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Category Archives: road test
Bosch Puts Its First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck Into Service
Bosch said today that it has taken another step toward climate-friendly logistics. Its Nuremberg plant recently started using a fuel-cell electric truck in plant traffic. The truck is equipped with the Bosch fuel-cell power module (FCPM). [The Germans, who once scoffed at Japanese technological prowess appear to be trailing them in fuels cells – AutoCrat.]
“When we decided to make our plant traffic more climate-friendly, it was clear that we wanted a truck featuring Bosch’s FCPM,” said Alexander Weichsel, the commercial plant manager in Nuremberg. “This deployment is an important building block that helps us reduce our emissions in logistics. The fact that several thousand trucks with Bosch fuel-cell systems are already on the road worldwide shows that the concept is proving its worth.” Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, electric vehicles, energy, engineering, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, milestones, news analysis, road test, shows and events, transportation
Tagged auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Bosch Fuel cell power module, Death of the diesel, EV Fuel Cells, FCPM, Fuel cell truck, hydrogen, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, Power Solutions, X @KenAutoinformed
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Mercedes-Benz Opens Robotic Lighting Test Center
Mercedes-Benz said today that it has opened Europe’s most advanced light-testing center with robots at the wheel at its Global Proving Ground in Immendingen in Baden-Württemberg. The Immendingen site is a one-hour drive from the Group headquarters in Stuttgart. It has 53 miles of road amid its 1285 acres.
“The Immendingen Test and Technology Center is the first digitized Mercedes-Benz proving ground – here, real and virtual vehicle testing merge seamlessly. By digitally mapping the proving ground, using automated test programs and employing state-of-the-art sensor technology, we are making vehicle development more efficient, faster and more sustainable than ever before,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Purchasing. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, autonomous cars, connected vehicles, electronics, engineering, milestones, mobility company, news analysis, road test, shows and events
Tagged auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Heide Durability Circuit, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, Light Testing Center, Markus Schäfer, Mercedes-Benz Immendingen Test and Technology Center, X @KenAutoinformed
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Nissan Testing Cooperative Congestion Management
Nissan said today that a trial with UC Berkeley and Contra Costa Transportation Authority showed how connected vehicles can help reduce congestion. Nissan’s Cooperative Congestion Management (CCM) trial resulted in 85% fewer hard-braking events and 70% less time stopped in traffic during 600 miles of testing. It’s the latest example of how connected vehicles can yield safety benefits, although there are still huge, unanswered questions about privacy rights and the lack of regulations with the impending monitoring by State and the Federal government entities. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, autonomous vehicles, engineering, fuel economy or emissions, mobility company, news analysis, road test, software defined vehicles, software defined vehicles, transportation
Tagged 4g lte, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Cooperative Congestion Management, Jerry Chou, Jonathan Lee, Joy Carpio, Ken Zino, Nissan ProPILOT Assist, Professor Alexandre Bayen’s lab at UC Berkeley, semi-autonomous driver assistance technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, X @KenAutoinformed, Zvi Guter
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Autonomous Driving Systems – Magna and NVIDIA
“Combining NVIDIA accelerated compute and AI capabilities with Magna’s extensive automotive expertise and innovation, we aim to explore new standards for next-generation software-defined vehicle intelligence and autonomy,” said Steven Jenkins, Vice President of Technology Strategy at Magna Electronics. “Our collaboration allows us to develop market applications for AI-powered solutions that could redefine the driving experience and address the evolving demands of the automotive industry.” Continue reading
Posted in auto news, autonomous vehicles, connected vehicles, electronics, engineering, mobility company, news analysis, road test, software defined vehicles
Tagged Ali Kani, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Generative AI, Ken Zino, language models, magna, NVIDIA, Steven Jenkins, X @KenAutoinformed
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Toyota Eco or EV Button Study Shows Greenhouse Gas Cuts
“We have the ability to use data to help empower customers so that they can make a difference,” said Brian Kursar, chief technology officer, Toyota Connected North America (TCNA). “While this study focused on Toyota-owned vehicles, we know there are millions of connected Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the US. If everyone drove in Eco mode, it could help greatly reduce our collective CO2 output. Given how successful this internal campaign was, we’d love to see where we can take this initiative, and we hope we inspire other automakers to do the same.” Continue reading
Polaris Slingshot Celebrates “National Stick Shift Day”
Only 18% of Americans know how to drive a manual trans, but Polaris – not without self-interest – wants to replace what it claims is an experience in an old, mundane vehicle with – guess what – a ~$21,000 to +$30,000 Slingshot. Each has a GM Ecotec 2.4L DOHC four-cylinder engine rated at 173 horsepower with a five-speed manual transmission. Continue reading
Posted in marketing, road test
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Ken Zino, Polaris Slingshot
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Black Magic – Winter Tires Prove All-Seasons Are Anything But
The “snows” allowed faster stopping – consistently with much less slipping sliding. The all seasons were clearly mis-named with no discernible truth in marketing or advertising. Continue reading
Posted in aftermarket, road test, safety, transportation
Tagged autoinformed.com, Ken Zino, Maureen McDonald, michelin, Notre Dame, snow tires, Tire Rack, winter driving
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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 autoinformed.com, automated driving vehicles, Canada Border Services Agency, Continental, Detroit Windsor Tunnel, Federal Bridge Corporation, Ken Zino, magna, MDOT Blue Water Bridge, planetm.com
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Ford Police Interceptors Quickest in Tests
Sheer speed – of course – is only one factor in vehicle selection, no matter the purchaser. Moreover, high speed police pursuits that sometimes injure or kill innocent parties are controversial, to put it mildly. Continue reading
Posted in road test
Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Ford Police Interceptor, Ken Zino, police vehicles
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Test Drive – 2016 Honda HR-V, a Pint Sized CR-V
The new Honda HR-V is – technically – a subcompact, a notch down in size from the compact-sized CR-V (which Honda sells a bunch of). However, the difference between the two is mostly footprint-wise. The newest littlest Honda crossover is about a foot shorter overall than the CR-V. Inside, though, the subcompact HR-V actually has more backseat legroom than its, err, bigger brother. Almost ide Continue reading
Posted in new vehicle, road test
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Driving the New “Cute-Ute” 2013 Buick Encore SUV
It’s hard to think of Buick on the cutting edge of anything, but its new Encore SUV seems poised to catch the wave of the growing cute-ute market in the U.S. Test drives of the mini SUV reveal a decent handling, refined version of GM’s Gamma II platform that is sold elsewhere in the world as Opel Mokka and Chevrolet Trax models. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, new vehicle, news analysis, road test
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, cute utes, encore, Ken Zino, mini SUVs
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Driving the 2013 Lexus LS 460, F Sport and 600hL Flagship Sedans
Lexus after decades of understated luxury has turned to relying on a “bold new grilles” and German-like performance models across the lineup to attract younger buyers. The latest example comes from its flagship LS sedan, which once upon a time (1989) catapulted Lexus to luxury car fame by being anti-German with its compliant ride without harshness and nosie, anti-German with a simple interior, anti-German with its limited maintenance requirements, anti-German with its much higher quality and durability, and decidedly anti-German with its much lower – by thousands and thousands of dollars lower – sticker prices. This formula has Lexus on track to sell 250,000 luxury vehicles in the U.S. this year, where it has dominated luxury sales for decades, except for natural disaster induced production losses that curbed sales during 2011. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, marketing, new vehicle, news analysis, road test
Tagged 2013 lexus, auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, driving impression, f-sport, Ken Zino, ls 460, ls60hL, luxury cars
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First Drive: Honda’s 2013 Accord – a Comeback Car?
It looks good. It feels good. It sounds good. A day of test-driving the all-new Honda Accord shows that for the 2013 model year, Toyota Camry will once again face strong competition from one of the best selling family sedans in the U.S. So strong is the Accord brand that the outdated outgoing model is still the second best seller in the family car segment, behind Camry even with Accord’s 5-speed automatic transmission that was badly lagging in the fuel economy rating wars. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, marketing, new vehicle, prices, road test
Tagged 2013 accord, accord, auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, family cars, first drive honda accord, Ken Zino
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Toyota Opens a European Proving Ground in Belgium
The new Zaventem Proving Ground will play an important role for Toyota’s European vehicle development as part of the company’s plan to become Toyota’s global development center for the small and compact vehicle segments, the Japanese company said in a release. It’s hard to believe Toyota will move those jobs out of Japan where generations of Corolla and other small models have been developed. Continue reading
Toyota Enhances Arizona Proving Ground
Toyota Motor North America (NYSE: TM, 7203T) today celebrated the completion of new construction and updated offerings at its Arizona Proving Ground. Joined by local government officials during an event, Toyota leaders discussed the improvements for vehicle and automotive technology testing and development.
“We are proud to strengthen the offerings at our world-class facility in Arizona, not only for Toyota, but for any company that has use for these amenities,” said Monte Kaehr, group vice president of Vehicle Development Engineering at Toyota Motor North America’s Research and Development. Continue reading →