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Can the NHTSA make cars safer with mandatory backup cameras by 2014?
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Cameras, Editorial, Transportation,
A few nights ago I found myself, along with two of my friends, shooting the breeze at a local watering hole. All of us come from different walks of life and hold different views on politics and social matters; but our love of good food, cars, and company puts all that aside. If you put us together for an extended period of time, one of us is doomed to end up in a hospital because of another, but it’s all fun and games.
Mid-way into the evening, my friend mentioned that he’s in the market for a new pistol. The other guy highly opposes guns. The bartender chimes in with his two cents, stating knifes kill people, cars kill people, and since people die in hospitals, the hospitals must be killing people, too. With these two bickering back and forth, it got me wondering just how many people get injured, or killed, on a yearly basis due to getting his by a car and how that compared to gun fatalities. Recently the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed a bill that would require all automotive manufacturers to include a backup camera in all vehicles by 2014. However, this wouldn’t come out of the manufacturers pocker, as the expense is passed on to the consumer. It would end up raising the cost of a vehicle by about 200 bucks. It's a small price to pay, and would more than likely save a bunch of lives.
Click to continue reading Can the NHTSA make cars safer with mandatory backup cameras by 2014?
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Patents point to four-door SLS AMG from Mercedes-Benz
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Rumors, Transportation,
With many great things in life, doing them just once is never enough. Some things you just wanna experience over and over again. The same can be said about a great automobile. If you’re not familiar with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, it's a beast. In fact, it's the only car that can pull off having gullwing doors while still maintaining a classy look. The AMG SLS coupe was such great hit with buyers that Mercedes-Benz created a drop-top version, which was yet another success.
Recent German patents suggest that Mercedes-Benz is at it again in taking something great and making it even greater. Autoblog has exclusive details of a filed patent that details a four-door Mercedes SLS AMG!
Video: Poop-powered Volkswagen New Beetle roams the streets of Bristol
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Science, Transportation, Videos,
From what we can see, Translogic has gotten its hands on some sick modes of transportation. This, by far, has got to be the most creative and, shall we say, natural way, to get a Volkswagen New Beetle moving. The Beetle, also known as the Geneco Bio Bug, runs on human waste, though that might sound crude, there's more to it than you might think. It runs on something they refer to as biogas, a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide. Check the video above, shot on location at the Wessex Water waste treatment plant in England, to see what the poop-powered Beetle is all about.
Read More | AutoBlog
Ford to produce a 177hp 1-liter EcoBoost motor
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Transportation,
A few weeks back we hit you with the top 10 automotive technologies to look out for in the future. Well, the some of that future tech is hitting us faster than we thought. Ford, along with BMW, has set the ball rolling to move into the future now.
Like many manufacturers, Ford has taken a stand to achieve more miles per gallon. However, as many know, more miles per gallon usually means no power and no fun. Ford doesn’t believe that this needs to be the case. The birth of the 1.0-liter motor will likely come forth sometime in the next few months over in Europe, and soon in the US soon after.
Hearing that a car has a 1.0-liter might sound odd to us in the States, but the tune of 177 horsepower does not. Now, granted, not all 1.0-liters will be the same, but Ford has some plans for the Fiesta ST, which will turn the already peppy car into a cracked-out peppy go-kart driving experience. The standard Fiestas will feature a 3-banger producing a mere 100+ horses or so, but the ST version will have 177 horses. Given the power to weight ratio, that will be one hell of a ride. Here’s to you, Ford, in giving us MPGs and HPs in the same ride. Cheers.
Read More | Autocar
Average fuel economy of new vehicles increases by 14% compared to four years ago
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Science, Transportation,
With the decline of the economy, the automakers took a huge hit in the United States. One could only wonder what outcome of such events would be. Looking past the rollercoaster economy, bailouts, and scandals, consumers have benefited the most as it pertains to the automotive industry by way of increased miles per gallon. As the economy slowly picks itself outta the dump, consumers are slowly returning to the market for new vehicles.
Over the past few years, regulations have passed which mandate more MPGs per vehicle. The old average hovered around 18 miles per gallong. Today, the average hovers around 21 miles per gallon, and is expected to reach 34 miles per gallon by 2016 (this being said among light duty vehicles.) However, regulations suggest that manufactures average 54 miles per gallon by the year 2025. Interestlingly, despite these increases, there has been a small decrease in fuel economy in hybrid vehicles.
Hybrids, naturally known for their great fuel economy, have seen an average of 3 miles per gallong decrease since their introduction into the market. However, we suspect that part of the reason for this is due to the larger hybrids that have been introduced into the market, such as the Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid.
Click through to read the full press release, which includes a bunch of interesting figures.
Read More | The Detroit Bureau
Bleeding Edge TV 434: Cadillac CUE infotainment system tour
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: CES, CES 2012, Features, GPS, Podcasts, Transportation, Videocasts, Videos,
In this episode we give you a look at the Cadillac User Experience, also known as Cadillac CUE. This is the new infotainment system that you can expect to find in the upcoming Cadillac XTS and Cadillac SRX as a standard feature, as well as an optional feature on the upcoming Cadillac ATS as well. Cadillac CUE offers a bunch of cool, new features that make driving more fun:
Connectivity: CUE seamlessly connects you to a world of content. Its available 3D GPS navigation system has map-integrated Doppler weather reports. It accesses every contact and song on your Bluetooth-enabled smartphone. It reads text messages aloud and streams Pandora Radio. With downloadable custom apps, its content possibilities are endless. With CUE, you are always connected.
Convenience: CUE starts with a clean, uncluttered design. From there, intuition takes over. Spread your fingers to zoom in closer on a map. Swipe to breeze through your music. Program the homepage to keep your favorites front and center. With fewer buttons and more intelligent controls, CUE also offers natural voice recognition, allowing you to effortlessly place phone calls and play music.
Control: Proximity-sensing technology detects your hand as it approaches the 8-inch LCD touch screen. When an icon is pressed, the screen pulses to acknowledge the command, keeping your eyes safely on the road. Even the gauge cluster is reconfigurable (select models), offering four display layouts that mix vehicle data, such as a speedometer and fuel gauge, with navigation, entertainment and 3-D vehicle image.
Big thank you to GoToMeeting and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! GoToMeeting provides rich, super-simple collaborative virtual meetings. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.
Dude avoids extortion thanks to having dash cam installed in his car
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Cameras, Transportation, Videos,
For those that drive on a daily basis, we’re sure you all have your horror stories to tell, and we’re sure some are just too good to believe. That said, when the issue is pressed can you prove that what you say is true, or will it be our word against yours? We hate to give you a reality check, but the law may not always be on your side; even if you’re not at fault. Here in Washington, if you hit someone from behind, it’s automatically your fault. How could you prove that you were completely stopped and that the person in front of you rolled backwards into you? If you're like the dude in the video above, the answer is simple. Install a dash cam. Sure, it may seem nerdy, but at least it got him out of paying $500 for something that wasn't his fault. Check out the video above for the full story.
Ford’s creates a fake supermodel in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Mustang ad
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Misc. Tech, Transportation,
We’re always fan of interesting marketing technics, but this one takes that cake. Ford has unleashed a series of marking campaigns in this years Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine that feature the sexy Mustang in different colors alongside one beautiful model in a matching swimsuit. The model, Dalena Henriques, never shows her face, but it credited in each ad.
A quick Google search for Dalena Henriques brings up DalenaHenriques.com, no surprise there. The thing is, when you visit the site, every photo in her portfolio features her with the Mustang, with no face revealed. It then becomes obvious--Ford created a fake supermodel (and yes, they credited her as a "supermodel") of their own as an additional means to generate buzz.
Read More | Adweek
Three-cylinder BMW 3 Series to hit the streets in a couple of years
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Transportation,
A while back we hit you with a list of the top ten technologies to look out for in automobiles, and now we’re here to let you know that one of the items on that list is ready to be brought to market. BMW has long been the reigning champ in luxury compacts and it may soon be adding new bragging rights to its list.
We included the three-cylinder motor on our list due to the economy boost that the motors promise. Aside from luxury, BMW wants to add fuel economy to its 3 Series lineup. At the heart of most three-cylinder cars lies a hybrid motor to aid in power. BMW, however, is taking a different approach. Unlike its i8, which sport a hybrid combo, the company aims to provide relatively the same power and fun that the current 3 Series provides. The three-cylindered motors are expected to hit the streets within the next two to three years.
Read More | Autoblog
Mercedes-Benz improves the seat belt for the second time
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Transportation,
Mercedes-Benz has improved the seat belt again. If you haven’t been up to speed, the first improvement they made was placing motors on the B- and C-pillars of the car so that the seat belt can adjust tension. Now they’ve gone a step further to make buckling up easier. Future models will feature a buckle that lights up and out by about 3-inches extends when a passenger enters the vehicle. Once the belt is inserted, the buckle retracts back into position and the light fades.
Mercedes aims to put this into production as early as 2013.
Read More | Autoblog
