Tag "3"

May 28, 2015 AUTOS

Ford Offers to License Its Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Patents to Other Automakers

– Calling all Chinese brands, Fiat-Chrysler, and other automakers without a developed electric-vehicle strategy: Ford’s got you covered. Starting now, Dearborn will license more than 1650 of its patented and patent-pending EV technologies to other manufacturers. – The goal, according to Ford, is to “accelerate the growth of electrified vehicle technology and deliver even better products to customers.” But unlike Toyota, which in January offered up 5680 fuel-cell patents under

May 28, 2015 AUTOS

Chrysler Reduces 2016 Powertrain Warranties by 40,000 Miles

Fiat Chrysler just announced that, beginning with the 2016 model year, its 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty will become a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty in the U.S. market, Automotive News reports. The decision affects Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles with gasoline engines, while the automaker’s 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage stays unchanged. – The decision follows a trend: Back in March, GM announced an identical powertrain warranty reduction on Chevrolet and GMC vehicles.

May 28, 2015 AUTOS

Apple Exec Says Cars Are “The Ultimate Mobile Device”

Tech news outlet Re/code is hosting The Code Conference this week, a gathering of important tech people talking about important tech things. GM CEO Mary Barra was there, touting Chevy’s biggest-in-the-industry-so-far commitment to both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Apple senior VP Jeff Williams was there, too—and while he didn’t outright say that the tech giant is heading into the auto industry, he dropped about as big a hint as a

May 28, 2015 AUTOS

Video: A 1340-hp Koenigsegg One:1 Rips Around Suzuka Circuit

-The Koenigsegg One:1 is astonishing. – Named for its one-to-one power-to-weight ratio—1340 horsepower moving an identical number of kilograms, no baloney—you know this thing is going to be a jaw-dropper. Hell, it’s got carbon-fiber wheels that weigh a mere 13 pounds, and it’ll blast to 220 mph in the space of an airport runway on the way to a 273.4-mph top speed. – But although it’s got plenty of straight-line speed,

May 28, 2015 AUTOS

Retro as Heck: Porsche Pilfers the Past For 2015 Le Mans Liveries

-Like many young men, recently deposed Volkswagen Group supremo Ferdinand Piëch began his career at the family business. The difference between Piëch and other young men was that the family business happened to be Porsche. During his tenure in Zuffenhausen, he shepherded a program meant to finally bring the company an overall Le Mans victory by exploiting a loophole for 5-liter sports cars. The result was the all-conquering 917. –