Car Tech

With so many different technologies vying to be the "next big thing" with electric car batteries, the law of averages dictates that at least one of those genuinely will be the next big thing. The latest "next big thing" is graphene lithium-air batteries according to Talking Points Memo, and they're...

The MINI Connected infotainment system gets three new apps designed to make it more appealing to those focused on the performance of their MINIs.

This isn't the first time we've looked at the MINI Connected app, but then the joy of downloadable features is that they can be indefinitely updated. That's just what MINI has done with the latest version of MINI Connected, endowing it with extra features to ensure greater levels of driving fun...

Forget about limited mileage run-flat tires; Japanese tire giant Bridgestone has unveiled a new non-pneumatic tire concept that’s completely puncture-proof. The key is its non-pneumatic design that does away with air entirely, with the tire instead relying on a structure of spokes for its...

We're constantly thinking about what the car of the future will look like. It's hard not to when you write about them every day. Little did we know the car of the future will be here rather soon. Or at least, that's what Smart is saying. The 2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive will provide a little...

Regular readers might remember the solar-powered roadway proposed by a company called -- not so originally -- Solar Roadways. The gist was that LEDs embedded in the surface would allow for quick and easy updates to dividing lines, signage, and more. At the recent Design Miami showcase, Audi showed...

If you wanted a great deal more space in your car we're not sure why you'd buy a Smart. That's not to say the little Smart isn't great at what it does - nipping around city streets and looking chic outside the local coffee house - but if you buy one expecting any more space than for two people and...

Cadillac will offer HD Radio standard in its new CUE infotainment system.

Nissan is working on an inductive (wireless) charging mat for the Leaf that should make charging a matter of simply backing into a parking spot, and hitting a screen prompt to verify that you'd like to charge.

When Rockstar games released the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 5 last month, we accepted that when it finally hits the shelves some time next year, it might be difficult to tear ourselves away and do some work. With the new announcement (via Gamespot) that Grand Theft Auto 3 will be coming to...

The trouble with current accident avoidance technology is that it's usually reserved to the more expensive vehicles available on sale. That's not to criticize it of course. Just like ABS, traction control, airbags and other safety technology, it simply costs a lot to develop and initially the cost...

Given the importance of Tesla's Roadster for changing the way the general public thinks about electric cars, it's a little strange that owners have been left in the dark as far as a dedicated smartphone app is concerned. While drivers of the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt or even Smart Electric Drive have...

Maybe we spoke too soon when nominating some of our favourite bits of technology and design from the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. Small electric cars were all the rage at Tokyo, from the Teewave AR.1 sports car - a collaborative project between carbon fiber experts Toray and engineer Gordon Murray -...

Back in March we took a look at some of the best technology and design at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, and as the press days for the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show draw to a close we look at some of the highlights from Japan. Tokyo is where all the big Japanese manufacturers roll out their blue-sky ideas and...

People often say that slot cars and RC cars are "faster than real cars" because if you scaled them up to the size of a real vehicle, their performance figures increase proportionally. We're not impressed by scale speed, we're impressed by real speed. That's why the Traxxas XO-1 radio control car we...

Not to be outdone by its fellow carmakers at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show that opened Wednesday, Honda is putting its faith in three high-tech features in its future models. Demonstrated with the Fit EV and SH-AWD test vehicles, Honda has shown a reinvention of regenerative braking, introduced a...

While cars have become much more advanced in recent years, many of the controls inside them haven't changed over the past 40 years. Mercedes is working on updating the interface between car and driver.

General Motors crossed a milestone yesterday. Somewhere on a little counter in GM's Performance Build Center at Wixom near Detroit, a number ticked over from 99,999,999 to 100,000,000, marking the hundred-millionth small-block V8 GM has produced. That milestone engine is a 638-horsepower...

Mazda's i-ELOOP system, which will debut on its Takeri concept sedan, uses a capacitor-based energy recovery system.

It powers the ZR1, and it has powered about 99,999,999 other cars, too: it's GM's small block engine family, including V-8s and V-6s, and it's been in action since 1955. Yes, GM has built its 100-millionth small-block engine, and it's an LS9 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 good for 638 horsepower--443...