General Motors has established an AI center of excellence, primarily in Mountain View, Calif., by hiring nearly a dozen people from major tech companies such as Apple, Google and Meta. The team, led by Chief AI Officer Barak Turovsky and Executive Director of AI Research John Anderson, is collaborating across multiple divisions, from manufacturing and engineering to motorsports and finance. Projects include developing collaborative robots for factory lines, deploying generative AI coding tools, streamlining over-the-air software updates and providing data-driven insights for racing teams.

Production has begun at BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, Ky., marking a significant milestone for the state's largest economic investment. Ford and SK On's $5.8 billion project is expected to create 5,000 jobs, with 1,450 positions already filled. The development comes shortly after a nearly $2 billion investment was announced for the nearby Louisville Assembly Plant to produce a new electric pickup truck.

Honda Motor and Silicon Valley startup Helm.ai have partnered to develop advanced driver-assistance systems by 2027 for the automaker's mass-market vehicles. The collaboration aims to create partially automated driving capabilities on regular roads and highways, competing with systems from General Motors, Tesla and BYD.

Engineers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology have developed a 3D-printed titanium alloy that is 30% cheaper and stronger than current alloys by using materials that are cheaper and more accessible than vanadium. The alloy's uniform grain structure improves performance and ductility, and this breakthrough could drive the adoption of 3D-printed titanium in aerospace and medical devices.

Ford Motor's one-off, track-only demonstrator all-electric "SuperVan" has set a company-best time at the Nurburgring, completing a lap in 6:48.42, four seconds faster than the street-legal Mustang GTD. Driven by Romain Dumas, the SuperVan 4.2 is powered by a quad-motor setup delivering 2,000 horsepower and weighs more than 4,400 pounds. Ford's SuperVan time makes it quicker than the Corvette ZR1X, Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. Only the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series remains just half a second faster.
(Editor's note: Of course, the vehicles and time comparisons are not apples to apples.)

Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley is exploring the creation of an off-road supercar that goes beyond traditional offerings like the Porsche 911 Dakar or Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato. The envisioned stand-alone vehicle would include advanced electric and digital features, with a goal of delivering 1,000 horsepower through partial electrification. Farley says the model would be "totally digitally enabled," signaling a focus on integrating state-of-the-art technology alongside extreme performance.

Toyota has implemented its Sweep Energy Storage System at Mazda's Hiroshima plant, repurposing used battery packs from electric and hybrid vehicles. The system, which is still in testing, acts as a buffer between the factory's power supplies and the assembly line, utilizing batteries of different capacities and chemistries.

Electrogenic has developed EV conversion kits for classic cars, including Land Rovers, Jaguars and Porsches, with a focus on easy installation and preserving original vehicle structure. The company is expanding its market by introducing a lower-cost kit for Africa to address the challenges of maintaining older vehicles. "There is a lot to do there and petrol and diesel are not good solutions for most of it," says founder and CEO Steve Drummond.

Liquid Sun has partnered with ABB, Finnair, Fortum and Finavia on a pilot project to produce sustainable aviation fuel from biogenic carbon dioxide emissions using low-temperature electrolysis technology. The project aims to create a synthetic fuel production ecosystem in Finland. "Finland has the opportunity to become a leading producer in the emerging eSAF market over the next few years," Liquid Sun CEO Pasi Keinänen says.