Information Technology

Toyota seeks breakthrough in reworked cars
April 22The relatively low-volume Avalon and Corolla hatchback offer a preview of stablemates that are more critical for Toyota North America: the reworked Lexus ES, which will debut this week in Beijing, and the coming Corolla sedan.
Toyota goes out on a limb with V2V technology
April 23Toyota is hoping to break an awkward silence in the discussion over getting vehicles to talk to one another.

Tesla's key statistic in Autopilot defense comes under scrutiny
April 18Tesla's ardent defense of its Autopilot system is getting heat from safety advocates who question a key data point the company has been citing to plead its case.

GM offers in-dash fuel payments in 3-city pilot program
April 18The feature is being piloted in roughly 1 million Chevrolet vehicles at select Shell stations in the Detroit, Seattle and Houston metropolitan areas.

Toyota readies 'talking' vehicles for 2021
April 16Toyota plans to start selling U.S. vehicles that can talk to each other using short-range wireless technology in 2021, potentially preventing thousands of accidents annually.

American Center for Mobility opening in Michigan touted as crucial for autonomous future
April 5The American Center for Mobility, a crucial test ground in Michigan for autonomous vehicle technology, held its formal grand opening amid questions about the future safety of self-driving vehicles.

OnStar rebranding efforts put safety first
March 26GM plans to relaunch the OnStar brand in a national ad campaign, directing focus back to safety and security from connectivity. This is the first national marketing campaign for OnStar in six years.
Ford device links older vehicles to smartphones
March 22After a one-year delay, Ford Motor Co. has begun to offer a plug-in device that lets owners of older Fords use their smartphone to start, lock and unlock the vehicle, as well as other functions.

Feds reject CDK's purchase of Auto/Mate
March 20CDK Global's planned acquisition of Auto/Mate, a smaller provider of dealership management systems, has been blocked by the Federal Trade Commission. The move would have bolstered CDK's positioning at the lower end of the DMS market and removed a smaller rival.

Ford set to replace 75% of N.A. lineup in 2 years
March 15Ford says it aims to supplant Toyota as the top seller of hybrid vehicles in the United States in three years as part of a dramatic reshaping of its lineup to focus heavily on utility vehicles and pickups. The automaker plans to replace more than 75 percent of its North American lineup and add four nameplates within the next two years.

Texting repair info boosts sales, satisfaction
March 19Audi of Wallingford in Connecticut uses a Web-based application that allows its service advisers to text repair updates, videos and files to customers, increasing sales and customer satisfaction.
SXSW: A weird place to talk tech?
March 5The arts and culture festival is where lots of business leaders come to talk about the future.