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The Eighth-Generation Camry: Inside Info
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 imagined, styled, engineered, and built so as to be a car that has superb quality, reliability and durability—things that have long been hallmarks of the family sedan—but actually to be exhilarating and engaging for those who are looking for something more than what’s pretty much been on offer in Toyota showrooms.
Testing On-Demand EV Car-Sharing
Denso Corp. and the University of Michigan are evaluating results of a recent test involving three electric cars made available to a small test group of students to borrow whenever they wished and for as long as they wanted.
Top Target of VW Diesel Probe Advised Not to Leave Germany
The former head of engine development at Volkswagen AG has been advised not to leave Germany because he could be arrested as part of a U.S. probe about diesel emission cheating, Bild reports.
VW Agrees to Buy Back a Few Cheater Diesels in Europe
Volkswagen AG has agreed to buy back an unspecified number of diesel-powered vehicles in Germany that had been rigged to evade emission standards, Reuters reports.
Researchers Tout Contact Lens Polymer for EV Supercapacitors
Researchers at the University of Surrey in England are developing a plastic based on soft contact-lens technology that could allow supercapacitors to be used in place of batteries to boost the performance of electric vehicles.
INFINITI, F1 and Your Garage
There is a phrase that’s often used to justify manufacturer participation in motor sports that has it, “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday.” This was particularly the case when NASCAR ran what were “stock cars,” as in cars that were almost like those held in stock at dealerships.
PSA Accelerates Autonomous-Vehicle Plans
PSA Group plans to debut new driver-assist features on select Citroen, Peugeot and DS-badged models next year and introduce a Level 3 autonomous vehicle in 2020. Models with Level 4 and Level 5 capabilities will follow in 2025 and 2030, respectively.
U.S. Releases Updated Connected Vehicle Guidelines
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office has updated its national reference architecture for connected vehicles.
Waymo Hires Ex-Tesla Exec
Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo autonomous car unit has hired Satish Jeyachandran, the former head of hardware engineering at Tesla Inc., to help it create the package of cameras and other sensors needed for self-driving vehicles.
Qualcomm Invests in Battery Safety Tech
Qualcomm Inc. is investing an unspecified amount in Amionx Inc., a Carlsbad, Calif.-based developer of battery safety technologies.