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Large chunks of steel passing through magnetic fields at 60mph.
How are they keeping eddy currents from developing in every car body that passes through the magnetic field of these chargers? Might give quite a few people the old "hot foot".
Stanford researchers designing magnetic resonance coupling system for wireless on-road dynamic charging of EVs
Simplified schematic of the wireless energy transfer system in free space. Yu et al. Click to enlarge. A Stanford University research team is designing a high-efficiency wireless charging system using magnetic resonance coupling (earlier post) to wirelessly transmit large electric currents ...
Check your car HealthyBreeze. It may still have them. I haven't taken apart my current car but my 1999 Mitsubishi had "shock absorbers" that the bumper impact beam connected to.
Mazda 1st automaker to use 1,800 MPa ultra-high tensile steel; debuts in new CX-5 crossover
Mazda CX-5 SKYACTIV body. Click to enlarge. Mazda Motor Corporation, in collaboration with Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. and Aisin Takaoka Co., Ltd., has become the first automaker to successfully develop vehicle components using 1,800 MPa ultra-high tensile steel. The super-strength steel...
"This is going to require switching regulators,"
added to the electric motors and you have such an RFI nightmare...I hope they use very good error correction and noise suppression techniques when communicating between sensors and the ECU.
Stand a good chance of making police/ambulance/fire truck two-way radios have poor performance with all the noise. Hope they design such things so that the fundamental frequency, harmonics, and products are well away from the communications VHF and UHF bands. Hate to have the receivers desensed when they have an emergency call trying to come in.
They'll need to do more than just comply with part 15 for FCC...it is atypical to design around radio systems and since the power would be low relative to a purpose built transmitter the receive problems may not be realized immediately until someone actually puts a spectrum analyzer in the cab of a vehicle to see what is going on when some of these systems activate (if problems arise).
And no, cellular phones are not the answer.
CPT developing 48-volt electric supercharger for micro-mild hybrids
Controlled Power Technologies (CPT) is developing a 48-volt version of its 12 volt electric supercharger based on its variable torque enhancement system known as VTES. (Earlier post.) The higher-voltage variant will support moves by European vehicle manufacturers announced earlier this year to i...
Too late Engineer-Poet.
Ninth Circuit Court already ruled that warrants aren't necessary for a federal agency to put GPS tracking devices on your vehicle even if it is in your driveway when they place the device.
http://www.executivegov.com/2010/08/ninth-circuit-court-secret-gps-tracking-is-legal/
Initial results of 2-year US field study on Mileage-Based Road User Charge
Researchers from the University of Iowa report the initial results of a 2-year field study evaluating the technical feasibility and user acceptance of mileage-based charging as a potential replacement for the current motor fuel tax in a paper in Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Tra...
Many new cars with limited visibility are beginning to include blind spot sensors. My Focus has a little "blind spot" convex mirror in the upper outside corner of each side view mirror. Works well and doesn't require me to turn my head all the way around which is risky in high traffic situations.
Ford unveiling Evos Concept with cloud-optimized plug-in hybrid powertrain at Frankfurt show; previews new global design language
The Ford Evos Concept previews a new global design language for the next generation of Ford cars, MAVs and CUVs. Click to enlarge. Ford will unveil the Ford Evos Concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The company said the four-door, four-seat fastback concept with plug-in hyb...
Wow! A new Kia Optima already!
oh, my bad - that's a Camry.
Toyota introduces 7th generation Camry for 2012 with improved fuel economy and performance across all models; ~39% jump in EPA city cycle fuel economy for the hybrid
2012 Camry Hybrid. Click to enlarge. Toyota has unveiled the seventh-generation Camry, the best-selling car in the US for nine years running and for 13 of the past 14 years. The 2012 Camry again offers three powertrain choices, all of which have been enhanced for 2012 to provide better fuel ...
You are being sarcastic right Harvey?
Hard to tell if your post is irreverence due to the typical posts that pop up here or not.
GM improves aerodynamics of 2013 Malibu for up to 2.5 mpg gain on highway
GM engineers have removed more than 60 counts—a count is 0.001 coefficient of drag—of wind drag from the 2013 Malibu as a result of the new Malibu’s shape and fine-tuning of the car’s exterior design. These aerodynamic improvements give customers up to 2.5 miles per gallon more on the highway, t...
Hi Chad,
I am expecting the proliferation of the equipment to bring the price down vastly over the coming years. Starts with luxury vehicles and propogates downwards with cost efficiencies from mass production of sensors and components. At some point, the government is likely to make some of the crash mitigation technologies mandatory (see Seatbelts, Airbags, Electronic Stability Control, Tire pressure monitoring systems).
-Volvo XC60 already is equipped with low speed crash mitigation / avoidance equipment.
-Audi and a couple Japanese automakers have vehicles which will stay in their lane without driver input.
-Adaptive cruise control is available on nearly any luxury vehicle on the market today
-Blindspot sensors are available on many vehicles (luxury and otherwise)
-Many vehicles have "self parking" modes (even the compact Ford Focus)
Auto industry survey finds need for materials innovation to meet 2025 CAFE; greatest change seen in powertrain systems
49% of respondents thought that powertrains would see the greatest percentage of material changes as a result of proposed 2025 CAFE standards. Click to enlarge. The auto industry’s current materials portfolio will need to be augmented to meet new 2025 fuel economy standards, according to a W...
"...and only 25% agreed that the CAFE target would not jeopardize the safety of future vehicles"
So 75% of the respondents are overlooking the current state and development direction of crash avoidance technologies. By the time these CAFE standards are in place the ability of a vehicle to mitigate and avoid accidents is likely to make low speed accidents non-existent and high speed accidents unlikely to result in death.
Auto industry survey finds need for materials innovation to meet 2025 CAFE; greatest change seen in powertrain systems
49% of respondents thought that powertrains would see the greatest percentage of material changes as a result of proposed 2025 CAFE standards. Click to enlarge. The auto industry’s current materials portfolio will need to be augmented to meet new 2025 fuel economy standards, according to a W...
"They kill up to 50,000 people every year in USA alone"
You've inflated the number for last year by more than 50% (to include motorcyclists).
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811451.pdf
50,000 people have not died in a year in the USA due to motor vehicles for the past 16 years.
http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx
Technology is helping to reduce fatalities.
Nevada enacts law authorizing autonomous (driverless) vehicles
The Nevada legislature passed AB 511, authorizing the use of autonomous (i.e., driverless) vehicles; the bill was approved by the Governor on 16 June and it enters into law. Ryan Calo, Director of the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School observes that this appears to be the fir...
HarveyD,
We didn't put anyone on the moon 50 years ago. Closer to 40 years ago. The vast majority of calculations on those projects were done by hand and with slide rules. A vehicle with a moon budget to have top of the line processing power 50 years ago would have been the size of an 18-wheeler and cost as much as a Saturn V rocket.
Reality does not agree with you.
The processors they are using right now cost about $3 to $5 a piece and require hundreds of thousands of lines of software which takes a well organized embedded development team 18 months to properly develop & test. The sophisticated methods required did not exist. Have you ever seen punch cards and tape for computers of the 60s? Have you ever seen the "solid state" memory that they used to "program" computers of the time? They were like very large PCBs and trying to squeeze the 1 Megabyte of data in the current controllers onto those form factors would have been IMPOSSIBLE to debug.
6-Speed PowerShift automatic in Fiesta, Focus delivers a 10% fuel economy gain
The new dual dry-clutch Ford PowerShift six-speed automatic available in the Focus and Fiesta enables a 10% fuel economy gain compared to a four-speed automatic transmission, contributing to both cars delivering as much as 40 mpg on the highway. The PowerShift automatic consists of two manual tr...
ejj, HarveyD-
Reread the last sentence of the article.
About 42% of Volts sold through Feb have gone into California
As of 28 February, GM had sold 982 Volts, with 410 of those (41.8%) being sold in California, according to GM figures. California sales through February include: 227 in LA; 131 in the San Francisco Bay Area; and 52 in San Diego. The average daily inventory turn for the Chevrolet Volt is the low...
"It doesn't look like ingress / egress for the rear seats is going to improved - it actually looks worse vs. regular doors"
With regular doors you would need a B-pillar (to attach the hinges to) and this would significantly reduce the accessibility.
If we are talking about a 2-door, the doors would be much larger making tight parking very problematic.
Suicide doors? maybe. The point with children is valid though. You wouldn't have to worry about the kids slamming the door into someone else's car (particularly in tight parking).
Ford introduces B-MAX concept, previewing plans for small car market; 1.0L EcoBoost and start/stop
The B-MAX. Click to enlarge. Ford introduced its new new B-MAX concept vehicle at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, providing an early preview of its plans for the European small car market. The key innovation on the B-MAX is the adoption of an integrated B-pillar door concept. This new body desig...
"A very well equipped large car @ 30 mpg is not that bad nor is it that good"
That depends on whether or not they are talking about average fuel economy (city & highway) or highway only. If Highway only, then I am not impressed at all. If that is the average - I am impressed.
That 3.0L motor is making close to the same power that everyone else makes out of 3.5L motors.
Even their 2012 Accent is starting to have a full suite of electronics (ABS, EBD (brake force distribution), TCS (traction control), VSM & VDC) if I remember correctly.
Hyundai introduces 5th generation Grandeur (Azera) with new Lambda II 3.0 Gasoline Direct Injection engine
Hyundai Motor Company recently rolled out the new fifth-generation Grandeur (badged as the Azera in some markets). The new Grandeur arrives in the Korean market six years after its predecessor’s launch in May 2005. The Grandeur is Korea’s No. 1 large sedan, with cumulative sales of 1.25 million ...
I love some of the features.
Pretty soon it will be very, very difficult for you to be the cause of an accident unless you are driving very erratically or intentionally trying to smash into someone.
I know M-B already has had some of these features along with other select top-end luxury models from other makes but seeing them on a reasonably priced mass market vehicle is very encouraging. The price keeps coming down and soon rear-end collisions will be a thing of the past (or mitigated to a mostly slow speed bump at worst).
Toyota introduces other members of the Prius family; mid-size and compact
The Prius (left) and the new Prius v (right). Click to enlarge. Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc., unveiled the Prius family of vehicles today at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The production-slated new Prius v mid-size hybrid-electric vehicle and the Prius c Concept ...
"So simple a solution."
Yes a simple solution, but it is never a simple task to implement anything in an international way.
Chevrolet Cruze Eco achieves EPA-rated 42 mpg on highway (updated table)
The non-hybrid 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco delivers an EPA-estimated 42 mpg on the highway (manual transmission models), with city fuel economy of 28 mpg. Cruze Eco’s highway fuel economy beats non-hybrid segment competitors—including 23% greater highway fuel economy than the Honda Civic—as well as...
HarveyD and all others who are trying to compare fuel economy figures from other countries - the numbers don't compare.
If you want to check against EPA figures, use EPA figures. Otherwise I could easily trump your numbers by using the Japanese 10-15 cycle results for the Cruze. Heck, the Malibu's numbers on the Japanese 10-15 cycle would likely beat the Sonata numbers you posted.
Chevrolet Cruze Eco achieves EPA-rated 42 mpg on highway (updated table)
The non-hybrid 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco delivers an EPA-estimated 42 mpg on the highway (manual transmission models), with city fuel economy of 28 mpg. Cruze Eco’s highway fuel economy beats non-hybrid segment competitors—including 23% greater highway fuel economy than the Honda Civic—as well as...
ai_vin,
Where did you get the fuel economy numbers for the 1980 diesel rabbit? You can't do an EPA comparison of it to the Cruze unless you are using the revised EPA standard from 2007 (or 2008?). The earliest listing I saw for a VW Rabbit Diesel is 35mpg city / 43mpg highway for the 1.6L.
This is besting the Cruze while getting very poor or 1/2 star ratings on modern crash & rollover tests through the NHTSA and IIHS. Additionally, it would put out more pollution than 100 Chevy Cruze vehicles.
Chevrolet Cruze Eco achieves EPA-rated 42 mpg on highway (updated table)
The non-hybrid 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco delivers an EPA-estimated 42 mpg on the highway (manual transmission models), with city fuel economy of 28 mpg. Cruze Eco’s highway fuel economy beats non-hybrid segment competitors—including 23% greater highway fuel economy than the Honda Civic—as well as...
The 2012 Focus is also expected to get 40mpg on the highway.
MG - from briefly viewing a few of the listed cars it appears as if they compared the Cruze against the competitors with manual transmissions.
Chevrolet Cruze Eco achieves EPA-rated 42 mpg on highway (updated table)
The non-hybrid 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco delivers an EPA-estimated 42 mpg on the highway (manual transmission models), with city fuel economy of 28 mpg. Cruze Eco’s highway fuel economy beats non-hybrid segment competitors—including 23% greater highway fuel economy than the Honda Civic—as well as...
ejj said, "If you're thinking of spending that much money for a Regal, you can probably spend the same or little more for an Infiniti, Lexus, Acura, BMW, Mercedes,"
Uhhh okay - since when is the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima made by Infiniti, Lexus, Acura or BMW? Foot, mouth - proceed to remove.
Don't be a smart ass when you can't remember what you previously typed.
GM highlights 32-bit Freescale microprocessor in Buick Regal direct injection engine control module
MPC5566 Block Diagram. Source: Freescale. Click to enlarge. The 2011 Buick Regal’s direct injection Ecotec 2.0L engine microcontroller features a 32-bit Freescale microprocessor that operates at 128 MHz—the fastest throughput engine microprocessor in the industry, according to Karla Wallace,...
ejj, the BMW 3 series starts at $33,000 in cheapest configuration. The entry level C series Mercedes starts at $34,000. The cheapest Lexus (IS series) starts at $32,000. The cheapest Infiniti (G Sedan) starts at $31,000.
Seems that you are in need of a little reality check as your auto-bias is showing. $26,000 to $31,000 (nearly 20% greater cost) is not a "little more"...The only vehicle of the choices you gave that comes even remotely close is the $29,300 Acura TSX. And if you compare the $28,800 Regal you are in even worse shape since the upscale versions of the other luxury makers cars easily get much more expensive than the Buick's $2,500 increase.
GM highlights 32-bit Freescale microprocessor in Buick Regal direct injection engine control module
MPC5566 Block Diagram. Source: Freescale. Click to enlarge. The 2011 Buick Regal’s direct injection Ecotec 2.0L engine microcontroller features a 32-bit Freescale microprocessor that operates at 128 MHz—the fastest throughput engine microprocessor in the industry, according to Karla Wallace,...
Harvey, let's see if they keep the M56 much longer after this vehicle comes out.
I'm actually surprised that they aren't using the 3.7L V-6 instead.
Infiniti to Feature M35h Hybrid at Paris Show
The M35h. Click to enlarge. Infiniti is using the biennial Paris Motor Show to showcase the M35h hybrid performance sedan, due to begin sales in Europe next spring. The M35h uses an original parallel one motor/two clutch hybrid system and features a decoupling 225 kW (302 hp) 3.5-liter V6 en...
how many live in apartments and condos with no garage?
Where I live the answer to that would be none. By law, every apartment or condo building must include parking spaces for each apartment/condo.
You mind telling me how you made the logical leap from garage to parking space? "By law" surely only covers where you live and secondly parking spaces don't mean you have access to electricity.
Go ahead and try calling an electrician to install an electrical outlet on the apartment owners property and see how far you get, let alone getting the owner to do so of their own volition.
On the other hand, those with a garage will typically have access to electricity inside their garage (far different from a parking space). I know of few apartments in my neighborhood with garages and those tend to be the large multi-level structure type garages for towers where rents are around $1200/month for a 400sq ft studio and $3000/month for a 2 bdrm 1100 sq ft place.
GM Extends EV Development with S. Korean Demo Fleet of Battery-Electric Chevrolet Cruzes; LG Chem Batteries, LG Electronics Propulsion Systems
Cruze BEV on the road. Click to enlarge. General Motors announced a demonstration project (earlier post) to explore market needs and customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles in Korea. The project involves a fleet of electric vehicles based on the Chevrolet Cruze. The Cruze EV is equi...
Henrik,
Of those "100+ million" households you speak of, how many live in apartments and condos with no garage? Unless you give the apartment owners money or a way to seriously gouge the apartment dwellers with a surcharge on energy very few will install outlets for people's cars out of the goodness of their hearts. Most of the land owners tend to be business oriented people interested in maximizing profit (where I live they just filled in the pool without any notice to the residents and I suspect this was simply to lower insurance and maintenance costs because there has never been any injury related to the pool at my apartments).
GM Extends EV Development with S. Korean Demo Fleet of Battery-Electric Chevrolet Cruzes; LG Chem Batteries, LG Electronics Propulsion Systems
Cruze BEV on the road. Click to enlarge. General Motors announced a demonstration project (earlier post) to explore market needs and customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles in Korea. The project involves a fleet of electric vehicles based on the Chevrolet Cruze. The Cruze EV is equi...
The popular mechanics interview they did indicated that they went with E85 simply because it gave the best chance of winning. They put winning as the top priority and something about the rules gave E85 a clear advantage in the way MPGe was calculated.
Lightweight Edison2 E85 Car Wins Mainstream Class X-Prize; Two Battery Electric Vehicles Take Alternative Class Prizes
The Edison2 Very Light Car on the track. Credit: Edison2. Click to enlarge. The X PRIZE Foundation awarded $10 million to three teams who successfully completed the rigorous Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. The winning teams—Edison2 of Lynchburg, Virginia; X-Tracer of Winterthur, Sw...
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