Automotive news

Engineering

Tunnel tests track large supercooled water droplets that can reach beyond current aircraft ice protection

NASA is leveraging its expertise and enhancing its test facilities to help address a rare but persistent aviation hazard: icing that occurs when aircraft encounter unusually large, very cold water droplets in clouds.

Energy & Green Tech

Tires instead of a plug: Electric buses that charge during operation

From the street straight into the battery: Researchers have developed a wireless charging system that charges electric buses via their wheels at bus stops. This technology is expected to significantly reduce the costs of ...

Engineering

NASA model wing lights up during first pressure sensitive paint tests

Tests at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, are paving the way for new wind tunnel capabilities for designing the aircraft technologies of the future.

Robotics

How should automated vehicles interact with pedestrians?

How do pedestrians react when they encounter an automated vehicle on the street? Does the interaction feel safe and comfortable, and does it make a difference whether the vehicle is operating autonomously, is driven by a ...

Consumer & Gadgets

The electric car myths Australians can't shake

Electric cars are dangerous, bad for the environment and impossible to use in the outback. These are just some of the claims circulating among Australians skeptical of the switch to EVs, new research finds.

Automotive

Would a 50 mph motorway speed limit really save much fuel?

Imagine entering the highway in the near future and seeing a 50 mph (80 kilometers per hour) speed limit sign, but no road construction, no accident and no obvious reason to slow down. This time, the aim is to save fuel.

Automotive

NASA modernizes commercial airline systems

NASA researchers know that when you settle into your seat on a commercial flight, you expect a smooth takeoff, views over the clouds, a steady descent and, hopefully, an early arrival.

Automotive

Teaching radar to read motion in traffic scenes

Autonomous vehicles and robots need to understand not only what is around them, but how objects and people are moving. A cyclist crossing the road, a car slowing down, a pedestrian stepping off the curb, and a parked vehicle ...

Robotics

Simple visual patterns can trick AI-powered vehicles and robots

A simple pattern of black-and-white stripes could cause an autonomous vehicle or robot to misjudge how far away an obstacle is, potentially triggering an unexpected maneuver or even a collision, according to new University ...

Automotive

A new AI framework could help cities plan for future traffic

Traffic jams are usually treated as a problem to be measured after they form. Anton Rozhkov and his colleagues are exploring a different approach: giving planners state-of-the-art tools that can anticipate congestion, locate ...

Automotive

High-speed, low-light conditions tied to unbuckled driving

Drivers who don't wear their seat belts were found to do so in situations when seat belts would help the most, according to a new study by researchers at the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit. The analysis found that situations such ...

Automotive

Rivian R2 vs. Tesla Model Y: An electric SUV showdown

The Tesla Model Y has been the sales king of small electric SUVs since the moment it arrived. Many rivals have chased its success, but none have come close. Now it's Rivian's turn. The Rivian R2 is the California EV automaker's ...

Automotive

Virginia's Smart Airspace network lands first flights

Virginia's Smart Airspace program reached new heights this summer when two advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft flew newly developed routes throughout central and southwest Virginia. The flights, performed by manufacturers ...

Energy & Green Tech

A holistic approach for equitable EV infrastructure development

A recent United Nations report announced that we will likely surpass the 1.5°C limit for global warming by 2030. Despite this news, we need to continue trying to eliminate fossil fuel emissions. Since the largest component ...

Automotive

US tariffs help push Jeep owner Stellantis into big loss

Jeep owner Stellantis said on Monday it suffered a massive loss in the first half of the year, when it felt the first impact of new US tariffs and took a massive charge following a change in US laws.

Automotive

Uber invests $300 mn in Lucid Motors in robotaxi push

Ride-hailing giant Uber announced Thursday it will acquire $300 million worth of shares in US electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors as part of an ambitious plan to build its own fleet of robotaxis.

Automotive

Through smartphone apps, AI can close road assessment gap

Dodging potholes is a familiar routine for drivers. But, behind every bump and crack in the pavement is a bigger issue: many communities lack the tools and data they need to maintain their roads effectively. Traditional pavement ...

Automotive

Volvo Cars swings into loss on electric vehicles, tariffs

Volvo Cars announced on Thursday it had swung into loss in the second quarter, after it took an impairment charge for its electric cars, booked restructuring charges and dealt with a slower, tariff-troubled market.

Automotive

Stellantis pulls plug on hydrogen fuel cell vans

Jeep-maker Stellantis said Wednesday it was pulling the plug on plans to build light vans using hydrogen fuel cells, saying it saw no prospects for it to be commercially viable.

Automotive

China's Baidu to deploy driverless cars on Uber

Chinese internet giant Baidu plans to launch its driverless cars on ride-hailing app Uber in Asia and the Middle East this year, the two companies said on Tuesday.

Automotive

Tesla marks India entry with first showroom

Tesla unveiled its first showroom in India on Tuesday, marking its entry into the world's most populous country, as Elon Musk's electric vehicle company seeks new customers amid sagging sales in the United States and Europe.

Automotive

X-59 model tested in Japanese supersonic wind tunnel

Researchers from NASA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recently tested a scale model of the X-59 experimental aircraft in a supersonic wind tunnel located in Chofu, Japan, to assess the noise audible underneath ...

Automotive

What the 'black box' can tell us about plane crashes

A preliminary finding into last month's Air India plane crash has suggested the aircraft's fuel control switches were turned off, starving the engines of fuel and causing a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff.

Automotive

Volkswagen US deliveries fall as Trump tariffs bite

Europe's largest automaker Volkswagen said Wednesday that sales into the United States had taken a hit, underscoring the impact of President Donald Trump's drastic trade measures.