https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/automotive-news/ en-us Tech Xplore covers the latest in car tech The development of batteries for electric vehicles has progressed much faster than experts and policymakers had anticipated. New research shows that the market is well equipped to cope with both raw material shortages and price increases. This raises questions about which materials are actually critical to the energy transition, according to the researchers. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ev-battery-fragile-swap-key.html Business Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:20:04 EDT news696080162 Infrared sensors that detect the short-wave infrared (SWIR) region can clearly recognize objects not only during the day and at night, but also in fog or smoke, making them a key component of future intelligent technologies such as autonomous vehicles, robotics, night surveillance, and medical imaging. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-fog-generation-infrared-image-sensor.html Hi Tech & Innovation Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:20:02 EDT news695985121 A transparent radiative cooling film technology that dissipates heat directly to the outside without consuming electricity has been developed to reduce vehicle overheating during summer. The technology was validated through real-vehicle experiments conducted under diverse conditions—including different countries, seasons, and both parking and driving scenarios—and demonstrated the ability to lower cabin temperatures by up to 6.1°C and reduce cooling energy consumption by more than 20%. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-transparent-cooling-car-cabin-temperature.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:40:04 EDT news695647989 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 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 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 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 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 In shipping, efficiency is everything. Take the shortest (safe) route between two points. Offload cargo as quickly as possible to the person who will pay you the most. Pick up your next load as fast as you can and start it all over. But the effective management of these shipping vessels' routes, and the kinds of voyages that really are most efficient, has gone understudied by an industry that can be set in its ways, according to István Z. Kiss, a professor of network science at Northeastern University London. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-cargo-ships-greater-efficiency-tanker.html Business Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:20:01 EDT news692882161 So-called "driverless" cars often have human operators remotely controlling the vehicles to help navigate tricky driving situations and avoid accidents. But this setup poses a number of challenges. How do you ensure the operators stay alert? And what happens when operators are asked to monitor multiple vehicles at once, particularly in dynamic environments? Researchers are proposing a new approach to this remote-operation system that addresses these concerns and could serve as a blueprint for the future of remotely operated vehicles. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-aims-remote-robotaxi-ready.html Automotive Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:20:01 EDT news692444570 Researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) are developing new technology that could change how drunk and dangerous drivers are identified. Using a single 3D deep learning model, researchers are able to detect three major causes of road accidents simultaneously: blood alcohol concentration, fatigue and expression, such as anger. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-music-dangerous-ai-facial-analysis.html Automotive Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:20:01 EDT news692442661 Spurred by EVs and electrified aviation, global demand for lithium-ion batteries is expected to more than double its 2023 levels by 2030, far outstripping demand, according to S&P Global Insights. New batteries must be powerful, but also affordable enough for industry to adopt on a massive scale. As a battery component, sulfur—low-cost, abundant and with a high theoretical specific capacity—seems tailor-made for the challenge. But so far, that theoretical capacity has stayed theoretical. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-cheaper-ev-batteries-fabrication-tweak.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:00:03 EST news691856646 Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are becoming increasingly common on roadways, but making them as safe as possible may entail going beyond the particular specs of the vehicles themselves to upgrading the roadway infrastructure. EyeDAR, a low-power millimeter-wave radar sensor roughly the size of an orange, could provide radar-equipped AVs with critical inputs about surrounding traffic, extending and enhancing the vehicles' sensing accuracy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-extra-eyes-cars-roadside-radar.html Hi Tech & Innovation Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:50:02 EST news691688701 Climate change was poised to create an interesting catch-22 for electric vehicles. Electrifying transportation can go a long way to reducing carbon emissions that are driving up global temperatures. But warmer temperatures also accelerate the degradation of batteries, whose performance can be a make-or-break factor for people considering an EV purchase. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ev-battery-gains-outmatch-degradation.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 02 Mar 2026 13:40:07 EST news691679281 Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have devised a rotating tabletop device to study wireless charging in electric vehicles. Testing on real tracks takes up vast areas at significant cost. The team not only built a prototype but used simulations to demonstrate safety and similar charging to a linear track. They successfully reproduced movement at 40 kilometers per hour, promising accelerated global research into next-gen charging for EVs. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-platforms-wireless-cars-bench-track.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:00:04 EST news691664101 When we hear about moving objects with electricity, most of us imagine a "pulling force." Positive and negative charges attract each other, drawing objects together. It is natural to think that this attractive force—known as electrostatic force—is what makes things move. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-overlooked-electrostatic-motor-future.html Engineering Sun, 01 Mar 2026 08:00:01 EST news691150793 A research team affiliated with UNIST has unveiled a novel dry-process manufacturing method for thick electrodes aimed at enhancing electric vehicle (EV) driving range while reducing battery production costs. Professor Won-Jin Kwak of the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST, in collaboration with Professor Junghyun Choi of Gachon University and Professor Janghyuk Moon of Chung-Ang University, have successfully overcome key challenges associated with thick, dry-processed electrodes—specifically initial capacity loss and manufacturing complexity. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-longer-range-electric-vehicles-dry.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:00:05 EST news691415702 Researchers at IMDEA Networks Institute, together with European partners, have found that tire pressure sensors in modern cars can unintentionally expose drivers to tracking. Over a ten-week study, they collected signals from more than 20,000 vehicles, revealing a hidden privacy risk and highlighting the need for stronger security measures in future vehicle sensor systems. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-car-sensors-track.html Security Wed, 25 Feb 2026 17:00:05 EST news691252054 A newly discovered vulnerability could allow cybercriminals to silently hijack the artificial intelligence (AI) systems in self-driving cars, raising concerns about the security of autonomous systems increasingly used on public roads. Georgia Tech cybersecurity researchers discovered the vulnerability, dubbed VillainNet, and found it can remain dormant in a self-driving vehicle's AI system until triggered by specific conditions. Once triggered, VillainNet is almost certain to succeed, giving attackers control of the targeted vehicle. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-ai-hijack-vehicles.html Security Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:40:05 EST news690809490 Hackers could exploit wireless systems in Tesla's Model 3 and Cybertruck to track vehicles, disrupt communications, and interfere with network performance, according to research from Northeastern University posted to the arXiv preprint server. The study highlights the broader security risks facing all modern connected cars, which have increasingly become "computers on wheels." https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-vulnerabilities-tesla-cybertruck-reveal-cars.html Software Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:20:06 EST news690725038 It happens every day—a motorist heading across town checks a navigation app to see how long the trip will take, but they find no parking spots available when they reach their destination. By the time they finally park and walk to their destination, they're significantly later than they expected to be. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-aware-frustration-emissions.html Computer Sciences Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:30:25 EST news690719401 Advances in ultrasound—the same imaging technology that uses sound waves to allow doctors to monitor babies in utero—are being applied by engineers at the University of California San Diego to make railroad track inspection more effective. Ensuring the safety of the vast 140,000-mile network of existing rail infrastructure in the United States is critical, especially as that figure grows with the addition of new high-speed passenger rail lines. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-safer-railroads-ultrasound-beamforming-algorithms.html Engineering Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:23:19 EST news690639781 Robots and self-driving cars could soon benefit from a new kind of brain-inspired hardware that can allegedly detect movement and react faster than a human. A new study published in the journal Nature Communications details how an international team built their neuromorphic temporal-attention hardware system to speed up automated driving decisions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-bio-chip-robots-cars-react.html Hardware Wed, 11 Feb 2026 14:20:02 EST news690041652 Early in the 1969 film "Midnight Cowboy," Dustin Hoffman, playing the character of Ratso Rizzo, crosses a Manhattan street and angrily bangs on the hood of an encroaching taxi. Hoffman's line, "I'm walking here!" has since been repeated by thousands of New Yorkers. Where cars and people mix, tensions rise. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-im-foot-traffic-york.html Engineering Fri, 06 Feb 2026 05:00:01 EST news689529302 Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a deep learning algorithm that analyzes drone, camera, and sensor data to reveal unusual vehicle patterns that may indicate illicit activity, including the movement of nuclear materials. The work is published in the journal Future Transportation. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-decoding-shadows-vehicle-recognition-software.html Software Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:19:12 EST news689530741 The aviation industry accounts for a significant share of global carbon emissions. In response, the international community is expanding mandatory use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which is produced from organic waste or biomass and is expected to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional fossil-based jet fuel. However, high production costs remain a major challenge, leading some airlines in Europe and Japan to pass SAF-related costs on to consumers. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-trash-takeoff-kg-sustainable-aviation.html Energy & Green Tech Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:02:53 EST news689425321 Now is a great time for anyone who's shopping for a used car to consider an electric vehicle, according to new research from the University of Michigan. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-01-evs-car-buyers-lowest-lifetime.html Consumer & Gadgets Tue, 27 Jan 2026 10:00:06 EST news688725902