Vehicles: Page 166
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Device Converts Waste Heat for Use in Cooling, Electricity Generation
The system has possible use in hybrid-vehicle technology, by taking waste heat from the gasoline engine and using it not only for air conditioning but also to help recharge the battery.
By Alan Harman • Aug. 18, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Mazda ‘Reinvents’ Diesel With New Skyactiv-D
Mazda’s new diesel has a 14:1.1 compression ratio, which it says is the lowest of any production passenger-car diesel on the market.
By Byron Pope • Aug. 17, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Mitsubishi ‘i’ Sobering Take on Mass-Market EV
The i, a nameplate truncated from i-MIEV for the U.S., reveals how far EV development must travel before it seriously threatens old-fashioned, internal-combustion propulsion.
By James M. Amend • Aug. 16, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Chevy Cruze Diesel to Attract Buyers Seeking Performance, GM Says
Plans call for the Cruze diesel coming in 2013 to achieve fuel economy in the range of 50 mpg, company insiders tell Ward’s.
By James M. Amend • Aug. 16, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
World Vehicle Population Tops 1 Billion Units
The 3.6% rise in vehicles last year was the largest percentage increase since 2000, while the 35.6 million year-to-year unit increase was the second-biggest gain in overall volume ever.
By John Sousanis • Aug. 15, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Honda to Build Vehicle, Engine Plant in Mexico
The new automobile plant will be the auto maker’s eighth in North America and increase its capacity in the region to 1.83 million vehicles in 2014, from 1.63 million today.
By Ward's Staff • Aug. 12, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Seeks to Reinvent Test Drives With New Campaign
Traditional consumer test-drive events are costly and have “become totally commoditized,” says a top Ford marketer.
By Byron Pope • Aug. 9, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Smart Money Goes With iQ
Unlike the Smart Fortwo, Scion’s new front-wheel-drive micro-subcompact feels much more substantial, handles well and employs ingenious 3+1 seating.
By Tom Murphy • Aug. 5, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Eaton Positioning Superchargers as Green Tech
Eaton currently supplies superchargers for the hybrid versions of the Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne.
By Drew Winter • Aug. 2, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Latest Wireless Technology to Make Cars More Connected, Fuel Efficient
By using fewer energy sensors and with silica prices falling every day, Bluetooth 4.0 has the potential to make EVs more efficient and less costly for auto makers to build and consumers to buy.
By James M. Amend • Aug. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
OnStar Launches Pilot Program for Vehicle-Locator Technology
Family Link would help GM catch up with cross-town rival Ford, which launched its MyKey as standard equipment on most North American Ford models in 2009.
By James M. Amend • Aug. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chevy Malibu Interior Designers, Engineers Sweat the Details
The ’13 Chevrolet Malibu also grows in interior size, adding 1.5 ins. of additional front shoulder room, 2.7 ins. of front hip room, and nearly 4 cu.-ft. of interior volume.
By Byron Pope • Aug. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Russia’s Sollers Confirms Engine Plant Plans in JV With Ford
The plant will have an annual capacity of about 200,000 engines and is to start production within three years.
By Peter Homola • July 29, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM Touts Fuel Economy of eAssist, But Won’t Call It a Hybrid
The auto maker thinks the approach also will help take the technology more mainstream. Just 2.5% of all vehicles on U.S. roadways today use stop/start systems.
By James M. Amend • July 28, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Hyundai Rocks With Accent, Elantra Interior Trim
Not only does the addition of volcanic rock make the Accent and Elantra pillars appear cloth-covered, it also makes scratches less obvious.
By Christie Schweinsberg • July 28, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Inventory Woes Drag Fuel Economy Down in Second Quarter
Despite rising gas prices and increased demand for smaller vehicles, the average fuel-economy for U.S. light cars sold fell from the prior quarter.
By John Sousanis • July 22, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM Confirms Chevy Cruze Diesel in 2013; European Sourcing Likely
One of the auto maker’s 2.0L 4-cyl. diesels tuned for optimum efficiency reaches 43 mpg in the European combined test cycle.
By James M. Amend • July 22, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chrysler Canada’s Waste Plastic Turned to Fuel
JBI’s process represents an alternative for manufacturing plants struggling to reduce their environmental footprint. “It’s not costing money to dispose of it or handle it,” CEO John Bordynuik says.
By Eric Mayne • July 22, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Researchers Tout New Solar Cell for Powering Electric Vehicles
“The rapid emergence of electric vehicles further raises the value of harvesting electrical power from the sun in automobiles,” solar-power researcher Ted Sargent says.
By Alan Harman • July 21, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Transmission Developer Antonov Shifts Into New Direction
The U.K.-based engineering company has abandoned its quirky, mechanically shifting gearbox in favor of an electronically controlled 6-speed and a new automatic aimed at electric vehicles.
By David Zoia Editor • July 6, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Lotus Evora S Civilized Take on Race-Ready Engineering
With more than 345 hp, the Evora S finishes what the more economical and sedate Evora started. This race-ready sports car would make a fine daily driver.
By James M. Amend • July 5, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Adaptive Cruise Comes to Focus, May Reach Other Low-Cost Vehicles
According to Delphi research, 6,000 of the 33,000 traffic-related fatalities in the U.S. last year could have been avoided had radar-based systems been installed on vehicles involved.
By Byron Pope • July 5, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Plant Mitigates Chip Shortage, For Now
MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO, SUPPLIER Robert Bosch decided the university town of Reutlingen, Germany, 30 minutes south of Stuttgart, would be the center of competence for semiconductors, the fundamental building blocks for cell phones, laptop computers, game consoles and, of course, cars. It turned out to be a strategically brilliant wager as the market for consumer electronics and connectivity exploded
By Tom Murphy • July 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Rising Gas Prices Favor Ethanol
DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE CURRENT GAS price moderation, and be prepared to fill up with E85 when the time is right, experts advise. The prevailing gas-price trajectory is upward, unlike E85's more stable trend line. This sets up a cost-benefit scenario that favors E85, say backers of the gasoline-ethanol blend. The tipping point is somewhere north of $4 for a gallon of regular-unleaded gas, says Mark
By Byron Pope • July 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Interior Motives
No one sets out to make an ugly vehicle interior. It evolves over time and requires many staff meetings. Surprisingly, most of the defining features of a bad interior are the products of good intentions. They are the result of designers and engineers studiously following the wrong metrics, trying to camouflage flaws or make parts easier to manufacture. Former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz's
By Drew Winter • July 1, 2011
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