Ford’s SYNC System Gets Updated to Make Texting in the Car Safer
Ford's SYNC system is arguably one of the best innovations in in-car communication and entertainment in a very long time. Able to support and interact with many portable media devices (such as iPods or Zunes) as well as Bluetooth enabled telephones, it makes driving safer, with less extra wires and accessories to fiddle with and distract you from the road. In addition, it includes voice recognition software, allowing drivers to speak out loud what they want the SYNC system to do, and having it respond and comply. In addition, it offers directions, traffic reports, diagnostic reports for your vehicle, 911 assistance, and phone operation through speech, and you start to see how useful the SYNC system can be.
However, a growing problem and trend in the world today is texting while driving. It's very dangerous, as well as distracting, and many states are at least thinking about making it illegal, if they have not already done so. Ford, however, thinks they have a solution to the problem, and are using the SYNC platform to put it into practice.
By improving the text-readback software that is present in all SYNC systems, they have given drivers a way to have their texts read to them, and to respond just by speaking. For those who wish to focus entirely on the road, they have also added a "Do Not Disturb" option to the system, which will block all forms of inbound communication to the drivers' phone while they are on the road.
With all the improvements, the SYNC system could be the selling point for a large percentage of Americans who are considering buying a Ford.
Source: Engadget
Ford SYNC Enables Google Maps Integration with Bluetooth Phones
Ford has just announced in a press release today that it will now be possible to use Google Maps information in Ford cars equipped with the SYNC system. Drivers who use the joint entertainment/information/navigation system developed by Microsoft and Ford will be able to look up directions on Google Maps from their home, phone, or other mobile device, and send the relevant info to their car's navigation system.
Apparently, SYNC users will have a special entry on their Google Maps page which will allow them to "Send to SYNC" when they are done planning their trip or route. The information gets sent to the SYNC cloud, then transferred into their car, interpreted, and processed to work just as if the user had mapped out the directions in the car.
The most exciting aspect of this collaborative integration is the fact that drivers that have Bluetooth handsets will be able to beam their directions straight from their hand to their dashboard. What's more, the SYNC system will automatically adjust the route to stick to settings the driver sets on their on-board navigation (avoiding toll roads, for example).
On top of all of its functional awesomeness, this new feature will be available for free on all 2010 and 2011 Ford models equipped with SYNC TDI (Traffic, Directions, and Information).
Source: Engadget
Audi Tests Out Travolution System to Improve Driving Efficiency, Safety, and Driver Sanity
On Wednesday, German car manufacturer Audi put out a press release regarding their Travolution system, a glimpse at what the future of automotive efficiency could hold.
The system, which is being tested out in Ingolstadt, Germany, is made up of 2 major components. The first component is located in the vehicles themselves. Fifteen Audis (13 Audi A4 allroad Quattros and two Audi Q5s) were outfitted with transmitter/receiver units. These units were designed to communicate with the second component of the Travolution system - similar transmitter/receiver units located in traffic lights. What kind of information are these units communicating to each other? Surprisingly, more than you would think.
The first goal of this project was to improve efficiency of automobiles, so Audi decided to ditch the method of trying to improve the efficiency of the car and try to improve the efficiency of the drive. Using the Travolution system, traffic lights can tell drivers how long it will be until a light turns green, calculate the precise speed at which they should travel to avoid having to stop at the intersection, and even set the car in cruise control to stick to the suggested speed. This eliminates the need to idle at an intersection unless it is totally unavoidable, and consequently saves gas and exhaust.
But that's not all. Apparently, the Travolution system will warn you when you are going run a red light, or a light that is about to change. It will give you a visual and auditory warning, and if it is not heeded, will brake lightly to further suggest to the driver that they should stop. If you do happen to be stopped at a red light, the system will give show a countdown timer that tells how much longer the light will be red.
Although it isn't quite feasible with just 15 Travolution-equipped cars on the road, a large population of them could help compile accurate, up-to-date information on traffic on different parts of a city, giving drivers a heads-up as to where they should avoid or which route would be best to take on their journey.
It even includes a method of paying for gas or parking (and even telling you how many empty spots are left in a parking garage) through an online account that is linked to the display in the car.
Even though it's only being tested, it makes you wish you could fast forward to the future when this sort of technology will (hopefully) be standard-issue.
Sources: Engadget
Toyota and Tesla Lend Each Other a Helping Hand
Last Thursday, Toyota and Tesla Motors announced that they have decided to scratch each others backs by teaming up and combining their strengths for a sweet deal.
Toyota is suffering from a tarnished reputation as a result of a massive recall that sought to address the problem of "sticky accelerators" in some of their automobiles, while Tesla has fallen prey to production problems, pushing back the anticipated shipping date of their Model S to 2012.
So how exactly do they plan to help each other? According to the agreement, Toyota will buy $50 million worth of Tesla stock when the electric-sports-car manufacturer goes public, as well as letting Tesla use a factory in Fremont, California that they closed last year. In addition, Toyota will lend the startup automaker the expertise of their own staff to help with any problems Tesla might run into while getting production going.
In return, Tesla will share with Toyota a closer look at the unique technology that powers their cars. Toyota will benefit by having a leg up on the competition in their EV endeavors, as well as getting a ton of good publicity for reopening a factory that once was the source of almost 5,000 jobs. The fact that the new jobs will be "green" only adds to the good karma Toyota is cooking up for itself.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that a Tesla-powered Toyota will be available before the Model S is released, and it is safe to assume that when it does hit the streets, there will probably be a Toyota part here and there under the hood.
Source: Wired
The F800 Offers Three Methods of Propulsion – Gas, Electricity, and Hydrogen
It looks like the Mercedes-Benz F800 Style that was announced back in February has gotten a bit of an update since we last saw or heard from it. What was once merely a plug-in hybrid sedan now boasts not one, not two, but three options for fuel.
In addition to gasoline, the original F800 could also be powered by electricity, simply by plugging it in and charging the onboard batteries at a special charging station. The F-cell variant of the F800, which has just recently been unveiled, now adds the option of hydrogen power (just to clarify, however, you can either have a gas-electric hybrid F800, or a hydrogen-powered one. Not all three in one package).
Because of its unique design (hydrogen cells below the seats, for instance), it is a little larger than your normal sedan. You can see in pictures that it looks a bit more long and wide than average, yet still manages to look very sleek. Other details include the addition of sliding rear doors and weight-cutting techniques to compensate for the F800's alternative energy systems.
Look for it in 2012, with a base price of at least $43,000 for the gas-electric hybrid, and even more for the F-cell variant.
Source: Gizmodo
Porsche’s Heavyweight Hybrid Performance Car Contender
When the Tesla Roadster was first introduced, it was a niche that nobody had really considered before. A performance car that was ecologically friendly? It was a bit of a foreign concept at the time, but has since gained much traction. And although Tesla itself has been experiencing difficulties, tragedies, and setbacks, the larger automobile manufacturers are coming out with some really beautiful hybrids and EVs, adding more to the mountain that Tesla will have to climb if it gets out of its deepening hole.
We've already seen the Auid E-Tron and Ferrari's 599 Hybrid, and now Porsche has unveiled the 918 Spyder. Set to be on display at the Geneva Auto Show on March 4th, it sports a mid-engine V8, two electric motors, and a whopping 500 horsepower. It's mileage per gallon, you ask? A jaw-dropping 78.4. The Spyder's 0 to 62 clocks in at 3.2 seconds, and it's top speed is 198 miles per hour. Those are all impressive stats in and of themselves, but to pack all of these abilities into a car this beautiful is truly an amazing feat.
We'll leave you alone to drool now.
Source: Autopia
A Glimpse at the Mercedes Benz F800 Style
In a press release by Mercedes -Benz this past Saturday, the German luxury automobile manufacturer revealed one of their newest models which will be present at the Geneva Motor Show next month. In addition to a stunning new body, the F800 Style concept car has a plug-in hybrid system that pumps out about 409 horsepower from its 6 cylinders. Similar to the hybrid system featured in the S400, it will be able to travel up to 18 miles in electric-only mode. If customers choose it, they can opt for a fuel-cell based system very similar to those used in the Mercedes-Benz F-Cell cars.
In addition to its green technology, the F800 has a few more interesting bits of technology thrown in for good measure. The first is the Distronic Plus Traffic Jam Assistant. This is a system that basically drives the car for you when you are stuck in traffic. Cameras on the front end of the car measure the distance between the car and those in front it, as well as recognizing road markings and travelling around curves. While under 25 mph (40 km/h) the system will basically drive itself, with little to no input required from the driver.
The other inclusion is the Pre-Safe 360-degree system, which senses when an accident is imminent and automatically takes measures like applying the brakes on the car or tightening the seat belts to try to lessen the damage both to the car and to passengers. Unlike previous instances, this version of the Pre-Safe system has also been deployed to the rear of the car.
Although the F800 Style is only a concept car, it is being treated in many cases as a sneak peek at what future models will look like and how they will be offered to the public.
Source: Autoblog via Engadget
Tesla IPO Appears Threatened by CEO, Production Problems
There seems to be some trouble ahead for anyone who was hoping to invest in Tesla Motors after their impending IPO. After filing the necessary paperwork for their initial public offering (with which they hope to raise $100 million to pour into their gapingly empty coffers) some concerning information has arisen regarding the company and its CEO, Elon Musk. Apparently, Musk "spends significant time with Tesla and is highly active in our management, [but] he does not devote his full time and attention to Tesla." This would be a problem for most companies, let alone a company that is trying to be the forerunner in an industry that is not yet fully established (i.e. that of the electric performance car). But there are a few interesting tidbits that make this even more disturbing news.
First off is the fact that Tesla just received a $465 million loan from the U.S. government (read: taxpayers pockets). You'd hope that a sum of that size would have the full attention of the CEO of the company spending it. Next is the fact that starting at the beginning of next year, Tesla will no longer be selling, well, anything. English auto company Lotus supplies Tesla with many of the parts they need to build their signature Roadster from a certain factory in Hethel, England. This factory is being retooled to build other parts for Lotus vehicles, basically leaving Tesla without a supplier for crucial Roadster parts until 2013 (at the earliest). Third, Tesla will not start production of its Model S family sedan until 2012. This is especially significant since the Model S will carry a much easier-to-swallow $50,000 price tag. Add to that the fact that the company has lost $236 million to date, and that they "expect significant increases in [their] costs and expenses to result in continuing losses for at least the foreseeable future" and you can start to imagine how potential (and current) investors might feel about the future of Tesla Motors.
Sources: Daily Finance via Engadget, Wired
Hydrogen Fueling Stations Come East-Side, Yo
Recently, electric cars have been garnering a lot of attention. The development of sleek electric cars like the Tesla Roadster and the Audi e-Tron have no doubt fueled the fire of the popularity of the trend. But research and development of hydrogen-fueled cars hasn't died out yet. Most of the work is being done and progress being made in California, where an infrastructure of hydrogen fueling stations already exists, making the idea of a hydrogen-fueled car more practical than imaginary. But what if the east coast, with all of it's intellectual strength, joined in on the quest for the hydro-mobile? It couldn't hurt, right?
That's exactly how the Connecticut-based SunHydro feels. Their grand vision is to build a string of hydrogen fueling stations that will start in Portland, Maine, and snake down the length of the East Coast, ending in Miami. The eleven proposed stations would all be driven by solar power, using the harvested energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
The technology that SunHydro hopes to use in its stations comes from Proton Energy, and will cost a pretty penny - each station will cost whatever private funder that's willing to shell out the cash approximately $3 million. So far, SunHydro hopes to have a station in the following cities: Portland, Maine; Braintree, Massachusetts; Wallingford, Connecticut; South Hackensack, New Jersey; Claymont, Delaware; Richmond, Virginia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; and Orlando and Miami, Florida.
As promising as this sounds, does anyone else get a feeling of deja vu? Hasn't hydrogen been used before with some sort of vehicle?
Source: Wired
Audi e-Tron v2.0 Surfaces at Detroit Auto Show
This year's North American International International Auto Show in Detroit features all of the biggest and best automobile companies in the world. But one of the most talked-about presences at the show is that of Bavarian car manufacturer Audi. To be more specific, Audi's e-Tron is the topic of conversation in many circles.
For those of you who haven't heard of it, the e-Tr
on is Audi's entry into the EV (electric vehicle) field. And quite frankly, it's beautiful. Would you expect anything less from Audi?
Although it has been featured at past auto shows, it has been positioned as more of a concept vehicle until now. The e-Tron on display now in Detroit is a scaled-down version of the original concept in terms of specifications. It's got about 100 less horsepower than the concept (down to 204 from 313) and is about a second slower in terms of 0-60 acceleration (5.9 seconds, up from an original 4.8). Since it is an electric car, the range of the e-Tron is another important aspect to consider. After fulling charging the 220 volt battery over 11 hours, Audi claims a range of 155 miles with the e-Tron.
On top of it all, the e-Tron has a new type of regenerative braking system that doesn't lose any energy from the "residual slip" you usually get from such systems. We're not sure what exactly that means, but it sounds awesome.
Source: Wired