Information Technology

NHTSA confirms new deputy, considers push for automatic braking

3:51 pm U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has confirmed David Friedman, previously a transportation analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, as its new deputy administrator.... Read More »

 

U.S. to monitor cybersecurity risks as car connectivity grows

3:04 pm U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
Rising cybersecurity risks to drivers as their cars become increasingly powered by and connected to computers have prompted federal auto safety regulators to start a new office focusing on the threat.... Read More »

 

Survey: Consumers are ready for new tech ideas in cars

10:29 am U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
A new survey about what vehicle consumers want and don't want suggests that the auto industry is lagging consumers when it comes to technology ideas.... Read More »

 

Cost to be big factor in 'talking' cars acceptance, LaHood says

3:51 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013
Cars that "talk" to each other to avoid crashes or traffic jams, like those being tested here, will save lives but the cost of the systems will determine consumers' acceptance of such technology, the transportation secretary said today.... Read More »

 

BEST PRACTICES

Dealer pairs test driver's phone to car

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
A Chrysler Group dealer in Michigan has turned a 30-second routine into a better way to demonstrate his technology-laden vehicles.Before the start of each test drive at Extreme Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, the salesperson showing the vehicle asks the customer in the driver's seat for his or her smartphone and -- with permission -- connects the phone to the vehicle's infotainment system.... Read More »

 

Report: Vehicles sold in Brazil lack safety features

1:10 pm U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Automakers are having widespread success selling vehicles in Brazil, but thousands of Brazilians are dying each year in auto accidents that experts blame on a combination of unsafe vehicles and often dangerous driving conditions, according to an Associated Press report.... Read More »

 

Michigan couple appeal sentence in GM trade-secret case

6:07 pm U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
A Michigan couple sentenced to prison for stealing General Motors hybrid-car technology trade secrets filed appeals Friday with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.... Read More »

 

GABE NELSON

Why Wednesday hearing could be connected cars' moment of truth

4:12 pm U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
In the software industry, people talk about vaporware -- products that are heavily promoted but never seem to go on sale. Automakers are at the point that they must prove that connected cars, which talk to each other over Wi-Fi to stay out of fender-benders, are more than just vaporware.... Read More »

 

Toyota puts high beams on headlight regulation

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
With a recent petition, Toyota has intensified the pressure on safety regulators to approve new headlights currently forbidden on U.S. roads. The headlights use cameras to detect other cars and automatically dim the portions of the high beam that would shine in other drivers' eyes.... Read More »

 

GM says new data centers will improve vehicles, margins

1:35 pm U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
General Motors said it is investing $546 million in two new Michigan data centers in hopes it will free up millions of dollars to boost vehicle quality more quickly.... Read More »

 

Akerson sees GM profits streaming from in-vehicle connections

12:33 pm U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
One of the first things Dan Akerson did as CEO of General Motos in 2010 was dive into the automaker’s telecommunications business to get more profit from that in-car connection.... Read More »

 

New needs, more speeds

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
In March, luxury maker Land Rover proudly told an audience at the Geneva auto show that it would soon bring to market the industry's first nine-speed transmission. One month later, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors announced that they would jointly develop 10-speeds. Can 12-speeds really be that far behind? And why not a 24-speed?... Read More »

 

Corvettes from 2005-2007 being probed over headlight problems

10:21 am U.S. ET | May 10, 2013
Federal auto safety regulators have launched a preliminary investigation into the Chevrolet Corvette from model years 2005 to 2007, citing dozens of complaints that the car's headlights can turn themselves off without warning.... Read More »

 

Tesla CEO talking with Google about 'autopilot' systems

May 10, 2013 06:01 CET
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the electric-car maker is considering adding driverless technology to its vehicles and discussing the prospects for such systems with Google Inc.... Read More »

 

Microsoft wants to become key player in auto software

May 9, 2013 06:01 CET
Having reshaped a big piece of the world's economy around its Windows software, Microsoft now wants to do the same thing in the car business. What the Seattle giant sees there says as much about the future of cars as it does about itself.... Read More »

 

Study: 90% of parents admit to driving distracted

1:49 pm U.S. ET | May 7, 2013
Nearly nine of 10 parents admit to talking, texting or otherwise driving distracted while transporting their children in the past month, a new study by the University of Michigan reveals.... Read More »

 

Tesla CEO talking with Google about 'autopilot' systems

9:21 am U.S. ET | May 7, 2013
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the electric-car maker is considering adding driverless technology to its vehicles and discussing the prospects for such systems with Google Inc.... Read More »

 

Microsoft wants to become key player in auto software

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Having reshaped a big piece of the world's economy around its Windows software, Microsoft Corp. now wants to do the same thing in the car business. What the Seattle giant sees there says as much about the future of cars as it does about itself.... Read More »

 

General Motors recalls more than 38,000 sedans over circuit board glitch

3:37 pm U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
GM will recall more than 38,000 sedans equipped with its "eAssist" mild hybrid system to repair circuit boards that may overheat leading to a loss of battery charge or in extreme cases, a fire in the trunk.... Read More »

 

Toyota: Cost to develop fuel cell cars falls

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
The hydrogen refueling infrastructure may not be ready, but the cost of developing the fuel cell cars Toyota plans to launch in 2015 has plunged.... Read More »

 

Ford's latest high-tech twist: Granddad's old-school knobs

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Joe Hinrichs, Ford Motor Co.'s president of the Americas, won't say directly how the company plans to fix its troubled MyFord Touch control system, which has hurt Ford's ratings in quality surveys. But here's a hint: knobs.... Read More »

 

2nd lives for EV batteries could cut prices

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Lithium ion battery packs that power some electrified vehicles could end up feeding juice into the electrical grid -- a development that could cut EV ownership costs.... Read More »

 

How cars will get more helpful

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Technologies already exist that will allow cars of the future to perform new tricks to wow consumers. The first challenge, according to auto technology companies such as Microsoft Corp. is to refine their execution... Read More »

 

GM's connected car: Brought to you by Allstate?

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 4, 2013
An emerging generation of tech-savvy consumers has changed the way GM and its rivals approach in-car entertainment and navigation systems. If engineered and executed well, these systems can draw new buyers and allow automakers to tap new sources of revenue and boost profit margins.... Read More »

 

VW plans fuel-saving 10-speed transmission

May 1, 2013 06:01 CET
Volkswagen is developing a 10-speed dual-clutch transmission to help reduce fuel consumption, CEO Martin Winterkorn said. The transmission is one of a number of drivetrain technologies that the automaker is focusing on for the mid- and long term, he said.... Read More »