Yearly Archives: 2015


Technically, +Hyundai Worldwide will probably be first to offer battery electric, plug-in hybrid and non-plug hybrids in the same body

Hyundai Ioniq Could Be First Real Challenger To Toyota Prius On Efficiency
WIth the Ioniq, Hyundai is laying claim to being the first automaker to offer buyers the choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery electric powertrains in the same model. Teaser images suggest smart styling — if the car has the engine efficiency and handling the company is claiming, the Prius may have a real challenger to deal with.


Whether you live in Detroit already, are thinking about moving to Detroit, live in Southeast Michigan or you're just curious to learn more about the Motor City, you should read Aaron Foley's first book. "How to Live in Detroit Without Being a Jackass" is much more than just a guidebook to the largest city in Michigan. It's also a deeply personal memoir from an articulate young man that was born and raised in the city and continues to live there now. Aaron provides historical context for Detroit's decade's long decline toward its eventual bankruptcy and recent resurgence

This book is about so much more than just where to live, eat and work. The heart of every community is the people that live there – in the good times and the bad. Detroit is a 300 year old city. From the peak to the trough and back up again, there have been people living in Detroit. The newcomers to the city aren't saviors or colonists. They need to coexist with the people that never left to help make Detroit a better place.

This book is a great starting point for everyone that wants to be a part of the process.

How To Live In Detroit Without Being A Jackass: Aaron Foley: 9780996836708: Amazon.com: Books
How To Live In Detroit Without Being A Jackass [Aaron Foley] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Are you moving to Detroit because your rent is too high? Did you read somewhere that the only thing you needed to buy a house was the change in your couch cushions? Are you totally terrified about living in one of the most crime-plagued cities in the United States? Welcome to Detroit


Fuel cell vehicles face similar infrastructure issues to natural gas vehicles bu…

Fuel cell vehicles face similar infrastructure issues to natural gas vehicles but even moreso

The Fuel Cell Vehicle Rollout Has Begun But Infrastructure Remains A Problem
2016 Toyota Mirai FCV (photo credit: Toyota) In late October of this year, Toyota finally began U.S. customer deliveries of its long-awaited Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle and by the end of 2015 it should be highest volume FCV yet. That’s not saying a lot given that neither of the previously […]


All-new +

All-new +Volvo Cars S90 coming in 2016 with moose detection

Volvo’s Re-Birth Continues with All-New S90 Sedan – Sam’s Thoughts
The new era of Volvo picked up some steam today with the reveal of the all-new S90 sedan which finally replaces the long-in-the-tooth S80. Based on the same scalable platform architecture as the big XC90 crossover that debuted earlier this year, the S90 adopts a similar design language with a broad-shouldered look and the “Thor’s …


Volvo’s Re-Birth Continues with All-New S90 Sedan

Half profile Volvo S90 Mussel Blue

Half profile Volvo S90 Mussel Blue

The new era of Volvo picked up some steam today with the reveal of the all-new S90 sedan which finally replaces the long-in-the-tooth S80. Based on the same scalable platform architecture as the big XC90 crossover that debuted earlier this year, the S90 adopts a similar design language with a broad-shouldered look and the “Thor’s Hammer” signature lighting in the headlamp clusters.

Of course the S90 wouldn’t be a real Volvo without lots of safety technology and the sedan builds on what already debuted in the XC90 including Pilot Assist. The first version of the semi-autonomous Pilot Assist combined lane centering functionality with automatic speed control for driving in stop and go traffic at speeds up to 30 mph.  The XC90 would automatically track the vehicle ahead using the same radar sensor used for adaptive cruise control while a camera monitored the lane markings.

Pilot Assist

Pilot Assist

For the second-generation Pilot Assist, the maximum speed has been increased to about 80 mph and there no longer needs to be another vehicle to follow. That means the S90 can more or less drive itself on the highway although the driver must keep a hand on the wheel or the system will disengage. Hopefully, the camera system for detecting lane markings is more robust now, because it definitely had a hard time with detection on the XC90.

Another new feature to the S90 is large animal detection which uses the combination of radar and camera to detect creatures like moose and deer crossing in front of the car. If an animal is detected, the driver is alerted and brake pressure is boosted when the driver applies the pedal.

Interior Large Animal Detection 2

Interior Large Animal Detection 2

Under the hood, the S90 will offer three powertrain options all based around the company’s new 2.0-liter four cylinder engine that debuted in the XC90. The base T5 engine gets a turbocharger while the T6 uses an exhaust-driven turbo plus a mechanically driven supercharger to generate 316-horsepower. The top-end T8 Twin Engine adds electric drive and a lithium ion battery for a plug-in hybrid powertrain with more than 400 hp.

The new Volvo S90 will get its first public showing next month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

 


Nickel and diming your absurdly loyal fans is a great way to bank more than $200…

Nickel and diming your absurdly loyal fans is a great way to bank more than $200 billion

4 times Apple has shamelessly ripped off its fans
My major criticism of Apple isn’t that it charges a lot for its products — rather, it’s that in addition to charging a lot for its products, it also finds ways to shamelessly nickel-and-dime custo…


At Navigant Research we recently ranked Daimler at the top of our Leaderboard for autonomous vehicle OEMS,

Originally shared by +Louay Eldada

Mercedes-Benz's enterprising culture made it the first car maker to set up a research headquarters in Silicon Valley in 1995. 20 years ago, Google did not exist.

Mercedes-Benz Wants to Beat Google, Uber to Our Driverless Future
The future of transit may be services over product; Mercedes is betting on both.


As autonomous cars take over, you won't be able to move about anonymously an…

As autonomous cars take over, you won't be able to move about anonymously anymore

We May Be Sacrificing Our Remaining Privacy For Self-Driving Cars
Google self-driving vehicle prototype (photo credit:Google) The rise of affordable automobiles in the early 20th century led to an increase in personal mobility that was unprecedented in human history. Most of us suddenly had the ability to travel vastly longer distances anytime we wanted to, no longer encumbered by the limits […]


On the office chance that you might still think "reality" TV was in any way real

The producers may not have a full-blown script for the participants to read lines from, but that doesn't mean they go in without a well thought-out narrative that they want to get across.

The Arena bar owner on ‘Bar Rescue’: ‘I can’t really call this reality TV’
Mike Flore, owner of Ann Arbor sports bar The Arena, was having the time of his life Sunday night. As the episode of “Bar Rescue” that was filmed in his bar aired on televisions overhead, Flore worked the room, laughing…