Recently, the University of Wyoming’s researchers released data that showed the state’s Rock Springs Uplift could provide up to 18-million tons of lithium.

While looking for sites to store carbon dioxide, the researchers came across brines that could yield several hundred years’ worth of production for lithium battery cells used in plug-in electric vehicles. The brines were discovered 10,000 feet below the ground, and could give the U.S. the supply it needs to be self-sufficient in manufacturing electric car batteries.

Currently, the U.S. imports 80 percent of its lithium with the remaining 20 percent supplied from brines found in Nevada. Chile and Argentina are currently the world’s largest exporters of lithium, but the discovery proves that there is an abundance of lithium sources yet to be discovered.

[Source: Green Car Reports]

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Will a “14-year-old from Indonesia” one day be able to hack into self-driving cars? It might sound outlandish, but Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee asked on Wednesday.

Further underscoring the concern, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety administrator David Strickland says he has asked for $2 million for a new office dedicated to electronic issues. One of those issues? Ensuring that self-driving cars can’t be hacked and remotely controlled.

“NHTSA recognizes the challenge and the growing onboard potential for remotely compromising vehicle security through software and increased onboard communications services,” Strickland said. “With electronics systems assuming safety critical roles in nearly all vehicle controls, we are facing the need to develop general requirements.”

Strickland said there haven’t been any reported cases of this happening so far, but then again there aren’t many self-driving cars on the road today. Currently, Nevada, California and Florida are the only states that allow autonomous cars on public roads.

“If there’s a chance of it happening, we have to address it,” Strickland said.

[Source: The Detroit News]

According to a recent study released by IHS Automotive, an estimated 10.7-million charging stations will be available globally by the end of the decade.

That’s a tenfold increase to where we are at today, but as sales continue to grow for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, a rise in charging stations worldwide is expected. Compiled by IMS Research, the study also noted that there were 135,000 charging stations worldwide in 2011.

As expected, the largest concentration of charging stations will be found in the United States, China, Japan, and Germany. All those countries have domestic automakers that are focusing on developing EVs along with government support to expand e-mobility.

Currently, the United States has over 5,800 public charging stations. Of course with more charging stations available worldwide, the less range anxiety consumers will have when shopping for PHEVs and EVs.

“While volumes may not reach the levels imagined in the hype of 2009, it is clear that there needs to be charging infrastructure in place to support this change in mobility,” Alastair Hayfield, associate director at IMS, said in a statement.

[Source: IHS Automotive]

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Automakers are always looking for an edge over the competition. Any spec-sheet advantage, no matter how insignificant, is fair game. Engine output is often something they brag about. One vehicle may have more horsepower but a competing car could offer more torque. What’s the difference between these two measurements? What do they mean? Surprisingly these terms are totally different but related.

Some vehicles are built to extremes; the dearly departed Honda S2000 sports car, which went out of production a few years ago, is a perfect example. Like the blade of a samurai sword this open-air two-door was sharp and purposeful.

Early models were powered by a screaming 2.0-liter four-cylinder that put out a monstrous 240 horsepower. What made that figure so jaw-dropping is that the engine did it without any assistance; there was no turbo or supercharger to be found under the hood. It was more natural than a flock of unkempt vegan hippies nakedly prancing around the forest during a rainstorm; it just revved and revved, topping out at 9000 RPM. Of course this extreme engine strategy came at a price. There were only 153 lb-ft of torque to play with, barely more than a tricycle-riding grandmother could provide.

Honda’s S2000 was the automotive equivalent of a hummingbird; always buzzing at redline, howling like a banshee. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Ram 3500 pickup truck. Buyers can opt for a 6.7-liter Cummins diesel that puts out 350 horsepower with up to 660 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough twisting force to power an industrial revolution.

THE ORIGINS OF HORSEPOWER

Speaking of that pivotal moment in history, one man played a huge role in helping develop the world we live in today. Scottish inventor James Watt can be credited with kick-starting the industrial revolution in the second-half of the 1700s. He vastly improved the steam engine, which made it both more efficient and effective. He also invented something else.

Alan Falkowski, a Chief Engineer at Chrysler and someone who’s worked on a number of different engine programs over the years including the late-model Hemi and Pentastar V6 said Watt came up with an important term we use every day: horsepower.

“Essentially he wanted to have an equivalent term his customers could relate to,” said Falkowski. The expression was designed to make the nebulous idea of work relevant and easily understood. For example “I’ve got a steam engine that will do the work of two horses,” Falkowski said; that’s a lot easier to wrap your 18^th-century head around than saying it delivers 66,000 pound-feet (lb-ft) per minute. Because really, what the heck does that mean anyway?

USE THE FORCE!

Good question. “Torque is kind of like a force,” said Steve Russ, Technical Leader with Ford Motor Company Engine Engineering. “Now power is essentially the rate at which we’re able to do that amount of work,” he said.

Falkowski gave a great example of this. If a person walks up 10 steps they’ve done a certain amount of work, but “The rate at which [they move] is power,” he said. Running up a flight of stairs in five seconds opposed to 10 seconds takes twice as much power. In other words, “The ability to do work quickly is power,” he said.

Another example of torque is trying to slide a piece of furniture across carpeting. If someone is pushing on a couch as hard as they can and it doesn’t move they’re applying a certain force.  If they can slide the couch slowly across the rug they’ve done work; doing it faster takes more power.

PONY EXPRESS

Horsepower and torque are related because “Horsepower is derived from torque,” Russ said. “In an engine the torque that we measure is the function of engine RPM.”

“The power that the engine produces is the torque times the engine speed,” Falkowski said. The formula for calculating horsepower is fairly simple. It’s the lb-ft of torque provided multiplied by the RPM (revolutions per minute) it’s delivered at, divided by 5,252. If an engine puts out 100 lb-ft of torque at 1,000 RPM it has about 19 horsepower.

The difference between power and force is also fairly simple. “You need low-speed torque if you’re towing [or] driving up a hill,” but, “For fast zero-to-60 times you need you need high peak power,” Russ said.

Generally diesels can’t zip from zero to 60 very quickly because they can’t rev as high as gasoline engines, but, “They can tow massive amounts,” Russ said. He also added that peak power directly relates to zero-to-60 times.

“[For] faster acceleration go with what produces the highest peak power,” Falkowski said, noting that “It’s always power at any given instance that is going to accelerate the vehicle.”

This is why the Honda S2000 can rip from zero to 60 miles an hour in about six seconds and why the Ram 3500 can tow in excess of 18,000 pounds when properly equipped. That’s the stark difference between horsepower and torque.

Transmissions help maximize an engine’s output. The various gears inside them are designed to multiply torque at different speeds. Tractor trailers for instance are powered by large diesel engines that deliver mountains of torque but, “Those things don’t have thousands of horsepower,” Falkowski said. Making up for that, and allowing them to tow huge and heavy trailers, they’re equipped with a dozen or more gears.

So, horsepower and torque are directly related. Horsepower is derived from the torque an engine delivers and is a function of RPM. Torque is essentially a force and power is the ability to do work; doing the same amount of work in a shorter amount of time takes more power. A car that can zip from a standstill to a mile a minute in just three seconds needs a lot more power than one that accomplishes the same task in 13 seconds.

Bosch has announced it will begin selling its Power Max residential electric vehicle charger for under $450 and is designed to work with all electric vehicles.

The Power Max is a 16-amp configuration with a 12-foot cable and will offer 240-volt charging in half the time and at half the price as a Level 2 residential station.

The system will also be available in a faster 30-amp setup with a cord length up to 25 feet. Pricing is key to the Bosch Power Max, which will retail for less than half the cost of other residential charging stations – some cost over $1,000. Bosch was able to cut costs by reducing the length of the cable used for the station.

Also included in the price are permits and inspection, but not installation. The product will come with a three-year warranty and will ship in June.

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It’s no secret that Google has been working on autonomous vehicles for quite some time, and now Tesla CEO Elon Musk is considering adding that technology to Tesla’s vehicles.

Musk is currently talking with Google on self-driving technology, though he prefers to call it autopilot rather than self-driving. To him, the term “self-driving sounds like it’s going to do something you don’t want it to do.” On the other hand, “autopilot is a good thing to have in planes, and we should have it in cars.”

SEE ALSO: Self-Driving Cars a Reality by 2025 Says Major Parts Supplier Continental

Regardless of what Musk prefers to call it, self-driving cars are going to become a reality and will be offered by several automakers in the future. With Tesla vehicles already packing a lot of modern technology, it would be a perfect fit for the electric vehicle lineup. But for Musk, he believes Tesla will more likely develop its own autopilot system that would be camera based. He did say that it’s still possible to work jointly with Google on the project.

[Source: Automotive News]

Discuss this story at Tesla-Buzz.com

A free parking app is now available for the Apple iPhone to help users find where they parked their vehicle.

With the new “Dude Where’s my Car?” app, users can mark the location of their vehicle, add a quick note, and immediately get directions back to the vehicle at any time. It will even allow you to quickly search and call a taxi directly from the app if you’re not sober enough to drive.

Applications of the app can go beyond your vehicle because it can tag any stationary object you want to find again later. You can also set a parking meter alert directly from within the app, so it can notify you if the meter is running low and give you directions on how to quickly get back to your car.

Upcoming features to the app include the ability to pair a Bluetooth device with the app. That will allow you to plug the Bluetooth device into the cigarette lighter to automatically mark the car’s location, removing the hassle of remembering to open the app each time to remember the vehicle’s location.

Microsoft wants to further increase its involvement in the automotive industry, vastly increasing its role with automakers.

The Seattle software giant already offers a platform used in Ford, Kia and Fiat vehicles, but that isn’t enough. Now, Microsoft hopes to offer a unifying experience that will bring automotive features and technologies onto one platform, said Pranish Kumar, group program manager for Microsoft’s Windows Embedded Automotive Business told Automotive News.

Microsoft isn’t the only software company trying to jockey in on the growing in-vehicle technology market either. BlackBerry subsidiary QNX, Apple, Google and the GENIVI Alliance — and untested nonprofit consortium — are all gunning for a seat at the table.

While each developer will have a difference approach, the goal will remain mostly the same: moving the automotive industry to a single, unified operating system. Doing that would enable software companies to offer sweeping updates much the same as cell phones today.

That ability would usher an unprecedented level of technological innovation into the automotive industry, but it might not be a good thing.

As software systems and computer technology become increasingly integral to new cars, their functionality will be likely to develop the same reliance.

“We’re looking at something of a revolution,” Kumar said. “You can monetize the upgrades, and they will go on through the life of the vehicle.”

That could herald a change that will shift a portion of post-sale service away from dealer networks, but it could also tack on extra costs for consumers. Think for a moment about how often your computer asks you to download and pay for an update. Now imagine finding similar notifications before your morning commute.

[Source: Automotive News]

BMW is adding upgrades throughout its model range for the summer of 2013, with the biggest highlight being the addition of Launch Control to models equipped with its eight-speed automatic transmission.

The BMW 1 Series, 3 Series, and 6 Series will be getting a new Launch Control function on their eight-speed sports automatic transmission that will allow acceleration with optimized traction and maximum dynamics from a standstill. The Launch Control was previously only available in comparable M models, so the addition is surely welcomed by BMW driving enthusiasts.

Other changes to the German automaker’s lineup include the addition of an optional leather sports steering wheel with shift paddles for the 7 Series, the addition of a sailing function and anticipation assistant in the ECO PRO mode and intelligent four-wheel drive xDrive variants for certain 1 Series and 3 Series models in Europe. Lastly, new options and enhanced functions are being added to BMW’s ConnectedDrive including a new generation of BMW NightVision, Lane Change Warning assistant, and Driving Assistant Plus.

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Apple is currently hard at work developing the next iteration of its mobile operating system, iOS 7, which will have better and tighter integration with vehicle’s factory in-car electronics.

The Cupertino-based tech giant is working with automakers to deeply embed iOS’s Maps and Siri offerings into vehicles, according to sources familiar with iOS 7′s development. The goal for Apple is to work with automakers on updated center consoles to easily attach an iOS device so that Apple’s Maps would be used in the vehicle’s in-car display rather than the default navigation.

All Apple Maps jokes aside, the device would be controlled through voice commands thanks to Siri. Last year, Apple announced its “Eyes-Free” Siri service, that allow Siri to be used with the iPhone’s display off. Since then, it has been working with major automakers such as BMW, Toyota, Honda, and Land Rover on better integration of its Maps and Siri with vehicles.

The integration might not come with iOS 7′s debut however, depending on how quickly Apple can do thorough testing and work out the bugs, in addition to contracts with the major automakers. One thing’s for sure, Apple isn’t backing down from making its devices more user-friendly and safer while in a car.

[Source: 9 to 5 Mac]

Land Rover has released an iPhone and iPad app for its all-new Range Rover that allows consumers to explore the new SUV through an eight-stage interactive journey from four synced camera angles.

It’s the British automaker’s first app and was designed to showcase the fourth-generation Range Rover. Titled “The Trail Less Traveled” app, it’s now available through iTunes and users will be able to explore the refinements to the new Range Rover’s exterior and interior while seeing its robust on- and off-road capabilities.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Review – Video

The app takes the driver through stunning scenery and switches instantly from wide camera angles to tight close ups and even the driver’s point-of-view. The user can select his or her own route through an interactive map and can even pause the experience, returning to it at a later time.

“For over 65 years, Land Rover has been a pioneer in the auto industry by exploring new ways to help take people places in a way that other vehicles simply cannot. The Trail Less Traveled app is meant to showcase this spirit that is inherent to our brand,” said Kim McCullough, Brand Vice President of Land Rover North America. “Moreover, the app is a tool that we know will resonate with our owners and enthusiasts as they are tech-savvy and intensively active social-media users.”

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Hybrid technology is improving at an impressive rate and is continuing to find its way into more and more vehicles.

A significant number of new and exciting hybrids are coming to market this year and early next. No, these aren’t all Prius wannabes. There are some interesting cars on the way, like the ultra efficient VW XL1 seen above. Check out some of these hybrid luxury sedans, rugged crossovers and even a pair of supercars.

If you’re not yet convinced to hop on the hybrid bandwagon, this should help. And if you already are, but haven’t found the right gas-electric vehicle for you, perhaps it’s coming soon to a dealership near you.