Entries for October, 2007
I read at Xomba.com that it is mainly because of the breaking news regarding the quality of auto parts that are made from India, Volvo Car Corporation in Sweden taken action and announced that components from India will be outsourced by Volvo. On the average, Volvo will start outsourcing these components this year. The said components are worth $99 million. This move by Volvo has already been done by auto manufacturers such as Damien Chrysler AG and General Motors Corporation.
As part of the Premier Automotive Group, Volvo Car Corporation is one of the top producers of auto parts. It is for this reason that Volvo Car Corporation takes care of its name and sees to it that only top quality auto parts comprise their vehicles. It has been said that the Volvo Cars India is already in the process of taking in components from Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies such as the Visteon, Minda HUF, Arvin Meritor, Rico Auto, and Sundaram Clayton.
India has the capacity to produce quality auto parts and sell it at a cheaper price than other suppliers. It is for this reason that many auto makers are choosing to outsource auto parts from them. With cheaper auto parts that are of high quality, auto makers can eventually sell their vehicles at a cheaper price since they were able to save some in the cost of producing them.
Written by autopartsware at 03:24 AM.
Along with the approaching Christmas rush, snow is just around the corner. The wind is starting to feel colder and the trees have already shed its leaves to make way for winter. It is only natural that one starts to do necessary preparations to welcome what is bound to come. In order to help in one’s road travels, Bridgestone launches its Blizzak WS60. The Blizzak WS60 is a special wheel that enables the vehicle to trudge along snow without sliding too much. It is made of a particular tread compound that adds on its Tube Multicell treat system. On a more technical note, the Blizzak WS60 has in its composition a RC Polymer that is combined in its treat compound so as to further advance its treat flexibility. This RC Polymer gives the Blizzak WS60 its capacity to have a better snow grip.
Having wheels with good grip on the road even if it is covered in snow is important in order to have good control of the vehicle. The Blizzak WS60’s ice traction is further improved by embedding countless microscopic tubes and cells that have the capacity to clear out water and in the process, give the wheel better hold of the snow on the road.
Source: Autoweek.com
Written by autopartsware at 06:12 AM.
I read at Autoweek.com that Ford has recently concocted a paint that is environment-friendly. The said paint is said to have less carbon dioxide output than normal paint does. Paint serves to protect the chassis of the vehicle from forming rust due to constant weather changes. Without the paint, the metal chassis of the vehicle will likely wear away at a shorter period of time. However this is the case, in the paint process, considerable amount of harmful chemicals are released that causes harm to the environment. With every vehicle having or needing a paint job, it is high time someone develops a paint that is environment-friendly.
The Ford’s first environmental paint can considerably reduce the carbon dioxide output by 15% and the volatile organic compounds by 10%. U-Haul is said to be the first to test this new paint technology by Ford. This means that U-Haul will be responsible for testing the durability of this paint. U-Haul will use the paint on their rental vehicles to further test it. The result of this test will be monitored by Ford in the span of a year. Having the label of eco-friendly decals, U-Haul will start renting these vehicles to consumers.
Written by autopartsware at 01:21 AM.
At The Press Association, Mazda proudly spoke of its Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid that is alleged to be a vehicle that is not fuel-dependent. In fact, the Mazda Premacy is the latest hybrid vehicle that makes use of hydrogen instead of fuel. The vehicle will have its debut at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show. Many are awaiting the coming of the Mazda Premacy Hydorgen RE Hybrid in the market. It will be made available in Japan by sometime next year. Not that far off considering it’s already October.
The Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid uses of a rotary engine that has the capacity to run about 200 kilometers with a full tank of hydrogen. Using hydrogen to power the vehicle is truly environment friendly because it does not have any harmful byproducts. The only byproduct of the Mazda Premacy is water. Aside from the Hydrogen feature of the Mazda Premacy, it also features Mazda’s biofabric. The biofabric is used in making the seat covers and is supposed to make the vehicle all the more friendly to the environment.
What is good about the Mazda Premacy is that once the hydrogen in its tank ran out, it can easily shift to gasoline.
Written by autopartsware at 12:49 AM.
Contra Costa, California is known to use alternative fuels such as ethanol, propane, and biodiesel for a number of years now. Primarily for this reason, it is not surprising that Contra Costa decides to take part in the Plug-In Partners National Campaign. The said campaign advocates the use of electric cars in the country. Leaders of the Contra Costa County, California recently joined the national campaign to put a step further to the realization of their firm belief that use of alternative fuel and electric vehicles in government fleets will help a lot to alleviate a number of environmental concerns the world is currently facing.
As of the moment, 27% of the country’s fleet makes use of alternative fuels. The technology is already out there. Supervisor Gayle Uilkema gave this statement to Mercurynews.com, “What we're doing here is indicating to developers of the new technology that if they do a good job and put out a good car, we'll consider it.” This official move of Contra Costa to promote electric-powered vehicles is expected to add on the reasons why auto manufacturers must further develop the technology that makes vehicles independent of gasoline.
Written by autopartsware at 05:21 AM.
According to the Canadian Auto Workers union, Canada is headed for its largest auto trade deficit ever. It has been said the Canadian auto trade balance is about to slither to $8 billion this year. This is because of the dollar rates and stiff offshore competition that is happening. In a statement by Jim Stanford, an economist, he said that this may most probably be the largest automotive trade deficit in the history of Canada. In 1979, Canada had a deficit but it only amounted to $3 billion and primarily caused by a height in oil prices that generated a surge in the import of cars. But its $3 billion deficit in the past is nearly tripled this year.
There has been a good record in Canada’s sales in the past. By the year 1999, Canada was able to have $14.3 billion worth of sales. Unfortunately, the sales continue to deteriorate since then. “What was once a unique success story regarding Canada's high-value participation in world markets has turned remarkably quickly into an industrial nightmare,” said Jim Stanford when asked about his analysis of the auto trade statistics. Even though Canada has been a supplier of auto parts for several years now, it is still subjected to yet another year of an increase on its deficits.
In order to explain the apparent slide in sales, economists speak of the growing preference of Canadians for non-Canadian made vehicles. Aside from this, the high exchange rates made exports more expensive.
Source: thestar.com
Written by autopartsware at 07:15 AM.
Various independent Chinese auto makers held a conference to better understand ways through which they could create authentic local designs. The conference was tagged the 2007 China Automotive Design and Independent Innovation Conference. The said conference is a historical event for it served as the first time independent Chinese auto makers did gather and talk about necessary issues and concerns. At the conference—which happened at the end of August—they discussed the mechanics and aesthetics of automotive styling. Over 140 design professionals from various auto makers such as First Auto Works (FAW), Chery, Dongfeng Motor, Chana, Brilliance, Nanjung Automotive Corp., Guangzhou Auto, and recent auto makers like Lifeng from Chongqing and Neoplan from Zhejiang also made an appearance in the said conference.
The conference was helt at the Jinling Hotel in Nanjing. One of the topics they focused on was “independent innovation.” It is not surprising that this is one of the major issues they tackled on for the Chinese government itself pushes this forth on its five year plan. In lieu of this, there was a four-day intensive automotive design workshop that was instructed by the Art Center College of Design for professional designers. This only goes to show that the convention did not comprise of pure talk. Actual work is also done. The auto makers were not only speaking of these things theoretically. They sought to come up with something concrete, something they could develop.
With a presentation from the Chief Designer of FAW Chang Bing, the conference held its central theme of finding a means to appropriate automobile designs to suit the image of the Chinese people. They seek to find the appropriate shape and design that will cater to the needs of the fast-paced, always in a hurry modern man. Most of those who participated are aware that the country’s rich cultural heritage must be used to unleash the creativity that is uniquely Chinese. With the technology China now has, it is not surprising that many already await the further developments the conference will be able to bring about.
Source: Businessweek
Written by autopartsware at 04:52 AM.
As the price of fuel continues to be erratic, auto makers are seeking out ways to improve their vehicles’ gas mileage. It is primarily for this reason that vehicles with good fuel economy are the ones that car enthusiasts go for. Who could blame them? Fuel is a very important commodity and the supply is just getting smaller and smaller as the years go by. Hybrid vehicles are the next bling. These vehicles have the capacity to run not only on fuel but also on electricity as well. There are also vehicles that run on hydrogen and it will not be surprising if there would be auto manufacturers find other means to fuel their vehicles.
I read at usatoday.com that auto makers are putting their vehicles “on a diet in a bid for better gas mileage.” We know that people who have a regular diet (with all the necessary nutrients intact) and stick to it can run faster than those who do not have any. Apparently, the same could also be true for cars. Auto makers, recently, are seeking out ways to “shave pounds” from their vehicles’ chassis. They do this out of the belief that getting off some weight (and in so doing, reducing mass as well) can do a lot to achieve better gas mileage. It is for this reason that from the hood to the back bumper, auto makers are “shaving pounds” by often substituting plastic or aluminum for components that can function well even if they are not made of steel.
Apart from this, if ever there is really a need to use steel, auto makers see to it that the steel used is of high-quality and is more durable though weighs less than standard steel. According to their studies, every 120-pound reduction on the car’s weight can yield a 1 percent gain in gas mileage. This data is given by Bill Grabowski, who is the director of body core engineering in Chrysler. Their studies show that if engineers will be able to successfully make the vehicle’s chassis lighter, components such as the brakes, suspension, and the engine could eventually be made lighter as well to enable a considerable reduction with the amount of fuel the vehicle needs to be able to have the horsepower to make it run.
Bill Grabowski said that “we will focus on almost nothing but ways to improve our fuel economy for the next five years.” This statement of his only goes to show how important making the most out of the available fuel is. It can also be read as a mark of the perseverance they have in this matter. Also, it is an assurance that we can expect further developments as they continue to seek ways to better the fuel economy of vehicles.
Written by autopartsware at 02:42 AM.
As General Motors has already given its word to hand out $51 billion over time to the United Auto Workers, one can expect certain changes when it comes to health care benefits and the work force. Last week, General Motors already agreed to hand to the United Auto Workers the money that will be used to fund a trust that is run by the union to help out in paying for health-care costs. This money is said to benefit some 423,000 retirees of General Motors as well as their dependents. This also includes the company’s retirees in Indiana that amounts to about 91,000 in number.
Many corporations nowadays seek out ways to help their retirees. They find that taking matters in their own hands is sometimes the most effective way to have something done. Rather than waiting on the government, auto companies like the General Motors have already take action and sought a way to better take care of their retirees. Since retirees have worked for the company for many years, General Motors as well as other auto corporations deem it wise to return them the favor by escalating their health-care benefits. The move that is done by General Motors is said to improve matters especially when it comes to employee-operated health insurance plans. According to Mark Olean, an industrial analyst at Fitch & Co., which is a credit rating agency in Chicago, “it’s something we’re going to be seeing across the board from distressed industries to Triple-A rated companies.”
As of this year, statistics say that about 60 percent of workers in the United States have employer health plans. Although this is the case, higher rates in medical costs led to employers imposing larger bills on their workers. On a survey done last year, the National Association of Manufacturers found out that 87 percent of small manufacturers as well as medium-sized ones ranked health-care benefits as their most pressing problem.
Written by autopartsware at 02:19 AM.
Think Nordic, the one who came up with concepts (on an electric town car) and is working on these concepts to develop electric cars, has anointed EnerDel as its supplier of choice. EnerDel manufactures lithium-ion battery that is used by electric cars as well as hybrids. And the good news is that the battery which EnerDel is coming up with has the capacity to sustain the vehicle for over a hundred miles. Now this is really something especially since energy is something that needs to be conserved. Apart from conservation, this only goes to show that energy, when utilized properly can really go a long way.
Come March next year, EnerDel will start to deliver prototypes of the said battery to Think. As for the pre-production parts, it will come by July 2008. The agreement between the two companies is said to be worth $70 million, which is why it is not surprising that many consider this to be the biggest contract involving an electric battery for vehicles so far. As for the vehicles that will feature this kind of battery, they will come sometime next year. At the i.i.com, it was said that “Think's existing factories are presently being upgraded by Porsche Consulting to make it one of Europe's most cost-efficient assembly plants ready to mass produce the Think model in 2008.” By next year, Think has plans on producing at least 250 cars a month.
Written by autopartsware at 08:19 AM.
Mercedes Benz recently presented the F700, which is basically a research car that combines exceptional ride quality with decent performance. What they mean by decent is that the good performance of the said vehicle does not harm the environment. It can run fast and efficiently without being harmful to nature. Apart from this, it has good fuel economy that can be translated to having the capacity to maximize the use of fuel. The F700 is considered to be the world’s first car that can recognize and anticipate the condition of the road. With this capacity at hand, the F700 is able to level out uneven spots on the road with its active Pre-Scan suspension. This actually makes perfect sense for with having a sense of what will come, the car is able to do the necessary preparations to be able to handle the unevenness of the road better.
The Pre-Scan suspension of the F700 features two laser sensors located at the front headlamp. These laser sensors act like “eyes” that deliver an accurate image of the condition of the road. The sensors then supplies the vehicle with the image and the vehicle, in turn, acts on the image it was supplied with. Its control unit then checks on the possible strategy to work out with. Most often than not, its high-pressure hydraulics is translated to fluid flows and pressure for the wheels. Apart from the Pre-Scan suspension, the F700 also features DiesOtto drive system. It has the form of a four-cylinder engine that has a capacity to hold 1.8 liters of diesel. On the average, its exhaust emissions measure 127g/km of carbon dioxide and fuel consumption of 5L per 100 km.
The DiesOtto technology is a considerable improvement of the internal- combustion engine. It is equipped with a direct fuel injection, turbo charging as well as controlled auto ignition (CAI). These three combined makes it possible to have high power when it comes to the ignition engine, fuel economy as well as good supply of torque.
The DiesOtto technology is the reason behind the F700’s low emissions. It makes the F700 have a homogeneous combustion at a significantly reduced reaction temperature, which enables for low emissions of nitrogen oxides as well as other harmful gasses. These gases, in turn, are taken care of the F700’s standard three-way catalytic converter. With these features, it is not surprising that the F700 is a car that can perform well without being harmful to the environment.
Written by autopartsware at 05:14 AM.
There was a competition held at the Seoul Olympic Parktel last Sept 21st. The said competition was tagged as the Racing Model Queen Competition. There were over 20 competitors who participated the event. All wore bikinis and they were considered to be the “flowers” of the motoring world. Although the name implies a good deal of respect, some of the models testify that it is not always the case. Some of them had to endure harsh comments on their looks basing from their pictures on the web. Apart from this, there is also the misconception of racing models as sex objects—these as well as other prejudices are just some of the things that racing models live up with.
According to one of the models interviewed by chosun.com, “Sometimes races are held even in December. Though it’s extremely cold, we have to cheer people at racing tracks wearing zest tops, hot pants or miniskirts. It feels like being frozen alive. It’s really hard to work in very hot or cold weather, but we have to smile at all times, no matter how cold or hot it is.” Physical discomfort combined with the emotional baggage makes some of these models think about quitting their jobs. Most of them have a 10 minute break per hour. As models, they walk the racing tracks and cheer the racers most of the time, pose for photographs and had to stand for a long period of time. They get paid well but like most celebrities, it is not all glamour.
Written by autopartsware at 12:18 AM.
Automakers from Europe namely Daimler and Fiat have filed legal proceedings against the Chinese manufacturers. Apparently, this has something to do with copyright concerns. There are already attempts and legal steps being done in order to block the entry of Noble—a car produced by Shuanghuan—that is remarkably similar to the Smart Fortwo that Daimler is producing. Mostly because of the copyright issues of the Noble, Shuanghuan thought it wise not to exhibit the Noble at the recently concluded Frankfurt International Motor Show. I guess Shuanghuan will only start displaying their Noble once the legal proceedings have ended and it was proven that they did not violate any copyright.
On a sadder note, apart from the legal proceedings done by Daimler, Fiat also has its own grievances to yet another Chinese automaker. Fiat recently launched legal proceedings against the Great Wall Motor Co. This has something to do with the Great Wall Motor’s Peri model. According to Fiat, the Peri model noticeably resembles the Fiat Panda. According to Monica Norgi, the legal adviser of Fiat, “[w]e are expecting the first court hearings in China in December and in Turin for the European case towards the end of January.” Apart from Fiat and Daimler, another automaker—Toyota—also has grievances against Shuanghuan. This has something to do with Shuanghuan’s UFO that is strikingly similar to Toyota’s RAv4. Although this is the case, Toyota is not able to prevent Shuanghuan from selling the UFO because “its models are not protected by any patents in Europe.”
As for BMW, they also launched legal proceedings against Shuanghuan. They filed last month in Munich. It is against Shuanghuan’s China Automobile Deutschland, which is the European importer of Shuanghuan. This has something to do with Shuanghuan’s CEO, a similar car to the BMW’s X5. BMW stopped manufacturing the X5 last year but it still has its copyright over the said car.
Written by autopartsware at 12:20 AM.
In our world today, security is one of the things that we are particular of. It is primarily for this reason that we put lock on doors, cabinets, as well as other tangible things that can be locked. Apart from this, we also serve to secure non-tangible things such as information, which is why we put passwords in our computers, cellular phones, and the same goes for all our other gadgets. For all the things we held secure, we need keys to be able to gain access to them. Keys serve an important function. However this is the case, keys are often misplaced and when it comes to cars, it can be such a hassle to fumble over the keys especially when in a hurry. It is for this reason that keyless entry keychain was introduced.
Nowadays, keyless entry keychain is a feature almost every car has and as things are leaning towards going mobile, it is not surprising if in the future, one will have a more convenient key than a keychain. According to zdnet.co.uk, in the future, vehicle owners might have their cellular phones as their car key as well. This makes sense, actually, for apart from that it is more handy, the cellular phone is a certified multi-tasker (it can be used to make a call, to send an SMS, to play music, listen to the radio, and even log in the internet) as is the norm in our modern world.
On second thought, having the cellular phone as the car key can lead to more cases of car theft. This is because of the many spyware programs that are around that can be used to monitor one’s mobile phone. The spyware programs make cellular phone users’ security vulnerable, which makes one seem to want to ask if it is safe for the cellular phone to serve as the car key. Insurance companies may have something to say about this and it is important to weigh first the pros and cons before really pushing to turn this idea to reality.
Written by autopartsware at 07:01 AM.
For the past ten years or so, automakers in the United States have turned over to Japan for its small car market. But as consumers are now going for vehicles with better fuel economy, we can expect changes in the soon enough. In fact, certain changes and developments are already taking place. As of the moment, the Ford Focus already has its place in showrooms. By the first quarter of next year, General Motors Corporation will make the world have a look into the future of GM small cars. Many are already anxious to see how GM’s small cars will look like especially with the rumors about the automaker’s Saturn Astra as well as other compacts that are to be released really soon.
The new small vehicles are believed to be a lot better than those of that came before it. According to industry analysts, Detroit has a long way to go if it wants to unseat the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic for these two vehicles have 30 percent of the small car market. The 70 percent goes to foreign nameplates. In the years that passed, Ford and GM have a vision for small cars as they witness the market for it grows. With this vision, Ford and GM has already plans for their small cars as well as small crossover vehicles, which is not far off from those that is offered by Toyota. Aside from this, GM plans on coming up with a rear-wheel-drive small Cadillac. This would be the one they would have against the BMW 3 series.
Both Ford and GM see the small car market growing so much that they plan to have a wide array of cars and small crossover vehicles similar to what Toyota now offers. GM even has plans for a rear-wheel-drive small Cadillac to compete with BMW's 3-series. According to the Chief Executive of Ford Motor Co. Alan Mulally, it seems that Ford will take on the same strategy as Toyota. He added that, “[w]e have been really focusing on dynamite, stylish, neat, comfortable, well-crafted smaller cars with the fuel prices staying up in the United States and the changing tastes with global warming and energy security, then all of a sudden, I think we're going to start to come together. You're going to see all of the neatness of those smaller cars that are very fuel efficient. We're going to see that in the United States, and I want to be on the leading edge of that."
Source: ap.google.com
Written by autopartsware at 12:17 AM.
According to a study that was released last October 18th, EU must increase its greenhouse-gas reducing targets if it is to comply with the international standards when it comes to harmful emissions. The study that was conducted takes into account the limits set to various greenhouse gas-emitting agents. It was found out that the limit set is not quite enough. In order to meet the EU’s goal to limit 45 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year by 2015, they have to set up stricter limits on greenhouse gas-emitting agents. Given the limits already set in EU, only 23 million tonnes will be saved annually come 2015. This is a long way behind the actual goal set by EU.
According to Claude Turmes, the green MEP, “This study shows that only with strict and binding CO2 emissions limit values for carmakers, starting with a 120 g/km limit for 2012, will the EU achieve the necessary reduction in emissions from cars to ensure it can meet its climate targets.” Furthermore, he adds that “[t]here has been political agreement on this limit value for more than ten years; if we let carmakers off the hook again, the whole EU climate strategy will be jeopardized.”
Source: Euobserver.com
Written by autopartsware at 08:13 AM.
A total of 15 students came together to build the “Red Rover.” It is a vehicle that is part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Urban Challenge in California. The Red Rover will compete with those made by the top schools across the nation. All entrants have the chance to bag $2 million.
All this, is part of the contest that Department of Defense agency, also known as DARPA, sponsors. The contest seeks to find ways on which to develop a vehicle that can run on its own. This is to prevent having the need to send soldiers out to drive the vehicle especially when charting dangerous grounds. In order to protect the lives of soldiers, DARPA sought to come up with this contest in order to help them out think of possibilities on how to effectively deliver their plan.
The Red Rover is one of the vehicles that made it to the contest’s semi-finals. It was tested last October 5 with Gov. Jon Huntsman sitting at the backseat as the car is running by itself at the parking lot of the Merrill Engineering Building. It was pre-programmed as to what course to take. Andy Hetrick, a student of Mechanical Engineering took the driver’s seat but he did not give any command to the vehicle. According to him, sitting at the driver’s seat as the computer takes full-control of the vehicle feels something akin to “voodoo magic.”
Source: Daily Utah Chronicle
Written by autopartsware at 12:13 AM.
According to a news article I read, car service costs the most in London. It must be really hard to maintain a car, if you happen to live there. Or maybe, when you own a car and live or reside in London, the best option you got is to learn how to be a DOY or a do it yourself person when it comes to your auto concerns. A survey was conducted and according to it, the area within M25 in London has the highest rates when it comes to vehicle labor service. It costs £84.34 per hour. And how many hours does it take to look on the vehicle, to find out what’s wrong with it? Add to that the amount of the part that needs to be replaced, if there is any. It sure costs a lot. The survey states that the London area is also the one where auto mechanics have the highest salary. It is said that car showroom chiefs can earn an amount of £62,110 a year. That includes bonuses. On the other hand, dealership sales managers can earn an amount of £44,719 a year. As for the service technicians, they can hit on about £26,000 in a year.
Source: The Press Association
Written by autopartsware at 08:31 AM.
In the recently concluded World Star Challenge, the Australian solar car was able to make it to third place. It is quite remarkable for this is the first solar car the Australian built. Apart from this, they built the said vehicle on a limited budget. According to David Fewchuck, the team manager of the Aurora Challenge team (the team Australia), “The top two teams ahead of us spent over $700,000 for the solar cells alone, the type of cells they use in space. We'll never have that sort of money, but we decided we'd go with silicone production cells that give us about 1150 wats. The top big-budget teams get 1700-1800 watts, so finishing third in that context is unbelievable. The other teams are scratching their heads asking how we did it.” And indeed many are wondering how they were able to make it third place in the said competition.
This just goes to show that money is not all one needs to be able to come up with a good concept. And with a good car that will give life to this concept. The Aurora Challenge team is an expert when it comes to fuel economy. They have the best records. In fact, in 1987, the first car they entered for competition was able to make it to second place. That was two decades ago. For this year, they came up with a smaller car. When weighed, it tipped the scales at 163 kg. Contrary to the other cars that took part in the World Solar Challenge, the car is not only light but also comes at a relatively cheap cost. The total cost that took them to produce the car is $200,000. With the other cars amounting to $700,000 production cost, the Aurora Challenge team was able to prove that they came make most out of what little they had.
David Fewchuck adds that “[w]e build a smaller car in line with the new rules, we’re the lightest car and we had the best aerodynamic package—we’re in the production car section of the Challenge section and we’ve easily won our class.” Others speculate that the vehicle’s lightness may have contributed a lot to its exceptional speed. Since the vehicle is light, it is able to maximize the energy that was generated. Subsequently, even though there are not so much gadgets to provide the vehicle with so much power, its lightness compensated for it. Since it is light, the energy that was generated became sufficient.
Source: News.com.au
Written by autopartsware at 05:15 AM.
Nissan has recently introduced its new Pivo2. It is a concept car that is battery-powered that has the ability to transform the driver's cabin in a circle. This makes it possible for one to park in reverse without having the need to look backwards. What happens is that the spherical cabin turns around as the wheels, which are geared with the Metamo system, also turns. Hence, one can freely move sideways or backwards, whichever one needs to carry out the maneuver, without having the need to reverse the gear. This feature of the Pivo2 is one of the reasons why many are looking forward to owning one.
Apart from the Metamo system, the Pivo2 also has a set of sensors. The task of these sensors is to read the driver's facial expressions and in so doing, able to have a picture of the driver's state of mind. This information is then given to a doll-like robotic agent that will communicate to the driver to lighten up his mood, if he is in a bad one. This feature makes the Pivo2 something like a car of the future. It has a robotic agent that can serve as the needed companion and driving aid as well. Nissan was able to come up with the concept for a robotic agent out of the belief that "a happy driver is a safe driver." By having the robotic agent help one deal with the negative emotions one may feel when driving along with cars driven by ruthless drivers, the driver is better able to stay level-headed in his driving.
With the introduction of Pivo2, enthusiasts are speculating on the possibility that we are now entering a new phase when it comes to technology. Having a robotic agent such as the one featured in Pivo2 goes to show that the technology is already around to create a virtual companion while one drives. This robotic agent actually goes through one in his or her driving experience and even calms down the driver when he gets hot-headed.
The Pivo2 was showcased at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show. It is for the said show is supportive of automakers that are coming up with the latest in auto technology. The cars that are showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show will be available for viewing until the 11th of November. For those who want to see the Pivo2 as well as the other cars that the Tokyo Motor Show features, one can drop by the Makuhari Messe convention hall in Chiba, Japan.
Source: Economictimes.Indiatimes.com
Written by autopartsware at 02:19 AM.
Word has been going around about the Audi’s possible moves of equipping their vehicles with car phones. Almost three decades ago, the car phones that are available on vehicles are brick-like. Yes, they are a block big and squarish. This design of car phones is a thing of the past. What people can expect now of would-come-out car phones is that these can be trendy enough to boost the interior look of one’s vehicle. As for the advantages of having a car phone, apart from that one will be able to make phone calls, it can also be used to help catch car thieves.
Apparently, Audi has already revealed its iPhone-like mobile phone. It can also be used as a music player and also allows for easy access to the vehicle by serving as a key. It can be used to turn on the heating system of the vehicle as well as its sound system. This mobile phone of Audi can access the vehicle even if the vehicle is in the garage and the owner is inside his house. Apart from this feature, the mobile phone also has the capacity to inform the owner in case the car got stolen. The main feature is that the car can even transmit a picture of the thief to the mobile phone. Hence, it is not surprising that Audi has created a good reception when it comes to their mobile phone.
Written by autopartsware at 12:26 AM.