Lightweight

Remember the Mindset E-Motion? When last we had news of this Murat Günak creation, the folks behind it (Spirt Avert AG, now known as Mindset Holding AG) were seeking 152 million development dollars at a time when many of the world's major economies were sitting on their posteriors, looking ...

Americans have gained weight over the last thirty years, and not just around the midsection. American garages and driveways have also put on pounds as cars have become larger and more powerful. A new study from MIT says that, if not for the increase in vehicle weight, we could already be ...

Automakers need halo cars. They bring people into the showroom and demonstrate just what their engineers can do. Typically those range-topping vehicles come in the form of sports cars – think Audi R8, Dodge Viper, Lexus LFA et al – but Mercedes-Benz is reportedly taking another ...

Automakers are being pinched to increase safety and improve fuel efficiency, but those two goals often work against each other. That could change thanks to a material that is 99.99-percent air. Ward's Automotive reports that the California Institute of Technology, HRL Laboratories and the ...

Honda Motor Co. is looking to cut weight from its vehicles by changing its manufacturing methods to reduce the number of bolts and reinforcement materials, Reuters reported, citing the Japanese newspaper Nikkei. The Japanese automaker will start welding exterior panels to the vehicle ...

Americans, on average, have gained enough weight during the past 40 years to cancel out automakers' vehicle-lightweighting efforts such as using lighter components or removing spare tire, reflecting an additional challenge automakers face to meet progressively more strict fuel-economy and ...

General Motors has announced a partnership with a leading carbon fiber producer in an effort to research the possibility of widespread use of the material in its vehicles. Teijin Limited has pioneered a new manufacturing process for carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic that allows for cycle ...

The arrangement that has Epic EV supplying the drivetrain for the DMC Electric DeLorean has apparently been working out so well that the two companies have decided to tap yet another of Epic's areas of expertise: composites. Weight management is an important aspect of electric vehicle design and ...

While one might imagine that the Milan International Motorcycle Show (EICMA) is strictly a two-wheeled affair, it's become apparent that's not necessarily the case. The proof? Meet DANY, a two-door city car with seating for four, by Belumbury. The new Italian company decided that having the ...

Bamboo offers plenty of advantages over traditional manufacturing materials. Besides being a fast-growing plant that can be produced in a range of environments, bamboo can be impressively strong and rigid. Filipino designer Kenneth Cobonpue and German product designer Albercht Birkner have teamed ...