Author: Tabitha
There are simple solutions to prevent your groceries, paint cans, plants and other items from rolling loose in your trunk or utility vehicle’s stowage area. Stayhold sells a variety of plastic cargo holders designed to keep all your stuff secure. The line includes Velcro-backed organizers plus straps specifically designed for carpeted surfaces. There are also similar items with ‘teeth’ that are designed to dig into rubberized floor mats. Prices start at about $8 for mini holders and top out in the $17 range for larger versions. Two, four and eight packs of each are also available. All are available at…
For campers who would prefer sleeping above ground level, Roofnest has a number of solutions. For example, the Sparrow pop-up hard-shell tent attaches to the roofs of most small and midsize utility vehicles and station wagons. And its 80-inch length, 53-inch width and 37-inch height (when opened) means it will comfortably sleep two adults. When closed, the low-profile 115-pound Sparrow’s profile is a mere 10.5 inches tall, so there’s minimal wind resistance. Order yours in black or white for $2,300, including telescoping ladder, mattress and mounting hardware. The company sells other smaller and larger tent styles at www.roofnest.com.
General Motors and San Francisco, Calif.-based Autodesk showed the first of what will be many 3D-printed parts used in the production of future GM vehicles. The stainless-steel seat bracket is 40 percent lighter, yet 20 percent stronger than a conventional cast-steel bracket, GM said in early May, and bodes well for improved safety, durability and fuel economy. The proof-of-concept 3D-printed unit is a single piece. “Normally, the same part would involve eight separate components and several suppliers,” said automotive-lifestyles website Motor Authority. GM has a multi-year agreement with Autodesk to help it get to the point of making profitable electric…
Anheuser-Busch, maker of Budweiser beer, is getting in on the electric-vehicle bandwagon, announcing May 2 it will buy up to 800 hydrogen-electric-powered tractor trucks made by the Nikola Motor Company. The order would replace nearly all the company’s U.S. fleet. The deal, however, has a caveat that makes it contingent on Nickola’s promise to install more than 700 hydrogen fueling stations across the country by 2028. Those stations will be open to the public, as well as to fuel other fleet-service vehicles. Buckeye, Ariz., has been selected to build the electric semi and production is slated to begin in 2020.…
Car buffs with an extra vehicle (or more) to store in their garages might want to look into the Autostacker PL-65R parking lift. The galvanized-steel unit’s hydraulic cylinders can lift and support up to 6,000 pounds, and the manufacturer claims the 200-square-foot footprint takes up less space than competing models. The Autostacker is also available with removable center deck access panel that allows you to service your vehicle from below. The PL-65R model sells for $5,000, including free shipping within the continental United States. The optional access panel costs $475. Order at www.autostacker.com.
Since 1936, Airstream has been building uniquely shaped travel homes. The company has used aluminum in their construction since the 1950s, but the latest model is the first one to have a fiberglass body. The 3,400-pound back-entry Nest is 16 feet long and comes with a sliding screen door, skylight, wet bath, toilet and a complete galley with stainless steel sink and microwave oven. The dining area converts into an extra-wide bed with foam mattress. There’s also a power-operated patio awning with built-in LEDs. The Nest sells for $45,900. Check it out at www.airstream.com.
A two-kilometer (1.2-mile) stretch of electrified road that resembles a slot-car track, and works in much the same way, has opened in Sweden. The project incorporates electric rails embedded into the road surface to power EVs through a contact arm that lowers from beneath the car, reports emerging-technologies webmag New Atlas. The arm extends and retracts by way of sensors that lower it only when over the rails. To exit the road or overtake another vehicle, the arm retracts automatically and the vehicle draws power from its battery instead. The eRoadArlanda group says to electrify 12,000 miles of Sweden roadways…
Toyota and Lexus vehicles will soon be able to communicate with each other and with other cars and the surrounding infrastructure, the automaker announced in mid-April. The Toyota brands use V2X technology (combining vehicle-to-infrastructure and vehicle-to-vehicle systems) through dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) technology. System-wise, Toyota foresees a single standard developed for all automakers to “ensure clear communication in V2X technology,” reports automotive lifestyles webmagazine Motor Authority. “How that plays out is anyone’s guess. Automakers need to make big investments in the technology of their choice, and right now it appears to be a fight between DSRC and 5G” cellular technology.…
The Sleuth can now confirm the rumors that the Germany-based automaker finally has its sights set on the lower end of the North American luxury market and will bring the A class here in late 2018 as a 2019 model. Already well-known in Europe, the fourth-generation A class will reportedly arrive as a four-door sedan only, at least for the time being, while the hatchback variant will be available in Canada. Also confirmed is the A class’s powerplant, which will be a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Front-wheel-drive will be standard and all-wheel-drive optional. Given Mercedes’ penchant for performance, it’s not a…
The Spy Guy’s sources report that the ATS sedan and coupe, as well as the CTS sedan, will be phased out in 2019, replaced by a single midsize sedan wearing the CT5 label. In addition, the front-wheel-drive XTS that’s built on the same platform as the Chevrolet Impala is also not long for this world (the big Chevy might also suffer the same fate), while another new Caddy, called the CT4, is expected to arrive early in the next decade. On the utility-wagon front, the new compact XT4 will join the larger XT5 and the Escalade for 2019. Clearly, General…