We talked diesel emissions, software, autonomous vehicles and more
Focus on automotive tech law including Volkswagon’s Dieselgate, automotive DMCA exemptions, Tesla’s autopilot, the
+Ford Motor Company is the first to map the facility and run its Fusions autonomously while +Honda and +General Motors are focused on V2V testing at this point.
VideoMcity track in Ann Arbor, Mich. as seen by the sensors on the autonomous Ford Fusion prototype – (photo credit – Ford Motor Company) Even before one of the world’s first test tracks dedicated to autonomous and connected vehicle technology officially opened in July 2015, Ford already had a car cruising […]
I'm not going to link to any of these stories because its so ridiculous but the headlines I'm seeing today about Hillary Clinton's hair epitomize everything that is wrong with today's media and the Republican party. In the absence of any compelling ideas, they talk about stupid meaningless shit and the media are enablers by amplifying everything they say.
While auto industry observers seem to be fixated on the idea that crossover utility vehicles are taking over the entire market, the reality is that in America, the midsize sedan segment is still huge and vitally important to mainstream brands. For Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Kia and Hyundai, midsize sedans are their top sellers and even at Ford and Fiat Chrysler, they trail only full-size pickup trucks. With so many sales on the line, no one can afford to stand still and Nissan is launching a major refresh of the Altima for 2016 that brings new style, technology and efficiency.
So far the EcoBoost strategy has been a huge success for +Ford Motor Company and they are probably benefiting from low fuel prices. However, if EPA cracks down further on real world fuel economy, the strategy could hurt in the long run.
Ford 1.0-liter EcoBoost 3-Cylinder – (photo credit: Ford Motor Company) Way back in 2007, it was becoming clear that corporate average fuel economy standards were going way up in the coming years. As automakers tried figure out how they were going to meet those new mandates without pricing themselves out the […]
Panoz has done a ground up restoration on the only road-legal Esperante GTR-1 and they will build replicas for customers that want one. If you want to play with the 918s, P1s and LaFerraris of the world, they will even look at building you a new hybrid "Sparky"
The restored Panoz Esperante GTR-1 homologation special (photo credit: Panoz) The middle to late 1990s was a fascinating time in big-time sports car racing. Rule changes and the emergence of what have come to be known as hypercars like the McLaren F1 brought a whole new look to the grid at […]
In part 2 of the review of the Pioneer 4100NEX, I focus on using +Android Auto and Apple Carplay
Adding Android Auto and Apple Carplay support with an aftermarket car audio system
Apple Carplay running on the Pioneer AVH-4100NEX
There are more than two billion smartphones in active use globally now with the vast majority of them running either Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS. People have access to all of the world’s information and entertainment almost anywhere they go and they’ve come to expect to be able to use it anytime they want, including in the car. Thus, 2014 brought the announcements of Apple Carplay and Android Auto.
A number of complaints this owner has apply to all EVs and some apply to all cars, regardless of the powertrain.
For example, while Tesla claims the Model S is software-driven, that is only true to the degree that the like all cars, it is hardware-limited. It doesn't matter if you buy a Dodge Dart or Model S, if a hardware feature is not available at the time of purchase, software isn't going to enable the functionality. Products evolve and change over time and you buy the best you can get at the time you need it. The sensors required to enable Auto Pilot were not included in cars built before October 2014 and they will never be there, so you just have to live with it. My 2005 Mustang will never drive autonomously either.
All RWD performance cars struggle in winter weather to some degree and you'll have to adjust your driving style. Don't whine about it, if you can't deal with it, buy a Nissan Leaf instead.
Loss of cold weather performance and mandatory trip planning are a fact of life with an EV whether you buy a Leaf or a Model S.
There is always room for improvement, that's why engineers remain employed.
Actually, I could only get to seven things.
For those of you that want +Android Auto or Apple Carplay but don't want to buy a new car, there are aftermarket solutions. Pioneer makes three head units with smartphone support and I tried one out.
When you stop to consider how complex the task of driving a vehicle actually is, it’s rather surprising that there aren’t a lot more accidents and fatalities than we already have. Despite this, we keep adding more things for the driver to do on the road and designers have struggled to find a way to …