https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/automotive-news/ en-us Tech Xplore covers the latest in car tech Travelers will soon face restrictions on how many portable chargers they can carry on a flight as airlines continue to try to reduce the risk of another lithium battery fire aboard their jets. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-limits-chargers-airlines.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:14:07 EDT news694840364 In tropical cities, afternoon thunderstorms can plunge entire neighborhoods into brief moments of darkness. When civil engineer Markus Schläpfer moved to Singapore a decade ago, he recognized these thunderstorms as an emerging engineering challenge. For cities that hope to run on solar energy, these short periods without strong sunlight could destabilize urban power grids and undermine reliability. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-electric-cars-tropical-cities-solar.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:00:05 EDT news694686121 A new study finds that the global shift to electric vehicles (EVs) could significantly reduce energy use and carbon emissions, but only if governments act aggressively to lower costs and align policies across regions. Published in Resources, Environment and Sustainability, the paper, "Future Changes in CO2 Emissions in the Shift to Electric Mobility in Countries With Varied Levels of Zero-Emission Vehicle Policies," examines how the pace and scale of EV adoption vary widely worldwide, shaped by policy strength, economic conditions and infrastructure readiness within each country. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-global-ev-transition-hinges-policy.html Business Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:30:01 EDT news694697161 A research team has developed a next-generation platinum-based catalyst that improves both activity and durability in hydrogen fuel cells. The study is published in Advanced Materials. The team was led by Professor Sang Uck Lee of the School of Chemical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, with Ph.D. candidate Jun Ho Seok as a co-first author and Dr. Sung Chan Cho, in collaboration with Professor Kwangyeol Lee's team at Korea University and Dr. Sung Jong Yoo's team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-fuel-cell-barriers-platinum-catalyst.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:40:01 EDT news694431421 In a study focused on New York City, MIT researchers have shown that existing sensors and mobile data can be used to generate a near real-time, high-resolution picture of auto emissions, which could be used to develop local transportation and decarbonization policies. The paper, "Ubiquitous Data-driven Framework for Traffic Emission Estimation and Policy Evaluation," is published in Nature Sustainability. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-traffic-emissions-block-real.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:03 EDT news694348321 Electric vehicles (EVs) could do more for our environment than simply replace gasoline. Published in Joule, a new assessment of EV charging strategies suggests that EVs could serve as a vast network of mobile batteries, storing excess energy and feeding it back into the grid when demand surges. This approach could ease grid strain, cut emissions, and create revenue—but only if gradually paired with timely grid upgrades. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-electric-vehicles-power.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:00:01 EDT news694252984 New research from the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) has found that lowering speed limits to 40 km/h on certain Victorian roads can significantly improve road safety, particularly for pedestrians. The findings provide evidence to guide potential further expansion of 40 km/h zones across the state. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-kmh-zones-pedestrian.html Automotive Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:50:01 EDT news694342192 Every day, more than 44,000 flights overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) take off and land nationwide, coordinated by people working out of airport traffic control towers (ATCTs). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-analysis-air-traffic-towers-grid.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:40:03 EDT news694258468 Some robotaxi passengers were left stranded in the middle of fast-moving traffic in a major Chinese city after their driverless vehicles stopped running, according to police and media reports on Wednesday. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-chinese-robotaxis-stall-apparent-malfunction.html Automotive Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:00:02 EDT news694236033 A new way of making sustainable aviation fuel that could cut the reliance on used cooking oil as a feedstock has been developed by a team of engineers led by the University of Sheffield. The new technique captures CO2 from the air, combines it with hydrogen, and then heats it using concentrated solar energy to produce the fuel. For their study published in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers used comprehensive computer modeling and simulation to understand how and where this first-of-a-kind technology could function at an industrial scale. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-solar-energy-key-sustainable-aviation.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:20:03 EDT news694177852 A new study on how runners may choose to interact with self-driving cars is challenging assumptions on how automated vehicles will navigate safely on the roads of the future. Researchers at the University of Glasgow and KAIST in South Korea led the study, which used augmented reality tech to explore for the first time how runners' behavior differs from walkers when they are crossing roads and junctions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-cars-roads-safely-runners-reveals.html Automotive Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:00:07 EDT news694169207 Whether it's a fire or a flood, a ship's crew can only rely on itself and its training in emergencies at sea. The same is true for crews facing digital threats on oil tankers, cargo ships, and other commercial vessels. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-gaps-impacting-maritime-cybersecurity-readiness.html Security Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:10:01 EDT news694071925 A new battery design that could significantly extend the range of electric vehicles and the lifespan of portable electronics has been developed by researchers at the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute (ATI). In a study published in ACS Applied Energy Materials, researchers introduce a novel lithium-ion battery anode that delivers some of the highest energy storage capacities reported for silicon–carbon nanotube systems, while maintaining stability over hundreds of charge cycles. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-lithium-ion-battery-power-longer.html Energy & Green Tech Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:00:20 EDT news693754399 Researchers from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion, or FCAAP, are helping to solve a safety challenge in military aviation: the extreme noise generated by supersonic jets during takeoff and landing. The research, published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, demonstrates a new model for understanding how supersonic jets of air collide with the ground or other structures to create a resonant feedback loop that produces extreme noise that can reach dangerous volume levels. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-mach-reveal-noise-feedback-loops.html Engineering Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:00:01 EDT news693673081 Driven by AI, the advent of autonomous mobility has accelerated in recent years. It has advantages that go beyond the asphalt. One of the first test drives of an autonomous vehicle in a public area took place on an EPFL campus in the early 2010s. That's when a self-driving shuttle bus—with a student onboard just in case—traveled a few hundred meters on a course set up around the Rolex Learning Center at a speed capped at a few kilometers per hour. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-cars-socially-intelligent.html Automotive Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:30:01 EDT news693660481 Putting more electric cars on the road doesn't just benefit those with enough money to buy the often-pricey vehicles, it also pushes down prices at the gas pump while strengthening U.S. energy security, according to new research from Georgia Tech's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-evs-generate-widespread-economic-benefits.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:40:03 EDT news693652937 Autonomous vehicles (AVs), which already operate on the roads of several major U.S. cities and in countries worldwide, are expected to play a large role in shaping the future of cities. In a new study, researchers have investigated how AVs may change travel patterns during morning commutes and affect parking in business districts. By providing insights into the changes associated with parking and traffic congestion as the use of AVs rises, the study, published in Management Science, can inform urban planning efforts. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-autonomous-vehicles-morning-commutes.html Automotive Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:30:01 EDT news693580952 Scientists at the University of Sharjah have developed a new machine learning model capable of predicting whether a driver is likely to be involved in an accident before getting behind the wheel. Road accidents are frequently linked to human error, yet traditional driver screening methods, particularly in the taxi and commercial transport sectors, tend to rely heavily on experience and background checks. According to the researchers, these criteria often fall short of predicting who may pose a higher risk on the road. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ai-flag-high-motorists-road.html Automotive Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:40:01 EDT news693484458 Electric vehicles (EVs) can effectively serve as mobile batteries that provide energy to the power grid when not being driven, improving the reliability of the grid, serving as a source of backup power and potentially reducing energy and EV ownership costs. So why have so few places adopted the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) model? A new study details the barriers to V2G adoption and outlines possible paths forward for this technology. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-electric-cars-power-grids-reliable.html Energy & Green Tech Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:30:01 EDT news693133307 A recent breakthrough in electrode technology addresses one of the key limitations of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries—namely, their relatively short driving distance. Researchers from UNIST, in collaboration with Sookmyung Women's University and Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), have developed an advanced cathode with significantly increased active material loading, paving the way for longer-lasting electric vehicles. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-high-lfp-cathodes-potential-electric.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:00:04 EDT news693150661 Federal auto regulators have escalated a probe of Tesla after several of its cars crashed while using its self-driving feature, just as CEO Elon Musk prepares to roll out a new model with no steering wheel or pedals. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-tesla-cars-mode-poor-conditions.html Automotive Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:00:19 EDT news693147227 Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am is putting artificial intelligence agents to work in three-wheel vehicles tailored for modern urban life. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-music-popstar-william-meshes-ai.html Automotive Thu, 19 Mar 2026 06:00:08 EDT news693117430 Researchers are developing satellite links that bring clear, real-time radio and data connections to flights over oceans, helping air traffic controllers keep routes safer and more efficient. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ocean-dead-zones-skies.html Telecom Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:10:06 EDT news693058414 Soaring petrol prices are once again making many Australians think seriously about switching to an electric vehicle. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-electric-vehicles-youre-ev.html Automotive Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:30:05 EDT news693048061 NASA's X-59 experimental aircraft is preparing for its second flight, a step that will set the pace for more flight testing in 2026. Over the coming months, NASA will take the quiet supersonic jet faster and higher, while validating safety and performance, a process known as envelope expansion. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-nasa-flight.html Automotive Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:50:05 EDT news693046007 Urban congestion is a big problem in our cities. It leads to commuter delays and economic inefficiency. More tragically, though, it leads to a million deaths annually worldwide. Research appearing in the International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems shows how artificial intelligence (AI) might be able to carry out real-time traffic forecasting and provide a way for the authorities to manage our road networks better. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-hybrid-ai-combines-graphs-real.html Automotive Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:20:01 EDT news692979551 Canada recently signed a new trade agreement with China, reducing tariffs on up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) each year. By 2030, half of these imported vehicles are anticipated to be "affordable EVs" costing less than $35,000. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-electric-car-flames-solidstate-battery.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:10:06 EDT news692971681 As self-driving cars begin operating in cities, a question remains about how to make them work in rural areas with limited telecommunications infrastructure. New research from Washington State University suggests a potential answer, demonstrating that a small, affordable computer running a compressed large-language model may be an effective decision-maker for autonomous vehicles. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-small-edge-cars-rural-areas.html Automotive Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:40:01 EDT news692951942 Digital transport technology is catching on, from apps that let you buy train tickets with a single swipe to sophisticated car-sharing systems. They may be easy to use, but such transport services often mask an array of complex technical, financial, and public-policy decisions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-digital-apps-conceal-layers-technical.html Business Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:40:05 EDT news692874032 The first races under Formula 1's new regulations delivered exactly what the sport's rule-makers had hoped for: more overtaking. At the recent Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, passes on track nearly tripled compared with the previous year. At the Chinese Grand Prix over the weekend, the increase was less extreme, but still noticeable. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-formula-sustainability-won.html Automotive Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:00:05 EDT news692884321