Nissan unveils steer-by-wire, on sale within a year
You know about autonomous braking and drive-by-wire; now Nissan has unveiled a 'steer-by-wire' of sorts - a system that gets rid of all mechanical connections between the wheel in your hand and …
Hyundai announces new 1.0 and 1.2 turbo engines
The global downsizing trend looks East as Hyundai recently revealed its future powertrain strategy, including new Kappa 1.0 TCI (Turbocharger Intercooler) and 1.2 T-GDI (Turbo Gasoline Direct Injection) petrol engines, at this …
GM, Ford collaborating on fuel-efficient 9- and 10-speed transmissions – GM for FWD, Ford for RWD
There was a time when we thought seven gears was overkill; now we have Audi, BMW and Lexus offering eight-speeders. And it's not going to stop there, for now General Motors and …
BMW’s B38 1.5 litre three-cylinder motor to spearhead new engine family – we test drive it in a 1-Series!
While it may not have always been this way, the three-cylinder engine has pretty much been confined to the K-cars of the Japanese domestic market for a long time. In Malaysia, you …
Audi shows new engine with electric turbocharger
Audi offers its solution to the decades-old problem of turbo lag with a new engine that features electrically-driven turbocharging. It's based on the 3.0 litre BiTDI V6 (yes, the diesel that can …
Mazda to debut ‘i-Activsense’ safety tech in the new 6
Good looks and Skyactiv tech have rightly taken the spotlight when it comes to the new Mazda 6, but last month's Moscow show debutant packs in quite a bit of safety tech …
Continental shows electric Renault Megane concept
German auto supplier Continental, of tyres fame, has turned this Renault Megane hatchback all electric using a total of 40 EV components from its catalogue. The car is powered by the same …
POD Point provides free home charging points to electric and hybrid car owners in the UK
With the help of a UK government grant, POD Point is installing charging points for owners of hybrid and electric cars in East Anglia and the East and West Midlands, for free. …
Finally, a diesel that can sing: Audi’s 3.0 BiTDI V6
Bestowed with the title of Audi's most powerful production diesel engine yet, this twin-turbo 3.0 litre V6 was put into service on the British-market A6 and A7 models at the start of …
EU legislation: All new cars to feature autonomous emergency braking by 2014
Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems involve adaptive cruise control working in tandem with fully automatic braking to stop you colliding into the car in front, without you touching the pedals. Although quite …
Ford, GE and University of Michigan join forces to boost EV battery lifespan with advanced sensor
Arguably a significant reason for the still-rather-high costs involved in buying and running hybrid and electric vehicles is the question of battery health and lifespan. This isn't only about knowing how much …
Ford introducing virtual factory to improve efficiency
In a move to cut costs and improve efficiency, Ford is developing a complete virtual factory to simulate assembly line production processes. This will enable engineers to work together on 'virtual build …
Japanese firms working together to build cutting-edge lithium-ion battery material
Over in Japan, reports indicate that a quartet of Japanese companies is banding up to mass-produce a cutting-edge lithium ion battery material, both domestically and overseas. Kureha, Kuraray and Itochu are set …
New design from Chris Bangle – it’s a cognac bottle!
Now, we're definitely not in the habit of talking about booze, even if some of us here do enjoy the odd tipple or three now and then, but something along those lines …
Mazda CX-5 to debut Smart City Brake Support system
Mazda has announced that the upcoming CX-5 SUV arriving this spring will debut a Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) system, which helps a driver to avoid a frontal collision when driving at …
Jatco introduces CVT8 and CVT8 Hybrid transmissions
Jatco has announced a new continuously variable transmission for midsize and large front-wheel drive vehicles, offering an improvement of 10% in fuel economy compared to earlier models. Designed for application with 2.0 …
Nissan’s new 2.5 liter hybrid unit to replace 3.5 liter V6?
Nissan has introduced a brand new hybrid drivetrain which is made up by a 2.5 liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, an electric motor as well as a lithium-ion battery pack. The interesting bit …
Need assistance? Well, they’re all EARs, it seems
It's called EARs, or Emergency Assistance & Response Services, to give it its full name, and it's a nationwide personal safety and automotive assistance service, ready to aid anyone who find themselves …
Humanix iSAVE-SC1 e-Tricar – the car, as airbag
Click to enlarge. Okay, so here's the novel take of the week. According to reports, a venture company in Japan called Humanix will introduce an electric vehicle that wears airbags. On the …
New tech to help build better batteries emerges
Over in Japan, automakers - working with partners - as well as companies in other industries are researching technologies to improve the performance of storage batteries for use in both vehicles and …
