Tag: tech

Motorsports: New NASCAR tire tech to debut in Atlanta this weekend

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety, Technology, Racing

Goodyear Eagle Multi-Zone Racing Tire for NASCARAside from the antics of the Busch brothers and Tony Stewart’s uncensored comments, some of the biggest controversies in NASCAR are directed at the tires used on the cars. Goodyear can’t do anything about Kurt, Kyle or Tony, but it is looking improve the quality of its rubber by introducing a new type of racing tires for this weekend’s event at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Developed from the same technology behind Goodyear’s Assurance TripleTred passenger tire, the new Multi-Zone Tread Technology debuting in NASCAR uses multiple rubber compounds in the hopes of optimizing performance, safety and durability. Goodyear says that Atlanta is a good test track for the new technology since it has an abrasive surface, long race length and high vehicle speeds. The new compound will only be used on the right-side tires only (click on the image for a larger view of what’s a work here).

Scroll down for the official press release about the new tires, and check out how they perform this weekend at the Nationwide Great Clips-Grit Chips 300 tomorrow and the Sprint Cup Advocare 500 on Sunday.

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New NASCAR tire tech to debut in Atlanta this weekend originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Aug 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Honda demonstrates new Vehicle-to-Pedestrian safety tech [w/video]

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Videos, Acura, Honda

We’re fresh from a balmy rooftop deck in downtown Detroit, where Honda held a meeting this week to discuss and demonstrate a few upcoming advanced safety features. A clear focus of the mini event was the company’s new Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) technology, with a suite of Vehicle-to-Motorcycle (V2M) tech a significant second course.

With spirits still high from announcing the 2014 Odyssey as the first minivan to win the Top Safety Pick+ status from IIHS – and after seeing the application of new high-strength-steel sections of the Acura MDX body structure – Honda shared the fruits of some safety tech that is still in the research phase.

Continue reading Honda demonstrates new Vehicle-to-Pedestrian safety tech [w/video]

Honda demonstrates new Vehicle-to-Pedestrian safety tech [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Aug 2013 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: ‘Faster. Farther.’ dives into the history of Porsche racing tech

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Porsche, Racing

Porsche video highlights technological achievements in preparation for a US museum display of the 917.

No doubt, Porsche has produced some of the best endurance racecars around, such as the turbocharged, slant-nose 935 of the 1970s and the ground-effects-enhanced 956 and 962 of the 1980s. But the company’s most famous racecar, its first overall winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, was the 917.

The 917 embodied many of Porsche’s technological achievements up to that point, such as the company’s first 12- and 16-cylinder engines (the flat-16 was never used in competition), fiberglass bodies that implemented early aerodynamic practices and the use of new, exotic materials, such as magnesium and titanium.

The racecar was commissioned by the head of Porsche Motorsports, Ferdinand Piëch, to win overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970, after he realized a loophole in the rules that allowed cars to compete with engines up to five liters in the Sport category if they were also production models. Piëch saw opportunity: the top prototype class was restricted to three liters; the production minimum to compete in Sport was 25 cars. And so, with much effort, Porsche assembled 25 “production” 4.5-liter 917s and had them parked in a neat line for the race inspectors to verify their legitimacy. It didn’t take long before people realized the new Porsches were much faster than the prototype racers, with a top speed approaching 250 miles per hour.

Porsche is putting two 917s on display in the North Carolina Museum of Art starting on Oct. 12, and the company produced a video, which you can watch below, to hype up the exhibit. Enjoy!

Continue reading ‘Faster. Farther.’ dives into the history of Porsche racing tech

‘Faster. Farther.’ dives into the history of Porsche racing tech originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Aug 2013 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: New Ford Police Interceptor tech protects cops’ backsides

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Safety, Technology, Ford, Police/Emergency

Ford Police Interceptors are to gain a surveillance mode, which uses park-assist technology to protect police officers.

It was only a matter of time before law enforcement agencies would realize the potential of driver-assist technology for use in their Ford Police Interceptors, and, now that they have, those back-up cameras and radar systems won’t be used just for parking, but for security, as well.

The surveillance mode system works when the camera or radar detects movement from behind the vehicle, and if it does when it’s activated, an alarm will alert the officer inside the car, the driver’s side window will roll up and the doors will lock, protecting the officer from an unwanted intrusion. The officer, of course, has the option to turn surveillance mode off, mainly in urban areas where pedestrians would constantly set the alarm off, and it can only be activated when the police car is in park.

Randy Freiburger, Ford’s police and ambulance fleet supervisor, came up with the patent-pending idea when researching the needs of police officers and riding along with them, during which time he realized officers would be safer with an extra set of eyes watching the area behind their cars, especially at night or when they’re completing paperwork, using the in-car computer or handling a radar gun. “Unfortunately, there are people with bad intentions who sneak up on police officers,” he says.

Ford and Intermotive Inc. are developing the surveillance mode system together, and it can be installed at Crown, the facility near Ford’s plant in Chicago where police car accessories are installed, or it can be upfitted locally by working directly with Intermotive. We’re glad police officers have an extra layer of protection courtesy of everyday automobile technologies – it’s a rough world out there! Scroll down to glean more details in the press release.

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New Ford Police Interceptor tech protects cops’ backsides originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jul 2013 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Akerson calls for GM tech to stymie Tesla

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, GM, Tesla, Electric

Electric vehicle maker Tesla has had some good days lately as sales of the Model S have exceeded expectations as much as the company’s profits, thanks in no small part to innovative thinking that has resulted in mass sales of ZEV credits to other manufacturers, free charging stations, 90-second battery swaps and manufacturer-owned dealerships. All of this has the attention of General Motors, who views Tesla as a disruptive force to the auto industry and as a threat to the 104-year-old automaker.

Case in point: GM recognizes that Tesla must be doing something right if it can sell more of its $69,900 Model S sedans than the $39,145 Volt. So what is GM doing about it? Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson assigned a small team to study Tesla so the company won’t be caught off guard in the future. In an interview with Bloomberg, Steve Girsky, GM vice chairman, said, “History is littered with big companies that ignored innovation that was coming their way because you didn’t know where you could be disrupted.”

GM was one of those big companies at one point, and it hasn’t quite broken that mold. It has struggled to move on from the old, inefficient practices of its past, leading Akerson to chide employees at a recent conference in Houston because so many in-house patents had failed to be commercialized and implemented in GM designs. This, of course, resulted in a huge research-and-development budget that was wasteful. But Akerson knows that GM must rely on innovation and a tight focus on technologies that customers want if it is to be profitable and survive in the long term.

Ultimately, it seems GM is looking at Tesla to help establish a healthy culture of innovation, as the company is stinging from the success of the Model S. But at least it’s looking at a glass that’s half full.

Akerson calls for GM tech to stymie Tesla originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Mazda RX-9 to borrow hybrid tech from Toyota

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Mazda, Rumormill

Mazda Kabura Concept

2006 Mazda Kabura Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

The rotary rumormill continues to spin about as fast as a Renesis engine at redline (that’s 9,000 rpm, for those keeping track). Might the next rotary-powered RX from Mazda be a hybrid? It very well may, if you believe a report from Motor Trend.

Lending credence to the story is a 2010 agreement signed between Mazda and Toyota that would have the Zoom-Zoom company licensing the technology that makes the Prius tick. At the time, Mazda indicated that its first hybrid using Toyota technology would hit the market in 2013. Will it be in the form of an RX-9?

Motor Trend reports that the successor to the RX-8 will eschew reverse-opening rear doors for a standard coupe format with an architecture based on the platform of the next-gen Mazda MX-5. If true, we may be talking about the world’s first real rear-wheel-drive hybrid sportscar for the mass market.

It’s worth noting that a hybrid powertrain may very well cure what has forever ailed the rotary engine: low torque (electric motors make gobs of the stuff at low rpm) and high fuel consumption. We like the idea of Mazda forging forward with the rotary engine, especially one that’s tuned to make a ton of horsepower at stratospheric spinning speeds like a proper rotary should.

One potential weakness, though, is that Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology uses a complicated continuously variable automatic transmission, and those have typically failed to provide the excitement of a proper row-for-yourself manual gearbox, or even a dual-clutch. In any case, we’re content to adopt a wait-and-see attitude on this latest rumor.

Mazda RX-9 to borrow hybrid tech from Toyota originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford head honcho Mulally talks tech with The Engadget Show

Filed under: Hybrid, Videos, Ford, Electric

Ford CEO Alan Mulally

Alan Mulally on The Engadget Show – Click above to watch video after the jump

If you aren’t already an avid follower of The Engadget Show, we highly recommend checking out the video series. The editors of our favorite tech site (disclosure: Engadget and Autoblog are both owned by AOL) routinely sit down with the movers and shakers of the electronics and gadget world for a look into what’s new and what’s next. The latest episode delves into everything from a hybrid version of the Shredder to the BlackBerry PlayBook. Of course, we’re a little more interested in the show’s interview with Ford CEO Alan Mulally. Engadget caught up with Mulally while he was in New York for the 2011 New York Auto Show and picked his brain on the future of the electric car and Ford’s vision for the automobile moving forward.

Like most manufacturers, Ford is currently working to develop new battery technologies that will allow for quicker charge times, though Mulally says that his company also hopes to see the electric car become a more integral part of the electrical grid as a whole in the near future. As battery technology advances, Ford wants EVs to be able to charge on off-peak hours, store energy and feed it back to homes and businesses when not in use.

Pretty clever.

Hit the jump to see the full episode of The Engadget Show after the jump.

[Source: Engadget]

Continue reading Ford head honcho Mulally talks tech with The Engadget Show

Ford head honcho Mulally talks tech with The Engadget Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo XC70 and S80 get refresh, tech upgrades for 2012

Filed under: Sedan, Wagon, Crossover, Volvo

2012 Volvo S80

2012 Volvo S80 – Click above for high-res image gallery

On the outside, the changes to the 2012 Volvo S80 and XC70 aren’t immediately noticeable. The headlamps have been redesigned, the S80 gets LED turn signals in the side mirrors and each model gets a new exterior color choice. Underneath the skin, however, these two Volvos have received a handful of new tricks.

Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system, which made its debut with the 2011 S60, has found its way into the 2012 S80 and XC70, allowing the driver to easily operate audio, video, Bluetooth and navigational controls. It also provides information and setting adjustment for safety features such as City Safety, Collision Warning and Active Cruise Control.

The City Safety system is now a standard feature on both of these 2012 models. The automaker has also added Pedestrian Detection, which keeps an eye out for foot traffic and provides an audible warning if it feels a collision is imminent. Should the driver fail to heed that warning, the S80 or XC70 can fully engage the brake automatically.

Check out the updated 2012 Volvo XC70 and S80 in the galleries below. Also, be sure to take a look at the full press released posted after the jump.

Gallery: 2012 Volvo S80

2012 Volvo S802012 Volvo S802012 Volvo S802012 Volvo S802012 Volvo S80

Gallery: 2012 Volvo XC70

2012 Volvo XC702012 Volvo XC702012 Volvo XC702012 Volvo XC702012 Volvo XC70

[Source: Volvo]

Continue reading Volvo XC70 and S80 get refresh, tech upgrades for 2012

Volvo XC70 and S80 get refresh, tech upgrades for 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Google talks about its driverless car tech at TED

Filed under: Technology, Videos

Google Driverless Car

Google Driverless Car – Click above to view video after the jump

Sebastien Thurn has made it his life’s work to save one million lives from traffic accidents. Thurn has been instrumental in the development of Google’s DARPA Challenge-winning driverless car technology at Stanford University, and he’s confident that his technology can not only save lives, but eliminate traffic jams.

Thurn’s footage of a driverless Toyota Prius is nothing short of incredible, showing the cars successfully navigating deserts, highways and city streets clogged with traffic and pedestrians. So far, the driverless car’s most impressive journey has been from San Francisco to Los Angeles down Highway One.

Beyond just city and highway driving, Thurn has provided footage of the driverless Prius and a driverless Volkswagen Passat successfully navigating an autocross-style cones course, proving these cars can handle a wide range of driving styles. The cars function by employing a series of sensors to detect their environment, and use a computer program to respond to what’s going on around them.

Thurn was on hand at this year’s TED Conference to discuss the idea and show footage from 140,000 miles of driverless car tests conducted by Stanford. The TED Conference serves as a forum for innovative ideas, publishing video seminars and ideas year round, and hosting two in-person conferences per year. The foundation has been holding conferences and publishing content on a creative commons license since 1990. Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Google talks about its driverless car tech at TED

Video: Google talks about its driverless car tech at TED originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Next-gen Saab 9-3 will get through-the-road hybrid tech

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Saab

Saab 9-3

Saab has big plans for the next generation 9-3, and a hybrid variant is apparently in the mix. The Detroit Bureau reports that the hybrid would be of the “through-the-road” variety, enabling torque-vectoring all-wheel drive while also improving fuel economy.

A through-the-road hybrid utilizes a completely independent electric motor that motivates only the rear axle. The system is less expensive than the parallel hybrid tech you’ll find in a Prius, for example, while still potentially providing a low-speed electric-only mode and regenerative braking.

Saab management reportedly told The Bureau that the turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 currently in use in the 9-5 would motivate the front wheels, while the electric motor and clutch assembly would work its magic out back. The new clutch assembly routes power to either of the rear wheels in a fraction of a second, helping the 9-3 stay on course regardless of the conditions. This setup will reportedly improve performance and agility, while negating the need to run a driveshaft from the engine to the rear axle. The end result is a simpler, lighter drivetrain, and we’re sure the overall gains in fuel economy won’t be to shabby, either.

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

Report: Next-gen Saab 9-3 will get through-the-road hybrid tech originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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