Tag Archives: Tech

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Hyundai Expects Flying Urban Taxis To Take Off Before 2030

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Hyundai is very optimistic about the future of urban air mobility and has suggested the industry will really take off towards the end of the decade.

There are already a couple of flying cars already on the market but no major automaker has introduced one so far. Among the car manufacturers venturing into the market is Hyundai, although it is developing a vertical take-off and landing flying vehicle, rather than a flying car that can also be driven on the street.

Read More: Hyundai Bringing Autonomous, Electric Flying Vehicles To The Skies In 2028

The South Korean automaker first introduced its S-A1 flying vehicle concept co-developed with Uber back in early 2020. Work on the vehicle is progressing well and Hyundai plans to launch its first commercial flight in 2028.

“There’s some time before we can really get this off the ground,” the chief executive of Hyundai’s European operating, Michael Cole, told The Guardian. “We think that by the latter part of this decade certainly, urban air mobility will offer great opportunity to free up congestion in cities, to help with emissions, whether that’s intra-city mobility in the air or whether it’s even between cities.”

Hyundai is so serious about the future of flying mobility that in November, it formed a new company dubbed Supernal that serves as an evolution of its Urban Air Mobility Division and will be responsible for bringing the S-A1 concept to the market. The VTOL aircraft has been designed for cruising speeds of up to 180 mph (290 km/h) with a cruising altitude of 1,000-2,000 feet (300-600 meters) and will be powered exclusively by electricity.

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Battery Maker CATL Planning $5 Billion Recycling Facility

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Battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) is looking to establish a $5 billion battery material recycling facility in the Chinese province of Hubei.

The company has confirmed that it will establish a joint venture with Hubei Yihua Chemical Industry Co Ltd and invest up to 32 billion yuan ($4.96 billion) in the construction of the factory. The facility will have a focus on recycling precious earth materials such as cobalt and lithium.

Reuters reports this announcement comes on the back of China setting standards and policies to promote battery recycling across the industry.

Read Also: Ford And BMW To Begin Testing Solid State Battery Cells In 2022

CATL supplies companies such as Tesla, NIO, and Volkswagen with battery cells. In fact, most of the Tesla models produced at its Gigafactory in Shanghai use CATL cells.

The battery giant is continuing to grow its battery cell production capacity and recently announced plans to raise 58.2 billion yuan ($9 billion) through private investments to support its expansion. It is thought that most of it will be used to increase capacity at three of its Chinese factories. CATL wants to ramp up production capacity to 1,200 GWh by 2025. Moreover, Electrek notes that CATL is also investing in new technologies, such as sodium-ion batteries.

Battery recycling is emerging to be an especially vital part of the automotive industry’s push towards electric vehicles. In September, Ford revealed it is partnering with Redwood Materials, the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in the United States. Redwood Materials claims it can recover 95 per cent of elements such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, and copper from old batteries. These materials can then be reused in batteries.

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Was The Blackwing Engine In The CT6-V Better Than The One In the CT5-V Blackwing?

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It is old news by now to point out that Cadillac’s big decision to spend all kinds of money developing its own twin-turbo engine that was fitted to the CT6-V only to abandon it after producing just 1,400 examples is very odd. But how does the Blackwing engine compare to the LT4 going into the latest CT-5V Blackwing?

Well, in terms of power, not well. That the smaller CT5 makes considerably more power than the CT6 (please just assume that these are all Blackwings, I’m so very tired of spelling out these names in their entirety) is proof that the LT4 is better in at least one respect.

Although it’s not uncomplicated, the C7 Z06’s 6.2-liter supercharged pushrod engine makes nearly 120 hp more than the 4.2-liter Blackwing engine. That said, the smaller, DOHC engine makes nearly as much torque. It’s also reasonable to assume that Cadillac could have gotten more power out of its specially designed engine.

Also Read: 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Has A 6-Speed Manual And More Power Than The BMW M5 CS

But still, there’s a beautiful simplicity to the 6.2 and the ultimate decider, if previous reports are anything to go off, appears to have been the compact size of the pushrod V8. Still, it’s worth remembering that this doesn’t make the original Blackwing engine a failure.

Despite being homed in an AWD car that weighs about 2,000 lbs more than the C7 Z06, the CT6 Blackwing was more frugal (at least the last time we had EPA fuel efficiency numbers for the engine). You would have thought that something like this would be important for a company that just said it intended to make every engine more efficient.

In the end, all the ingenious engineering in GM’s kingdom couldn’t keep the CT6-V’s Blackwing from the dumpster. While it’s hard to argue with the power of the CT5-V Blackwing, it is sad to see Caddy drop this engine so fast.

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You Too Can Create Apps For Your Volvo Thanks To Innovation Hub

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Volvo is opening up its Application Programming Interface (API) to anyone who likes to tinker. Through a service called innovation hub, third party developers can create in-car apps and new services for their Volvo.

The hub is part of Volvo’s long history of offering its technology, like seatbelts, to anyone who wants to use them. This latest service could help owners develop the apps that are useful to them, which could in turn help Volvo’s software engineers understand what services are missing.

“Our cars are becoming increasingly smarter and more connected, and with that comes a growing demand for apps and services among our customers,” said Henrik Green, chief technology officer at Volvo Cars. “By making these resources publicly available, we support developers in- and outside our company, and collaborate with the best of the best in their fields.”

To show what users can do with the API, Volvo offers one example that has already been developed. The API gives owners information about a car’s status (whether or not the doors are locked, if an EV’s batteries are charged, and even if it needs more windshield washer fluid).

That’s not all that surprising, but rather than squirreling all of that information away in some Volvo app, a developer has made it all available on a Magic Mirror. The smart mirror provides gazers with headlines, weather information, and now information about whether or not your car is locked.

Also Read: Volvo Could Give Away $2 Million Worth Of Vehicles During The Super Bowl

You can also develop apps for the car through an emulator that recreates the car’s infotainment screen on your computer. Volvo also promises that information coming in from the LiDAR pucks on semi-autonomous cars will also be available, though it expects that will mostly be useful for students and the like.

Any apps that you want to develop and want to offer to the wider world will have to be approved and published by Volvo and the app won’t go into a car without explicit consent from its owner so, in theory anyway, random coders can’t see how many miles are on your car.

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Your New Ford Kuga Can Keep Its Windshield From Fogging Up

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Imagine yourself out for a jog or riding a bicycle on a particularly cold day, and then having to get in your car immediately afterwards. It can easily result in the entire cabin steaming up, which can make you late if you’re in a hurry to get somewhere.

However, if your car is a latest-generation Ford Kuga, such issues are things of the past thanks to the so-called Windscreen Weather Station system.

It works by detecting moisture in the air, as well as changes in the temperature of the glass, and automatically activates the air conditioning system if necessary, selecting the required airflow setting before the glass has a chance to mist over.

Read: Ford Kuga’s Clever AWD Disconnect System Improves Both Traction And Fuel Consumption

The unit itself measures 5×3 cm (2×1 inches) and is located on the windshield, near the rear-view mirror. Its several sensors not only help the Kuga with this minor visibility issue, but will also help improve fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions by reducing the usage of the air conditioning system’s compressor.

“Waiting for your windscreen to clear after exercising is one of life’s little irritations – but driving without being able to clearly see the view ahead can be dangerous. This technology anticipates the problem and deals with it without the driver even knowing.”

Furthermore, drivers can use the FordPass app in order to defrost the windshield and set a cabin temperature before even starting their journey. Then there’s the carmaker’s patented QuickClear technology, which Ford claims will de-ice the glass in seconds at the touch of a button.

In Europe, the Ford Kuga is available with three electrified powertrains: plug-in hybrid, hybrid and mild-hybrid, featuring front and all-wheel drive.

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Maserati Taps TomTom For Navigation And Connected Services In Upcoming Models

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When Maserati introduced the MC20 earlier this month, the company didn’t say much about the car’s 10.25-inch infotainment system.

That’s changing today as the Italian brand has tapped TomTom to provide maps, navigation software and connected services for the upcoming model.

While the MC20 won’t arrive until next year, users will be able to experience the TomTom features in the updated Ghibli, Levante and Quattroporte. The models will hit the road in October and come with features such as “IQ Maps, traffic, connected navigation services, destination prediction, and a premium user interface.”

Also Read: Maserati MC20 Debuts With 621 HP Twin-Turbo V6 And EV Option

Since Maserati is embracing electrification with their upcoming Folgore range, the infotainment system will have EV services which show charging point locations and availability. The models will also have dynamic range mapping, which enables drivers to easily visualize their vehicle’s remaining range.

If owners can’t make it to their destination, they’ll be notified and pointed to a recharging or refueling station. They’ll also be presented with a cost comparison showing available stations within range.

The technology isn’t limited to the infotainment system as information – such as turn-by-turn directions, hazard warnings and speed camera alerts – will also be displayed in the instrument cluster. Users will also be able to customize the interface to suit their preferences.

In a statement, TomTom Automotive managing director Antoine Saucier said “We are delighted that our premium navigation will now power Maserati’s exclusive sports cars.” He added, drivers “will benefit from seamless connectivity and automatic over-the-air map updates so they can get in and get going.”

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Tesla Model S On Autopilot Crashes Into Dodge Police Car, Driver Admits To Watching A Movie

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The driver of a Tesla Model S has admitted to watching a movie earlier in the week when the EV was in Autopilot mode and slammed into the rear of a Dodge Charger patrol car in Nash County, North Carolina.

It is reported that the incident happened at just past midnight on August 26. A Nash County police car was parked on the side of Highway 64 as a deputy and trooper were attending a previous crash when the Tesla slammed into the rear of the cruiser.

CBS 17 reports that the force of the impact pushed the trooper and deputy to the ground, but they avoided injury. The crash caused significant damage to both the Tesla and the Dodge.

Read Also: Tesla Allegedly Operating On Autopilot Slams Into Police Car And Ambulance

Speaking with authorities after the incident, the driver of the Tesla, identified as Devainder Goli, revealed that he had been watching a movie on his phone while the car was operating in Autopilot mode.

“It was a simple lane closure and then suddenly death was at our footsteps,” Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone said. “It shows automation is never going to take the place of the motoring public paying attention, not texting, not being on the phone, but focusing on what you were doing, that is, driving.”

Goli has been charged with a move over violation and ‘location of television in vehicle.’

Footage taken from the scene shows that the front of the Tesla was destroyed in the crash, while the rear-end of the Dodge Charger was wrecked and one of the wheels was ripped off.

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Aston Martin Valkyrie’s V12 Was Spawned From A Three-Cylinder

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The 6.5-liter naturally-aspirated V12 of the upcoming Aston Martin Valkyrie is one hell of an engine, and as this video from Drive Tribe reveals, has quite an interesting history behind it.

Now, the idea of having a naturally-aspirated V12 with 1,000 hp in a world governed by strict emissions regulations may seem impossible, but the experts at Cosworth have been able to make it happen.

Watch Also: How Does The Aston Martin Valkyrie’s Naturally Aspirated V12 Produce 1,000 HP?

Development of the Valkyrie’s V12 first started with a compact inline-three cylinder. This engine can be traced back to both the Nissan GT-R LM Nismo and the Jaguar C-X75. You see, Cosworth designed the 1.6-liter four-cylinder of the C-X75, and when it was tasked with developing the engine for Nissan’s GT-R LM Nismo, it took the C-X75’s engine, removed one of the cylinders, and then doubled it up to get a 3.0-liter straight-six. When Aston Martin came to Cosworth looking for a V12 for the Valkyrie, the engine manufacturer started off with one of these three-cylinder mule engines before quadrupling it to get the V12.

It goes without saying that in a world where hybrid and all-electric performance cars are becoming increasingly common, the Valkyrie’s V12 is a very special thing. The key reason why it is a reality is that by first developing it in three-cylinder guise, Cosworth was able to verify it would put out the horsepower and torque figures necessary while still being emissions compliant when another eight-cylinders were added.

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