Vehicle Technology

BMW studies China for hints on global trends

May 1, 2013 06:01 CET
BMW is studying ways to meet the fast-changing demands of China's car buyers to determine whether trends such as tele-dining and a heavy reliance on voice messaging will expand globally.... Read More »

 

Sirius wants to expand auto offerings to telematics, new CEO says

2:51 pm U.S. ET | April 30, 2013
The new CEO of satellite radio company Sirius XM Radio thinks radio is a good business, but for the future he said opportunities may lie with in-car services like automated safety.... Read More »

 

Once a product planner, former Renault executive Pelata now mines data

April 30, 2013 06:01 CET
Former Renault COO Patrick Pelata had plenty of job possibilities after leaving automaker. He now sells customer-retention software from an office in San Francisco.... Read More »

 

Big plans, bad karma: How Fisker fell apart

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
The roots of Fisker Automotive's precarious state go back several years, to a time when the company and the Department of Energy established unrealistic sales goals for an unknown automaker working with tricky hybrid technology.... Read More »

 

Once a product planner, Pelata now mines data

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
Former Renault COO Patrick Pelata had plenty of job possibilities after leaving the French automaker last summer. So how did the European product planner who helped revive Nissan end up selling customer-retention software from an office in San Francisco?... Read More »

 

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Why the auto industry needs to slow down

2:55 pm U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
I'd like to offer a bit of counterintuitive thinking, at least in terms of technology. Here it is: The auto industry needs to slow down. We have arrived at a point where the pace of technological advancement -- how fast automakers and suppliers can make their products better -- has vastly outstripped their own manufacturing abilities to keep up.... Read More »

 

M-B tech led cops to Boston suspects' car

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
Carjacking a Mercedes-Benz M class proved to be a critical mistake for the alleged Boston Marathon bombers. When the driver escaped and called police, officers were able to track the vehicle using the crossover's factory-installed GPS system.... Read More »

 

Experts: Industry hears a call for voice commands

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
New federal guidelines to battle distracted driving will put even more pressure on car companies to pack voice-activated features into their vehicles, experts say.... Read More »

 

EDITORIAL

New guidelines should make driving safer

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
It is in the best interests of automakers, suppliers and the motoring public to use technology to make vehicles safer by helping drivers keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.... Read More »

 

DAVID BARKHOLZ

Why ADP Digital Marketing became GM's neighbor in Detroit

2:32 pm U.S. ET | April 25, 2013
ADP Dealer Services is looking for goodwill and good designers (not necessarily in that order) in deciding to open a digital marketing innovation office in downtown Detroit. The company is the largest provider of dealer management systems in the country.... Read More »

 

GM will invest 230 million euros to expand Opel test facilities

April 24, 2013 13:19 CET
General Motors will invest 230 million euros ($299 million) on test facilities for Opel as part of its effort to break even in Europe by 2015.... Read More »

 

Why dealers should embrace 'the age of transparency'

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 22, 2013
More than half of Americans have smartphones in their pockets or purses, and mobile devices have taken on a major role in the car-buying process, especially in the critical later stages. The ubiquity of mobile devices means shoppers can find out easily if a store across town offers a better deal. But experts say there is plenty of upside for dealers.... Read More »

 

KEITH CRAIN

Things don't always go as planned

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 22, 2013
There always seem to be plenty of ideas that never get into automobiles -- great ideas that don't make it, for whatever reason Keith Crain is editor-in-chief of Automotive News.... Read More »

 

SAE panel: Will people trust self-driving cars?

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 22, 2013
Consumer acceptance could be the biggest barrier to autonomous vehicles, one expert said at the SAE World Congress in Detroit last week.... Read More »

 

BMW plans perks to win EV customers

April 18, 2013 08:34 CET
BMW will offer extra services to attract drivers to its "i" electric-car lineup, including occasional use of fuel-powered models.... Read More »

 

Automotive News PACE Awards

Continental, Federal-Mogul lead PACE Award winners

9:30 pm U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
Suppliers Continental Automotive Systems and Federal-Mogul Corp. led the field of winners by picking up two Automotive News PACE Awards each on Monday night. The 19th annual awards honor outstanding innovations from suppliers.... Read More »

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Used-car shoppers want it all online

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
Dealers should post rich information online to sell used vehicles, not just new ones, according to respondents in a new study by J.D Power and Associates.... Read More »

 

EDITORIAL

Let consumers pick technology winners, losers

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
It is inefficient -- and wrong -- for government to use taxpayer dollars to pick winners or, in Fisker's case, losers. In a market economy, it is the consumer who decides.... Read More »

 

KEITH CRAIN

Engineering matters more than ever

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
This week, SAE International has its annual congress and exhibition in Detroit to share the challenges and triumphs in vehicle engineering. It's always an interesting and exciting time when hundreds of technical papers about emerging technologies are delivered in just a few short days Keith Crain is editor-in-chief of Automotive News.... Read More »

 

Ford video library lets buyers control training

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
Ford has amassed a library of about 150 videos, 30 to 60 seconds long, explaining Ford and Lincoln features such as MyKey, Blind Spot Monitoring and Active Park Assist.... Read More »

 

DAN SELKE

SAE looks at technical aspects of driver distraction

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
For almost two years now, SAE members, along with numerous automakers, suppliers, academicians, institutes, consortia, etc., have been very much involved in helping to define exactly what the issues are concerning driver distraction Dan Selke, an auto engineer in Montvale, N.J., is chairman of the SAE Safety & Human Factors Steering Committee.... Read More »

 

DAVID BARKHOLZ

If Uncle Rich made me store Internet boss

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
In the fast-changing world of digital auto marketing, it's challenging for a dealer to separate important sales tactics from the clutter. Permit me to summarize what dealers say will work in digital marketing David Barkholz is a reporter for Automotive News.... Read More »

 

PRODUCTION LINE

Feds' goal: Daily drivers fueled by natural gas

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
Natural gas -- clean, cheap and plentiful -- fuels a small but growing fleet of 150,000 commercial vehicles in the United States. Now, the U.S. Department of Energy wants to see whether natural gas can be a practical fuel for light vehicles.... Read More »

 

PRODUCTION LINE

Hyundai seeks tech cred from fuel cells

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
Hyundai Motor Co. wants to transform itself from a fast follower to a global pacesetter in automotive technology as the erstwhile bargain brand moves upscale. As part of its image overhaul, Hyundai wants to claim industry leadership in hydrogen fuel cells.... Read More »

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Social media aid Visteon design

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
Visteon Corp. is using social media-style software to share part designs with potential customers and employees, a process it says will help speed new products to market.... Read More »