technology

Hyundai Has Paid Out for Hack Information

This entry was posted in Carmakers cars Hyundai security technology the business and tagged bounty program car hacking cybersecurity dave zuchowski hyundai on by (updated 3399 days ago)
Hyundai America President and CEO David L. Zuchowski

Hyundai America President and CEO David L. Zuchowski

In the wake of last week’s Wired.com report where security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek remotely took control of a 2014 Jeep Cherokee via its telematics system, the auto industry is now on cyber-security high alert. During a regional press preview for the new 2016 Tucson, Hyundai America President and CEO Dave Zuchowski was asked about it. As expected Zuchowski said that the safety and security of customers is always a top priority for the company but then went on to give a surprising response to my follow-up question.

When I asked Zuchowski if Hyundai would follow the lead of technology companies such as Facebook, Microsoft and Google and establish a bounty program for responsible disclosure of security vulnerabilities, he acknowledged that it was under consideration. In addition, he said that while Hyundai doesn’t have a formal program at this time, the company has previously paid researchers on an ad hoc basis for disclosing vulnerabilities. Zuchowski didn’t offer any additional details, but the acknowledgement that the company has gone down this path is a good thing.

I first proposed the idea of a bounty program to OEM contacts back in 2011 and have done it repeatedly since then to no avail and also wrote about it here nearly a year ago.

2016 Honda Accord Gets Mid-Cycle Update with More Tech and Smartphone Support

This entry was posted in Carmakers cars Honda technology and tagged 2016 accord adas android auto apple carplay driver assist honda on by (updated 3403 days ago)

Compressed_Accord_1

Like most automakers today, Honda has an R&D outpost in the heart of Silicon Valley to work on all kinds of advanced technology. Since new driving technology lies at the heart of the updates to the 2016 Accord, the Mountain View, Calif. lab was deemed a fitting location to reveal the refreshed midsizer.

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First Dedicated Autonomous and Connected Vehicle Test Track Opens in Ann Arbor

This entry was posted in Ann Arbor Carmakers cars Chevrolet Ford General Motors Honda Nissan technology the business Toyota and tagged ann arbor autonomous vehicles connected vehicles mcity mobility transformation center mtc umtri university of michigan v2v V2X on by (updated 3406 days ago)

mtc_illust_with_callouts.final

Yet another automotive proving ground opened in Ann Arbor, Mich. today, but the Mobility Transformation Center (MTC) is quite different from existing tracks. There is no shortage of automotive test tracks scattered around southeast Michigan mostly operated by automakers and larger suppliers that do everything from salt baths to high-speed stability to running over pounding potholes. These facilities tend to be highly secured facilities where outsiders are rarely welcome. Ford engineers don’t get to hang out at GM’s Milford Proving Ground and GM people are persona non-grata in Dearborn. At MTC Mcity course, all of these engineers will have a place where they can come together and collaborate along with researchers from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).

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Carbon Revolution to Build Wheels for Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang

This entry was posted in Carmakers cars Ford technology and tagged 2015 ford shelby gt350 mustang 2016 carbon fiber ford gt350r shelby on by (updated 3416 days ago)

GT350R-WheelThrough its 50-plus year history, the Ford Mustang is not a nameplate that has been renowned for showcasing cutting edge technology. Now a year into the sixth-generation model that debuted last fall, that view of the car is starting to change with debut of the new Shelby GT350R. When deliveries start later this summer, the GT350R will be the first mass-produced car in the world with standard carbon fiber wheels and Australian wheel-maker Carbon Revolution will be supplying the rolling stock.

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2015 Kia Soul+ EV – The Most Electric Range You Can Get for Less Than a Tesla

This entry was posted in Carmakers cars electric Kia reviews technology and tagged 2015 2015 kia soul ev car reviews electric car electric vehicle kia lithium ion on by (updated 3142 days ago)

2015 Kia Soul EV - 2 of 32If the mainstream media in America talks about battery electric cars at all, it usually has something to do with the latest outrageous pronouncement from Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. However, unless you live in the wealthy enclaves of Silicon Valley or southern California, chances are pretty good that you’ve never even seen a Tesla Model S much less driven one. Most of the rest of us will never be able to afford a Model S even we could find a place to buy one. For the rest of us that want to drive emissions-free there are a number of very good and increasingly affordable options including South Korea’s first entry into the segment, the Kia Soul EV.

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2015 Lexus NX300h – A Surprisingly Dynamic Hybrid Crossover

This entry was posted in Carmakers Hybrid Lexus reviews technology and tagged 2015 lexus nx300h car review car reviews crossover hybrid lexus luxury crossover on by (updated 3142 days ago)

2015 Lexus NX300h - 1 of 27In the mid-1990s the original Lexus RX kicked off the wave of luxury utility vehicles that has now infected pretty much every premium brand short of Ferrari and McLaren. In time, Lexus added rebadged versions of the Toyota Sequoia and Land Cruiser large SUVs and has now fleshed out the lineup with the compact NX crossover. The addition of the NX has inflated Lexus utility sales to the point where they have nearly overtaken car sales, a promise that will likely be completed when the new RX hits the streets this fall. While we wait on the 2016 RX, I got to spend a week driving it’s little brother, the hybrid electric NX300h.

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The 2015 Ford Shelby GT350 V8 – When Flatter is Better

This entry was posted in Carmakers Ford technology and tagged 2015 ford shelby gt350 mustang ford gt350 gt350r mustang shelby voodoo voodoo v8 on by (updated 3454 days ago)

gt350 v8 - 20

A few weeks ago we got an in-depth look the platform changes that the SVT/Ford Performance engineering crew made in the process of transforming the 2015 Mustang GT into the new Shelby GT350. However, a great chassis can only you get you so far. Every great sports car also needs a great powerplant and here the engineers appear to have come through again. Unlike the last couple of generations of SVT Mustangs, this time around the team have come up with something completely different, the 5.2-liter Voodoo V8.

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Ford SYNC3 Launching This Summer on Fiesta and Escape

This entry was posted in Carmakers Ford technology and tagged connectivity ford infotainment myford touch sync 3 on by (updated 3455 days ago)
The SYNC 3 home screen features three zones, Navigation, Audio and Phone, as well as a quick access function tray along the bottom making for a more straight-forward user experience.

The SYNC 3 home screen features three zones, Navigation, Audio and Phone, as well as a quick access function tray along the bottom making for a more straight-forward user experience.

In 2007, Ford changed the way we connect our mobile devices to our cars with the introduction of SYNC on the Escape. In 2011, Ford almost overnight destroyed the goodwill toward SYNC with the introduction of the hugely troubled MyFord Touch which was known internally as SYNC V2. While Ford made MFT much better over the last couple of years with software updates, it also began work on a complete reboot. The result of those efforts debuts this summer as SYNC 3 and the Fiesta and Escape will be the first vehicles to get this all-new connectivity and infotainment system.

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BMW i3 REX – Carbon Fiber EV at an Almost Affordable Price

This entry was posted in BMW Carmakers cars electric Hybrid reviews technology and tagged 2015 bmw i3 battery car reviews electric electric car electric vehicle EV i3 lithium lithium ion plug-in vehicle on by (updated 3142 days ago)

2015 BMW i3 Rex - 1 of 37

In November 2008, I sat with a group of journalists on a hotel terrace in Beverly Hills to learn about BMW’s Project i which had the aim of a building a 21st century megacity car. In the middle of the terrace sat a fairly conventional-looking grey MINI hatchback that frankly didn’t look all that advanced. However, the lessons learned from that car and the other 500 examples just like it, led directly to the BMW’s first true, next-generation automobile, the i3.

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The Design of the 2017 Ford GT

This entry was posted in Carmakers Ford technology and tagged 2017 2017 ford gt design ford ford gt on by (updated 3476 days ago)

2016 Ford GT design - 18 of 61

When the all-new third-generation Ford GT hits the streets in 2016, it will in many ways be the most radical departure in the more than 50 year history of the brand. But that doesn’t mean this new edition has completely broken with its DNA. Enough hints of its heritage remain visible to connect this 21st century supercar to its ancestors while bringing it up to most modern technical and design standards. Ford recently invited us down into the secret basement room under its design studio to talk about how this car came to be.

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