Industry Spotlight Posts
The latest automotive industry analysis from veteran commentator and former engineer, Peter Els
Examining the balance of global lithium-ion battery supply and increased demand from carmakers now the electric vehicle is becoming the must-have consumer device
Cost engineering in the disruptive era of Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric mobility
Published: 2019-06-05
Published: 2019-06-05
We examine how cost engineering has evolved into a discipline vital for continued profitability and survival of manufacturers as the automotive industry transitions to provide Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric vehicles.
Braking and steering systems to control a new generation of autonomous vehicle
Published: 2019-05-08
Published: 2019-05-08
Allowing the computer to take the wheel is a huge leap for consumers. Trusting that the car will know when to steer and when to brake requires systems that are exceptionally sophisticated and intuitively designed. Here we explore some of the issues around braking and steering for self-driving cars.
As self-driving vehicles evolve, the demand for cost-effective model-based systems engineering is set to become the norm in most E/E systems. Here we explore the benefits of model-based systems and how they can become both a time and money saver.
BMW Group and Daimler AG recently announced they would invest more than €1 billion ($1.13 billion) to form a joint venture offering customers a single source for sustainable urban mobility service solutions. But what's in it for both players? Data, data and more precious data...
The key to unlocking electrification lies in electrical energy storage, which is both complicated and expensive. So complicated in fact that it has kept scientists busy for over 150 years. And after all this time, only two viable electrical energy storage systems have found their way into commercial use - the lead-acid battery and lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery. So what's next?
The past two decades have probably been the most innovative years in the history of the automotive industry. The speed at which the spotlight has moved from downsized IC engines to PHEVs and onto full EVs and fully se...
Although Electric Vehicles hold a relatively insignificant share of the global carpark at the moment, there’s no doubt that this is set to change dramatically over the next few years: Last year EV sales grew by about...
The motor industry is on the brink of a technological and social revolution that will fundamentally alter the way it does business. The scale, scope and complexity of the revolution will be unlike anything humankind h...
For many years U.S. regulators have been calling for more automation in motor vehicles. By fitting systems that apply the brakes to prevent a crash, or guide a vehicle on the highway, the Department of Transport hopes...
After more than a century, is the ultimate HMI set to disappear from the motor car?
Published: 2016-06-27
Published: 2016-06-27
No doubt our forefathers never saw the tiller as one of the first Human Machine Interfaces, so when they ditched this maritime relic for a circular steering wheel it was surely only seen as a technical improve...
In a strange twist of fate two recent GM suitors, Google and FCA, find themselves in a highly publicized marriage of convenience. But why would these two end up as bedfellows in the race for the first series-productio...
New technologies in the automotive industry are a dime a dozen and like the proverbial kid in a cand...
Even as BMW celebrated its 100-year anniversary with a celebration in Munich's Olympiahalle, it finds itself entering a new disruptive digital age commonly called the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Not only do...
After centuries of building motor vehicles one would have thought that process controls and procedures would have developed to the point where recalls, and in particular safety r...
According to Bob Joop Goos, chairman of the International Organisation for Road Accident Prevention, more than 90 percent of road accidents are caused by human error. If that’s c...
In June Google’s self-driving cars broke through the magical million mile mark. Over this distance these vehicles were involved in eleven accidents; eight during city driving and three on the freeway. None of these we...
In the 1960s, before catalytic converters became standard fitment, the French government took a decision to promote diesel powered vehicles - which at the time, were considered...
In a bizarre twist of fate, at the same time that Volkswagen executives were showcasing the companies new "eco-friendly" models at the IAA auto show in Frankfurt, CARB and EPA officials in North America were...
In 2013 when Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek hacked a Prius, many casual observers saw this as an extreme party trick: A mere two years later these same people watched in horror as several OEM’s were f...
Auto industry under attack: The reality of driving conditions raises questions
Published: 2015-08-12
Published: 2015-08-12
It seems as if the automotive industry and the cars it produces are under attack from all quarters: Not only have white-hat hackers had a field day showing off their skills in bringing hi-tech vehicles such as FCA’s Jeep and Tesla’s Model...
Could the father of social commentary, Bob Dylan, have been thinking of the motor industry when he penned these thought provoking words in the ‘60’s? Looking at events unfolding across the globe o...
Since Ralph Nader's controversial book "Unsafe at Any Speed" was published over 40 years ago, seat belts, padded dashboards, collapsible steering columns, improved bumpers and other safety features have become standard fitment. After seat belts,...
Since the latter half of the 19th Century, the technology of choice to propel the motor car has been the reciprocating piston, spark-ignition Otto-cycle engine, followed by the compression-ignition diesel. After more than a century of...
In 2013, for the first time in history, China led the world in domestic vehicle sales. However in contrast to soaring domestic demand, overseas orders for China-made vehicles fell, thwarting the country’s plans to become a major auto expor...
