DAILY AUTOMOTIVE NEWS HEADLINES:

Now Bosch Says It Has The Technology That Can Save Diesel

Diesel is in trouble. We can primarily thank Volkswagen’s global cheating scandal for this, but more and more automakers look like they were greasing emissions tests or just running up against regulations in some way or another. As a result demand for diesel is dropping off, even in its strongest traditional markets like Europe. On top of that, cities are cracking down on the fuel by proposing outright diesel bans within urban centers. It’s no wonder the car companies are rushing toward electrics instead.

So VW must be thrilled that supplier Robert Bosch GmbH—yes, the one tied to its own emissions scandal, and often the common denominator in the other ones—says it has the tech that can save diesel.

Great, cool. We can all agree efficiency and innovation are good. But I wonder if it’s too little, too late for diesel. VW’s stopped selling entirely in the U.S., as has Mercedes, and even the Europeans are opting for gasoline cars more and more instead.

Hey, diesel’s had a great run. But it may be time for automakers and suppliers to look to the electric future instead. read more »

Do electric cars dream of software fixes?

Recall how Apple’s reputation took a knock after the firm admitted it had surreptitiously hobbled the performance of peope’s iPhones when their batteries started deteriorating with age. Toyota now faces similar opprobrium for throttling back the batteries of some of its older Prius hybrid cars, to prevent them frying their electronics. The software tweak—performed during a voluntary recall of Priuses sold in America between 2010 and 2014—forces the vehicle to rely more on its petrol engine and less on its electric motor/generators. That causes fuel economy to fall and exhaust emissions to rise. Prius owners, who bought their hybrid vehicles precisely because they were lean and clean, have not been best pleased. read more »