Car Tech

  • 2018 Lexus LS center console with “EV MODE” button

    A hybrid model was noticeably absent when Lexus took the covers off its fifth-generation LS flagship sedan at last week’s 2017 Detroit auto show. The sole model was an LS 500 powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 delivering 415 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. The related LC has an LC 500h hybrid model, so it was odd Lexus didn’t confirm the coupe’s gasoline-electric powertrain for a potential replacement for the outgoing LS's LS 600h model. It turns out Lexus does have a new electrified LS in the works, and it's possibly due soon. In one of the official shots...

  • Ford GT instrument cluster Normal mode
    Ford GT gauge cluster changes to fit the driving mode

    The hype train for the Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] GT is once again in high gear. It seems like every enthusiast outlet made sure to get some seat time in the car on display at the 2017 Detroit auto show. Little did they know that Ford would soon be releasing a video detailing how the gauge cluster...

  • A video explanation on planetary gear sets
    Classic video explains how a planetary gear set works

    Gears come in all shapes and sizes. They are the toothy wonders that make the world go around, and they're incredibly important in the operation of a motor vehicle. There's a more specific type of gear that allows your automatic gearbox to operate. It's called the planetary gear set and the way it...

  • Honda NeuV concept, 2017 Consumer Electronics Show
    Honda unveils NeuV and Riding Assist concepts at 2017 CES

    Honda’s theme of its 2017 Consumer Electronics Show presence is something it calls the Cooperative Mobility Ecosystem, where via artificial intelligence, robotics and big data the various aspects of one’s life are combined in order to foster safer, more productive use of time. For...

  • Learn the differences between an automatic and manual transmission
    The differences between automatic and manual transmissions

    You no doubt know which type of gearbox you prefer, be it automatic or manual. Do you know how these gearboxes do what they do? If you don't, then today is your lucky day. This video from Learn Engineering starts off with the basics of how a manual transmission works. It comes down to three shafts...

  • Engineering Explained talks about wet sump and dry sump oil systems
    The differences between wet and dry sump oil systems

    All of those moving parts in your engine create heat through friction, and that heat needs to be mitigated or bad things will happen. This is the task of your oil. It lubricates and cools engine components. Your vehicle will most likely move this oil around by way of a wet sump oil system. If you...

  • Audi Q7 Piloted Driving concept, 2017 Consumer Electronics Show

    It’s easy to think that self-driving cars simply need to be programmed with the general set of road rules and then have some form of object detection so that the car’s computer can then apply the rules for a given situation. The reality is much more complex, especially due to the varying conditions found on most roads. To make self-driving systems more robust, automakers are looking to artificial intelligence systems, like the one being developed by Nvidia. Learning initially from a human driver, these systems can be trained to handle unpredictable situations like roadblocks...

  • BMW i Inside Future concept, 2017 Consumer Electronics Show
    BMW previews next-gen interior complete with hologram technology

    BMW is currently leading the way when it comes to in-car technology with its Gesture Control system that debuted on the 2016 7-Series. The system allows you to make basic commands by simply waving a finger. At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, BMW showed an evolved version of the system called...

  • 2017 BMW 7-Series
    BMW to begin testing self-driving cars this year

    Stopping short of calling itself the purveyor of the "ultimate riding machine," BMW announced at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that its first cars capable of driving themselves will be on the road later this year. The trial run will eventually lead to the launch of BMW's iNext...

  • Self-driving car
    Intel strengthens self-driving car presence with 15 percent stake in HERE digital maps firm

    Intel is set to acquire a 15 percent stake in digital mapping company HERE which is owned by Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The acquisition is set to be completed in the first quarter of 2017, pending approval from various regulatory bodies. In addition to the acquisition, Intel and HERE have signed...

  • Engineering Explained talks about the Honda Accord Hybrid
    How the Honda Accord Hybrid can behave like a Koenigsegg

    Believe it or not, the 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid sedan actually has something in common with an ultra-exotic hypercar produced by the Swedish brand Koenigsegg. That seems far fetched, and no we're not referring to the fact that both vehicles utilize four wheels wrapped in rubber tires. The...

  • Volvo Drive Me autonomous car pilot project in Gothenburg, Sweden
    Volvo, Autoliv establish Zenuity joint venture dedicated to self-driving cars

    Volvo has been developing self-driving cars for several years and in 2015 teamed up with fellow Swedish firm Autoliv, an automotive supplier specializing in safety systems, to share research to accelerate the development of the technology. On Tuesday, Volvo and Autoliv announced the formation of a...

  • Chrysler Portal concept, 2017 Consumer Electronics Show

    Given the dearth of new product at Chrysler, it’s easy to think parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles [NYSE:FCAU] has forgotten about the brand. (With the demise of the 200 in December, the only Chryslers still in production are the 300 and Pacifica.) But that isn’t the case, it seems, as Chrysler has unveiled a concept that shows the brand is thinking about the future. Only, we’re not talking about the immediate future but rather a decade or more from now. Yes, in its best attempt to channel Tesla [NSDQ:TSLA], FCA wants you to ignore the present and think about tomorrow...

  • Wattway solar road
    France builds first stretch of solar road--at $5.2M per kilometer

    The French government in early 2016 pledged to install over a five-year period 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of roads lined in solar panels. The first kilometer has now been completed, on the Route RD5 between the towns of Tourouvre and Gué-à-Pont. Called Wattway, the so-called solar...

  • HERE HD Live Map
    HERE and Mobileye join forces to create highly-detailed maps for self-driving cars

    A cloud-based database of highly-detailed maps updated in real time will be essential for self-driving cars, as they can provide information on traffic and road conditions far beyond a car's onboard sensors. Two of the leading firms developing such maps have now joined forces to help accelerate the...

  • How to change a car's differential fluid
    How to change a car's differential fluid

    Our friend Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained has already taught us how to change the oil in our cars. It's an easy process, and it's one that will allow you to get closer to your own machine while making sure it's properly maintained. Now it's time to take things a step further. Jason is...

  • Skype for Business in Volvo's 90 series
    Volvo 90 series cars lets you Skype your colleagues

    It used to be that the drive home was a chance to fully escape the office. Not anymore thanks to the ever-increasing level of connectivity filtering into cars. For example, with Volvo’s 90 series cars, the S90, V90 and XC90, it’s now possible to liaise with colleagues via Skype for...

  • Hagerty rebuilds Chrsyler FirePower
    Today in time-lapse magic: Hagerty's Chrysler Firepower V-8 rebuild

    A complete engine rebuild can take weeks or months—even years—at the hands of highly skilled mechanics. Don't have that kind of time? (Who does?) Here's a 5-minute compressed video melee of a complete rebuild that took the Hagerty team 10 months and eleventy billion hours to complete...

  • Uber self-driving prototype in San Francisco

    In mid-December, Uber added San Francisco, California to the list of cities where the company is testing self-driving prototypes. However, the ride-sharing giant on Thursday said it was moving the prototypes to Phoenix, Arizona. Uber never obtained a permit for testing self-driving cars on California’s roads, arguing that the permit applies only to cars that can drive without someone controlling or monitoring them, which isn’t the case for the company’s prototypes yet. From a technology perspective, Uber says its prototypes operate in the same way as vehicles equipped with...

  • The five best basic modifications for your car
    The five best basic modifications for your car

    Engineering Explained host Jason Fenske is currently planning the modifications for his own project Honda S2000. He has some great things in store for that car, but he also has a bit of advice for those of us looking to modify our own cars. To that end, he's created a list of his top five best...

  • Honda Autonomous Vehicle Technology
    Honda in talks with Waymo for self-driving tech

    Google has been working on autonomous technology since 2009, and it recently spun off that business into a company called Waymo. Instead of building its own car, Waymo seems intent on working with automakers to incorporate its self-driving technology into their vehicles. Waymo recenly showed a...

  • Tire Rack Tire Test - Winter/Snow vs. All-Season vs. Summer Tires on Ice
    Here's why winter tires beat all-seasons in the cold

    You've heard it probably 300 times just this year alone. You've been hearing it for the past few years as well. When the weather turns frightfully cold, you need to have winter tires on your car. You'll protest and decry that all-seasons get the job done, or that it doesn't matter because you have...

  • Diagram from Ford patent for heat-generated graphics
    Ford might be looking to inject graphic heat in future Mustang

    One of the fashionable yet totally unnecessary trends in the automotive world is the use of logo-displaying puddle lamps. You open the door of your car at night, and there's a bright shining beacon letting you know exactly what you've just stepped out of or about to step into. It's a gimmick for...

  • Waymo self-driving prototype
    Waymo unveils Chrysler Pacifica-based self-driving prototype

    Google on Monday unveiled a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid-based self-driving prototype that will be taking part in various trials run by its new self-driving business Waymo. Waymo, which is led by auto industry veteran John Krafcik, aims to be among the first to offer a self-driving taxi service to the...

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