Archive for November, 2009
Cars.com To Hit Super Bowl XLIV
Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by admin.
Yes, Cars.com will return as an advertiser for Super Bowl XLIV (aka 44). This will mark the third consecutive appearance by a Cars.com ad during the NFL’s biggest game. Last year the world got to know David Abernathy in a memorable clip to build on the company’s “Confidence” campaign. And it’s unlikely anyone has forgotten Glondor from the previous year’s spot.
What will be on tap this year? Well, we’d like to tell you, but instead enjoy last year's David Abernathy spot below.
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Recall Alert: 12,674 Chrysler, Dodge Cars
Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by admin.
Chrysler has issued a recall for 12,674 vehicles, including the 2009-2010 Chrysler 300, 2009-2010 Dodge Challenger, 2009-2010 Dodge Charger, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These vehicles may have been built without a front-wheel spindle nut.
The spindle nut is a rather large and obviously important part of the wheel assembly that keeps the wheel attached to the axle. Without one, it’s possible that the tire and wheel could separate while driving, endangering the vehicle and others on the road. Chrysler made the determination after a new supplier, SMW Automotive, began supplying the front corner modules for the 2010 model year, according to the automaker. The previous supplier went bankrupt. Less than a hundred 2009 models are included in the recall. Effected models were built between Aug. 4 and Sept. 28, 2009.
Dealers will inspect the tire; if there is no spindle nut, they will make the repair free of charge. Owners may contact Chrysler at 800-853-1403 or NHTSA’s hotline at 888-327-4236.
2010|Chrysler|300
2010|Dodge|Charger
2010|Dodge|Challenger
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Measure Your Driver Distraction
Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by admin.
The New York Times ran an in-depth article on the consequences of distracted driving accompanied by a “game” that gauges how texting impacts your ability to drive. Using a series of virtual tollbooths and a virtual smart phone, users try to answer text messages while navigating the tollbooths. It’s a simple game, but it quickly becomes evident that even a one-word answer increases reaction time.
The average user was registering a reaction time .24 seconds slower than normal when we tested it. While it’s a good tool, something more realistic like noticing brake lights might resonate with more drivers.
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Plug-ins, the Electric Grid and You
Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by admin.
With mass-market plug-in electric cars getting closer to going on sale, automakers and utility companies are studying the demands on the electrical system and car buyers' homes with wide-ranging conclusions. At “The Business of Plugging-In” conference in Detroit, some participants estimated that preparing your home to charge your car was like preparing it to plug in a hair dryer. At least one high-profile speaker said it was like preparing to plug in three additional houses. The truth lies between these theories. It depends on what kind of car you're charging, where you live and how long you're willing to wait for a full charge. Today, we'll look at the electrical infrastructure's ability to handle plug-in cars.
“The impact from plug-in electric vehicles on the grid could be very substantial,” said Peter Darbee, chairman and CEO of Pacific Gas and Electric Corp. Because his utility serves environmentally conscious northern California, Darbee expects a disproportionate adoption of plug-in cars. “There's more likelihood that the actual demand that we see from customers will be substantially higher than estimates,” he said.
Currently, average electrical demand varies from one region to the next — as does the infrastructure currently in place to support that demand. “Adding an electric vehicle at 220 [volts] is like adding another home to the network or system — and that would be a home in the San Ramon area where people use a lot of air conditioning,” Darbee said. In San Francisco where average electric use is lower, “It would be the equivalent of adding three homes.”
The worst-case scenario, Darbee said, is a hot day with high electrical usage where residents would return from work, crank up their home air conditioners and plug in their cars. “You'd create a peak on top of the current peak load, the effect of which could be to bring down the electric system if you had a substantial concentration of electric cars,” he said.
A proponent of so-called smart-grid technology, Darbee supports the proliferation of meters and charging stations that can ensure charging happens only at off-peak hours — between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. — when it’s necessary for the local power grid.
Not all of the conference panelists were as cautionary as Darbee. Mike Ligett, director of emerging technology for Progress Energy Corp., said, “People who want to build out a smart grid on the backs of electric transportation aren't doing us any favors. We do not need a smart grid to make this work.” Ligett said simple timers can be used to delay charging until off-peak hours. “It may be different if you serve San Francisco and your citizens don't have a place to plug in — there's no infrastructure and somebody's got to put it in,” he allowed.
Progress Energy's electric utilities serve Florida and the Carolinas. “We have plenty of capacity; we have lots of off-peak energy,” Ligett said. “Even we expect if three customers in the same cul de sac buy a battery-electric vehicle, we might have to upgrade a transformer, but we're not talking about anything like bringing down the grid. Did we have to replace some transformers when people put in air conditioners 20-30 years ago?” he said. “Yeah, we did.”
“The worst thing we can do is confuse our customers and make it too complicated,” Ligett said. “There's time for evolution. The market will evolve, the technology will evolve.”
In some regards, both electrical utility execs are correct. Power requirements — for both the home and the grid — depend both on location and the type of plug-in car. Tomorrow, in Part II of this report, we'll address the costs and limitations a potential plug-in buyer might encounter.
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Review: Porsche GT3
Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by admin.
Quick: name a major multinational automotive motorsport series where a rear-wheel drive, naturally aspirated vehicle isn’t the dominant player in the field. Sure, there’s a turbo here and Quattro there, but the Porsche GT3’s template is the recipe for success from F1 to the 24 hours of LeMans. This simplistic design demands predictable power [...]
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Ford Asks Students to Bring Social Media to Sync
Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by admin.
When it comes to figuring out what’s next for in-car technology, Ford is turning to an outside group: University of Michigan students.
The project, American Journey 2.0, will give students unlimited access to a developmental operating system where they can test Ford programs. This will allow the automaker to figure out how to add social media experiences to its popular Sync communications and entertainment system.
Does this mean Facebook will pop up on your windshield at the push of a button? Not quite. Ford wants to see how young people will use a car’s technology to communicate and share information with the outside world. What form this will take remains to be seen (OK, Facebook Windshield is still a possibility).
Students will have a six-week beta test of a prototype software platform followed by the development of a new in-vehicle connectivity platform that will experiment with new applications and connection capabilities.
Divided into teams, the students that win will see their ideas implemented in a Ford Fiesta, which will then become a part of a larger marketing strategy.
Ford based this idea off of Microsoft’s “Millennials in Automotive Survey 2009,” which found that 77% used social networking sites with 64% visiting them daily. When millennials make up 28% of the driving population next year, Ford thinks it will be important to start building on their affinity for social media.
The automaker already has used social networking strategies to market the Fiesta and Fusion.
Students Help Ford Bring the Clouds to Cars (Autopia)
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We’re Off To The 2009 SEMA Show
Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by admin.
We're driving to SEMA Monday, for our tenth year of coverage direct from Las Vegas.
Look for updates all week long on our 2009 SEMA Show page, where we already have previews of some of the most exciting custom pickup trucks expected to find their way onto the show floor.
We'll take a short break on Wednesday, November 4, to cover Chrysler's 5-year product plan presentation in Detroit.
This is going to be a big week!
