Next-generation autos go for global connectivity.

Bryan Nesbitt, Cadillac General Manager, introduces the new Cadillac XTS Platinum concept vehicle to the media at the General Motors exhibit at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. Touch navigational screens, Internet, communications systems: Automakers are ramping up an array of connectivity gizmos to lure consumers into buying next-generation vehicles.

Source: Physorg.com

-----------------------------

Touch navigational screens, Internet, communications systems: Automakers are ramping up an array of connectivity gizmos to lure consumers into buying next-generation vehicles.

Some of the whistles and bells on display at the annual North American Internation Auto Show underway in Detroit were purely cosmetic.
GM's Cadillac presented a prototype of its new XTS sedan that sported a dashboard minus buttons or dials. The black screen illuminates once the engine starts and the door handles light up for a few seconds when the car stops.
But most of the innovations put a premium on connectivity.
Paul Haelterman, vice president of research firm CSM Worldwide, predicted that five years from now 45 percent of the new vehicles sold in North America would be connected to the Internet, and nearly all of the luxury models.
"Having the car connected with the exterior world is a necessity," said Henning Schlieker, a technology marketing executive at BMW North America, told AFP.
The German luxury car maker already has begun to equip all its BMW 5 Series, 6 Series and 7 Series cars sold in the United States with BMW Assist, a feature launched a year and a half ago.
The BMW Assist allows drivers to locate gasoline stations and their current prices, check weather forecasts and traffic conditions, access navigational tools such as Google Maps and Mapquest, and keep tabs on financial data.
The Cadillac XTS offers two separate back-seat screens, each outfitted with its own Internet connection and DVD reader.
Ford is launching its MyFord Touch system, which will be introduced first in the upscale Lincoln nameplate under the name "MyLincoln Touch" and then integrated into the Ford Focus in 2012.
With the Ford system, drivers will be able to listen to their favorite websites, including an audio version of the fast-streaming Twitter microblogs and music from the Pandora Radio.
The screens on next-generation vehicles function with touch commands when the vehicle is stopped, allowing drivers to change their selections without interfering with their driving.
Automakers assure that these new functions and Web access in vehicles pose no danger.
"We're in the business of safe transportation," Allan Mulally, the chief executive of Ford, said Tuesday at the Detroit show.
"You're best driving if you keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel," he added.
To avoid distracting the driver, the interactive functions are all operated by voice or by buttons located at the steering wheel.
At BMW the screens close to the driver only change when they are changed intentionally and there are no animated graphics or advertising windows that could divert attention, Schlieker said.
But in case of an accident, BMW also offers emergency system ACN, or automatic collision notification, which alerts authorities and emergency aid workers, pinpoints the location of the vehicle and provides an assessment of the gravity of the incident.
The auto show, which opened Monday in Detroit, the home of the Big Three US automakers General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, is scheduled to close January 24.

'Greenroads' Rates Sustainable Road Projects.

Greenroads evaluates a road's environmental and social impacts. It assigns points for such things as using local or recycled materials, managing runoff and providing wildlife corridors. (Credit: University of Washington)

Source: ScienceDaily

----------------------------

ScienceDaily (Jan. 13, 2010) — Road construction is a more than $80 billion annual industry in the United States. Yet nothing comparable to the LEED rating system for buildings, or the Energy Star system for appliances, exists for highways and roads.

University of Washington researchers and global engineering firm CH2M Hill have unveiled Greenroads, a rating system for sustainable road design and construction. Environmental, economic and social impacts are included. The system outlines minimum requirements to qualify as a green roadway, including a noise mitigation plan, storm-water management plan and waste management plan. It also allows up to 118 points for voluntary actions such as minimizing light pollution, using recycled materials, incorporating quiet pavement and accommodating non-motorized transportation.
"The LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] system has been really successful and has achieved a lot," said lead author Steve Muench, a UW assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering. "Roads are a big chunk of the construction industry that has an opportunity to participate more fully in sustainability practices. I think there's a lot of opportunity there."
The first complete version of Greenroads is now available at www.greenroads.us. Muench presented the project January 13 at the Transportation Research Board's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
The rating system was developed during the past three years by the UW Greenroads team and collaborators at CH2M Hill.
Greenroads' aims are threefold: to recognize companies already using sustainable methods; to provide a catalog of ideas for greener practices; and to offer an incentive for agencies and companies to build more environmentally friendly roads. The system can be used either for new road projects or for upgrades on existing roads.
"This helps our industry become more sustainable and shows the public that we can deliver sustainable roadways," said Tim Bevan, west region technology manager at CH2M Hill. "To some, it has not been perceived to be that important, but more and more we're finding the public is concerned about the environmental impacts of roadways."
A number of government agencies have already expressed interest in the project, including the Oregon Department of Transportation and the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways.
Managers can have their projects rated for a fee by contacting the Greenroads team. Right now, limited staff means only some projects can be rated. In the long term, the team hopes to allow qualified third-party consultants to do the ratings.
"We've had a lot of positive response," Muench said. "It's quickly becoming something that needs to be more than a research project."
Greenroads originated in 2007 when Martina Söderlund, a graduate student from Sweden, came to the UW through the Valle Scholarship and Scandinavian Exchange Program.
"She was interested in sustainability and I was interested in roads, so we put our heads together and came up with this," said Muench, who was Söderlund's adviser for her master's thesis.
Now that the thesis has evolved into a complete document, the team is hoping to get feedback on the system's ease of use, choice of credits and the point value assigned to each credit.
"This first version is just a starting point. We'd like to know what industry thinks of the system and get their help in developing it further," Muench said.
Research funding was provided by Transportation Northwest at the UW, the State Pavement Technology Consortium, Western Federal Lands Highway Division and the Oregon Department of Transportation. CH2M Hill contributed staff time to the project.

Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by University of Washington, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Honda beats Toyota to a sporty hybrid for US market.

Source: Physorg.com

----------------------

The new Honda CR-Z is on display at the North American International Auto Show January 11 in Detroit, Michigan. Honda unveiled a sporty new hybrid vehicle Monday that will land in US showrooms this summer -- at least two years ahead of a similar prototype introduced by rival Toyota.

Honda unveiled a sporty new hybrid vehicle that will land in US showrooms this summer -- at least two years ahead of a similar prototype introduced by rival Toyota.

"Now, I know you've heard from others with plans to offer up a product in this new segment," said American Honda Motor vice president John Mendel.
"But this is a real car coming to you in just a few months."
The Honda CR-Z is a sporty two-seater designed to evoke memories of the Japanese automaker's popular but now defunct CR-X.
It will build on Honda's existing US lineup of hybrid vehicles -- the Civic and the Insight. The automaker also announced plans to add hybrids to its luxury Acura brand. Related article: Optimism at Detroit auto show
"CR-Z is an altogether new vision -- a renaissance if you will -- for a car of the future," Mendel said.
"The CR-Z was developed for a more discerning customer who is seeking a unique combination of forward-looking style, fun-to-drive spirit, advanced safety and fuel efficiency."
Toyota, which is expected to introduce eight new hybrids in the next few years, introduced a prototype of a two-seater hybrid with somewhat less of a sporty style.
The FT-CH concept car is aimed at Toyota's strategy "to offer a wider variety of conventional hybrid choices to its customers," as it begins to introduce plug-in hybrids and battery-powered vehicles in global markets, the company said.
It is expected to go on sale in 2012.
Honda was the first automaker to introduce a mass market hybrid in 1999 with the hatch-back two door Insight, revived last year as a roomier four-door.
But Toyota soon dominated the hybrid market with its popular dedicated model, the Prius.
Honda said it is continuing to forge ahead in developing alternative powertrains and plans to introduce an all-electric commuter car to the US market in the coming years.
"We continue to believe that a fuel cell electric vehicle is the ultimate solution to reducing CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions," said Takanobu Ito, president and chief executive officer of Honda Motor.
"A fuel cell car is a full electric vehicle, but rather than use electricity from the grid, a fuel cell vehicle generates electricity on board and refills more quickly."
While the technology already exists to build fuel cell vehicles, Ito said the manufacturing costs must come down and the infrastructure to support hydrogen fueling must be developed.
"But make no mistake. As a vehicle, the Honda FCX Clarity is ready now," he said.
"Further, Honda is unique in making long-term investments to develop the refueling infrastructure for alternative fuel vehicles."
The automaker will begin operating its next-generation solar hydrogen station at its Los Angeles research station later this month.
Under the system, which could fit on the roof of a typical US home, solar panels help transform water into hydrogen fuel.
The latest generation eliminates the need for a costly compressor and also allows the system to be small enough to fit in a standard garage.
But Ito said expanding the use of hybrid vehicles is the "most important" near-term approach.
"To increase the opportunity for more customers to choose a hybrid we must be able to meet different needs with family, luxury and sporty hybrid vehicles," he said.
"We will apply hybrid systems which are compact, lightweight and affordable to a wider range of products in the near future."

Statistics Page

map counter



blog counter


flag counter