Autonomous vehicle testing in Japan, a study on the effectiveness of pet travel seats, a new chassis simulator, and a milestone for a youth hockey program were among the items being promoted by automakers recently.

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[naviga:li]Toyota has been testing an autonomous vehicle named Highway Teammate on the Shuto Expressway in Tokyo, Japan. The modified Lexus GS uses road map data as well as external sensors to navigate the highway, including on-ramps and off-ramps, maintaining vehicle distance, and changing lanes. Highway Teammate is part of Toyota's "Mobility Teammate Concept," which aims to improve the interaction between people and self-driving vehicles. The company expects to launch products related to Highway Teammate by about 2020.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]As part of its partnership with the Center for Pet Safety, Subaru has completed a Pet Travel Seat Pilot Study to analyze the effectiveness of various products for traveling with pets. The study previously tested harnesses and carriers, and the final phase tested pet travel seats. Researchers concluded that pet travel seats, which are used to elevate or hold an animal, help keep pets from distracting the driver but often offer little protection in a crash. The list of harnesses and carriers recommended in the study can be found at centerforpetsafety.org.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Volvo has announced that it has started using a Vi-Grade chassis simulator to develop its next generation of vehicles. This simulator is currently used by the luxury automakers Ferrari and Porsche for the same purpose. Volvo says the simulator will allow for the testing of balance, individual drive mode settings, and high speed stability.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is celebrating the 10th season of its Dodge Caravan Kids program, which provides support to minor league hockey teams in Canada. Dodge Caravan Kids provides up to $500 to a team as well as exclusive hockey benefits, with opportunities for additional funding and rewards. FCA says it has provided $6 million in funding to support 12,000 teams and 180,000 hockey players since the program began in 2006.[/naviga:li]

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