https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/automotive-news/ en-us Tech Xplore covers the latest in car tech A new study by researchers, including those in Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Department of Chemical Engineering, has found that the fastest-growing plant on Earth may offer a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to petroleum-derived transportation fuels. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-bamboo-emerges-potential-source-carbon.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:00:14 EDT news711190364 As manufacturers face growing uncertainty tied to critical material shortages and global supply chain disruptions, the Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) researchers have developed a super intelligence (SI)-driven platform to help companies evaluate electric motor technologies before market conditions shift. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-platform-tackles-critical-material-electric.html Electronics & Semiconductors Wed, 14 Oct 2026 07:00:15 EDT news711174553 A Croatian firm that launched Europe's first commercial robotaxi service earlier this year is now testing fully driverless rides in the capital, its chief executive told AFP Tuesday. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-croatia-fully-driverless-robotaxi.html Automotive Wed, 14 Oct 2026 05:20:06 EDT news711172198 We've never had a better understanding of how cities move, but turning that knowledge into smoother, cleaner and more equitable trips remains a challenge. The main obstacle to sustainable mobility may not be technological, but rather political and organizational. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-smarter-cities-smart-algorithms.html Automotive Mon, 12 Oct 2026 17:00:01 EDT news711018122 At the General Motors Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, in suburban Detroit, hundreds of volunteer, real-world drivers have hopped inside a Cadillac Lyriq electric vehicle or other popular GM models and experienced all sorts of things while in the car: regular roadway driving, driving up and down hills, construction, rain, nearby traffic and other scenarios. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-free-eyes-general-motors-simulating.html Automotive Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:00:01 EDT news711039462 As the BMW test vehicle approaches the intersection, the artificial intelligence system has already gathered information from all relevant sensors in the vicinity. These include infrastructure sensors mounted on the sign gantries at the intersection, as well as cameras, radar and a lidar unit on the roof of the test vehicle. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-ai-quickly-traffic-hazards.html Automotive Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:20:01 EDT news711017971 Tackling traffic congestion is one of the biggest challenges facing large cities around the world. When it comes to reducing congestion, one solution almost instinctively comes to mind: build more roads or widen existing ones. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-roads-traffic-worse-mathematics.html Automotive Mon, 12 Oct 2026 09:00:07 EDT news711013862 The U.S. Army found systemic safety breakdowns behind last year's midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., and recommended changes to prevent future tragedies. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-army-failures-dc-midair-collision.html Automotive Fri, 09 Oct 2026 04:13:52 EDT news710738005 Driver-assistance systems are now installed in nearly all modern cars. As a result, safety depends on whether computer systems can reliably process sensor data. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are therefore investigating how these systems can be specifically manipulated—with the goal of better protecting vehicles from such attacks in the future. Even a film discreetly placed over the sensors can cause serious accidents. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-autonomous-vehicles-lanes-tampered-sensors.html Security Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:00:01 EDT news710686382 The FIA has defended its handling of the Formula 1 car software bug which delayed the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia last weekend and pledged it will "strengthen" how the code is tested in future. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-fia-software-f1-cars-track.html Automotive Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:32:21 EDT news710652723 Drivers alerted to police presence by others using a popular global app appear to be learning how to avoid speeding penalties—but not how to stay safe on roads. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-drivers-app-dodge-fines.html Consumer & Gadgets Wed, 07 Oct 2026 07:00:09 EDT news710570941 Although tires are a vehicle's sole point of contact with the road, their basic design has barely changed in decades. Once worn down, millions of tons of tire casings—whose main structure remains intact—end up as difficult-to-manage waste. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-modular-aims-road-conditions.html Engineering Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:40:41 EDT news710500921 Many of today's self-driving cars "see" the road through two senses at once. Cameras capture color, texture and the outline of a pedestrian, while light detection and ranging (LiDAR) fires laser pulses to measure exactly how far away that pedestrian stands. Together, they provide complementary information and outperform either sensor alone. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-darkness-cars-sensors.html Hi Tech & Innovation Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:00:37 EDT news710498461 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. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-tunnel-track-large-supercooled-droplets.html Engineering Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:40:02 EDT news710425441 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 running a bus line. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-electric-buses.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:40:01 EDT news710421901 Autonomous-driving systems must process large volumes of sensor data and generate vehicle-control commands within strict time limits. As vehicles increasingly become software-defined, their development often involves multiple software platforms with different characteristics. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-cloud-based-platform-delays-complex.html Software Sat, 03 Oct 2026 08:00:24 EDT news710164688 Major U.S. automakers have watched their domestic market share shrink further as Asian competitors gain ground—a situation that may worsen if Chinese firms are able to enter the U.S. market, an idea floated by President Donald Trump. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-asian-carmakers-besting-rivals-home.html Automotive Sat, 03 Oct 2026 06:00:01 EDT news710223866 A software bug that delayed the U.S. certification of Boeing's 737 Max 10 aircraft does not pose a safety concern, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Friday after an investigation. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-boeing-max-software-bug-safety.html Automotive Sat, 03 Oct 2026 05:40:01 EDT news710223477 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. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-nasa-wing-pressure-sensitive.html Engineering Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:00:06 EDT news710164385 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. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-electric-car-myths-australians.html Consumer & Gadgets Fri, 02 Oct 2026 12:00:20 EDT news710160242 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 human or is teleoperated from a remote location? How should an automated vehicle brake when yielding to a pedestrian? https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-automated-vehicles-interact-pedestrians.html Robotics Fri, 02 Oct 2026 10:40:15 EDT news710155441 A specialized steering wheel that enables negotiation between drivers and an autonomous driving simulation improved driving performance and drivers' trust in autonomous vehicle features, researchers from University of Michigan Engineering and the Toyota Research Institute have found. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-wheel-communicates-semiautonomous.html Engineering Thu, 01 Oct 2026 15:20:01 EDT news710085241 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. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-mph-motorway-limit-fuel.html Automotive Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:40:01 EDT news710064602 Major car manufacturers are sharing drivers' personal information with third-party companies and data brokers, new Northeastern University research shows. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-car.html Security Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:40:10 EDT news709975202 Georgia Tech researchers have identified seven previously unknown security flaws in next-generation communication standards that connect in-vehicle computers. These flaws create vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to take control of key driver-assistance functions in personal vehicles. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-uncovers-weaknesses-generation-vehicle-technology.html Telecom Wed, 30 Sep 2026 07:20:09 EDT news709970401 VENTRA is a new sustainable concept car developed by the student team TU/ecomotive. The electric vehicle captures particulate matter generated by tires and brakes while driving, encourages a more sustainable driving style and produces less particulate matter itself. With this concept, the students aim to raise awareness of the dangers of particulate matter and inspire the industry to develop new solutions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-students-electric-car-captures-particulate.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:20:05 EDT news709916222 U.S. air safety regulators are delaying certification of the 737 MAX 10 until they determine whether a new software glitch poses a safety risk, a top official said Monday. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-certification-boeing-max-delayed-software.html Automotive Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:10:01 EDT news709897348 When engineers design a new aircraft, they need to know exactly how air flows over every surface. The pressure distribution must be controlled, or fuel efficiency, handling and even structural safety can be affected. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-air-pressure-future-aircraft.html Engineering Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:40:08 EDT news709824481 Chinese electric vehicles' ultrafast charging is only getting faster. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-chinese-auto-companies-ev-technology.html Energy & Green Tech Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:40:14 EDT news709464430 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. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-09-nasa-modernizes-commercial-airline.html Automotive Thu, 24 Sep 2026 08:20:06 EDT news709455602