Technology News

The company spends almost 700 million Euros each year on research and development and it has recently started an R&D facility in India too, so definitely the engineers at Michelin are kept busy.

With level 3 and level 4 autonomy already in production or just around the corner, most automakers have started looking at cars that are equipped with level 5 autonomous technology. General Motors might have left behind the lucrative Indian market but they are looking into the future with their automotive startup Cruise, a technology company that will make Level 5 autonomous tech. And now, it gets a big boost in the arm with SoftBank Vision Fund announcing a massive $2.25 Billion investment into the firm. In addition, General Motors will also invest an additional $1.1 Billion post the SoftBank investment into Cruise thereby giving it a big push towards quicker and faster - and more modern tech.

Maruti Suzuki today announced achieving a new sales milestone as the company sold over 3 lakh AMT models in India, equipped with its popular Auto Gear Shift (AGS) technology.

Tesla has been in the news nearly ever day and not particularly for all the right reasons. Just recently, we brought you news about how the Model 3 had a braking issue - which was subsequently fixed by an on-air upgrade that updated the ABS module. Tesla has also had its fair share of crashes, including a fatality recently while the cars have been on autopilot or the level 4 autonomous mode and this had prompted a group of Tesla owners to take the automaker to court over the actual usability of the Autopilot system. However, to avoid a full fledged class action lawsuit, Tesla has settled the case by paying an undisclosed amount.

Tesla has officially announced the highly anticipated and much awaited Tesla Model 3 AWD and Tesla Model 3 Performance variants. The performance version of the Tesla Model 3 will be available earlier with production starting around July 2018 with the standard AWD versions starting soon after. Tesla has also announced prices on the Model S AWD and the Performance versions. While the standard AWD starts at $ 54,000, the Performance version will start at a whopping $ 78,000! And both these prices are without the autopilot function. The Tesla Model 3 AWD will look pretty much like the standard car but the performance version will have some very noticeable changes to both the exterior and the interior.

The 'connected automobile' has truly come of age. While in the past, one had to resort to mechanical upgrades like better brake pads, cross drilled and slotted discs and of course, weight reduction, to improve braking performance, Tesla has done it with a few lines of computer code. A new on-air update for the Tesla Model 3 has improved braking in the electric automaker's entry level offering by upto 20 feet under hard braking. Tesla's software team has done this by changing the characteristics of the Anti-lock braking system or ABS on the Model 3 and it is applicable to all the cars that are currently delivered and plying on the road globally.

The new mild-hybrid powertrain will provide electric power and reduce the engine load under acceleration. Kia Motors claims that this technology will help it to reduce CO2 emissions heavily.

The Toyota Fuel Cell System, which was developed for the Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), has been leveraged to realize high environmental performance with no CO2 emissions or Substances of Concern (SoC) emitted when in operation, as well as quiet comfort with minimal vibration.