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Electromobility, Formula One and the Fatal Consequences of Bad Software Design: The top ten stories of 2013

Electromobility, Formula One and the Fatal Consequences of Bad Software Design: The top ten stories of 2013

Feature articles |
By eeNews Europe



To begin with: The most widely read article in 2013 was the same as in 2012. And in 2011. Unbelievable, isn’t it? Apparently the editor of this page succeeded in creating something of eternal value. Since such an article can only participate in this top ten listing outside the normal competition, we reveal which one it was at the end of this article. Now see which news excited the readers most:

BMW rolls out its first serial electrical vehicle

Simultaneously in three different cities – London, New York and Shanghai – BMW today launched its first series production battery electric vehicle, the i3. With its lightweight design, relatively long driving range and its extensive selection of driver assistance systems raise the bar for the vendors to follow with electric car announcements this fall.

In Formula One, Freescale is in the pole position

When the Formula One race is on again, it will remain interesting until the last lap which car will pass the target line first and win the race. But one winner is already certain: Chips from Freescale Semiconductor are setting the pace in all Formula One vehicles. The reason: All F1 cars use an identical central computer – powered by a Freescale Qorivva microprocessor.

Bad design and its consequences; US legal ruling on Toyota’s “killer firmware”

In the USA, certain Toyota car models have been alleged to have contained a fault that caused them to accelerate or continue to accelerate contrary to the driver’s inputs. This has now reached the stage that a US court has ruled against Toyota, as reported here by EDN’s Michael Dunn.

How hackers can take control of your car

You might have seen that frightening episode of the CBS series, Person of Interest, in which a fictional social media company’s billionaire founder loses control of his car. From the street, the driver appears to be either a total nutcase (well, in this case, he is) or heavily intoxicated. His car weaves through traffic left and right, crossing lanes willy-nilly and clipping other cars. But inside the car, the driver is helpless. Any control he tries, especially the brakes, is overridden, apparently by the car itself. Unbeknownst to the driver, of course, the car is under remote control.

New Volvo diesel engine: More sensors, better efficiency

Volvo has developed a new fuel injection control system for Diesel engines that promises to significantly increase the already high fuel efficiency of this engine type. The i-ART system throws sensors and microprocessors at the problem, enabling continuous monitoring of the relevant parameters.

Volvo evaluates flywheel hybrid drive – fuel savings of up to 25%

In hybrid cars, several technologies are available to harvest excess kinetic energy; converting it into electricity and storing it a battery or supercap is currently the most popular approach. Kinetic flywheels offer an alternative. Carmaker Volvo has tested this technology under everyday driving conditions on public roads – and appears to be pleased about the outcome.

Apple’s iOS7: Too little, too late for automotive market, says expert

At its recent developer conference WWDC, Apple pitched its new operation system iOS7 for automotive deployment. Now Frost & Sullivan expert Krishna Jayaraman got granular on Apple’s system software. Though iOS7 offers significant improvements with regards to the interfaces and better voice control functions for the SIRI personal assistant, the announcement came much too late for the automotive market, Jayaraman said.

Toyota tests Winglet e-scooter

The Segway PT, a scooter with two side-by-side wheels, has gained significant awareness. Now it looks like it gets competition from the Far East: Toyota is testing a very similar electric vehicle.

Bosch tests automatic driving on the Autobahn

If you happen to see a driver on the German Autobahn these days with no hands at the wheel, don’t panic: Automotive electronics supplier Bosch is currently conducting extensive tests of automated vehicles on public roads in Germany. The purpose of these tests is assessing and further improving the technology for automatic driving in everyday driving situations.

Bosch highlights radar technology for safety-relevant driver assistant systems

Having already manufactured one million of automotive radar sensors, Bosch expects that the significance of the radar technology for automotive safety and intelligent driver assistance systems will significantly increase in the years ahead. Demand will be driven among other factors by stricter criteria for the Euro NCAP safety assessments.

These were the top ten articles published in 2013. And here is the most widely read article – our long runner which this year again exceeded all other page views though it was already published in 2011.

German carmakers agree on 48V on-board supply, charging plug

Car makers Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen have agreed to jointly incorporate a number of common architectural elements for their on-board power network. These include an additional 48V section and a charging connector type for all electric and hybrid vehicles as well as CAN bus interfaces supporting partial network operation.

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