With the acceptance of plans for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) has been widely debated and criticized but with many city’s, manufacturers and other groups accepting and formulating their own support infrastructures for future implementation of such types of vehicles a question surfaces in the sense that would the utility companies have enough will to support such technology by 2010, the period when most car manufacturers have signified that they would begin releasing PHEV vehicles to the general public. The utilities companies are the ones who would be bearing the brunt of the strain with the advent of such technologies and proposals like the ones below can make the difference between having a greener electric car future or not. Utility companies should be able to develop smart meters that would prevent charging of such vehicles during peak times to avoid overloading infrastructure that is already in place. The Utility Company cannot simply replace and upgrade all of the transmission and management systems at so fast a pace due to costs which are also quite high. The current level of off-peak surplus energy (electricity) is so much that even today, it is possible to support a very large fleet of electric vehicles. The adoption and use of PHEV’s would or could lessen CO2 emissions by as much as 50% which is great for the environment. Time is still on the side of utilities but they should act soon if the vision of an almost fully electric vehicle market is to take shape. Even with the minor changes required, billions of dollars of commitment from utility companies is needed. These developments are indeed in debate and are being discussed in the Industrialized world but implementation of such systems in the developing world may take longer than targets set by the various environmental groups and governments for cost is still the main deterrent. Tomorrow might see the rise of the PHEV as the main form of transport, but till these issues are addressed, the fate of the move is still in question and time is running out.
Several reports from consumers have been found to have accidents linked to
old tires being sold at many tire centers across the world. Even newly installed tires that have been manufactured years before they were installed onto vehicles have the potential to fail miserably soon after installation. These tires have long since been in inventories that though they are new have been sitting for as long as 10 years, maybe more in shelves and stocks. Tires like all manufactured goods have a specific timeframe fro them to retain their reliability and for something that is supposed to carry your car as you drive around that becomes a serious matter. Many have died as a result of old tires that have been stripped of treads sending vehicles crashing into everything in its path. Tires that blow out takes away control form the driver for the much needed traction which is the main form of control for all motorized vehicles. Tires that have been sitting on shelves for more than 10 years lose integrity with plies separating and shearing off resulting in accidents.
Tires do have a code to indicate when they were manufactured but they come in
cryptic codes that only the manufacturer knows how to read. Families of people who have died as a result of tire blowouts, wants congress to issue strict laws that would require tire manufacturers to include manufacturing dates on the information stamped on tires and that a ten year limit to be imposed as shelf life for them.
The deaths have to stop and it would only be prudent for these manufacturers who sell millions of these tires worldwide to take measures that allow
consumers to determine the lifespan of their products. Hopefully, these measures would make the Sunday drive safer and people would be assured of safer cars with brand their new tires.
Since the manufacturer still owns the battery maintenance and other costs such as repair and disposal are to be shouldered and handled by the manufacturer, the car owner simply brings it in, gets a fresh set then drive off. Now that’s an idea and even the American firm who would take part in he newly formed company agrees so much they call it a WINNER. The cars would be imported from Norway and then be sold in the United States for under $20,000 US (they set it there so it falls cheaper than the Prius) and they are in talks with US battery makers who would be taking care of the production of the batteries locally which would make the process of maintenance easier and faster.
They are set to begin with 50 demo units aimed at utility companies who need these types of vehicles which are small and best of all GREEN. For safety concerns, well it is considered to be one of a handful of (the Prius, Tesla Roadster being some of them of them, most of the others failed to go beyond prototype stage due to cost issues) of the world’s crash tested and highway certified fully-electric cars in the world. Speed freaks don’t fret; the manufacturer says they can raise the top speed to conform with US speed limits. It charges for three hours on a full day’s use and eight for fully drained batteries. Apparently the idea has been in use for quite sometime in Europe, just wonder why the idea hasn’t caught up in the States sooner?
Nope, were not thinking of a new idea, but the car’s name is Think! The Toyota Prius is credited to be the first commercial fully-electric vehicles among the wide array of other alternative fuelled cars in the United States which has now received more buyers due to ever higher gas prices that have again soared to record highs just a few days ago. The only thing holding back many people from buying fully electric vehicles is the fact that there is still a very big issue with battery reliability as many Prius owners have discovered. The trade off may be enough for some just to become more environmentally friendly yet for most who do want to go green batteries remain the main issue to date. There is a clever idea from a European electric manufacturer who is in process of setting up shop in the US with their fully electric car, the THINK that is ideal for city dwellers due to its two-seater capacity and 110 mile range with a top speed of 65 miles per hour. Now that’s not at all new and many have been able to top that so where’s the innovation? Well they plan to sell the vehicle but lease the batteries. Why the hell would anyone buy a car that you don’t fully own? Well, current battery technology has gone a long way but many reliability issues still remain which is why they have decided to approach the problem with the idea of taking the worrying about the batteries (which is a true headache for the fuel savings can offset the cost of the batteries when they do need replacing)from the hands of the customer whom they charge a monthly fee for using it and maintenance (along with a small electricity insurance to cover electricity prices should they go up).
The Japanese manufacturer Toyota Motors Co. has issued a recall for all Corolla’s and Matrix’s with power windows due to problems with the mounts of their window mechanisms. There have been several reports of injuries and motorists who have had their windshields shatter due to excessive rattling. Indicators of the problem begin with changes to the sound of the windows while they are being operated. The problem if not corrected has been reported to cause shattering of the tempered glass windows which would be a big problem if you were driving fast on the freeway sending the glass into your eyes and body. The motor company will be contacting all those who purchased the said vehicles and would be repaired free of cost at all authorized dealers. Toyota has reiterated that the recall is for all vehicles of the said makes with power windows only.
Honda Motors has also issued a recall for all Honda 2003 Accords which number more than 350,000 due to a problem in the waterproofing of the cars which has water entering the location of the wiper motor. The said water seepage can cause corrosion and subsequent failure of the motor rendering it useless. Vehicles brought into dealers would inspect the problematic area and installation of a shield to protect the motor would be done. Replacement of already failing motors would also be done free of charge. The said problem has been reported to cause a circuit breaker in the vicinity to trip thus preventing it from functioning properly. Driving in foul weather without wipers is dangerous and can cause accidents so do take the warnings and take your cars if you are part of the recall to the nearest dealer for proper inspections.
The UK is issuing new laws regarding the non-immediate issuance of parking tickets that can now be sent in by mail. There is also a new finding that says most drivers simply pay off fines without facing the adjudicator which has the ability to overturn a ticket if it was issued wrongfully. This is another triumph for the drivers of the UK for they have long been taxed heavy for the over congested streets and insufficient parking spaces. The Chief Adjudicator has announced the effectivity of the law last March 31 and has seen a great deal of satisfaction amongst drivers who now have better chances of getting off their unjust tickets that sometimes take days if not weeks to arrive by post which has been argued as too long a period for most drivers have lost the ability to gather relevant evidence to defend themselves in the time it takes for the summon to get to the alleged errant driver. The said ticket and delays in notification causes much dismay that people are left with no option but to pay. On the side of the city councils however, they are now allowed to use technological means such as the use of CCTV cameras and other surveillance systems to detect violators of parking laws which are strictly enforced due to the lack of parking for major cities and towns.
The law does give more chances for people to get off the hook so to speak yet the authorities are reiterating that they will continue in their efforts to apprehend people who have indiscriminate disregard for the law regarding illegal parking.
In Most states in the US, texting is now considered a traffic violation with a hefty $1,800 fine that is causing much of a stir. Drivers argue that there are other more dangerous activities that are just as accident causing as texting such as; turning to get a fallen toy to stop a baby crying, tuning the radio, watching you favorite movie on the LCD screen which is part of today’s multi-function displays and much more. There is actually credence behind the claim for the human eye only has an area of vision which is around a couple of inches square. Everything that falls out of that region you can see but am not too particular about and is considered to be peripheral vision. Many accidents are happening because of the growing entertainment equipment that is now standard on all vehicles. Most cars have a standard audio system by default but add-on’s can have LCD screens for all passengers and sadly even within view of the driver which distracts them from their assigned tasks.
Using the cellphone without a hand’s-free unit has already been approved sometime back and is now a common violation which many still commit and get fined for. Any distraction, however slight can cause a gap in concentration driving being a highly sense dependent activity that relies on fast reflexes that can mean the difference between a crash and a near miss when on the roads. New camera’s are making the apprehension of these violators possible which take pictures of the plate number along with a wider shot of the driver and plate combo to prevent disputes from ever happening. So texters beware, the cops are out to get ya.
Even the lowly automotive crash test dummy had to be adapted to consider the rising number of obese people from all over the world. These human-like substitutes took the place of real people when the tests began to involve lethal forces that would have surely cut short the life of any volunteer (they actually used real people to test the effectivity of seatbelts when they were invented in real crashes). The newest versions of these unsung heroes of the automotive industry have thousands of sensors embedded within them to monitor all aspects of a crash to see whether an impact is survivable or not. Even with current high-power computers, actual crash tests are still conducted for they offer aspects of a crash that cannot all be factored by computers which rely on input. Real crash shows the way an actual human-like body would bounce around giving designers better insight on how to design their cars better.
The results of these crash tests have saved millions of lives with better designs and innovations such as crumple zones that absorb the impact of the crash from reaching the passengers of the vehicles. The reinforcement of the safety cage is also another design result from test crashes wherein a vehicle is constructed in a way to maximize the survival of it’s passengers by maintaining a survivable space in the cab where they are located.
Recent accidents that have involved obese people which are not factored into crash tests due to their falling out of the normal range in terms of body mass and structure resulting in fatal crashes. Auto manufacturers have been forced to reconsider their needs and thus have added a couple of obese dummies in their quest o satisfy all their customers. Obesity is a rising problem in the US and elsewhere with many getting well out of the standard data sets of body size, height and weight proportions crash test dummies were usually designed to, factoring them in allows manufacturers and designers to make their vehicles safe for all people from all walks of life.
Next in line, is technology that is mostly associated with fighter jets rather than cars. Done guessing? Its HUD’s or Head’s Up Display which display’s information onto the windshield eliminating the need, again to turn your head to change the song that is currently being played on the audio system and other car functions such as the current speed. Smarter GPS systems are getting smarter, for as more and more systems go online, so does your car. The LR2 from Land Rover has a GPS navigation system that has the ability to give directions to all the nearest emergency facilities such as hospitals. Along with the many other information such as directions, the nearest restaurant and distance from destination GPS is continuing to become more than a way top track your car and progress but enables the car to become smarter. Some vehicles have rear-view cameras that assists the driver when backing up which is usually the hardest thing to do, especially with large or high vehicles. Voice recognition technology is also finding its way into the auto industry allowing the driver to keep his eyes on the road instead of looking for the volume button or change channel on the audio system. Tied up to all the high tech systems on board, it can be used to control almost anything; the sunroof, cell phone, navigation system and much more. In the US, tire monitoring systems have become mandatory since September 1, 2007 and they have the ability to show the pressure of all four tires. Some models also have smart air pressure systems that automatically add or bleed air to maintain equal pressures as needed.
When we think of the fastest cars on earth, we think big gas guzzling V-8 engines crammed with as much turbos as possible to give the driver that Oomph. Hybrids are those ugly lab experiments that not only fail the “look’s good” category but doesn’t give much power at all. Well, you might have to re-think that notion, for we welcome the entry of the fastest Hybrid Car on earth.
Dodge’s SVS Power Viper, the name is synonymous with power and muscle which was what it was designed to do. The American automobile industry has produced more muscle cars in the automobile’s short history followed by the Europeans with their Porche’s, Buggati’s and McLaren’s and many more.
The ethanol or also called E85 powered Dodge Viper (which by the way uses the same engine as the gas powered version which does get more speed, but hey that’s not the issue here. The Viper can reach a respectable 220 mph. / 352 kmh. which is not all too bad for an alcohol fueled car. This shows how easily existing technology can be adapted to use more cleaner fuels that produce less pollution than their oil-based counterparts. The shift to more environmentally-friendly fuels has become more of a necessity than a fad or technology hype due to ever-increasing environmental problems plaguing us today.
This particular Dodge boasts a twin-turbocharged ethanol powered, 8.3 liter V10 engine that gives it a maximum power output of 1,200 horsepower. Now that’s POWER, for a car that’s categorized as a hybrid that is.
