016 by Ken Zino

Car companies increasingly look like technology companies as the opening Porsche Digital Lab in Berlin shows. The Stuttgart-based automaker says it will be used to identify and test information technology solutions, in IT babble. Continue reading →

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Mahle Powertrain to Expand in Michigan

Posted on 22 August 2016 by Ken Zino

The Mahle site has a four-wheel-drive chassis dynamometer, seven vehicle lifts, five powertrain test cells and a wiring-and-instrumentation laboratory. Continue reading →

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Execs from Uber, Intel Speaking at SAE Convergence

Posted on 17 August 2016 by Ken Zino

SAE today announced that executives from Uber and Intel Corporation will provide their thoughts on the future of technology, and how personal mobility, the Internet of Things (IoT), and autonomous driving are “converging.” Continue reading →

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ZF Takes Major Stake in Lidar Expert Ibeo

Posted on 2 August 2016 by Ken Zino

Lidar is a key technology for autonomous driving, object recognition and accident prevention. Continue reading →

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Honda, Daido Steel Neodymium Magnet Has No Rare Earth Materials

Posted on 1 August 2016 by Ken Zino

The problem with the currently used version of the neodymium magnet is that China is by far the largest producer of rare earth elements, universally used in electric motors in EVs and hybrids. However, China is thought to be a politically unstable, unreliable supplier. This is certainly with regards to Japan, which has ongoing disputes with the Communist nation that is now also part of the U.S. presidential debate. Continue reading →

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