WIDER TIRE = BIGGER FOOTPRINT?
NO, LET’S DISPEL that myth right off. To a large extent, a tire’s inflation pressure—not its width—determines the area of its contact with the tarmac. However, there are still lots … Continue reading
AUTOMOTIVE HEADLIGHTS, PART 2
THE BOSCH AUTOMOTIVE HANDBOOK devotes 37 pages of fine print to the subject of Lighting Equipment. Wikipedia’s Headlamp entry is also extensive, with 116 references. Here I offer highlights, with … Continue reading
AUTOMOTIVE HEADLIGHTS, PART 1
IN 1940, the Society of Automotive Engineers said, “Let there be standardized automotive lighting.” And the lighting was good. But not as good as Europe’s. Things evolved over the years. … Continue reading
AUTONOMOUS KILLS
SELF-DRIVING CARS programmed to kill? This is an ethical question inherent in autonomous vehicle design. And it’s a practical problem, not just a philosophical one. MIT Technology Review, October 22, … Continue reading
MIATA REDUX— A SPIRITUAL KINSHIP
I WAS delighted to sample the Mazda Miata’s fourth generation as part of a Ride-and-Drive at the Orange County, California, International Auto Show, just up the road at the Anaheim … Continue reading
THE DVLA, A BRIT’S DMV
PITY THE Brits enjoying vintage cars of one sort and another. In marked contrast to the U.S., there’s a single omnipotent Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for the entire country. … Continue reading
WONDERS OF A CAR’S CATALYTIC CONVERTER
MY RECENT item on fuel cell catalysts got me and several readers thinking about conventional automotive catalytic converters. Are automotive catalysts the same as those in a fuel cell? No. … Continue reading
CUTTING FUEL CELL COSTS
AN ADVANCE at Argonne National Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy may significantly lower the cost of fuel cell propulsion. Briefly, Argonne researchers have developed a less costly replacement … Continue reading
VW’S DIESEL SCAM
THERE IS technical interest in Volkwagen’s scamming of government and customers. According to Bloomberg Business, almost 500,000 VW and Audi diesels, beginning in Model Year 2009, are involved in the … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 
HYBRID VS. GASOLINE VS. DIESEL: TWO SNAFUS
THE RECENT Volkswagen diesel deceit reminded me of a 2010 SAE International presentation of mine that coordinated with an article in R&T. In retrospect, the presentation involved a pair of … Continue reading →