Toyota Plans Autonomous Test Complex in Michigan

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to open a testing complex for autonomous vehicles this autumn within an existing independently owned proving grounds in southeastern Michigan.

CEO Diess Says VW Needs a “Clear Moral Compass”

Volkswagen AG CEO Herbert Diess tells shareholders the company needs a “clear moral compass” to avoid another diesel emission cheating scandal.

Toyota Research Institute Building Own Test Track

Toyota Research Institute Building Own Test Track

The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) is continuing its methodical moves toward developing automated vehicle technology as it announced today that it has filed the paperwork to build a closed-loop test facility within a 1.5-mile oval test track at the Michigan Technical Resource Park in Ottawa Lake, Michigan, which is northwest of Toledo and pretty much a straight shot 40 miles down U.S. 23 from Ann Arbor.

Tesla to Select Car, Battery Factory Sites in China This Year

Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk tells investors the company will select locations in China later this year for factories to make batteries and the company’s next electric car, the Model Y small crossover.

TI Touts Smaller, More Efficient Car Ethernet Receiver

Texas Instruments Inc. claims its new automotive Ethernet physical layer transceiver is smaller, lighter and more efficient than similar systems being developed by competitors.

Research shows that long-fiber reinforced composites combine higher levels of stiffness, strength and toughness (or durability) in a single material compared to short-fiber composites.

Simulating Long-Fiber Composites

Long carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics may get increased use thanks to simulation capabilities.

Carmakers, Suppliers Form Blockchain Consortium

Carmakers, suppliers and tech companies have formed a consortium to develop blockchain technologies—similar to those used for Bitcoin digital payments and other crypto-currencies—for automotive applications.

The Makino a500Z combines the technologies of the company’s 4-axis horizontals with the 4th and 5th-axis designs of its high-performance verticals.

Reliability Trumps Speed for Automotive Machine Tools

Makers of high-volume machining centers find ways to improve production time without sacrificing uptime.

Aptiv, Lyft Team on Autonomous Taxi Fleet Test

Aptiv plc is launching a fleet of 30 autonomous vehicles that will operate as part of Lyft Inc.’s ride-hailing network in Las Vegas.

Ngalula Mubenga, an electrical engineer at the University of Toledo, has developed an alternative technology designed to equalize battery power, an innovation that could lead to longer-life batteries for EVs.

Tech Watch: Batteries with Fewer Borders

Ngalula Mubenga has developed a new technology referred to as a “bilevel equalizer.”