WASHINGTON--Automakers are scrambling to defend the electric vehicle tax credit after House Republicans last week proposed eliminating it to help pay for their broader package of tax cuts.Lobbyists here quickly huddled to figure out how to save the tax credit, which the industry views as critical to promoting commercial adoption of electric vehicle technology.
As automakers and suppliers search for new ways to reduce vehicle weight, some engineers are experimenting with natural fibers. Bamboo, cotton, hemp, jute, kenaf, rice and other crops can be used to produce high-strength composite structures for automotive applications.
MUNICH--Automotive materials and parts supplier Toray Industries has announced that it will be open the Automotive Center Europe here to focus on the emerging environmentally friendly vehicle sector. Expected to open next summer, the center will consist of a laboratory block paired with an office block and showroom.
PALO ALTO, CA--Electric car maker Tesla Inc. reaffirmed this week that it is talking with the Shanghai municipal government to set up a factory in the region and expects to agree on a plan by the end of the year. However, the company declined to comment on a report that a deal has been reached.
A typical Porsche sports car contains more than 2,000 individual wires. If laid end to end, the wiring would stretch 2 to 3 kilometers. Designing such a complex wiring system would be challenge enough, but at Porsche, almost no harness design in series production matches another one.
WASHINGTON--The Trump administration is advocating for a more balanced trade relationship with Japan as high-level economic talks with the Asian nation advance this week in Washington, according to Vice President Mike Pence.
DETROIT--Workers at a General Motors factory in Canada approved a new labor contract Monday, ending a 4-week strike that stalled production of the Chevrolet Equinox. GM's CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, is the main source of Equinox crossovers. The facility had been idle since Sept. 17. Unifor Local 88 President Dan Borthwick says nearly 86 percent of members voted in favor of the 4-year deal.
U.S. automakers are wrestling with the challenge of reducing vehicle weight to meet the 2025 CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) mandate, which requires new cars and trucks to achieve 55 miles per gallon. Meeting that challenge will require the latest advances in materials and fastening methods.
Designing a modern diesel engine presents many challenges for engineers. One of the biggest is making sure that each engine component is properly sealed during operation.
Originally developed for joining aluminum, friction stir welding is now being applied to other materials, including steel, copper, titanium and even nylon.