https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/automotive-news/ en-us Tech Xplore covers the latest in car tech German auto parts supplier Schaeffler said Tuesday that it planned to cut almost 3,500 jobs and close five sites in Europe as the crisis gripping the car industry deepens. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-11-german-auto-crisis-deepens-supplier.html Automotive Tue, 03 Nov 2026 14:20:01 EST news712933982 When natural disasters like wildfires or flooding strike, thousands of people may be told to pack their belongings into their cars and evacuate. Emergency planners base evacuation strategies on the assumption that people are driving gas-powered cars that can be refueled at any gas station—but with more people driving electric vehicles (EVs), new challenges arise. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-11-community-readiness-evacuations-electric-vehicles.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 03 Nov 2026 13:20:01 EST news712933572 Almost half of all container trucks in Sweden are being driven without a load. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed calculation models that give a detailed picture of the trips—and therefore provide guidance for more efficient container transportation, with lower costs and reduced emissions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-11-driven-trucks.html Automotive Tue, 03 Nov 2026 07:00:08 EST news712904660 Researchers from The University of Texas at Arlington's Aerodynamics Research Center have published a study in the journal Communications Engineering. Their work details a laser-based technique applied to arc-jet flows that could transform how scientists measure hypersonic airflow, such as the extreme conditions encountered by spacecraft reentering Earth's atmosphere. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-laser-pulses-track-extreme-airflow.html Engineering Fri, 30 Oct 2026 13:20:22 EDT news712583882 Electric trucks could help freight carriers reduce energy costs and ease financial pressures: Their batteries can also serve as energy storage for the depot or the public grid. As the SPIRIT-E research project comes to a close, a consortium led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) demonstrates how the vehicles can be integrated into the energy system and what conditions must be met for their economically viable operation. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-electric-trucks-reliable-road-profitable.html Automotive Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:48:42 EDT news712568830 Switzerland recently launched its first driverless taxi service in Furttal, near Zurich. As robotaxi services become a reality, researchers are increasingly focusing not just on their technical feasibility, but on how large fleets of autonomous vehicles can be integrated into transportation systems while also extending mobility options to currently underserved rural regions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-cities-room-robotaxis.html Automotive Fri, 30 Oct 2026 07:40:16 EDT news712563199 Driverless trucks with artificial intelligence on board could dramatically change the landscape of freight shipping. A few companies have begun testing early models on some limited routes in Texas and California. Simulations of automated fleets show the potential benefits of the technology: The vehicles could improve safety, enhance fuel economy and lessen transit times. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-driverless-18wheelers-highways-widespread-road.html Automotive Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:20:02 EDT news712490604 A sleek, pilotless, solar-powered airplane that soars through the atmosphere to monitor climate or track wildfires was once just an idea. Now, these high-altitude specialty aircraft are advancing from early prototyping demonstrations toward potential commercial applications, supported by decades of research and development involving Harvard scientists, aerospace engineers and industry collaborators. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-generation-solar-aircraft-batteries.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:00:08 EDT news712421401 As more EVs enter the used car market, buyers with a budget of around $25,000 can now find newer electric SUVs that offer the benefits of gas-free motoring without the eye-watering price tags attached to many new electric vehicles. The challenge, naturally, is figuring out which ones are actually worth your money. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-electric-suvs-edmunds.html Automotive Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:00:11 EDT news712413159 A tall garage gate on Northeastern University's Seattle campus rolled up to reveal the snarling headlights of a Ford Mustang Mach-E wrapped in the signature Husky red-and-white color scheme. Behind the wheel of the sleek, all-electric SUV was Xian Li, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and instructor of the Robotics Sensing and Navigation course. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-students-road-sensor-ford-mustang.html Automotive Wed, 28 Oct 2026 09:20:01 EDT news712393418 When was the last time you heard of a parliamentary inquiry into traffic rules for cars in Australia? They're not common. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-australia-ebikes-escooters.html Automotive Wed, 28 Oct 2026 08:40:01 EDT news712392981 What if a battery could become more powerful as it ages? Much like wine developing a deeper flavor over time, researchers in Korea have uncovered the mechanism behind a battery material that can deliver greater usable capacity after repeated charging and discharging. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-unexpected-key-ev-battery-life.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:20:13 EDT news712310461 The price on a fuel pump is easy to see. The miles embedded in everything you buy are harder to track. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-diesel-prices-freight-mile.html Automotive Tue, 27 Oct 2026 07:40:02 EDT news712305321 Even as automated vehicles such as robotaxis grow more prevalent in the U.S., almost every mass transit system still requires a driver or operator on board. Two major cities are seeking to change that. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-transit-human.html Automotive Mon, 26 Oct 2026 05:48:15 EDT news712212471 The transportation sector is still responsible for around a third of greenhouse gas emissions. Shifting from private transportation—particularly vehicles with internal combustion engines—to electric public transportation offers a way to reduce emissions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-personalized-autonomous-mobility.html Automotive Thu, 22 Oct 2026 07:20:01 EDT news711868464 In late 2026, a pilot project exploring the possibilities of using hydrogen and electricity to power heavy-duty transport on long-haul journeys will begin in Finland. The pilot aims to develop technology that contributes to the EU's objective of emission-free heavy road freight transport. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-chargeable-batteryfuel-cell-hybrid-emission.html Automotive Wed, 21 Oct 2026 19:40:11 EDT news711794771 Self-driving electric taxi fleets could make transportation more efficient and sustainable, but only if vehicles can continuously make smart decisions about where to drive and when to recharge. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have now developed a new optimization method that enables near-optimal large-scale fleet control while accounting for uncertainties that arise in real-world transportation systems. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-method-driverless-electric-taxi-fleets.html Engineering Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:20:01 EDT news711795475 Researchers have developed an air-purifying vehicle technology that removes fine particulate matter from surrounding air as a vehicle moves and captures brake wear particles before they are released. The technology uses the vehicle's existing structure to purify roadside air and directly capture brake wear particles at the source. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-vehicle-filters-roadside-air-electric.html Automotive Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:00:16 EDT news711794727 U.S. officials gave final approval Tuesday to the Boeing 737 MAX 10, certifying the latest long-delayed version of the popular single-aisle aircraft. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-certify-boeing-max-delays.html Automotive Wed, 21 Oct 2026 04:56:26 EDT news711777354 Until recently, buying a car meant obsessing over horsepower, transmission types and brand heritage. But step into the market today and the showroom floor looks entirely different. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-digital-natives-buying-electric-cars.html Automotive Tue, 20 Oct 2026 20:20:08 EDT news711722104 Most people who have an electric car have access to a driveway or private parking. In England, 90% of EV owners can park easily and charge theirs from home. But roughly 40% of U.K. households don't have off-street parking, so the questions are how they would charge an EV and whether easy access to home charging would influence their decision to acquire one. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-driveway-electric-vehicles-big-barrier.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:20:21 EDT news711734941 A research team led by Dr. Sun-Mi Hwang from the Clean Air Research Laboratory at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) has developed catalysts as an all-in-one solution to address exhaust emissions from ammonia-fueled ships. This technology can simultaneously and cost-effectively remove various greenhouse gases from ammonia combustion and is expected to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality in the maritime industry. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-ammonia-fueled-ship-exhaust-treatment.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:20:01 EDT news711727201 With the rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), transportation and power systems are increasingly closely interconnected, driving innovation but also introducing new vulnerabilities. Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have uncovered a novel cross-domain cyberattack whereby, rather than breaching a heavily guarded power communication network, an attacker need only manipulate EV charging navigation systems to redirect large numbers of vehicles to the same charging station, concentrating demand in a short period of time and potentially triggering local power outages or degrading grid reliability. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-discovery-domain-cyberattack-electric-vehicle.html Security Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:40:12 EDT news711720260 Sailors at sea rely on electronic equipment to keep ships on course and out of danger, but what happens when hackers get involved? Are the mariners equipped to handle modern cybersecurity threats like GPS spoofing? https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-ship-cybersecurity-complicated.html Security Tue, 20 Oct 2026 09:40:01 EDT news711706936 It's 9 p.m. on a rural mountain highway when a 750-pound (340-kilogram) elk steps onto the road, its silhouette hidden from an oncoming driver by a curve in the terrain. Suddenly, a roadside sign illuminates: "Wildlife Detected Ahead. Slow Down." The driver eases off the accelerator, and both travelers continue on safely. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-real-driver-animal-collisions.html Automotive Tue, 20 Oct 2026 07:40:01 EDT news711700497 As the effects of climate change and the associated risks are increasingly being felt, several organizations have developed roadmaps that outline potential steps toward carbon neutrality in the aviation sector. These strategies include multiple levers, such as developing alternative fuels and introducing more efficient aircraft, and are supported by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) and the European Commission, among others. They are typically evaluated based on a single criterion: greenhouse gas emissions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-decarbonization-civil-aviation-transition-strategies.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 16 Oct 2026 13:00:09 EDT news711373508 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