The commercial vehicle market consistently requires stronger defenses against hazards such as temperature, vibration, and exposure to moisture or chemicals, all of which can cause failure. As a result, suppliers are developing ruggedized connectors that meet stringent requirements and ratings.   Connector Innovations for Commercial Vehicles Connector manufacturers are taking advantage of slower demand in the heavy-dutyRead More

Robotic carsharing services will put fleets of autonomous vehicles at our app-driven beck and call. What do these super-cheap, super-safe connected vehicle systems mean for the transportation industry?   Most cars spend most of their time parked and not being of any use to anyone, but carsharing schemes are changing that. “Street rental” services like GetaroundRead More

End products intended for use in harsh applications are often potted or overmolded to make them impact-resistant and/or waterproof. Although beneficial for the end consumer, this final encapsulation process can negatively affect the electrical and mechanical integrity of the product’s connections.    With so many connector options available, it can be difficult to filter throughRead More

Boeing and Airbus both added automation to their production lines to keep up with demand.   The worldwide demand for commercial airliners is booming. In 2015, Boeing and Airbus built a total of 1,397 aircraft. According to The Wall Street Journal, both companies are automating their production lines, from robots to exoskeletons for the workers,Read More

ABB won its first commercial order for breakthrough 15-second flash charging technology to enable emission-free public transport in Geneva.   ABB has been awarded orders totaling more than $16 million by Transports Publics Genevois (TPG), Geneva’s public transport operator, and Swiss bus manufacturer HESS, to provide flash charging and onboard electric vehicle technology for 12Read More

Vehicles talk to each other to improve efficiency and safety.   It’s now possible for vehicles to communicate with each other – and not by drivers rolling down their windows to shout at each other. Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications systems can improve the safety, efficiency, and productivity of a wide range of commercial vehicles. Multiple SystemsRead More

In the coming decades the choice of land-vehicle powertrain will mainly be dictated by emissions conformance in addition to the best cost/performance compromise. This will result in a move to pure electric vehicles as laws tighten and technology improves.   The main powertrain options for land vehicles over the next 20 years, according to aRead More

Manufacturers of rolling stock require high-quality electrical connection systems, and there is increasing demand for custom-tailored railway cabling solutions from connector manufacturers.      Like those in traditional mechanical engineering fields, manufacturers of rail vehicles face the increasing challenges of higher costs and time-to-market pressures. Electrical connections and cabling are one area where they canRead More

Infrastructure shapes mobility and influences rolling stock in much the same way that new and better highways impacted automobile design. In this excerpt from a Nexans white paper, the authors explain the latest trends in rail infrastructure and what customers will expect from cable suppliers in the future.     [quote]“Infrastructure shapes mobility. No majorRead More

The application possibilities of wireless technology in the railway industry are seemingly endless. An Industrial Ethernet network is inherently flexible and easily expandable, which makes it ideal for accommodating future trends in the transportation space.   Customer demand for a safe, entertaining, and enjoyable travel experience is dramatically increasing. Rail travelers today, whether riding onRead More

Delphi tops the list of connector suppliers to the transportation market.     The worldwide demand for connectors in the transportation (non-automotive) market was $3.8 billion in 2014. North America and Europe consumed 54% of those connectors by dollar volume. 2014 Transportation Market for Connectors by Region of the World Out of the top 100Read More

Information networks drive new opportunities for commercial vehicles—both conventional and electric.     Connectors used in commercial vehicles have always needed to provide higher performance under more rugged conditions than those used in passenger cars and trucks. Now they must also facilitate advanced networking under harsh conditions, providing all the benefits of high-speed networks found inRead More