Goodyear Testing New Tech that Automatically Inflates Tires

Manually inflating your tires at the gas station may soon be a thing of the past. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has just announced it's moving on to the next phase of testing for a new piece of technology that can automatically inflate tires, helping in the overall push toward improving fuel economy.

Over the next 18 months, multiple U.S.- and Canada-based trucking fleets will be testing the company's Air Maintenance Technology, which continuously monitors tire pressure to keep it at the correct inflation level. The system utilizes an automatic pumping device that's housed inside the tire, and the truck fleets will be testing it in their normal daily operations. Goodyear says that tire-related costs are the single largest maintenance item for commercial vehicle fleet operators, which helps explain why the company wanted to tap into the segment. The AMT system for commercial tires is being designed to perform under a variety of operating conditions and through multiple retreads.



“This phase of testing will go a long way in helping us determine when we can make this technology available in the commercial tire marketplace,” said Joseph Zekoski, Goodyear’s chief technical officer in a release.

The DOE’s Office of Vehicle Technology has provided a $1.5 million grant to assist in the research and development of the AMT system for commercial vehicle tires.

Properly inflated tires not only save fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but also help increase tire life, which is why the new tech looks promising. If the technology comes to passenger cars, it will join low-rolling-resistance tires in the fight for better mpg. While low-rolling-resistance tires already help in this regard, a 2013 J.D. Power survey revealed that satisfaction with those types of tires is declining. Low-rolling-resistance tires appear on everything from efficient hybrids to sportier cars like the Scion FR-S, but J.D. Power said in the study that many consumers weren't aware of the trade-off between overall performance and fuel economy. Self-inflating tires could offer improved fuel mileage without sacrificing as much in terms of performance.

Source: http://www.goodyear.com

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The 2016 BMW 7-Series Has All The Tech You Can Stand

THE 7-SERIES WAS ONCE THE HEADWATERS from which BMW's technology flowed, before the "i" cars came along. You can thank the big Seven for introducing iDrive, electronic engine management, active body control, and ABS to BMW.

The most crowed-about tech in the 2016 7-series is its Carbon Core body, which supplements the steel and aluminum structure with carbon-fiber bracing. The roof supports have a carbon tube sandwiched between the steel pressings, saving weight and lowering the center of gravity. Innovative, but it pales in comparison with the carbon-tub structure of the upstart i3.



Inside, the Learjetesque back seats offer a footrest, massage, and an armrest-mounted Touch Command tablet, depending on which package you opt for. Don't forget the 10-inch screens on the back of the front seats. BMW couldn't have been more obvious about which market it designed this car for if LCDs displayed "To China, with love" on start-up. And if you'd rather drive? The 750i xDrive features a revised 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 good for 445 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. Minor tweaks-an integrated intake manifold, higher compression, and revised exhaust manifolds-increase efficiency, not overall power. That's fine. BMW claims a 4.3-second 0–60-mph time, and I don't doubt it. The 740i gets a turbo 3.0-liter inline-six making 320 hp and, as low as 1380 rpm, 330 lb-ft of torque.



The ZF eight-speed automatic largely avoids low-speed lurchiness. To increase efficiency, the gearing is fractionally taller, and in Eco Pro mode, the drivetrain can decouple itself while coasting between 31 and 100 mph. Rear-wheel steering isn't new, but this is the first BMW 7-series that combines it with all-wheel drive. The anti-roll bars now adjust electromechanically, and the massive Seven can even hustle around in Comfort Plus-a floaty Zeppelin experience, but the grip's there. With Active Comfort Drive, if the car's GPS identifies upcoming curves and aggressive driver inputs, it will shift from Comfort mode to Sport mode automatically. Don't bother with Active Comfort Mode: Sport is supple yet firm enough that linking a few turns together makes most of the sedan's weight seemingly slough off. That's more confidence-inspiring than fumbling through the first turn and a half in Active mode before the computers catch on.​

The big BMW is surprisingly entertaining to drive, considering it packs more gadgets than an Apple store. There are plenty of megasedans trying to strike a balance between East and West. The new 7-series just happens to be better at it than most.

BMW 750i xDrive

Price: $98,395

Powertrain: 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, 445 hp, 480 lb-ft; awd, 8-speed automatic

Weight: 4600 lb

0–60 mph: 4.3 sec

Top speed: 155 mph

On sale: Now

Source: http://www.msn.com

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Google self-driving car strikes public bus in California

LOS ANGELES — An accident report filed with California's Department of Motor Vehicles says a self-driving car being tested by Google collided with a public bus on Valentine's Day.

The report was written by Google, which has been testing two dozen Lexus SUVs outfitted with sensors and cameras near the tech firm's Silicon Valley headquarters. It was posted Monday on the DMV website.

Google wrote that its car was trying to get around some sandbags on a city street when its left front struck the right side of the bus. The car was rolling at 2 mph, the bus at 15 mph.

No one was injured.

Google said its car's safety driver thought the bus would yield.

The report does not address fault. A DMV spokeswoman said the agency hoped to speak with Google Monday about what went wrong.

A Google spokesman did not have immediate comment.

Source: http://www.msn.com

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Nissan disables Leaf app after car hack risk revealed online

Nissan has suspended the functions of an app that could have been used to hack its Leaf electric cars.

The action follows the revelation that a flaw with the software meant that an attacker could run down the battery of a target's car and see data about its recent journeys.

The firm had been informed of the problem a month ago but only acted after details of the issue were flagged online.

Nissan denies there was a safety issue.

However, it has disclosed that its eNV200 electric vans were also vulnerable.

The security researcher who had alerted the Japanese automaker to the problem a month ago believes the company should have taken the step earlier.

Troy Hunt said he only blogged about the risk after seeing that other people had discovered and discussed it in online forums. Even so, he said he welcomed the latest development.



"Disabling the service was the right thing to do given it appears it's not something they can properly secure in an expeditious fashion," he told the BBC.

"Hopefully this will give them time to build a more robust solution that ensures vehicle features and driving history are only accessible via the authorised owner of the car."

Stranded drivers

Mr Hunt discovered that anyone can control the heating and air conditioning systems of a stranger's Leaf by sending it commands via a web browser because the car's companion app was not configured to verify the owner's identity.

Instead, it only required a vehicle identification number (Vin).

Vin numbers are stencilled into the windscreens of cars and Mr Hunt noted that it would be relatively easy to script a process that would hunt the net for vulnerable vehicles.



"The NissanConnect EV app - formerly called CarWings - is currently unavailable," the firm said in a statement.

"This follows information from an independent IT consultant and a subsequent internal Nissan investigation that found the dedicated server for the app had an issue that enabled the temperature control and other telematics functions to be accessible via a non-secure route.

"No other critical driving elements of the Nissan Leaf or eNV200 are affected, and our 200,000-plus LEAF and eNV200 drivers across the world can continue to use their cars safely and with total confidence.

"We apologise for the disappointment caused to our Nissan Leaf and eNV200 customers who have enjoyed the benefits of our mobile apps. However, the quality and seamless operation of our products is paramount.

"We're looking forward to launching updated versions of our apps very soon."

Source: http://www.bbc.com

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The Most Expensive 2016 Cars To Insure

Let’s face facts, if you’re financially able to purchase a high-performance sports car or top-shelf luxury vehicle you’re probably already prepared to fork over the proverbial arm and a leg to insure it.

But to indulge the schadenfreude of those less financially fortunate – or more fiscally responsible – we present the 2016 list of the costliest cars to insure, as compiled annually by Insure.com, in the accompanying slideshow.

The car that tops the charts this year is the hot-blooded Dodge Viper GT sports car, with an average annual auto insurance premium of $4,048. The Viper displaces the Nissan GT-R Nismo sport coupe that led the list for the past two years, and for 2016 drops to the number six spot.

Though its unlikely anyone would ever cross-shop the two models, those who would eschew the Viper and instead make a far safer and saner choice like the Honda Odyssey LX minivan, which the website cites as being the cheapest car to insure for 2016 at an average of just $1,113, would wind up saving $2,935 annually in premiums or a total of $14,675 over a five-year ownership period.

Source: http://www.forbes.com

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Got A Ticket? Here's How Much Your Car Insurance Premiums Will Increase

Among all the factors that determine what a given motorist will pay for car insurance – including age, sex, marital status, address and the make and model of car – the most critical is one’s driving record. The difference between having a clean history and one that’s pockmarked with citations can mean hundreds of dollars or more a year out of pocket. Tack on multiple at-fault accidents and you might be virtually uninsurable.

Depending on the violation, getting just a single ticket can boost an average policyholder’s auto insurance premiums by as much as 22 percent, according to an analysis of over 490,000 policy quotes conducted by Insurance.com.

Being cited for reckless driving was found to boost premiums by the largest margin at the aforementioned 22 percent. For the uninitiated, Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary defines reckless driving as, “Operating an automobile in a dangerous manner under the circumstances, including speeding (or going too fast for the conditions, even if within the posted speed limit) and other careless and dangerous driving behavior.” A first offense for driving under the influence (DUI) was second at a 19 percent increase, followed by driving without a license at 18 percent and careless driving at 16 percent.

These are, of course, all averages for a single incident; penalties may be higher for certain drivers, especially those with various violations on their records. For example, the survey found that (given the vagaries of actuarial data) divorced motorists are often penalized more than single married drivers for given offenses. A divorced person cited for reckless driving might find his or her insurance costs rising by seven percent more than someone who’s single and four percent more than a married driver. Similarly, condo owners are sometimes hit with higher increases after receiving tickets than are renters, single-family homeowners or motorists who live with their parents.

Source: http://www.forbes.com

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Exotic Supercars Will Dominate Geneva, Europe's Most Important Car Show

GENEVA, Switzerland – High-performance, gas-guzzling supercars will dominate the car show which gets underway here next week, suggesting Europe’s car makers are trying for just one more year of money-making indulgence before tougher rules on fuel consumption kick in.

The annual Geneva Car Show is Europe’s most important, not least because it is held on neutral ground and not dominated by local manufacturers like the biennial Paris and Frankfurt shows.



Yet more SUVs will take the stage, as falling oil prices liberate buyers from worries about costs, for a while at least. Electric cars and robot ones will be lurking in the background waiting for their moment, unlikely to arrive until about 2020. Volkswagen, shamed by its self-confessed “dieselgate” cheating in the U.S., will try and keep a low profile. Diesels generally, currently at best on hold in the U.S., will still dominate European cars. If diesels, critical in meeting upcoming fuel consumption laws, are outlawed here most manufacturers would be financially crippled.

This year the show will be dominated by highly profitable not to say unaffordable exotica, led by the 1,482 hp Bugatti Chiron at an expected price of $2.4 million. Aston Martin will unveil its DB 11, powered by a new 5.2 litre-V12 motor. Debutants also include the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso and McLaren 570GT. BMW has a hot new 600 hp 7 series flagship, the M760Li xDrive, flaunting a 6.6 litre V-12 engine. Lamborghini will show its limited edition Centenario.



Source: http://www.forbes.com

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