Technology

TOKYO — Panasonic is pulling out of its partnership with Tesla to produce solar panels at a factory in New York state, the Japanese electronics maker said Feb. 26.

Mack Trucks announced an active steering option, Command Steer, for its Anthem models that monitors road conditions at nearly 2,000 times per second using truck-mounted sensors to help maintain directional stability, for instance, on rough roads, in high winds or during blowouts. Transport Topics senior reporter Roger Gilroy reports.

ATLANTA — The effectiveness of lithium batteries depends on a host of issues for trucking industry representatives to consider, according to a panel of experts.

DETROIT — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed executive orders Feb. 25 to create a council on future mobility and electrification, establish the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and to appoint a chief mobility officer.

ATLANTA — AIRman Products has unveiled an automated cranking system that eliminates the manual labor required to raise and lower a trailer’s landing gear.

The trucking industry has improved with the use of technology, but the advancement has also increased the risk of cyberattacks.

ATLANTA — American Trucking Associations and HudsonCyber on Feb. 25 announced an affinity program for ATA members though which motor carriers of all sizes can gain access to the company’s cloud-based cybersecurity suite.

ATLANTA — Go Power! announced a 600-watt model of its flexible solar panels, which are designed to fasten across the tops of trailers. The system builds on the 300-watt Solar Flex panel, which can bend as it grips the top of a trailer.

The 2018 fatal crash of a Tesla Inc. SUV, in which an Apple Inc. employee was playing a game on his company-issued phone and the car veered into a divider, highlights the “misuses of technology,” a U.S. investigator said Feb. 25.

Government reporter Eleanor Lamb recaps the managers and trucking executives discussion about how to maximize uptime at 2020 TMC on Feb. 25.