https://techxplore.com/automotive-news/ en-us Tech Xplore covers the latest in car tech Developing vehicles that can operate safely without a human driver has been a key goal of many teams in the AI research community. As only testing autonomous vehicles on real streets would be both unsafe and unfeasible, their underlying algorithms are first trained and tested extensively in simulations. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-12-method-scene-reconstruction-autonomous.html Automotive Wed, 11 Dec 2024 08:30:02 EST news653071749 The batteries of electric vehicles subject to the normal use of real world drivers—like heavy traffic, long highway trips, short city trips, and mostly being parked—could last about a third longer than researchers have generally forecast, according to a new study by scientists working at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center, a joint center between Stanford University's Precourt Institute for Energy and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-12-ev-batteries-longer.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 09 Dec 2024 05:00:02 EST news652701716 Train delays are not only a common frustration for passengers but can also lead to significant economic losses, especially when they cascade through the railway network. When a train is delayed, it often triggers a chain reaction, turning minor issues into widespread delays across the system. This can be costly. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-12-weak-network-based-method-delay.html Computer Sciences Mon, 09 Dec 2024 05:00:02 EST news652696021 How can vehicle emissions be reduced without necessarily having to change cars? A new monitoring system, developed by Politecnico di Milano and described in a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, offers a concrete answer that makes sustainable mobility accessible to all. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-12-cities-emissions-older-vehicles.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 05 Dec 2024 15:17:04 EST news652634222 Anyone who has ever ridden a city bus knows that it can be a bumpy ride. Now, a team of researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has measured just how bumpy it is, potentially paving the way for more comfortable public transport. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-12-smoother-vibrations-city-buses-uncomfortable.html Engineering Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:06:46 EST news652622796 Car design is an iterative and proprietary process. Carmakers can spend several years on the design phase for a car, tweaking 3D forms in simulations before building out the most promising designs for physical testing. The details and specs of these tests, including the aerodynamics of a given car design, are typically not made public. Significant advances in performance, such as in fuel efficiency or electric vehicle range, can therefore be slow and siloed from company to company. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-12-car-future.html Automotive Thu, 05 Dec 2024 11:43:05 EST news652621382 Three-dimensional object detection is crucial for autonomous vehicles. It utilizes point cloud data generated by LiDAR to help autonomous vehicles identify surrounding objects. This technology is essential for the safety and efficiency of autonomous driving. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-12-cloud-method-small-autonomous-vehicles.html Automotive Wed, 04 Dec 2024 10:14:19 EST news652529648 Devices called encoders, located inside the sensors on autonomous cars, convert motion and other information acquired on the road into electrical signals that can then be used as feedback for the software running the vehicle to make informed decisions. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-12-autonomous-vehicle-safety-prefixer-sensor.html Hardware Mon, 02 Dec 2024 13:38:55 EST news652369124 Monash University engineers have developed an ultra-fast charging lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery, capable of powering long-haul EVs and commercial drones. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-11-ultra-fast-lithium-sulfur-battery.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 25 Nov 2024 16:59:04 EST news651776342 Electric vehicles will now be able to go from zero battery power to an 80% charge thanks to researchers at the University of Waterloo who made a breakthrough in lithium-ion battery design to enable this extremely fast 15-minute charging. It is much faster than the current industry standard of nearly an hour, even at fast-charging stations. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-11-extremely-fast-battery-technology-evs.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 21 Nov 2024 11:31:03 EST news651411061 Over the past decades, electronics and biomedical engineers have developed increasingly sophisticated biosensors, devices that can pick up biological signals from human users. These sensors, which are generally embedded in wearable or implantable technologies, often do not perform as well in settings where users are moving a lot, such as within a vehicle. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-11-seatbelt-biosensor-reliably-track-stress.html Electronics & Semiconductors Sun, 17 Nov 2024 08:40:02 EST news650738446 Scientists claim to have developed an artificial intelligence tool to consolidate the privacy of vehicles and their drivers. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-11-ai-based-authentication-scheme-safeguard.html Security Mon, 11 Nov 2024 10:03:04 EST news650541782 Scientists at TU Delft have developed a new model that better describes human behavior when merging into motorway traffic. Current models often assume that drivers are constantly trying to optimize their behavior to reach their destination as quickly and safely as possible, but this is not always the case, says postdoctoral researcher Olger Siebinga. The new model gives more insight into human interactions on the motorway and can be used to improve autonomous cars. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-11-human-merge-unveiled-cars.html Engineering Tue, 05 Nov 2024 15:31:29 EST news650043083 Despite ongoing efforts to curb CO2 emissions with electric and hybrid vehicles, other forms of transportation remain significant contributors of greenhouse gases. To address this issue, old technologies are being revamped to make them greener, such as the reintroduction of sailing vessels in shipping and new uses for hydrogen in aviation. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering have used computer modeling to study the feasibility and challenges of hydrogen-powered aviation. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-11-fueling-greener-aviation-hydrogen-explores.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:19:03 EDT news649675141 Retrofitting a portion of the US shipping fleet from internal combustion engines to battery-electric systems could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be largely cost effective by 2035, according to a new study from Berkeley Lab researchers recently published in Nature Energy. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-electrifying-ships-effective.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:53:03 EDT news649518781 Blindly following GPS navigation can lead to difficult situations on the road. A research team has analyzed such incidents and is in favor of delegating more personal responsibility to drivers. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-gps-traffic-chaos-personal-responsibility.html Computer Sciences Tue, 29 Oct 2024 12:02:04 EDT news649422121 Taking inspiration from bird feathers, Princeton engineers have found that adding rows of flaps to a remote-controlled aircraft's wings improves flight performance and helps prevent stalling, a condition that can jeopardize a plane's ability to stay aloft. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-bird-wings-approach-flight-safety.html Engineering Mon, 28 Oct 2024 15:00:01 EDT news649322821 Lithium-sulfur batteries have never lived up to their potential as the next generation of renewable batteries for electric vehicles and other devices. But SMU mechanical engineer Donghai Wang and his research team have found a way to make these Li-S batteries last longer—with higher energy levels—than existing renewable batteries. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-hybrid-polymer-network-cathode-key.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 24 Oct 2024 11:38:59 EDT news648988736 Thanks to a technique developed by researchers at NC State University, autonomous vehicles might one day be able to navigate the roadways much better. The technique allows artificial intelligence programs to more accurately map three-dimensional spaces using two-dimensional images. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-technique-cars.html Automotive Wed, 16 Oct 2024 16:01:39 EDT news648313288 A new study from the University of Toronto's Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering suggests that large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could lead to significant population-level health benefits. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-reveals-large-scale-electric-vehicles.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 15 Oct 2024 17:03:04 EDT news648230581 In the high-stakes world of aviation, a pilot's ability to perform under stress can mean the difference between a safe flight and disaster. Comprehensive and precise training is crucial to equip pilots with the skills needed to handle these challenging situations. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-tool-mental-workload-augmented-reality.html Automotive Tue, 15 Oct 2024 15:28:20 EDT news648224893 In nature, flying animals sense coming changes in their surroundings, including the onset of sudden turbulence, and quickly adjust to stay safe. Engineers who design aircraft would like to give their vehicles the same ability to predict incoming disturbances and respond appropriately. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-ai-vehicles-adjust-extreme-turbulence.html Automotive Mon, 14 Oct 2024 16:24:04 EDT news648141841 Elon Musk on Thursday unveiled what he said was a robotaxi capable of self-driving, predicting it would be available by 2027—about a decade after he first promised an autonomous vehicle. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-tesla-cybercab-elon-musk-unveils.html Automotive Fri, 11 Oct 2024 02:18:57 EDT news647831792 Hydrogen-burning internal combustion engines offer great promise in the fight against climate change because they are powerful without emitting any earth-warming carbon. They can power heavy-duty trucks and buses and are suited for off-road and agricultural equipment and backup power generators, providing cleaner alternatives to diesel engines. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-scientists-catalytic-efficiency-pollution-hydrogen.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:50:03 EDT news647797801 Made from renewable materials like biomass and agricultural waste, sustainable aviation fuel has enormous potential to decarbonize the aviation industry. But widespread adoption has yet to take off. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-technology-wastewater-sustainable-aviation-fuel.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 10 Oct 2024 07:46:35 EDT news647765182 Vehicle electrification is an important pathway to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. The supply chain for electric vehicle battery materials relies heavily on China, a dependency that can leave the US vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and geopolitical shifts. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers meaningful incentives for building batteries in the US and diversifying the supply chain, but some loopholes exist. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-industrial-policy-ev-battery-chain.html Business Mon, 07 Oct 2024 16:34:03 EDT news647537641 Researchers at McGill University have made a significant advance in the development of all-solid-state lithium batteries, which are being pursued as the next step in electric vehicle (EV) battery technology. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-key-barrier-safer-efficient-ev.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 02 Oct 2024 11:15:03 EDT news647086501 Hydrogen is often seen as the fuel of the future on account of its zero-emission and high gravimetric energy density, meaning it stores more energy per unit of mass compared to gasoline. Its low volumetric density, however, means it takes up a large amount of space, posing challenges for efficient storage and transport. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-09-supramolecular-crystals-high-hydrogen-storage.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 27 Sep 2024 09:50:01 EDT news646649059 Washington State University scientists successfully tested a new way to produce sustainable jet fuel from lignin-based agricultural waste. Published in the journal Fuel Processing Technology, the team's research demonstrated a continuous process that directly converts lignin polymers, one of the chief components of plant cells, into a form of jet fuel that could help improve performance of sustainably produced aviation fuels. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-09-reaction-sustainable-aviation-fuel.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 26 Sep 2024 12:53:19 EDT news646573994 A major advancement in structural adhesives for the automotive industry has been developed by researchers at Nagoya University. This next-generation adhesive promises to revolutionize material bonding by offering unprecedented impact strength—22 times higher than traditional epoxy-based adhesives that do not incorporate any rubbery additives. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-09-adhesive-elastomer-lighter-carbon-efficient.html Engineering Wed, 25 Sep 2024 10:36:39 EDT news646479396