Technology
Volkswagen Launches “Think Blue” Initiative In U.S
Earlier today, Volkswagen launched its “Think Blue” campaign in the U.S. VW’s aim is to “encourage eco-friendly mobility and progressive ideas for responsible action in everyday life”. This launch coincides with VW’s partnership with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, as well as the May 24th inauguration of VW’s plant in Chattanooga,…
U.S Department Of Energy Testing Dodge Ram Hybrid
Chrysler is delivering 10 Ram 1500 Hybrids to the U.S Department of Energy for testing within the next week. The pickups will be delivered to Yuma, Arizona, as part of a $100 million research project. The program with the U.S Department of Energy will run through June 2014. 140 Ram 1500 pickups will be delivered…
Toyota and Salesforce to Create ‘Toyota Friend’ Social Network
Toyota has a announced a bold new initiative, teaming up with Salesforce.com to create its own social network site for Toyota owners. Called ‘Toyota Friend’ the private social network will connect Toyota customers with their cars, their dealership and even the factory. Powered by Salesforce Chatter (a private social network used by businesses), it will…
Is Detroit The Next Silicon Valley?
Could the motor city be turning into tech town usa? In a CNN Money special, Detroit’s automotive related technology boom is highlighted for its recent increase technology related jobs. Tech job openings rose 82% in Detroit, with companies like Google and Ford hiring engineers en masse. According to the report, Google says this will be its…
MINI Planning Smaller Model For 2014
MINI is preparing an all new sub-compact that will be closer in size to the original Mini, and likely become available in 2014. The new ‘mini’ MINI will be a true successor to the Sixties model, only 40cm longer and 50cm wider than the first iteration. This mode will create a new entry point with…
Audi Wins 2011 International Engine Of The Year Award For 2.5-liter TFSI
Audi has won the “International Engine of the Year 2011” award for the second year in a row in the 2-liter to 2.5-liter category and seventh category award in a row for Audi TFSI technology. This engine is fitted in the RS3 Sportback and the TT RS . The engine produces 340-hp between 5,400 and 6,500 rpm…
Volvo Exploring Inductive Charging For Electric Cars
Volvo is collaborating with Belgian technological and development specialist Flanders’ Drive to develop inductive charging for its model line up. Inductive charging allows electric vehicles to be recharged wirelessly. A charging plate(conductor) could be buried beneath the driveway so when the car is parked, it will charge. “The aim is naturally that it should be as convenient as…
2012 Mercedes S-Class Future Tech: “Magic Body Control” Sees the Road Ahead
One of the new technologies set to debut in the 2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is called Magic Body Control. As good as current high-tech suspension systems are, reacting in milliseconds and predicting what’s ahead based on driver inputs, Magic Body Control will actually see the road. Utilizing two cameras to scan the road it can compensate…
Left Turn Assistant: BMW’s Latest Safety Innovation
Despite what you might be thinking, this story has nothing to do with BMW joining NASCAR. Instead, it’s the latest safety innovation by the Munich-based automaker, called Left Turn Assistant (LTA). Equipped in a 5 Series test vehicle it is designed to work at speeds of up to 6 mph, using three laser scanners in…
General Motors Named Innovation Leader by Patent Board
The announcement comes on the heels of news that GM recently received more patents for clean energy technology last year than any other organization, based on findings from the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index.
Selecting A New Rolls Royce? There’s An App For That
Buying cars is not like what it used to be. You no longer need to go into a showroom and sit with a Brylcreamed salesman and look over color palettes. Nowadays, any self-respecting car company has a modern website with a configurater, so customers can sit at home and virtually see what their next car…
Ford’s Aero Chocolate Bar Inspired Plastics to Help Cut Vehicle Weight by up to 750 Pounds
Arguably the biggest road block to improving fuel economy isn’t engine technology, but weight. With lighter vehicles, automakers can use much smaller engines to push them around, plus there’s the added advantage of improved performance in all other areas. While a lot of automakers have put the weight saving focus on structural components, using aluminum…
Three-Cylinder Turbo Engines In BMW’s Future
There once was a time, when turbocharged engines translated to big horsepower and big fuel consumption. The new generation of turbocharged engines are still producing very decent power outputs, but their main concern is to improve fuel-economy, and a company that is getting the most out of this type of set-up is BMW. They have…
Ford Offers Truck App On F-Series
Essentially, it’s a more in-depth version of the truck’s standard information touch screen, adding towing and off-road specific features.
Survey: 49 Percent of Us Want Autonomous Cars
We all drool over the latest technologies, wait in line to buy them and show them off to our less fortunate friends. But a recent study shows that while we love them, we’re also frustrated when they crash and freeze. The study goes on to say that even though we’re frustrated, 49 percent of us…
Want to Known When the Next Race is and What Channel it’s On? There Is An App For That
Auto racing fans rejoice. If you’ve always wanted a handy device to let you know when the next race is, now there is a smart phone app that will keep you in the know. SpeedWeekly Magazine has developed an app which will give you information such as start times, location, which network is broadcasting the…
Tesla Model S Struts Its Stuff On Winding Roads [Video]
Here at the AutoGuide office, we are quite fond of the Tesla Roadster. We like its battery technology, its range, and most of all its amazing performance. It certainly has shown us a glimpse of the future, and thankfully its not boring. However, the Roadster model is quite expensive and impractical and Tesla is aware…
Future Ferrari Models Will Read Your Mind
Always one step ahead of the game, Ferrari is working on a new level of technology for its cars that will allow the vehicle to monitor its driver. Revealed in a series of new patent filings, the Ferrari system is based on the idea that drivers often overestimate their skill level, which can become somewhat…
Focus Electric MyFord Mobile App Syncs Owners With Their Cars
Ahead of the debut of the Ford Focus Electric at the Consumer Electronic Show today, Ford has announced a new smartphone App designed to connect owners with the company’s new zero-emissions car. Similar in many ways to GM’s Chevy Volt OnStar App, the MyFord Mobile app will let owners of the Focus Electric keep tabs…
New Ford MyKey Feature Lets Parent Block Explicit Satellite Radio Content
We bet that you wish you could be in the car whenever your teenager takes it out for a spin. Sure, you trust them, but you would feel better if you could make sure they weren’t going too fast or you could turn the radio dial when Howard Stern comes on. Thanks to Ford’s enhanced…
New OnStar App Will Let You Text, Update Facebook Using Only Your Voice
Combined with several other big introductions, General Motors announced at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show that it is testing a new OnStar App that will let drivers text and even update Facebook using only voice commands. Rumors of this new services popped up several months ago, but now GM has made it official. The service…
OnStar Now Available in Non-GM Cars Through Best Buy Retail Partnership
As a part of a larger plan to grow OnStar, General Motors has announced it will begin offering the service on non GM products. Originally designed as a value-added safety feature, OnStar has grown to include numerous convenience features as well, including Turn-by-Turn Navigation and even the ability to open a vehicle when you’ve locked…
OnStar Taps Verizon 4G Network to Showcase Prototype Technologies
OnStar has teamed up with long-time partner Verizon to showcase just how much the in-car technology could be capable of in the near future. A list of several new ‘prototype technologies’ ranging from entertainment, to communications to safety, are on display for the first time in a custom Buick LaCrosse at the Consumer Electronics Show…
Ford Announces SYNC AppLink Upgrade, Allowing Voice Control of Your iPhone
If you are the owner of an Apple iPhone and a Ford vehicle equipped with the SYNC system, you may have noticed that your phone and your car don’t like talking to each other. That’s probably due to the fact that the SYNC system was developed by Microsoft, and since Bill Gates is not exactly…
