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Ford GT, Buick Avenir and Audi Q7 take 2015 EyesOn Design awards

The annual EyesOn Design Awards at the Detroit Auto Show allows some of the greatest designers in the world to weigh in on the best production and concept debuts at the big event each year. For 2015, the large panel of judges included luminaries like Frank Stephenson of McLaren, Ralph Gilles from FCA and Moray Callum of Ford. Apparently the editors at Autoblog had a good eye because the winner of 2015's Best Designed Production Vehicle award went to the Ford GT, which was also our favorite debut from the show. The new supercar beat the Acura NSX and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class Coupe for the honor. The judges described the Blue Oval's shape as "capturing the original GT40 in a modern interpretation," according to EyesOn Design. The Buick Avenir was also a big winner in the awards this year and received the nods for both Best Designed Concept Vehicle and Innovative Use of Color, Graphics and Materials. In the concept category, it beat out the Chevrolet Bolt and Mercedes-Benz F 015, and in the latter group, the sedan triumphed over Audi Q7, Mercedes F 015 and Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE. The Q7 received its own accolade for Best Designed Interior, and it beat the Avenir and Infiniti Q60 for the honor. This year's Lifetime Design Achievement Award went to former Renault designer Patrick le Quement, and Bob Lutz received the EyesOn Design Catalyst Award for the second time. The honor is for an executive "who has empowered great design," according to the organization, which describes Lutz perfectly. Scroll down to read the announcement with more comments about the winners. Related Video: Ford, Buick, Audi recipients of EyesOn Design Awards at North American International Auto Show EyesOn Design Awards for Design Excellence for 2015 were revealed today at the North American International Auto Show. The awards honor the most significant automotive designs revealed at NAIAS as determined by the North American and global leaders of design from automotive manufacturers, along with academic chairs of transportation design programs and design leaders from other fields.

Recharge Wrap-up: Ford's "snowtonomous" Fusion Hybrid, Porsche eyes battery makers

Bosch and Panasonic are vying to be the battery supplier for Porsche's electric sports car based on the Mission E concept. While Bosch's costs may be higher, its solution would offer simpler logistics. Panasonic is already well established as a battery maker, providing the packs for the Porsche car's rival, Tesla. "We're in the final stage of making a decision," says Porsche CEO Oliver Blume, declining to comment on specific manufacturers. Neither Bosch nor Panasonic provided comment. Read more from Automotive News. Renault will supply a fleet of 150 Renault Zoe EVs for a smart solar charging project in Utrecht, Netherlands. The project involves the installation of 1,000 EV chargers powered by 10,000 photovoltaic panels. The Renault Zoes would be used as part of a carsharing program powered by the solar chargers. Renault and its partners will also implement a vehicle-to-grid system to provide energy during peak demand from the solar chargers and connected EVs. Read more in the press release from Renault. Ford has been testing an autonomous Fusion Hybrid prototype that is capable of driving itself in snowy conditions. Ford uses 3D mapping to scan the drive route. Its LiDAR laser mapping can even detect single falling snowflakes. It collects and processes up to 600 gigabytes of data per hour, comparing its environment to saved maps, a process that helps establish location more precisely than GPS. In addition to the LiDAR systems, the car is also equipped with cameras and radar to help it navigate. Eventually, the car could even be able to clean off its sensors when it detects loss of performance from ice and dirt. Read more in the press release below. FROM AUTONOMY TO SNOWTONOMY: HOW FORD FUSION HYBRID AUTONOMOUS RESEARCH VEHICLE CAN NAVIGATE IN WINTER DEARBORN, Mich., March 10, 2016 – Driving in snow can be a slippery challenge, with the potential for one blizzardy gust to white-out your field of view – a situation faced by the majority of people in the United States. So if self-driving cars are to become a reality – and they almost certainly will – they must be able to navigate snow-covered roads. In its quest to bring self-driving vehicles to millions of people around the world, Ford reveals six facts about its technology that allows for a car to drive itself in snow. 1. Mapping the way: Ford first creates high-resolution 3D maps using LiDAR technology to scan the area its autonomous vehicle will later drive in the snow.

America was the unexpected theme at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show thanks to Trump

President-elect Donald Trump was not in attendance at this year's Detroit Auto Show, but it sure seemed like he was the target audience for many of the press conferences and announcements surrounding the event. Several manufacturers chose to play up existing and future commitments to the US in general and American jobs specifically in their presentations to the press, and we're pretty sure that has everything to do with Trump's recent targeting of automakers on Twitter. To us, it seemed automakers were going on the offensive to try and preempt any future tweet-shaming for investing in auto manufacturing anywhere but the US. The pro-America sentiment started the week prior to the auto show, with Ford announcing that it would build several future electrified vehicles at its Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan and also cancel a $1.6 billion factory planned for Mexico. Ford announced the two items on the same day, but the reality is that they likely have no relation to each other; the Mexican plant is being skipped because the company doesn't need the extra capacity to build the Ford Focus right now. Trump was still happy to share the news on Twitter. Then, on Sunday, FCA announced it would invest $1 billion in manufacturing plants in Ohio and Michigan to produce the new Jeep Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, and Wrangler-based pickup. It's not as though those potential new jobs were on their way out of the US, necessarily, but FCA took the opportunity to mention that plant upgrades at the Warren Truck Plant would allow the company to build Ram heavy duty trucks, which are currently assembled in Mexico, there. CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed that Trump and his proposed tariffs had nothing to do with the decision. We certainly believe that, but we also have to believe that the timing of the release, positive outcome for America, and zero gain for Mexico were all orchestrated. Again, Trump sent out a victory tweet as if this had been his doing. Ford then used its press conference at the show on Monday to reiterate the plans for Flat Rock and also confirm that the Ford Bronco and Ranger nameplates will be returning to the US market, and that both will be built at a plant in Michigan. Announcements of manufacturing locations are usually aimed at the UAW, which certainly has a stake in these things, but again this one was broadcast to the auto show crowd in general.