High Tech Textiles: UBC researchers develop carbon fibre process sourced from oil sands materials
Photo by UBC Applied Science/Paul Joseph Vancouver, British Columbia — A research team from the University of British Columbia is currently in the process of weaving together the threads of Canada’s automotive future—literally, as they develop a new carbon fibre process sourced from oil sands materials. A Monday news release from the university revealed that […]
Superior Steel: GM to use recycled, renewably-produced steel from Hamilton’s Dofasco plant
Hamilton, Ontario — General Motors announced last week plans to shift its North American production lines toward more recycled and sustainably-produced steel, courtesy of Hamilton’s long-standing ArcelorMittal Dofasco steel plant. This steel, which is sold under the brand name of XCarb, is ArcelorMittal’s way of contributing to the reduction of carbon in steel production, which […]
Cyber Sightings: Cybertruck rear casts spotted outside Tesla’s Giga Texas plant
Photo by Joe Tegtmeyer Austin, Texas — The almost mythical Tesla Cybertruck is slowly becoming more and more real as a fervent observer of the brand recently photographed dozens of Cybertruck rear casts lined up just outside of the Giga Texas factory. Drone pilot and Tesla brand observer Joe Tegtmeyer released yet another of his […]
Danger Zones: Volvo emergency response guides posted to OEM1Stop
Toronto, Ontario — Volvo vehicle emergency response guides are now available on the popular online repair procedure repository, OEM1Stop, offering repairers and first responders detailed breakdowns of the automaker’s emergency features. Spanning much of Volvo’s current model lineup, in addition to a pair of guides on legacy Volvo models, these emergency guides compile rescue information […]
Frame by Frame: Tesla Cybertruck ‘crash test’ video broken down by crash safety engineers
Toronto, Ontario — Tesla’s attempt at April Fool’s Day humour this year involved a Cybertruck “crash test” video that must have been shot by the crew of “Taken 3”—luckily some automotive safety engineers have taken the time to dissect what can be gleaned from the very goofy teaser. Tesla CEO Elon Musk must have thought […]
Frames, Glass and ADAS: Ford’s first On Target newsletter of 2023 goes deep on materials, glass functionality and more
Toronto, Ontario — Ford published its first On Target collision newsletter of 2023 this week, bearing official OEM repair positions on the F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E SUV, Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, among other technical tips. This latest repairer newsletter from the automaker opened with a recap on a recent “Repairers Realm” video demonstration from the […]
Hearing Murmurs: GM reportedly designing midsize pickup variant of electric GMC Hummer
Toronto, Ontario — Bloomberg reported Wednesday that engineers at General Motors are mulling over a design for a midsize pickup variant of the latest-generation electric GMC Hummer. Still in the design concept phase at GM’s California design studio, insiders in the midsize Hummer’s development told Bloomberg that there is a strong likelihood that the model […]
Civic Structure: Honda project lead talks Civic steel content, laser brazing at GDIS
Novi, Michigan — More OEM material strategy tidbits are emerging from the Great Designs in Steel (GDIS) symposium that took place in mid-May, including a presentation from a Honda project leader that delved into some of the decisions made on the 2022 Civic’s unique body structure. New model local project leader at Honda Development and […]
Rogue’s Gallery: Nissan engineer delves into Rogue body material strategy
Franklin, Tennessee— A senior engineer at Nissan pulled back the curtain on the body materials that drive the third-generation Nissan Rogue SUV at this year’s Great Designs in Steel (GDIS) symposium in Novi, Mich. Repairers may already know this, but the third-generation Rogue, first introduced in 2021, contains a great deal more advanced high-strength steel […]
