The thinking behind CNXMotion, a 50:50 joint venture created in 2017 by Continental and Nexteer Automotive, was to develop next-generation technologies that integrate and enhance the parent companies’ braking and steering capabilities.

Grand Blanc, Mich.-based CNX is taking the first step in this direction with its Brake-to-Steer (BtS) system, which provides redundant actuation during autonomous driving.

In vehicles fitted with Continental’s brake-by-wire technology and Nexteer’s electronic power steering (EPS), a new cross-domain Motion Control System (MCS) and Performance Manager monitor and share information between the two functions.

If a problem with the EPS is detected during autonomous driving, BtS can be used to steer the vehicle by ...READ MORE

Volvo Truck began taking orders today for its VNR Electric truck, a Class 8 tractor developed in and for the U.S. and Canadian market.

“Before making the VNR Electric truck available to our customers, we though through every aspect of electrification so they didn’t have to,” says Peter Voorheoeve, who heads Volvo Truck operations in North America.

The VNR Electric, a new addition to the VNR family of diesel rigs, is intended for local and regional distribution, including beverage deliveries, and pickup services.

The company points out that the quiet electric drive makes the truck well-suited for nighttime deliveries, thereby reducing traffic congestion during daylight hours.

Volvo plans to begin building the VNR in early 2021 at its factory in ...READ MORE

Curiosity Lab, a one-year-old smart city proving ground in Peachtree Corners, Ga., has installed what it claims is the first surface-powered solar panels in the U.S. to power a charger for electric vehicles.

Dubbed Wattway, the roadside solar panels were produced by France’s Colas Group.

The system was provided to Peachtree Corners through a partnership with The Ray, a nonprofit living laboratory and proving ground located along an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 85 near the Georgia/Alabama border.

Embedded in an autonomous vehicle test lane, the solar array can produce some 1,300 kWh of electricity per for a Level 2 EV charger installed at Peachtree Corners’ city hall.

The charger is equipped with an energy storage system for nighttime charging, according to ...READ MORE

Next year’s speediest Jaguar SUV will be faster than ever.

Jaguar says the 2021 F-Pace SVR crossover can zoom from zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, hit a top speed of 178 mph—and do it with lower emissions and better fuel economy than the previous model.

Not to mention improvements in handling, steering, braking and aerodynamics. And an all-new interior.

The 2021 powertrain squeezes 516 lb-ft of torque out of its standard 542-hp, supercharged 5.0-liter V8, a 15 lb-ft gain over the previous model. Coupled with a new “dynamic launch” function, the output cuts the sprint to 60 mph by one-third of a second and adds 2 mph to the SUV’s top speed.

An 8-speed “quickshift” automatic transmission handles gear selection duties. When it comes ...READ MORE

Joyson Safety Systems (JSS) specializes in airbags, seatbelts, integrated safety systems, and more. Here are five interesting developments that are addressing existing and potential automotive applications. (photographed above: Ultra-compact airbag made with a woven nylon fabric with 30 grams/square meter of silicone coating. All images: Joyson Safety Systems)

Andreas Staub, JSS vice president, airbag inflators and textiles global product line, points out that in side-impact accidents, about 26% of the injuries occur on the other side of where the impact occurs: If the collision happens on the driver’s door, then the driver being jolted to her right can result in an injury. And if there are two frontal passengers, there can be a serious knocking ...READ MORE