MOTORING

They will be smart and communicate A recent article in Autocar noted how tyre manufacturers sometimes come up with wacky-sounding concepts. But, it said, one idea consistently touted has been the value of smart tyres that can communicate their condition and wear status. It described a Smart Tire; with treads …

  Why government of Uganda should heavily invest in Kiira Motors even in the face of many impediments THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Uganda wants to manufacture cars. It doesn’t have any comparative advantage in this field. It does not produce iron ore from which to make …

  When Rodger Dudding bought an almost-new Jensen FF back in 1968, little did he know that half a century later he would still own it – along with two more, plus more than 400 other classic cars and around 65 motorbikes. He even owns 24 – yes 24 – …

BMWs are catching mysterious fires in the U.S. and owners have filed more than 90 complaints about the issue to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But the government watchdog for automotive safety does not have an active investigation into possible causes. “These BMWs have [had] these fire problems for …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Toyota announced on Tuesday it was creating a joint venture with Panasonic to develop batteries for electric cars, as the Japanese auto giant ramps up its ambitions for electric-powered vehicles. The firm will be set up by 2020 and controlled 51-49 percent by Toyota, the Prius …

What’s it and how does it work? Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | It reads like it might be a gimmick but XMode is anything but…Here we explain what X-Mode is and how it works. Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive already makes its vehicles the most capable in their segments across rough or …

New York, United States | AFP | Toyota on Wednesday announced a recall of 1.7 million vehicles in North America as part of a general effort to replace defective Takata airbags tied to some 20 deaths worldwide. The Japanese auto manufacturer did not say whether it had been notified of injuries …

New York, United States | AFP | Ford and Volkswagen are preparing to announce a strategic partnership, including in areas such as self-driving and electric autos, a person with knowledge of the matter told AFP on Wednesday. The announcement could come Tuesday during this year’s Detroit auto show, the person …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn is likely to appear in a Japanese court next Tuesday to hear the reasons for his detention, after his lawyers deployed a little-used article of the Constitution. The shock move was the latest in a series of unexpected twists in …

Chicago, United States | AFP | Major auto makers announced their end-of-year US sales totals Thursday, showing a slowing market even as Americans’ demand for more expensive SUVs and trucks drove up priaces. US consumers continued the trend away from small cars and sedans, but appeared increasingly squeezed by higher …