https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/automotive-news/ en-us Tech Xplore covers the latest in car tech 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 first small electric SUV, and it's gunning for the Model Y. Rivian's R1T truck and larger R1S SUV are excellent EVs, but their $80,000-ish price tags put them out of reach for most shoppers. At a starting price of about $45,000, the R2 is finally a Rivian many Americans can afford. To help you decide, Edmunds compared these two head-to-head to find out which is the better buy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-rivian-r2-tesla-electric-suv.html Automotive Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:00:17 EDT news709388401 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 of Florida research. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-simple-visual-patterns-ai-powered.html Robotics Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:00:04 EDT news709372295 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 where it is most likely to emerge and translate complex traffic models into plain-language guidance. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-ai-framework-cities-future-traffic.html Automotive Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:20:02 EDT news709361942 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 as driving after sundown or at high speeds were more predictive of whether someone skipped a seat belt than demographics. The research is published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-high-conditions-unbuckled.html Automotive Wed, 23 Sep 2026 07:00:11 EDT news709358462 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 Electra and Textron Systems, marked the first demonstrations of the Virginia Tech-led Smart Airspace program, which is part of Virginia's Advanced Air Mobility Strategic Plan. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-virginia-smart-airspace-network-flights.html Automotive Tue, 22 Sep 2026 22:40:01 EDT news709290692 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 of household carbon footprints in Western countries is from private transportation, electrifying our vehicle fleet is a significant step we can take to reduce our fossil fuel dependence, but we need to ensure that we make this change as equitable as possible. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-holistic-approach-equitable-ev-infrastructure.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 22 Sep 2026 09:20:01 EDT news709286402 Five heavily used bikes could take the emissions from one fossil fuel-powered car off Vancouver's roads, according to Simon Fraser University researchers, who say expanding bike-share networks can play a big role in curbing emissions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-bike-big-dent-tailpipe-emissions.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 21 Sep 2026 15:40:15 EDT news709222861 Electric vehicles (EVs), including cars, buses and trains, could significantly reduce the substantial greenhouse gas emissions produced by the transportation sector. These vehicles' performance and reliability over time, however, depend largely on the batteries used to power them. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-real-world-ev-reveal-uneven.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:50:01 EDT news709205068 Carbon fiber is a key component in automobile manufacturing, aerospace engineering and energy infrastructure, but it mostly relies on petroleum-derived products, which can be expensive and contribute to carbon emissions. But what if carbon fiber were made of a free waste material and was as strong as—or even stronger than—petrochemical-based products? Engineers at Washington University in St. Louis are exploring that prospect in research recently published in the journal Matter. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-paper-production-stronger-carbon-car.html Engineering Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:20:04 EDT news708948901 A new analysis of U.S. electric vehicle sales projects that a record share of new vehicles sold in 2030 will be electric, despite recent steps by the federal government to remove incentives for their growth. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-vehicle-sales-evs.html Automotive Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:00:04 EDT news708940266 Deicing technologies often rely on heat to melt ice. But University of Texas at Dallas researchers have found that, under extreme cold, making ice even colder can weaken its grip on surfaces. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-colder-temps-aircraft-deicing.html Engineering Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:40:10 EDT news708784899 A passenger car contains far more materials than its weight alone would suggest. Beyond the steel and aluminum are small amounts of gold, palladium and molybdenum—elements that can become highly significant when resource scarcity is assessed. In his doctoral thesis, Felipe B. Oliveira mapped the material composition of cars and examined why the level of detail in material data matters for what a life cycle assessment can tell us. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-material-composition-cars-resource-impact.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 14 Sep 2026 20:20:01 EDT news708611798 Joshua Kijape eases his motorcycle through the tall grass, listening for movement in the bush. There is no engine rumble, no exhaust and little warning for anything ahead. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-electric-mobility-africa-energy-transition.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 14 Sep 2026 03:52:37 EDT news708576733 Every time a traveler's phone pings a cell tower, it leaves a tiny digital footprint. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-cellphone-airports.html Telecom Fri, 11 Sep 2026 07:20:05 EDT news708328802 Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), UAE technology company K2 and autonomous systems specialist Alp Autonomy have won the world's first multi-car autonomous race held in Europe after their joint entry, Team Kinetiz, took first place at Italy's Imola Circuit on Sept. 5. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-driverless-cars-wheel-europe.html Software Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:40:09 EDT news708276661 Turbulence can make a flight unpleasant or, in severe cases, dangerous. A turbulence avoidance tool created by researchers at the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) is making flights safer by providing pilots with information that can help them avoid turbulence in real time. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-takeoff-smoother-skies-turbulence-tool.html Software Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:00:09 EDT news708272941 Autonomous vehicles and robots need to understand a world that is constantly moving. Vehicles change lanes, pedestrians cross streets, and the roadscape can shift from one moment to the next. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-ai-framework-generates-realistic-4d.html Automotive Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:20:09 EDT news708262921 For a pedestrian, the decision to cross a busy road often involves a distinct moment of human connection—an exchange of subtle cues with drivers, such as eye contact or a hand wave, to judge whether it is safe to proceed. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-audio-tones-automated-vehicles-communicate.html Automotive Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:20:04 EDT news708248821 Africa's imports of electric motorcycles and three-wheelers from China rose sharply in the first half of 2026, an increase that highlights a divide in the continent's transition to electric vehicles. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-chinese-electric-bike-imports-surge.html Automotive Thu, 10 Sep 2026 04:10:01 EDT news708230878 British air travelers faced more misery Wednesday, with nearly 300 flights scrapped across the country, as Britain's air traffic control service scrambled to recover from a technical glitch that it ruled out as a cyberattack. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-cyberattack-uk-air-traffic-glitch.html Automotive Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:00:08 EDT news708166536 U.S. auto safety regulators have opened an inquiry into Tesla's driverless Cybercab, questioning how the company concluded that a vehicle with no steering wheel, pedals or mirrors meets federal safety rules. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-safety-probes-tesla-cybercab.html Automotive Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:00:07 EDT news707740807 German car giant Volkswagen said Thursday that management and unions had agreed to cut a total of 100,000 jobs by the end of the decade, the biggest restructuring ever in the global auto industry. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-volkswagen-jobs-decade.html Automotive Fri, 04 Sep 2026 07:00:05 EDT news707715961 Elon Musk sent dozens of self-driving Cybercabs without steering wheels or brake pedals onto the streets of Austin, Texas, on Thursday, betting that Americans will overcome their fears of rides with "no control" and hop inside. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-musk-wheel-free-taxi-riders.html Automotive Fri, 04 Sep 2026 04:32:11 EDT news707715090 Tesla's semi-autonomous driving system could be adapted to meet EU and international norms, initial tests suggest, French officials said Thursday. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-tesla-semi-autonomous-eu-norms.html Automotive Thu, 03 Sep 2026 15:20:06 EDT news707664538 Imagine getting into a London taxi. Someone is sitting in the driver's seat, but the car is driving itself. If the autonomous system gets into difficulty, they must recognize what is happening, decide whether to intervene and, within seconds, potentially take control. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-human-safety-drivers-uber-robotaxis.html Automotive Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:00:22 EDT news707658902 A tool accidentally left in an Airbus plane forced the European aerospace giant to slow deliveries of new A330 jets for several months, a company source told AFP on Thursday. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-lost-tool-disrupts-airbus-jet.html Automotive Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:20:13 EDT news707657459 Electric vehicle maker Tesla announced the debut of its self-driving robotaxi, dubbed "Cybercab," on Thursday in a bid to compete with the likes of Uber and Waymo. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-tesla-cybercab-texas.html Automotive Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:40:07 EDT news707657103 Plug-in hybrids have enjoyed a surge in popularity, but a study published Thursday showed they are polluting far more than most buyers think because they rely on batteries less often than regulators expected. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-hybrids-polluting.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:30:43 EDT news707657264 A new study finds that composite metal foam (CMF) could significantly improve automobile safety during frontal collisions. Using computational models to run detailed simulations, researchers found that incorporating CMF into automobile "front rails" would allow them to absorb more energy during high-velocity impacts. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-metal-foam-front-rails-cars.html Engineering Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:00:01 EDT news707655062 A new AI framework can predict how fast an ambulance will move through city traffic, giving fire departments a way to test emergency response strategies in a virtual environment before making changes on real streets. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-ai-framework-ambulance-city-traffic.html Automotive Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:20:01 EDT news707652421