Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Center stack is new high-stakes battleground; showdown with safety regulators looms

For auto suppliers and gadget companies eager to get a piece of the auto industry, the hottest chunk of vehicle real estate now is the center stack. That corridor of interior space, running from the driver's right hip up through the center of the cockpit to the bottom of the windshield, has become a California gold rush of opportunity. But it is less so for traditional suppliers of molded plastics, cables, levers, buttons and radios.

Toyota exec to answer questions on Digg

Toyota’s recall crisis has left consumers uncertain, and to try to address that, a top executive will answer questions on the social-media Web site Digg today at 5 p.m. Eastern. Jim Lentz, president and COO of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., will do a “Digg Dialogg” based on questions submitted by users.

Toyota tests chips that improve hybrid efficiency by 10 percent

Toyota announced on Tuesday that it has developed a new semiconductor, claiming it can boost fuel efficiency in hybrid cars by an impressive 10 percent. The semiconductors manage the flow of electricity through the power-control unit that connects the battery to an electric or hybrid car's motor and generator. The newly developed semiconductors are said to consume only a tenth of the energy of today's chips, while allowing the power-control unit to be 80 percent smaller.