Enlarge / This is the view of the top of a cylinder as the TPS ignition module sends out a plasma pulse. (credit: Transient Plasma Systems) In 2019, we took a look at an interesting new advanced ignition system from Transient Plasma Systems. It replaces the conventional spark plugs in a vehicle’s engine with an…
Monthly Archives: July 2022
Enlarge (credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images) California’s ability to regulate its own air quality is being defended by five automakers this week. BMW, Ford, Honda, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo have filed a motion to defend the Golden State’s waiver, issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency, that allows the state to limit the amount of carbon…
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Sjoerd van der Wal) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has upgraded an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system in a move that could lead to a recall. The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened the probe of Tesla Autopilot in August 2021 due to “eleven crashes in which Tesla…
Enlarge / Toyota’s new home storage system will let an EV power a house. (credit: Toyota) The Toyota Motor Corporation has decided to get into the home battery sector. Earlier this month, the automaker announced its O-Uchi Kyuden System, a home energy store that provides “long service life, high quality, good value for price, and…
Enlarge / This is the Cadillac GTP Concept, which is our first look at what will become Cadillac’s endurance racing car in North America and at Le Mans. (credit: Cadillac) This weekend saw the annual running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. It was hardly a race for the ages—don’t worry, no…
Enlarge / Obviously when we say we’ve driven GM’s new Lunar Vehicle we mean we’ve driven it in the simulator in Milford, Michigan. (credit: Roberto Baldwin) General Motors provided a flight from San Francisco to Detroit and back, plus a night in hotel so we could drive the Lunar Vehicle at GM’s simulator. Ars does…
Enlarge / The Ford Mustang Mach-E has had a few teething troubles since its launch in 2021. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin) Ford has to recall nearly 49,000 Mustang Mach-Es, and it told dealers to temporarily halt deliveries of the electric vehicle while it works to solve a bug in the propulsion system. Vehicles may still be…
Enlarge / You might think this looks like any other McLaren. But the Artura is a clean-sheet design with a new plug-in hybrid EV powertrain. And a total output of 671 hp. (credit: McLaren) McLaren provided flights from DC to Malaga and back, plus two nights in a hotel, so we could drive the Artura…
Enlarge (credit: Sony) South African director Neill Blomkamp is set to direct a Gran Turismo movie for Columbia Pictures. Deadline first broke the news of a potential GT film in May, but on Tuesday, Sony announced a release date for the film: August 11, 2023. Video games don’t often make great movies, though I still…
Enlarge / Tesla is facing multiple federal investigations into the safety of its automated and partially automated driving systems. New data from NHTSA shows the automaker accounted for three quarters of all crashes involving advanced driver assists in the past year. (credit: Tesla) On Wednesday morning, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released data on…