Search Results

Engineering at the new NVH frontier Electrification brings new benchmarks, tools and challenges to the ongoing battle with noise, vibration and harshness. Hydrogen storage in a box! Cylindrical tanks no longer are the only solution for storing high-pressure hydrogen gas. The future is looking decidedly square - and better for vehicle range and packaging. A connected approach to auxiliary battery control An 'intelligent' systems strategy ensures that an electrified vehicle's auxiliary battery has enough energy to meet basic loads, whether the vehicle is running or in park. Editorial The gas-station paradigm for EV charging Supplier Eye Electrification brings supplier value closer to home New Chinese EV feature ASSB tech Battery- and chip-analysis companies join to chop production time Setting guideposts for product liability and ethics in AI Lincoln unveils redesigned 2024 Nautilus SUV 2025 Ram 1500 REV offers class-leading big battery Product Briefs Spotlight: Noise & Vibration Tech

Steel sector aids sustainability Volvo Group partners with SSAB on 'green steel' for off-highway machines and with Ovako for access to fossil-free hydrogen. CV autonomy: Picking the 'low-hanging fruit' Increasingly automated commercial vehicles offer challenges and opportunities in simulation, data management and standardization. Developing EV-specific lubes As electric-vehicle technology accelerates, dedicated e-fluids are necessary to maintain proper levels of drivetrain performance. Editorial Real-world emphasis on electric Mahle, Liebherr develop active pre-chamber for hydrogen ICE ABS ramps up commercial-vehicle battery-pack assembly Navistar updates A26 engine, improves FE by 4% Bosch debuts new CV-specific electric motor and inverter Western Star adds 'weight sensitive' 47X to vocational lineup Hyundai CE launches next-gen electric forklift Q&A Mahle's Laurent Art discusses thermal-management challenges, solutions for battery and fuel-cell electric commercial vehicles.

High on hydrogen Through its Symbio joint venture with Michelin, Faurecia expands far beyond its interior-systems base into the fuel-cell future. Simulating a faster route to ADAS and AV validation With its new cloud-based Simphera platform, dSpace responds to demand from global automated-vehicle development teams to help manage their expanding, complex workload. Innovating the methanol fuel cell Using methanol as the source fuel provides an alternative to a gaseous-hydrogen distribution and storage infrastructure, among other potential benefits. Engineering the 2022 Toyota Tundra Chief Engineer Mike Sweers talks structure, materials and a different approach to hybrid power.

Engineering the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette The eighth-gen (C8) Corvette is a creative mix of novel and traditional technical solutions - unleashed at a shockingly low base price. Stuck on structural adhesives As the need for lighter materials and enhanced body performance intensifies, structural adhesives flourish as a materials-joining solution. Rethinking ADAS materials New specialized thermoplastics offer greater design freedom to improve sensor performance and packaging, at reduced cost. Inside VW's expanding Silicon Valley lab The pioneering California innovation hub enters its third decade on a new wave of innovation.

New dawn at Honda R&D President Yoshiyuki Matsumoto aims to invigorate Honda's technology and product-development organization with 'full soul.' Automated driving meets regulation: NHTSA and the next 50 years The challenges and opportunities on the road to 'zero deaths' demand a new level of federal automotive safety technical standards, and a new safety-defect reporting and recall system. NHTSA and the U.S. Congress must act boldly and quickly to make it happen. Autonomous driving meets regulation: Hands off, eyes off, brain off Euro NCAP'S president warns that without coherent policies, the growing availability of automated technologies may result in piecemeal technology development-and unintentional consequences. Designer yin meets engineer yang Efficient and effective vehicle development means even closer collaboration between the two former sparring partners.

Hard to answer Technical and personal issues make it challenging to link smartphones to vehicles. New OGeco hybrid transmission is a space-saver Finding space for an electric motor, battery, and all the controls that go with them while still providing sufficient 5-passenger cabin room and trunk/luggage capacity is a challenge. Mazda enters subcompact crossover segment Mazda dove into the burgeoning market for subcompact crossover SUVs with the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show introduction of the CX-3, a stylish new tall wagon built on the platform of the new Mazda2/Demio.

Simulation helps manage change in aircraft manufacturing Commercial aircraft demand is up even while sequestration and other forces are forcing scale-backs in defense-related programs. From managing complex supply chains to improving scrap rates in casting, digital simulation is proving a valuable aid.

Powdered tires Researchers quantify several environmental benefits associated with using ultra-fine scrap tire rubber powders in virgin and recycled rubber and plastics compounds.

Saving space To address packaging constraints in off-highway equipment, engineers developed a fuel vaporizer catalyst that makes for a more compact aftertreatment system. Steering toward safety A look at new technology concepts to overcome design issues inherent in adapting steering angle for heavy-duty applications. A fluid performance Researchers have developed a procedure to measure a fluid's effect on the degree to which mechanical power is efficiently converted to hydraulic power in pumps typical of off-highway applications.

Why Volt? After 48 months' development, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt has enetered series production. The pioneering "E-REV" is as important to the mobility industry as it is to GM. Creating the heart of Volt GM's battery requirements meant creating new state-of-the-art in-vehicle engery storage - and doing it in less than four years. Top GM and supplier engineers reveal how they did it. Engineering with maniacal focus A dedicated, cohesive team and a conservative engineering approach put this innovative vehicle into production at moon-shot speed. A unique electrified transaxle Hybrid or not? Definitions aside, what really matters is GM wisely leveraged its next-generation Two Mode propulsion technology to give Volt greater overall efficiency. Sweating the body details Extensive wind-tunnel work gave Volt a shape that's slicker than it looks. But engineers aren't happy with the curb weight.

A winning iQ SAE members voted Toyota's new microcar the Best Engineering Vehicle for 2009. The iQ shows its smarts with brilliant packaging, city-friendly efficiency, and superb overall execution. Diesel or gasoline hybrids? As the global financial crisis deepens, companies must hone their R&D programs and attempt to choose winning technologies with the European OEMs, in particular, debating their hybrid strategies. Engine upgrade With displacements headed downward but output expectations undiminished, evolving sensor technologies and strategies are helping to give a boost to engine performance, efficiency, and emissions. Smooth riding ahead Integration and continuous development are the key words as chassis dynamics head into this century's second decade. Building in smarter materials Technologies that can automatically respond to changing conditions are expected to show up increasingly in future automobiles.

Consumed by changes Reprogramming becomes the focus of engineers as radios become multifunction head units integrating many infotainment functions. Design insiders Packaging, comfort, 'premiumness,' and quality are keywords in the vocabulary of car interior designers, but significant changes to interior structures could lead to a design revolution. Accident avoidance 2.0 OEMs and suppliers are going to great lengths to ensure the proper performance of their next generation of active safety products. Automotive policy goes to the polls Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama stake out different positions on issues affecting the automotive industry and future vehicle engineering. Mitsubishi i MiEC Instead of focusing on hybrid propulsion, the company is hoping to be a leader in all-electric vehicles by readying a minicar for 2010 launch. Tato Nano The Indian automaker intends to overcome obstacles and deliver on its promise of a $2500 all-weather, safe family car.

Motors play an important EV roles Though lithium-ion batteries grab much of the spotlight, improved electric motor technology is crucial in advancing the operation of battery, hybrid, and plug-in electric vehicles. The quality race continues As end-user expectations continue to rise, and pressure on engineering and manufacturing processes spiral, AEI's European Editor interviewed a number of OEM executives for their thoughts on quality and strategies for better vehicles. The real world Convergence 2008 will place emphasis on the challenges of determining and meeting customer needs in creating better electronic systems. A new generation of engine efficiency New technologies help to maximize fuel efficiency, reduce emissions, and deliver market-pleasing performance.

Cadillac CTS GM's all-new global sports sedan makes no excuses in chassis dynamics, body integrity, powertrain performance, premium materials, and overall craftsmanship. Taking control of hybrids Software must monitor and manage many parameters while coordinating the complex operations of the engine, electric motors, and batteries. LIghter, faster, lower cost Ducati's top engineer brought a "maniacal" approach to developing the 1098 superbike. Diesels' brave new year Lean-NOx catalysts, closed-loop cylinder pressure sensing, and homogenous combustion are making "50-states" diesels a reailty. Behind the curtain AEI takes an in-depth look at how the designers and engineers at General Motors took the company's trio of new crossover SUVs from sketchbook to road. Engineering from everywhere With future growth in car and truck sales coming mainly from emerging markets, companies are realigning their engineering operations accordingly.

Taking control of safety As the debate rages on about allowing cars to intervene with functions such as braking or steering in critical situations, automakers and suppliers are continuing development, but many challenges remain. Power to the hybrids Many facets of drivetrain control prompt developments in power storage, systems, and components. Working together The European industry's leading designers and engineers ponder the shape of things to come. Beautiful engineering Though more and more technology will make its way into cars in the future, it must be successfully integrated into vehicle designs with more customer appeal. The designers Despite constraints such as government regulation and an aging society, designers have room enough to exercise imagination for innovative and stylish solutions.

Drivetrains: Challenging the design philosophy A researcher from the Southwest Research Institute focuses on one of the most immediate and dramatic changes of powertrain design: the introduction of CVTs. Elastohydrodynamic lubricants for CVTs In metal-to-metal continously variable transmissions, EHLs momentarily become part of the machinery, allowing for a much higher traction coefficient than is possible with hydrodynamic fluids. Hybrid vehicle dynamics Toyota engineers combined electronic control of the Estima minivan's breaking and driving functions to create its new Vehicle Dynamics Management system, resulting in improved environmental and vehicle performance. Jeep Commander 2 Chrysler Group engineers provide an inside look at one of the pioneering methanol fuel reforming fuel-cell concept vehicles. Improving SUV fuel economy Delphi is pursuing a strategy of engine shutdown and adding torque from an electric motor with its new 42-V integrated starter-generator.

Frankfurt Motor Show The art of automotive product packaging is a complex, multifunctional design and engineering discipline that has led to cars with relatively small overall dimesnions yet remarkable interior space. E-volutions As the movement to improve various supply-chain functions through the implementation of e-business initiatives gains momentum, the providers of the products and services that make the benefits possible are becoming more important to the automotive industry's future. Automakers going digital A math-based, vehicle-devleopment-process strategy has helped General Motors to achieve greater engineering capability, efficiency, and quality. A more redefined Ram Chrysler Group engineers have employed the use of hydroforming, new airbag technology, and aerodynamics, among other things, to improve the design, ride, and safety of the Dodge Ram 1500 for model year 2002.