Hunter Engineering, a global leader in automotive service equipment, has recently obtained its 300th U.S. patent. Hunter is the 1-st enterprise specialized in production of the car maintenance tools and machinery to distinguish itself by such a unique achievement.

Recently, Kukui Corporation, the producer of the All-in-One Success Platform, has kick-started a new video-based marketing app intended for the independent auto industry. As marketing strategies start playing more important role for auto repair businesses when it comes to attracting new customers, the Kukui shop video program gives workshops an opportunity to raise awareness of their services.

Subaru has recently presented its latest Forester SUV. Equipped with the all-new e-Boxer powertrain, the fresh model design perfectly combines an e-motor with a 2-liter opposed engine, producing 143hp and 188 Nm of torque, and symmetrical AWD.

Vitesco Technologies has designed a low-cost and space-saving dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) unit with the integrated e-motor intended for hybrid vehicles. This solution has been showcased during the CTI Symposium in Berlin.

Recently, several former and current Ford tech specialists have told the media that "everyone knew" about the faulty automatic transmissions in the Fiesta and Focus models. It is claimed that despite the fact that the issue was not a big secret before the cars hit the market, the company recommended its employees not to go public about this problem.

Thanks to significant investments in innovative gear-making machine tools, Ricardo has managed to boost its productivity. To be more precise, the acquisition of a Klingelnberg spiral bevel grinder, costing approximately £1.5m, allowed delivering of market-ready products – backing the company’s intention to meet even the most challenging requirements of its customers on transmission solutions.

ZF Friedrichshafen AG is making preparations to construct a 3-rd Chinese R&D center in Guangzhou. ZF officials and the local government have formalized this project and ZF is determined to put in approximately $99 mln in the new undertaking.

Dealer Owned Warranty Company (DOWC), a major expert in F&I solutions and services, has entered into collaboration with RepairPal (RP), a well-known provider of auto repair and maintenance info. RP-certified workshops will now offer quality repair services to all DOWC service contractees.

Ricardo and DS Performance decided to prolong their impactful cooperation within Formula E season 6. The new deal is based on a fruitful cooperation of many years between two parties, residing in the production and delivery of Ricardo transmission solutions for last season’s car which came out on top in the drivers’ and teams’ competitions.

OptimalPlus, a major provider of lifecycle analytics solutions, has recently established its office Germany. Moreover, OptimalPlus has entered into a new strategic tie-up with ZF, a world-renowned provider of automatic transmissions and related parts.

As many car manufacturers have started using a fuel saving technology (better known as stop/start systems) quite frequently, not all drivers are happy with their efficiency, and GM wants to tackle this problem in perspective. The American carmaker has recently took out a patent for a know-how that is supposed to utilize GPS integrated in the stop/start solution, making it much smarter when it is required to switching off the engine.

Recently, FCA has issued a recall of 72,700 Fiat 500 cars because their automatic transmissions may have issues when shifting into P gear, so the car could start moving independently and even provoke crashes. Possibly, this problem can also lead to problems with shifting to other gears.

ZF and Cree, Inc., an American supplier of silicon-carbide semiconductors, entered into a strategic tie-up to develop cutting-edge electric drivelines utilizing silicon-carbide-based inverters. With this kind of cooperation, both parties are strengthening their existing business ties.

BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY, a major supplier of tech solutions to automotive repair shops, recently entered into cooperation with SiriusXM, allowing repair businesses, utilizing BOLT’s digital software, to improve their services and customers support with the help of another special tool.

With winter approaching, car owners perform necessary measures to prepare their cars for cold weather and icy roads. However, some inexperienced owners of cars equipped with automatic transmissions frequently do not know how cold weather may affect transmission units and frequently disregard such a simple procedure as a transmission warm-up. In this article, we will consider how ignoring of the automatic transmission warm-up may affect your vehicle.