Latest news with #Frise
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Hamilton Spectator
Volvo smart seatbelt adjusts itself based on your weight and position for increased safety
GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN—Canadian safety researcher Peter Frise agrees that the three-point seatbelt that Volvo patented and brought to market in 1959 has likely saved more lives than any other automotive safety feature. So when Volvo upgrades this vital feature next year by introducing a new smart seatbelt, it's potentially major vehicle safety news. Volvo plans to introduce what it calls its 'multi-adaptive safety belt' next year, which will debut in its all-electric 2026 EX60 SUV. Volvo didn't yet confirm its plans for its futuristic seatbelt beyond the EX60 at the tech's debut at Volvo's Safety Centre in Gothenburg, although officials were very clear that throughout its history, new safety features were quickly spread throughout its lineup. Frise, a University of Windsor professor of mechanical engineering, who specializes in automotive safety research, says that the company has always had an impressive safety focus, being key in side and curtain airbag development as well. So how exactly does Volvo's new high-tech smart seatbelt work? It starts by pulling in data from sensors inside and outside the vehicle, including ones that measure passenger weight, size and position on the seat. These inputs are run through a computer, and combined with camera, steering wheel and pedal data. The information comes together to provide a detailed analysis of what the driver is seeing and responding to, and compares it with the potential dangers it sees approaching. Once a collision occurs, modern seatbelts use what's called 'load limiters' to cap the amount of force the belts put on the body, which, after their initial tightening, then release slightly on each torso to help prevent injuries. Volvo's current seatbelts offer two or three possible 'profiles' or degrees of load-limiting, based on the basic parameters it can currently read and adapt to in a split second. The upcoming smart belt will raise that to 11 different load-limiting profiles, taking more interior and exterior data into account, and fine-tuning its response to account for different physical characteristics. So a larger and heavier occupant will receive a higher belt-load setting in a serious crash to increase head protection, while a lower speed crash with a smaller person can reduce that belt load setting to minimize the risk to the passenger's ribs. 'We see data as the new safety belt,' said Aders Bell, Volvo's chief engineering and technology officer. 'We've gone from a place where we were in a data desert, to now we're in a data Niagara Falls.' The adaptive belt provides more tailored protection to the seat occupant, with a wider scale of load-limiting variations — and these can be expanded later or fine-tuned via over-the-air updates. This will make Volvo's upcoming vehicles, which are capable of more computations and more comprehensive over-the-air updates, even safer, whether through updates to the adaptive belts or with tweaked active crash-prevention features, said Bell. 'This is how we level up on saving lives.' Volvo arranged a demonstration crash test at the Safety Centre here. It was one of roughly 150 to 200 crashes planned at the facility each year. Digitally, of course, there are many more, with Volvo staff estimating that the latest EX90 was crashed more than 80,000 times virtually. The two-part crash test demonstrated an EX90 SUV that used its active safety system to brake in time to just kiss (perhaps unexpectedly) the orange nose of another one pointed in the opposite direction. After that, the target car was violently T-boned in the side by a third EX90 at 55 km/h, sending it leaping into the air, and roughly two lanes over. But the most harrowing part of the tour of Volvo's safety facility was one I couldn't photograph. It's where the company keeps some Volvos involved in severe crashes. The carmaker reports all the drivers survived, and provided the company details of the crashes, all in Sweden, so that the carmaker could study the vehicles and their safety. The safety systems have been reducing injury rates for decades. The percentage of Volvo owners injured in crashes is down from 10 per cent in the 1970s to just over two per cent between 2010 and 2019. The injury risk for men and women is now evening out. It used to be much higher for women, but an expanding family of crash test dummies and more diverse research has helped change the technologies leading to the improvement, said Åsa Hagland, head of Volvo's Safety Centre. It's too early to tell if Volvo's adaptive seatbelt, set to arrive in 2026, will become a safety system that is mandated within a decade as the original safety belt was. 'There's no way that other companies are not looking at this,' said Frise. 'So it's very likely that these will start in higher-end vehicles and then gravitate to lower models, and then someone in the regulatory framework will say 'Hey, this is a really good thing,' and make it mandatory.'
CTV News
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
Tariff tensions and GM cuts fuel new wave of auto sector anxiety
A new wave of auto sector anxiety is rippling through Windsor, after the union representing General Motors workers in Oshawa revealed 700 jobs will be cut this fall, just as the U.S. confirmed a partial exemption to its auto parts tariffs. GM employees have learned the company is eliminating the third shift at the Oshawa Assembly Plant, driven by waning demand and trade uncertainty. 'It's disappointing. To see them do this is unacceptable,' said John D'Agnolo, chair of Unifor's National Auto Council. 'When you think about the amount of GM vehicles that we sell in Canada, we sell more GM vehicles than any other company here in Canada. Oshawa is no different than Windsor. They've been around a long time when it comes to the auto industry.' The job cuts follow a flurry of developments across the North American auto sector. Just hours before the layoffs were announced, U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that auto parts complying with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) will be exempt from a looming 25 per cent tariff. That exemption, however, does not apply to finished vehicles, which make up the bulk of Canada's exports to the U.S. In Windsor, workers at the Stellantis assembly plant are bracing for another layoff next week — one the company said is not related to tariffs. But some fear it's only a matter of time. 'You always have that in the back of your mind,' D'Agnolo said. 'You always worry about the fact that if GM is able to do this, will Stellantis do this? Will Ford do this?' Peter Frise, a mechanical and automotive engineering professor at the University of Windsor, said the CUSMA exemption for parts offers some relief, but doesn't resolve the broader uncertainty. 'It is a good thing for the auto sector,' he said. 'It's really proof that the original plans of the Trump administration were just completely unworkable and would have resulted in a shutdown of the North American auto industry within a very short time.' Trump's tariff exemption specifically excludes knock-down kits and parts compilations. Those systems were once used by Volvo at a now-defunct plant in Nova Scotia in the 1960s, according to Frise. 'Volvo was shipping in crates of parts to build cars,' Frise explained. 'They were assembled from kits that were all built in Europe, and I think this provision is to prevent that kind of thing from happening again.' Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, said about half of Canada's $40-billion annual auto parts output qualifies under the CUSMA exemption. But the rest, especially those tied to vehicle assembly, remain vulnerable. 'The cars that are made in plants like Oshawa, and in Windsor and in Woodstock and Cambridge — for the most part, 80 or 90 per cent of those are sold to Americans,' Volpe said. He believes the tariffs are ultimately self-defeating. 'You might bleed out Canada and Mexico's production,' Volpe said. 'But you're going to bleed it out of the American companies: General Motors, Ford, Stellantis.' Volpe warned the longer tariffs remain on finished vehicles; the more likely companies are to shift final assembly to the U.S. — creating long-term damage on both sides of the border. 'These companies aren't charities,' he said. 'There are parts suppliers to the Oshawa plant in Michigan who will lose business. Hopefully, that starts to turn the pendulum the other way.' Despite some relief over the CUSMA exemption, D'Agnolo is not optimistic about a full tariff reversal. 'Anybody can say, 'I'm just going to punch you in the stomach instead of the face.' It's still going to hurt though,' said D'Agnolo, adding workers have already endured enough from the 2008 recession to COVID-19. 'We're resilient people. But it takes its toll on Canadians,' he said. 'It's got to stop.'
National Observer
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- National Observer
New report predicts major job losses in Ontario over US trade war
Ontario's auto industry, a vital pillar of the province's economy, risks losing thousands of jobs this year due to the US trade war, according to a new report from Ontario's Financial Accountability Office (FAO). The non-partisan watchdog, which provides independent financial and economic analysis to the Ontario Legislature, released its findings Wednesday. It warns that US tariffs — and Canada's retaliatory measures based on trade actions announced on April 17 — could cause up to 68,100 job losses in 2025. That figure could rise to 119,200 jobs lost in 2026 and 137,900 by 2029 if trade restrictions remain in place, with tariffs on steel, aluminum, vehicles and auto parts placing significant strain on the manufacturing industry. Among the hardest-hit areas would be Windsor, Guelph, Brantford and the Waterloo Region — all of which are heavily dependent on automotive production and exports. 'The actual impact of tariffs on Ontario's economy is uncertain and will depend on the magnitude and breadth of tariff coverage, as well as how businesses, households and economies respond,' the report reads. If tariffs are reduced, the economic impact on Ontario would likely be less severe. However, the report warns that additional or higher US tariffs could push the province into a deeper recession than currently projected. Peter Frise, a professor of automotive engineering at the University of Windsor, described the findings as 'very concerning,' and says the auto sector is a critical part of Ontario's manufacturing economy. 'Employment in this sector is extremely important across southwestern Ontario — anywhere from Oshawa to Windsor,' Frise said. 'It's a very significant part of the provincial economy, so anything that disrupts the auto sector is a very serious problem.' Frise warned that the integrated nature of North America's auto industry means no single region is immune. 'There's no separating parts from assembly. It's all one system.' Among the hardest-hit areas would be Windsor, Guelph, Brantford and the Waterloo Region — all of which are heavily dependent on automotive production and exports. In a press conference, Ontario Premier Doug Ford rejected the recession prediction, saying 'no one can predict the future.' 'The tariffs will hurt absolutely, but I have confidence that we'll work things out with the United States and President Trump,' Ford said. 'We have a newly elected federal government. I'm sure the prime minister will be going down there to talk to President Trump. The only thing we will accept is zero tariffs.' Ford said the deeply integrated supply chain means tariffs would harm both Canadians and Americans. He previously warned that up to 500,000 Ontario jobs could be lost if American tariffs are applied to Ontario's export market. Tariff chaos' Ontario's economy is vulnerable to US tariffs, given that 85 per cent of its exports go to the US, and the province's auto sector is a key contributor, accounting for $36 billion of the $220.5 billion total. Last year alone, Ontario produced 1.54 million vehicles, most of them destined for American consumers. David Adams, president and CEO of Global Automakers of Canada, says the FAO's findings reflect a growing concern within the industry, particularly in communities where automotive jobs anchor the local economy. 'It seems like all of the towns and cities that are most adversely impacted by the tariff situation are towns that have a big automotive presence,' Adams said. Workers have every reason to be worried, he added. 'The current tariff chaos has to be on the minds of anybody really affiliated with the automotive sector in Canada at this point.' Adams said he hopes for a more focused diplomatic effort now that the election is over. 'I think that's really got to be job one for the prime minister — engaging with President Trump in a more formal way … on how to find an off-ramp to these tariffs and how to address any trade concerns or issues in a more traditional way.' Adams told Canada's National Observer that Canadians seem to have chosen a leader they believe can better manage the relationship with the US, adding that Carney appeared better equipped to handle negotiations with Trump moving forward. Frise also agreed that Canada's new government brings hope for a diplomatic solution. 'There's always a path to resolve these problems — it's ultimately a question of US policy,' he said. 'Our prime minister now understands how industry works and may be better placed to counter some of these unwise policies coming from Washington.' Ripple effects The report underscores Ontario's dependence on trade with the US as more than 933,000 Ontarians work jobs that depend in some part on US exports. According to the report, the real impact of tariffs depends on their scope and duration — as well as how businesses, consumers and governments respond. A rollback of tariffs could moderate the damage, but escalation would likely deepen the downturn. Ontario has historically run trade deficits with the US — averaging $8 billion annually from 2013 to 2024, with a $4-billion deficit recorded last year. Frise warned that the auto sector's struggles could quickly ripple through the broader economy. 'Each assembly job supports eight or 10 other jobs,' he said. 'If auto workers aren't getting paid, they're not spending money at restaurants, retail stores, or local businesses. The effects will be felt everywhere.' Sheldon Williamson, a professor at Ontario Tech University, says to mitigate these risks, both the federal and provincial governments need to adopt a proactive approach. 'This includes advocating for stable trade relations with the US, investing in critical infrastructure and technologies to support EV manufacturing and providing targeted incentives to retain and attract automakers,' Williamson said. 'Supporting workforce retraining programs and strengthening ties with alternative markets — such as the EU or Indo-Pacific — could also help diversify Ontario's auto export base and reduce dependence on the US.'
CBC
15-02-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Trump fact-check: No such thing as 'Canadian' or 'American' cars, experts say
Social Sharing U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion this week that he doesn't want Canadian cars in the U.S. market doesn't reflect how the North American automotive industry actually works, experts say. Trump on Tuesday threatened to slap 50 to 100 per cent tariffs on the Canadian auto sector should the two countries fail to reach a deal, claiming Canada "stole" the car industry from the U.S. "We don't want their cars, we want to make the cars in Detroit," he told Fox News. But the U.S. and Canadian auto industries are so deeply integrated, experts say, that there's currently no such thing as a purely Canadian or American car. "I think it would be extremely difficult to find, if not impossible, frankly, to find a car that is entirely made in Canada or entirely made in the U.S. — or entirely made in Mexico, for that matter," said Tu Nguyen, an economist at RSM Canada, a Toronto-based consulting firm. "I don't think there is such a thing," said Peter Frise, a professor of automotive engineering at the University of Windsor. He also said Trump's assertion that Canada "stole" the industry is "not correct at all." "The narrative seems to change from day-to-day," Frise said. "But there's no question about it: Some of the things that he is using in his narrative are simply not correct." WATCH: Billions in investment parked on the sidelines, Windsor's mayor says, amid uncertainty caused by tariff threats Billions in investment for the city parked on the sidelines, Windsor's mayor says, amid uncertainty caused by tariff threats 2 days ago Duration 2:25 Trump's comments were among the latest warning shots in the trade war the president has sought to unleash on the U.S.'s closest neighbours since he entered office less than one month ago. On Friday, he floated April 2 as the start date for auto-specific tariffs, but didn't specify which countries they would target or how much they would be. Trump has also targeted all Canadian and Mexican goods with a 25 per cent tariff, but punted the implementation until March after initial negotiations. He's already signed an order to impose a tariff on foreign steel and aluminum – including from Canada, the U.S.'s biggest supplier. But placing a tariff on the automotive industry would prove especially damaging — and costly — for both the U.S. and Canada, the experts said, because of how interconnected the supply chain is. "The reality is that the North American auto industry has spent decades of collaboration and trade and so much time and money building up these extremely integrated supply chains," Nguyen said. "And there are a lot of car parts that are only made in one country." Parts can cross the border more than a half-dozen times before the car is complete, she wrote in December. Frise says the industry's "very integrated" and "highly optimized" supply chain has been built over several decades, starting with the 1965 Auto Pact between Canada and the U.S. "It holds costs down, which is good for consumers," he said, "and it provides jobs on both sides of the border." It also provides more consistent quality by allowing one location to specialize in a specific part or assembly, he said. For instance, Chrysler's Pacifica minivans are assembled in Windsor, but the engines are built at a plant in Michigan. On the flip side, Ford produces engines in Windsor-Essex for vehicles it assembles in other locations. Both Frise and Nguyen say building and tooling new factories for parts and assembly exclusively in the U.S. would cost billions and take years — costs that would be passed onto the consumer. In the meantime, the effects of tariffs on the North American auto sector would be severe, including for Americans — something echoed this week by Ford CEO James Farley. "Let's be real honest: Long term, a 25 per cent tariff across the Mexico and Canada borders would blow a hole in the U.S. industry that we've never seen," Farley said. Trump is threatening tariffs on Canadian cars — and it's causing uncertainty in Windsor 3 days ago Duration 2:08 U.S. President Donald Trump made another threat this week of tariffs, this time targeting Canadian-made vehicles. It's causing more uncertainty in Windsor's automotive industry. The CBC's Chris Ensing reports. Frise says auto-specific tariffs would have a near-instantaneous effect on car prices, making them jump by thousands, which could quickly lead to sales drops. "A car is a very deferrable purchase," Frise said. "So if the sales of cars slow down a lot or stop, then production will stop. The factories won't make cars if they're not selling. And so there could be, you know, hundreds of thousands of people laid off very, very quickly if these tariffs take hold." "There needs to be a much deeper understanding of the industry on the part of the administration," Frise said, before it makes major changes, because the effects could be the opposite of what Trump has said he is trying to achieve: more manufacturing jobs for Americans. One way Trump could achieve that goal would be by strengthening the U.S. education system, Frise says. "They have a chronic shortage of skilled tradespeople and engineers," he said. "And you can't make things without those kinds of people with skills like that. And so they need to graduate more engineers and more skilled tradespeople."
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Trump fact-check: No such thing as 'Canadian' or 'American' cars, experts say
U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion this week that he doesn't want Canadian cars in the U.S. market doesn't reflect how the North American automotive industry actually works, experts say. Trump on Tuesday threatened to slap 50 to 100 per cent tariffs on the Canadian auto sector should the two countries fail to reach a deal, claiming Canada "stole" the car industry from the U.S. "We don't want their cars, we want to make the cars in Detroit," he told Fox News. But the U.S. and Canadian auto industries are so deeply integrated, experts say, that there's currently no such thing as a purely Canadian or American car. "I think it would be extremely difficult to find, if not impossible, frankly, to find a car that is entirely made in Canada or entirely made in the U.S. — or entirely made in Mexico, for that matter," said Tu Nguyen, an economist at RSM Canada, a Toronto-based consulting firm. "I don't think there is such a thing," said Peter Frise, a professor of automotive engineering at the University of Windsor. He also said Trump's assertion that Canada "stole" the industry is "not correct at all." "The narrative seems to change from day-to-day," Frise said. "But there's no question about it: Some of the things that he is using in his narrative are simply not correct."Trump's comments were among the latest warning shots in the trade war the president has sought to unleash on the U.S.'s closest neighbours since he entered office less than one month ago. On Friday, he floated April 2 as the start date for auto-specific tariffs, but didn't specify which countries they would target or how much they would be. Trump has also targeted all Canadian and Mexican goods with a 25 per cent tariff, but punted the implementation until March after initial negotiations. He's already signed an order to impose a tariff on foreign steel and aluminum – including from Canada, the U.S.'s biggest supplier. But placing a tariff on the automotive industry would prove especially damaging — and costly — for both the U.S. and Canada, the experts said, because of how interconnected the supply chain is. "The reality is that the North American auto industry has spent decades of collaboration and trade and so much time and money building up these extremely integrated supply chains," Nguyen said. "And there are a lot of car parts that are only made in one country." Parts can cross the border more than a half-dozen times before the car is complete, she wrote in December. Frise says the industry's "very integrated" and "highly optimized" supply chain has been built over several decades, starting with the 1965 Auto Pact between Canada and the U.S. "It holds costs down, which is good for consumers," he said, "and it provides jobs on both sides of the border." It also provides more consistent quality by allowing one location to specialize in a specific part or assembly, he said. For instance, Chrysler's Pacifica minivans are assembled in Windsor, but the engines are built at a plant in Michigan. On the flip side, Ford produces engines in Windsor-Essex for vehicles it assembles in other locations. Both Frise and Nguyen say building and tooling new factories for parts and assembly exclusively in the U.S. would cost billions and take years — costs that would be passed onto the consumer. In the meantime, the effects of tariffs on the North American auto sector would be severe, including for Americans — something echoed this week by Ford CEO James Farley. "Let's be real honest: Long term, a 25 per cent tariff across the Mexico and Canada borders would blow a hole in the U.S. industry that we've never seen," Farley said. WATCH: Trump is threatening tariffs on Canadian cars — and it's causing uncertainty in Windsor Frise says auto-specific tariffs would have a near-instantaneous effect on car prices, making them jump by thousands, which could quickly lead to sales drops. "A car is a very deferrable purchase," Frise said. "So if the sales of cars slow down a lot or stop, then production will stop. The factories won't make cars if they're not selling. And so there could be, you know, hundreds of thousands of people laid off very, very quickly if these tariffs take hold." "There needs to be a much deeper understanding of the industry on the part of the administration," Frise said, before it makes major changes, because the effects could be the opposite of what Trump has said he is trying to achieve: more manufacturing jobs for Americans. One way Trump could achieve that goal would be by strengthening the U.S. education system, Frise says. "They have a chronic shortage of skilled tradespeople and engineers," he said. "And you can't make things without those kinds of people with skills like that. And so they need to graduate more engineers and more skilled tradespeople."
