Tuesday, June 19, 2018
All News
Creating Smarter Bus Routes
September 25, 2017
Although transportation is undergoing profound changes, let’s face it: there is a huge existing infrastructure out there consisting of vehicles as well as roadways and ancillary objects (signs, traffic signals, etc.), and it is going to take a long time for that to be turned over to a new approach. So why not take what’s there and make
Ford Design Changes (People, That Is)
September 25, 2017
Ford is making some changes in terms of its design team, according to Automotive News, with the objective of making its operations more streamlined and efficient. Blog Post: 7/22/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. Ford is making some changes in terms of its design team, according to Automotive News, with the
The Future of Diesels?
September 25, 2017
“The public debate about diesel engines is creating uncertainty—especially for our customers. We have therefore decided on additional measures to reassure drivers of diesel cars and to strengthen confidence in diesel technology.” That’s Dr. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the Board of Management, Daimler AG, and head of
Renault, Brilliance & BMW
September 25, 2017
Groupe Renault and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings (CBA) announced that they were entering into a cooperative agreement through which they will jointly produce and sell light commercial vehicles in China. Blog Post: 7/13/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. Groupe Renault and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings
Sales Stronger than What They Seem
September 25, 2017
On August 1, Toyota announced U.S. July sales of 222,057 units, which, on a daily selling rate basis was up 7.8 percent (and there was one fewer sales day than in July 2016) and up 3.6 percent of volume. On August 2, Bob Carter, executive vice president, Sales, Toyota Motor North America, made the opening presentation at the CAR Management
Mazda, CARB and PSA North America: Car Talk
September 25, 2017
The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) Management Briefing Seminars, an annual event, was held last week in Traverse City, Michigan. More than 1,000 people from the auto industry were in attendance. Among them were Autoline’s John McElroy and me. And the two of us sat down with three fascinating people for an off-site “Autoline After
The Eighth-Generation Camry: Inside Info
September 25, 2017
The eighth-generation Camry is unlike any of the preceding models within the nameplate’s life, but it is also unlike anything we’ve seen from Toyota brand (i.e., absenting the former Scion or the currently existing Lexus brands) probably since the last-generation Celica (RIP, 2006). That’s because the 2018 Camry was not just
VR for VW
September 25, 2017
When it comes to virtual reality (VR) of a professional sort (vs. all of the recreational possibilities that VR provides), the general application seems to be for design. Blog Post: 7/12/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. When it comes to virtual reality (VR) of a professional sort (vs. all of the recreational
TLX Reset
September 25, 2017
Jon Ikeda, vice president and general manager, Acura, at the New York Auto Show, when revealing the 2018 TLX, a car that has been refreshed to a degree that is something between a traditional updating of a car and a model change, made one of the most understated observations in the industry: “It's no secret that the luxury sedan market is a
Labor Day 2017
September 25, 2017
Today in the United States it is Labor Day. Blog Post: 9/4/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. Today in the United States it is Labor Day. This is the 123rd time the national holiday has been celebrated. To be sure, people have been laboring in this country—as well as everywhere else—for a whole lot
ZF Makes 100 Million Electric Park Brakes
September 25, 2017
There are production milestones, and then there are really production milestones, like this one: In 2002 ZF pioneered the electric park brake (EPB). Last week the company announced that it has become the world’s first company to produce 100 million of them. Blog Post: 9/14/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc.
Continental and Nexteer Combine Knowhow
September 25, 2017
Steering and stopping are two fairly fundamental things a vehicle must do in a controlled manner wither that vehicle is a 1,000-hp supercar or a barely powered autonomous transport. Through braking and steering there can be control of lateral and longitudinal movement of the vehicle (e.g., steering angle adjustments and braking of specific wheels
Dodge Challenger GT Gets Torque When & Where Needed
September 25, 2017
Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Cars, Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA North America, when announcing the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT, which went on sale in the U.S. earlier this year, said, “The Challenger has always been the most wide-ranging and functional muscle coupe, and now, with the new 305-horsepower all-wheel-drive Challenger GT, we
The Sonata: A Forward Design with a Backward Glance
September 25, 2017
A case could be made that a single car made Hyundai a contender in the U.S. market: the 2011 Sonata, the midsize car that, for years, in its earlier iterations, had seemed to have been designed with one eye firmly fixed on the Toyota Camry and the other eye on the Honda Accord, thereby coming up with a combination that was a little on the kludge
Nissan Goes to Level 2
September 25, 2017
Several years ago at the Ford test facility in Romeo, Michigan, I had the opportunity to drive with Sir Jackie Stewart in the right seat. For those of you who may not be familiar with Stewart, know that he is one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, having won the World Drivers’ Championship three times during the nine years that
The Math of Plugging In
September 25, 2017
The very day in early September that Nissan revealed the LEAF in both Tokyo and Las Vegas, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party, said, "I am announcing today an ambitious new target. Our aim is for new petrol and diesel cars and vans to be phased out in Scotland by 2032 -- the end of the period
One Step Closer to NACTOY Victory
September 25, 2017
The North American International Car of the Year (NACTOY) jury have come up with their list of semifinalists in the Car, Utility and Truck category, and if there is anything that can be discerned from the lists of the vehicles is that there is a breadth of high-quality offerings available for buyers. Blog Post: 9/18/2017 Gary S.
Will Alcraft Take Off?
September 25, 2017
“British electric vehicle start-up Alcraft Motor Company has revealed details of its first car, the high-performance Alcraft GT. Blog Post: 9/21/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. “British electric vehicle start-up Alcraft Motor Company has revealed details of its first car, the high-performance Alcraft
Hobbing Center Available with Worm Screw Power Skiving
September 25, 2017
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Gear Expo 2017: Affolter Technologies will show its AF110 Plus small gear hobbing center.
Grinding Fluid Lasts Years without Regeneration, Exchange
September 25, 2017
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Gear Expo 2017: Oelheld will feature its DiaGrind 535-15 high-speed grinding fluid, a blend of additives and base oils designed to go years without requiring regeneration or complete exchange.
Gear Skiving Machines with Direct-Drive Tables Handle High Workpiece Speeds
September 25, 2017
[unable to retrieve full-text content]EMO 2017: Liebherr will feature its LK 300 and 500 gear skiving machines, which are based on components of corresponding large hobbing machines. 
HMC Skiving Consolidates Gear Machining
September 25, 2017
Gear manufacturing is less exclusive than it used to be. That is according to a machine tool builder offering what are said to be the first horizontal machining centers in the world capable of power-skiving, a demanding tooth-shaping process in which the workpiece and tool rotate in constant contact and near-perfect synchronicity at a precisely
Manufacturing News of Note: June 2017
September 25, 2017
Sandvik Coromant and Zimmerman appoint new presidents, DeVry University launches advanced manufacturing classes, and more industry news. Blog Post: 6/16/2017 Jedd Cole Associate Editor, Modern Machine Shop Nadine Crauwels, President of Sandvik Coromant.  Nadine Crauwels has been appointed as the new President of Sandvik Coromant (Sandviken,
DMG MORI to Host Grand Opening of Houston Facility
September 25, 2017
[unable to retrieve full-text content]The event will offer machine demonstrations and seminars.
Lathes Feature Modular Design
September 25, 2017
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Gear Expo 2017: Emag will feature its modular VL and VT series for chucked components, including its VL 4 machine, designed for medium- to large-batch runs on standard machining platforms.
Software Simulates Spiral Bevel Gear Machining, Cylindrical Hobbing
September 25, 2017
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Gear Expo 2017: Third Wave Systems will showcase two versions of its AdvantEdge gear machining software for simulating spiral bevel gear (SBG) machining and cylindrical hobbing processes.
Grinding Center Sharpens Gear Tools
September 25, 2017
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Gear Expo 2017: Haas will feature the Multigrind five-axis grinding center, which was designed for manufacturing and sharpening gear tools such as hobs.
Coordinate Measuring Machines Provide a Range of Capabilities
September 25, 2017
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Gear Expo 2017: Zeiss will introduce its line of DuraMax coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) for application flexibility.
About that Autonomous Vehicle. . . .
September 25, 2017
One of the bigger issues related to the average consumer’s receptivity to autonomous vehicles has nothing to do with, say, the SAE taxonomy and knowing whether something is Level 2 or Level 3, and nothing to do with whether someone was watching a film about hobbits and orcs when they should have been paying attention to the road ahead. No, it
Domino’s and Ford Deliver Autonomously
September 25, 2017
When you think about technology developments in autonomy, you probably think of companies like Uber or Velodyne or Continental or Delphi. Blog Post: 8/29/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. When you think about technology developments in autonomy, you probably think of companies like Uber or Velodyne or Continental
Electric Vehicles in America
September 25, 2017
Last week Nissan globally unveiled the all-new second-generation LEAF. Nissan has great plans—or hopes—for the electric vehicle (EV), as it will be producing them in three plants—U.S., U.K., Japan—by year’s end. The new LEAF, which will go on sale in the U.S. early next year, has a cruising range of 150 miles and a
Watson Meets the Beetle
September 25, 2017
Nothing kicks an OEM into gear like a crisis. Blog Post: 9/6/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. Nothing kicks an OEM into gear like a crisis. When something untoward occurs, you’ll generally find that practices of the past get kicked to the curb and new initiatives are pursued with uncharacteristic zeal. Case
JLR and Owning the Steering Wheel
September 25, 2017
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) posits that in the future people will be calling on various vehicles to take them where they need to go. Blog Post: 9/4/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) posits that in the future people will be calling on various vehicles to take them where they need to go. It is
Peak ICE?
September 25, 2017
According to Kregg Wiggins, senior vice president, Powertrain Div., North America, Continental, looking ahead, “The future of individual mobility is electric.” Meaning, the electrification of powertrains will not only continue, but accelerate. Blog Post: 1/13/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. According
Audi & NVIDIA Go Deeper
September 25, 2017
NVIDIA, the tech company that transformed powerful, compact computing with its graphical processing units (GPUs) that lead to systems-on-a-chip (SOC)*, and Audi, the car company that transformed what was the state of the art of automotive interiors (and which has been using NVIDIA tech in its vehicles for navigation displays, for example, which
Economy Comes to Carbon Fiber Parts (?)
September 25, 2017
Have economies of scale come to the production of automotive parts with carbon fiber materials? Blog Post: 5/5/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. Have economies of scale come to the production of automotive parts with carbon fiber materials? That seems to be the world from Carbon Revolution, a privately owned
Pitching ZF
September 25, 2017
As vehicles become more automated, the technology that’s going to make that happen—hardware and software alike—is more than likely going to come from the supply base, not from the OEMs. Blog Post: 3/15/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. As vehicles become more automated, the technology that’s
Adient, Diesels and Artificial Intelligence
September 25, 2017
Did you ever wonder about how interior designers go about developing seats for vehicles? How they think. What methodologies they use. What the parameters are. We did. So we asked Tom Gould, Director of Design, Research & Craftsmanship, Adient, to explain it to us on this edition of “Autoline After Hours.” Adient’s AI17, a
VW, Mobileye and Swarm Data
September 25, 2017
Generally when there are photographs of autonomous vehicles, they are often singular: there is a vehicle. Sometimes they’re put in a realistic setting but it seems as though while they may be doing a bit of vehicle-to-infrastructure communicating, the vehicle in question is, again, the singular vehicle in question. Ask yourself this question:
Supplying Electrified Options
September 25, 2017
The future is far from settled when it comes to powertrain technology. Hybrids, plug-in hybrids, full electrics and fuel cells are all making inroads, albeit slowly, against internal combustion engines (ICEs), which themselves are becoming increasingly efficient, to meet changing consumer preferences and next-generation fuel economy and emissions
Innoviz Gets Even More Tier One Support
September 25, 2017
Consider this: a company that was founded in January 2016 by former members of the Israeli Defense Forces has, within the matter of a couple of weeks, made agreements with two of the world’s leading automotive suppliers. Yesterday Magna announced it is making a strategic investment in Innoviz Technologies. Magna has been working with the
ZF and Hella Partnering for Advancing Technology
September 25, 2017
In an effort to advance autonomous and assisted driving technologies, two major automotive suppliers—ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Hella KGaA Hueck & Co.--have established a strategic partnership, with ZF bringing systems know-how (as well as driveline and safety technologies and an entire ecosystem of other partners it is organizing toward
Back Seat Talker
September 25, 2017
Drivers have been talking to cars for a number of years now. Blog Post: 6/13/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. Drivers have been talking to cars for a number of years now. Push a button on the steering wheel and annunciate. Then phone calls get made or music played. Nuance, which has long offered voice-based
Autos by Acronyms
September 25, 2017
Carlos Tavares is the CEO of Groupe PSA, the French company that produces Peugeot, Citroën and DS vehicles, the company that, just a couple weeks ago, closed on its acquisition of Opel from General Motors. Blog Post: 8/21/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. Carlos Tavares is the CEO of Groupe PSA, the French
Engineering a Better Combustion Engine
September 25, 2017
Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) is a means by which there is combustion of fuel via pressure rather than a spark. Blog Post: 8/28/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) is a means by which there is combustion of fuel via pressure rather than a spark. This has
Hydrogen: The 21st Century Fuel Additive
September 25, 2017
This past weekend, the Woodward Dream Cruise was held in Detroit, where there was a seemingly endless parade of classic and wanna-be-classic cars from days gone by rolling past throngs of viewers from literally all around the world. Blog Post: 8/25/2017 Gary S. Vasilash Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc. This past weekend, the Woodward
Ford’s EV Future in China
September 25, 2017
While automakers in the U.S. seem to be frustrated by the California Air Resources Board sticking to its requirements for the electrification of vehicles—although in some regards it appears that the number of electric vehicles (including plug-in hybirds) sold by a company in California in 2025 is on the order of over 15 percent of total
Infiniti Ups the Ante on the Q50
September 25, 2017
“At Infiniti, our production system follows a very strict 'kaizen' process of continuous improvement. Not only do we work hard to improve with every vehicle that comes off the line, as part of our 'Empower the Drive' brand promise, we also strive to continually improve every process in every part of the business.” That’s Roland
Cylinder Coating for Improved Performance
September 25, 2017
Generally, when OEMs produce aluminum engine blocks (aluminum rather than cast iron because cast iron weighs like cast iron), they insert sleeves into the piston bores—cast iron sleeves. But not all vehicle manufacturers are doing this. Daimler, in particular, as it worked in cooperation with Heller Machine Tools to develop an arc spraying
Lighten Up: Aluminum Advances
September 25, 2017
There are two poster children for the use of aluminum in automotive applications that have appeared during the past few years. First off, there’s the 2015 Ford F-150, the truck with “high-strength, military-grade alloy” in its body, material that contributes to a mass reduction of up to 700 pounds for the vehicle overall, which