MAY 22, 2017

Worst-Case: Hacker Sends Self-Driving Car Off Cliff

Last year, the FBI and NHTSA warned of vehicles becoming increasingly vulnerable to remote exploitation.

Primearth Says Toyota Eyes U.S. Battery Plant

The timeframe remains unclear and the project is in discussion stages, but a company official tells WardsAuto Toyota wants to produce its own batteries for both hybrids and battery-electric vehicles.

American Axle Plans Quantum Leap Forward

American Axle, a longtime producer of rear axles for trucks, is reinventing itself as a developer and builder of highly efficient and electric drivelines for rear-, front- and all-wheel-drive applications.

Real-World Emissions Controls in Peugeot 308 Engines

The French automaker claims it’s the first to come up with engines that meet the Euro 6.c standard expected after real-driving-emissions controls take effect in September.

Electric Vehicle Claims Nurburgring 1-Lap Record

Setting a lap time of just 6 minutes and 45.9 seconds, the NIO EP9 becomes the fastest EV to take on the former Formula One circuit in Germany dubbed “The Green Hell.”

Odyssey Functional Family Hauler

Test Drive
Ultra-configurable second-row seats, a camera to spy on your kids and improvements to powertrain and infotainment should appeal to Odyssey-buying parents.

Let’s Dance: New Land Rover Disco Hits Trailhead

Test Drive
It is just as capable as it was in the previous four generations, but adds even more of the Discovery’s trademark versatility and luxury, as well as new connectivity and a design aimed to broaden its appeal.

Designers: Consumers Must Be Guided Through Autonomy’s Stages

2017 WardsAuto Interiors Conference
With five technology levels to go through before vehicles drive themselves 100% of the time, riders will need to know exactly what a semi-autonomous car is capable of when they climb in, interior designers say.

Emerging Markets Pose New Plastics Challenges

2017 WardsAuto Interiors Conference
One expert sees automakers requiring interior materials be designed to withstand spills of a growing menu of foods, beyond ketchup and mustard. “I think specs will change somewhat along with some very exotic-type chemical and food sources we will see,” Rose Ryntz says.

More Sensors, More Positions, Better Comfort Seen for Future Seats

2017 WardsAuto Interiors Conference
Biometric monitoring, or using sensors integrated into seats to gauge health, is fraught with danger, Adient engineer says.

Nissan’s 19th-Century Tech Fights Distracted Driving

When an electronic device such as a smartphone is placed inside an armrest lined with a Faraday cage, incoming electromagnetic signals – such as cellular or Bluetooth data – are distributed across the cage’s external conducting material and blocked from reaching the device.