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Audi A8's active suspension will even protect you in a crash

Audi has revealed yet another system of the upcoming Audi A8 that uses the car's 48-volt electrical system. In addition to a fancy stop-start function, the A8 will have a suspension that can be actuated by electric motors. At each corner of the car is a separate motor connected to an arm that can press down or pull up on the suspension. These motors are controlled by a computer that monitors the road with a camera to determine how the motors should react to improve ride quality and handling. In the instance of some kind of bump or other road imperfection, the car can actively raise the wheel that would go over that bump, to prevent it from upsetting the ride. When going through a corner, the car can direct the motors on the outside to push up to reduce lean, and the motors on the inside to push down to keep the tires pressed to the road. The system can also help keep the car level when stopping and starting. There's yet one more feature of the suspension that is rather interesting. In the event the car detects an impending side-impact crash, it can raise up the side that will be hit, to protect the occupants. By raising up that side, the car increases the chance that more of the energy from the impact will be absorbed by the side rails and floor, which are stronger than the doors and pillars. This nifty new suspension, and the aforementioned start-stop system, will be found on the next-generation Audi A8, which will be officially revealed on July 11. If you can't wait for that, apparently the car has a cameo in Spider-Man: Homecoming, which hits theaters on June 28. Related Video: Image Credit: Audi Audi Technology Emerging Technologies Luxury Videos Sedan 48-volt system

Recharge Wrap-up: Smart metals, OTA updates, Rolls-Royce LNG ship

"Smart" metals could help engines reduce emissions and invigorate US business. Metallurgist and University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee professor Pradeep Rohatgi combines known metal alloys with materials like ceramics, nanoparticles, and recycled waste to produce strong, lightweight composites with self-lubricating properties that help internal combustion engines run more efficiently. Rohatgi hopes his startup, Intelligent Composites, and its products can help US foundries compete with production outsourced overseas. See the video above, and read more at Phys.org. Almost 203 million cars will be capable of over-the-air (OTA) updates by 2022, according to ABI research. While Tesla has the OTA firmware updates nailed down, other automakers will focus on software update capability. This will take the place of dealer-installed updates and - like Chrysler did after the Jeep hacking incident - updates sent to owners via USB drives. OTA updates will enhance vehicle security and reduce recall rates. Read more at Green Car Congress. European bus manufacturers have agreed upon a standardized charging interface for their electric buses. Irizar, Solaris, VDL and Volvo will use pantograph charging for "opportunity charging" and CCS plugs as the base for overnight charging and network communication. The manufacturers hope other bus makers and charging providers to join them in cooperation over standardized charging. Read more at Green Car Congress. The second Audi Autonomous Driving Cup will take place from March 22 to 24, 2016 at the automaker's Museum Mobile in Ingolstadt, Germany. The competition involves eight university teams implementing basic Audi software in 1:8 scale electric Audi Q5 models, and putting them through the paces of simulated real-world driving situations. The teams develop software architecture to use the suite of sensor to have the cars drive, park, maneuver in traffic and perform emergency braking autonomously. Teams also perform a freestyle event where they put the car through an additional task of their choosing. The winning team gets ˆ10,000, with smaller prizes for second and third place. The competition also gives the students the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a potential employer. Read more at Green Car Congress. Rolls-Royce will provide the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) propulsion for an NSK cargo ship carrying fish food. The ship will deliver 2,700 metric tons of fish food to fish farms along the Norwegian coast.

Audi boss: no to minivan

Well done to you, Rupert Stadler. We salute you. The Audi exec went on record during an interview with Automotive News and basically shut the door on the idea of a Audi-badged minivan. When asked by AN, Stadler pointed to the high conquest rate enjoyed by crossovers and SUVs compared to minivans. On top of that, Stadler argued against vehicles like the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer by pointing out that customers tend to shy away from minivans because of the image they put forth. "Consumers are more likely to switch to an SUV and are more likely to pay a premium price because SUVs are considered more emotional," Stadler told AN. "We would rather be the emotional choice than the rational choice." It's not all good news, though. Stadler gave a resounding "no" to an A8 wagon, based on the Prologue Avant Concept, as well as a BMW 6 Series rival. Instead, Audi will focus on the upcoming Q8 SUV, which the exec said was "more likely to be a winner than a large coupe." The company is also hard at work on additional Sportback models, although Stadler didn't elaborate on which models could get the five-door treatment. Related Video: