Lack of voice recognition and clumsy Bluetooth pairing were cited by owners of new vehicles as being among the most common type of problems they experience in the first 90 days of vehicle ownership, according to the J.D. Power 2014 Initial Quality Study (IQS).
A group of aerodynamicists from Tesla chose Exa’s PowerFLOW CFD software to examine two alternative methods of simulating aerodynamic performance in the presence of realistic on-road crosswind for the Tesla Model S sedan.
TRW Automotive has launched its next-generation seatbelt retractor, the Floating Spool 1 (FS1), which offers reduced weight (about 15% lighter) and smaller dimensions compared to previous systems, according to the company. Production of the global FS1 technology starts in the second quarter of 2014.
Industry experts at Hyundai and Ford address the opportunities and challenges involved with moving toward composite-intensive vehicles. The Ford Multi-Material Lightweight Vehicle project, a collaboration with the U.S. DOE and Vehma International, illustrates the automaker's efforts to move toward lighter-weight materials such as carbon fiber, aluminum, and advanced high-strength steels.
Specialist concept vehicle builder Envisage Group has developed new techniques to facilitate greater functionality and value for money in the creation of efficient concept vehicles.
Volvo is making Dirac's "active acoustic treatment of the listening space" technology (called Unison) available in the new XC90 with the Bowers & Wilkins audio system. According to Dirac, Unison co-optimizes the loudspeakers in frequency, time, and space for the "best possible bass integration and clarity."
The cause of the issue was an error in the process Ford engineers used to correlate wind-tunnel testing into their Total Road Load Horsepower (TRLHP) factor that is key to the vehicle fuel economy models that are ultimately submitted to the U.S. EPA.
C&K Components’ line of compact PCB-mounted switches now includes two new medium power switch series that feature either momentary or locking actuation configurations.
Five collegiate teams collected four-digit mpg during the 35th running of SAE Supermileage, where 19 custom-designed vehicles competed for the best fuel economy title.
Reaction Design worked with a German premium automotive company to build cylinder-combustion simulations for a high-performance diesel engine with the goal of accurately and quickly predicting combustion performance and the effects of varied operating conditions on soot emissions.