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Guard rails: More high-tech than you think

Okay, so maybe this one looks a little old-fashioned. But highways contain a number of high-tech systems to keep vehicles on the road and to absorb crash energy when someone runs into them. You can read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Always check a "check engine" light!

If you see this light come on, it could be any one of a number of things related to the emissions system, from a loose gas cap to the wrong air/fuel mixture. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Look, ma, no air!

That odd-looking item is a Non-Pneumatic Concept Tire, and it's under development by Bridgestone. It's one of a few that various companies have produced, but Bridgestone says it's more than just a showpiece - it's planning on eventually making it a reality. No more punctured tires, no more checking the pressure. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Driving to save fuel: The AJAC Eco-Run

I was a participant on all three days of the Brighton to London Eco-Run, in which members of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) took 22 cars with fuel-saving technology across Southern Ontario to see if we could meet or beat their official published fuel figures.

You can read my report on it in Metro - just click here!

Gas pumps: Three grades from one nozzle

You go to the gas station, look at the pump, and see that there are three grades of gasoline available - but there's only one nozzle. How does the pump offer three from one? Find out in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Designing tires: from drawing boards to three dimensions

I recently visited Bridgestone Firestone's new technical centre in Akron, Ohio, where I saw how tires are designed. That picture is of the way it used to be done - with pencils on a drawing board, and then cast in plaster. Now it's all done by computers, including the test pieces, which are created in plastic by 3D print machines. You can read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Daydreaming behind the wheel? Stop it, for safety's sake!

"Distracted driving" is generally thought to involve cell phones these days, but the reality  is that anything that takes your mind off the task is distracting - and that includes daydreaming. I asked an MIT researcher about the dangers of being lost in thought behind the wheel. Read the results in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

HID headlights: They're a gas!

Those ultra-bright headlights that you see on some cars are high-intensity discharge, or HID. Instead of a filament, they use a gas, most commonly xenon. And if they're also your high-beams, there's a neat trick to them. Find out all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Auto lighting: Not just pretty colors

The colors that automakers use for interior lighting aren't just randomly selected. Depending on what's used, the effect can calm you, or bring your attention to important information. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Timing chain or belt? Which do you have?

It's important to know, because if you have a belt, you'll eventually have to change it - or potentially face some serious engine consequences. Find out why they're different and what you need know in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Redline: What it is, and why it matters

It's not as much of an issue as it used to be, since cars today keep an eye on the tach and shut down the throttle if you get too close to that dangerous red line. What's redline, and why is it important? Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Why do you need to tighten your fuel cap?

Your vehicle's fuel cap probably contains a warning that you need to turn it until it clicks. Ever wonder why? You can read about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

(It's a PDF - the story didn't end up online as it usually does.)

"Phoning in" red lights, green lights

It's still in the development stage, but researchers at MIT are working on a program that uses your cell phone to determine when a traffic light is about to change - potentially giving you the opportunity to gauge your speed so you don't have to stop. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

(Photo courtesy Patrick Gillooly, MIT)

Electric cars: Light is might

Lighter vehicles get better fuel economy, but lightweight high-tech materials can be prohibitively expensive. BMW will be bringing out electric and hybrid cars that use carbon fibre in their structures, as the cost of the composite material is now able to offset the cost of the battery. You can read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Driving an electric car to lunch? There's an app for that!

One of the drawbacks to an electric car is that once it runs out of juice, it's not going anywhere. And with the busy schedules many people have, that's going to present a problem.

Now, researchers at the University of Windsor have developed an application that combines your datebook and your car, determining if you have enough battery to get where you're going, when you should charge, and even if you should change your route. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

New drivers: Lots to learn, right from the start

It's no surprise that young drivers often make errors, but what you might not know is that they're more likely to crash in their first month of driving than in the rest of their first year. There are also a few situations where they're likely to make the same errors repeatedly, and then get better very quickly afterwards. I asked the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety about it; you can read the results in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Running a red? Your car will tell others!

New technology is under development that can tell if you're planning on running a red light, and send out a message to other vehicles in the intersection so they can warn their drivers about your boneheaded move. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Vehicle platforms: Design one, build many

A vehicle's platform used to mean a stand-alone frame, which would then have the body bolted to it. Today, "platform" is more of an engineering term for a vehicle's structural design, allowing automakers to turn out a variety of vehicles that look and perform differently but share the basic underpinnings. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Oil grades: What do those numbers mean?

5W-30, 10W40 - what do those oil numbers mean? They refer to the oil's viscosity, and it's important that you use the right ones for the right applications to best protect your engine. I asked Castrol about it; you can read the result in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

GM builds bad roads on purpose

Vehicles have to be tested on all types of road surfaces while they're being developed, and most manufacturers do this at dedicated facilities where bad roads are laid down right from the start. I check out GM's Milford Proving Grounds in my Driving Force column in Metro; you can check it out by clicking here.

Small cars need big solutions

Cars are getting smaller, but they still have pretty much the same number of components as larger vehicles - and that presents a problem for automakers, who must find a way to stuff everything inside. Simply making the parts smaller isn't always a solution. I asked Toyota how it shoehorned everything into the Scion iQ; you can read the answer in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Options: The automaker's dilemma

Customers want options, but what ones? Keeping up with customer preferences - and the speed with which electronics change - can be quite an issue for automakers. I asked Honda about it; you can read the answer in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Vehicle sustainability: A major part of building a car

It's no longer enough for automakers to just design a car and send it out to buyers. Today, they also have to think about fuel economy and the impact of alternative fuels, including what happens to batteries and fuel cells once their useful lives are over. I talked to Ford about it; read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Charging your electric car: More than just plugging it in

You can bring home an electric car and just plug it into a wall outlet, but that isn't necessarily a good idea. At the very least you should have a dedicated circuit, and ideally, you should have a charging station that will reduce the length of time it takes. You can read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Fuel injectors: Why you need to keep them clean

You've probably heard that fuel injectors need to be kept clean, but do you know why? Find out in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Electric vehicle charging: Still working on the infrastructure

New products are usually a chicken-and-egg situation, and electric cars are no exception: without the cars there's no need for charging infrastructure, but if they can't charge them, people won't buy the cars. I asked Nissan about some of the challenges of getting charging systems ready to go. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

A look at Porsche's new coasting function

It may be a sports car company, but Porsche is into saving fuel just as other automakers are. One of its tricks is a new coasting function that provides better fuel economy when cruising. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Coming up: A tire that fills itself

Topping up tires is a necessary job, but it's one that few people like to do (me included!). It may one day be a thing of the past, thanks to a new tire device that Goodyear is developing: a tiny one-way valve that takes advantage of a tire's flexibility to pump air in while you're driving. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Designing seats: There's more than meets the butt

Overall, a vehicle's seats are among the most important items in it - it's where you spend your time - and they have to be carefully engineered to provide support, keep the occupant safe, and look good. I spoke with a Mercedes-Benz engineer to find out how it's done. Read all about it in Metro by clicking here.

Baby boomers are designing your next car...

Many drivers who have the money to buy new cars are moving toward their senior years, and automakers know it - they're designing vehicles with these buyers in mind. You can read about how Ford does it in my "Driving Force" column in Metro by clicking here.

Honda LEEDs with environmental design

The company has a new head office in Ontario, built to the environmental standards of LEED. I got a tour of the place recently and wrote about it in my Driving Force column in Metro, which you can find by by clicking here.

Cadillac: Dry brakes are the best brakes

Several manufacturers use systems that periodically wipe water off the brakes in wet weather, including General Motors. You can read how the system works on Cadillac in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Air pressure: It's all that's holding your tire in place

If your tire's low, you're wasting fuel, wearing the tire unevenly and prematurely, and if you leave it for too long it can even come off the rim. You can read all about the importance of tire pressure in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Auto recycling: There's cash in your clunker

Good auto recyclers don't just let cars sit in the yard; they dismantle them for the value of their parts and metal. First, though, they have to take almost everything out, including the fluids, batteries and reusable parts. Find out how it's done in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Another look at Ford's paint

 Another look at how Ford chooses the colors for its cars, this time in my Driving Force column in Metro. You can check it out by clicking here.

Who's the car company's customer?

In almost all cases, it isn't you! Automakers don't sell to the public; they sell to their authorized dealers, who in turn retail the vehicles to customers. Knowing what to order and what will sell is quite a balancing act, and you can read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Tire recycling: What happens to all that rubber

... and steel, and fibre? It gets shredded and turned into new products, such as roofing, livestock mats, mulch or the playground surface shown here. You can read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Preventing whiplash through better design

 They're called head restraints, not headrests, because the idea is that they help to prevent whiplash in collisions. Find out how Ford is designing its seats in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

A Buick on batteries?

 A Buick on batteries? Yes, it's the new eAssist light electrification system that's going into the 2012 LaCrosse, which the company said will save as much as 25 per cent on fuel. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.   

GDI: What direct injection is all about

Gasoline direct injection is becoming more popular as automakers strive to reduce fuel consumption, but do you know just how it works? Find out in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Designing toy cars: Who knew Wal-Mart played a part?

They may only be a fraction the size, but designing a toy car isn't basically all that different from designing a real one - except that the company has to take such things into account as the size of Wal-Mart's shelves. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Biodiesel: Farmers are growing your next tank of fuel

Unlike ethanol, which is primarily made from corn in Canada, biodiesel is generally made from animal fats or canola. You can read all about how it happens in my Driving Force column in Metro, which you can find by clicking here.

When real isn't real enough: designing dashes at Mercedes-Benz

I visited Mercedes-Benz's technical centre in Germany and discovered something fascinating: the glossy finish on the real wood trim leads some people to think it's plastic. Find out what the company did about it in my story in Metro by clicking here.

Your next car may be made from dandelions!

Well, parts of it, anyway. Ford is experimenting with using dandelion sap as a substitute for rubber, and while it's still a long way from the showroom floor, the results appear to be promising. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Are you a bad driver? It might be your community's fault!

Could the way your community gets along be affecting your driving? Dr. Matthew Nagler thinks so, and his theory on social capital seems to hold water. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Saving fuel with Chrysler's disconnecting axle

If you buy an all-wheel-drive version of the new Chrysler 300 or Dodge Charger, it has a trick up its sleeve: its front axle automatically disconnects when not needed to save fuel. Find out how it works in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Putting the sport into sportiness ...

You might have seen a "sport" button on some vehicle consoles - ever wonder what it does? I asked Porsche, and you can read the answer in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Technology: How does a flex-fuel engine work?

You've probably seen vehicles with flex-fuel badges, but do you know exactly what makes them different? You can find out in my Driving Force column by clicking here.

Tire noise: It's all in the tread

In today's Metro, I have a story on tire noise and how Pirelli works to keep it to a minimum. You can read all about it by clicking here.

Keeping electric vehicle batteries cool

 Batteries work best when they're just the right temperature - which usually doesn't include the extremes you'll find in an automobile. In my Driving Force column in Metro, I have a look at how Ford deals with the problem. Find it by clicking here.