Future Cars

Clemson University Develops Interactive Display

2011-11-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

At the 2011 SEMA Show's Vehicle Technology Center, Joshua Ekandem, a student at Clemson University, demonstrates an interactive display for the CU-ICAR, a research and development project at Clemson. Studies by students and a psychologist have discovered that different ages have preferences for display & interaction.

Joshua is developing designs for the interface that will be intuitive & customizable by the driver, yet not contribute to driver distraction. Programming is being developed that will give presets on display preferences for various drivers.

Mercedes Unveils iPhone Integration Plans

2011-10-31T11:38:00.001-07:00

With today's consumers expecting to be able to access info & entertainment easily, Mercedes-Benz has implemented their @yourCOMAND in its F 125! research vehicle to provide an "always on" environment available to the drivbeer & passengers.

Primarily @your COMMAND will be largely voice activated to minimize driver distraction, will integrate with the iPhone, and will be able to recognize some gestures. The driver will be able to remotely check status of the vehicle from their computer or smart phone for service needs, & even fuel level.

Future Parking: San Francisco's Smart Parking Spots

2011-01-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

San Francisco is replacing 5,000 of it's parking meters with new Smart Parking Meters. Not only will the meters take credit cards, they also have sensors in the pavement that can locate clear spots, and (in the near future) tell your smartphone where the nearest parking space can be found (yes, soon there will be an Ap for that). Another smartphone feature is a phone alert when your parking time gets low, and the possibility of paying for the first and a subsequent time block by phone.

Watch the Video from the Wall Street Journal.

Electric Vehicle Pioneers Celebrate

2011-01-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

Dr. Andy Frank, Ron Gremban and Felix Kramer- calcars.org photo

Dr. Andy Frank, "father of the plug-in hybrid," now drives a Chevy Volt from a Davis , California Chevy dealership, in a milestone after years of engineering, experimentation and advocacy.

Dr. Frank has been experimenting with various advanced vehicle technologies for the last 25 years with teams of students at UC Davis, where he is a Professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering.

The next day Ron Gremban and Felix Kramer picked up their Volts at Novato Chevrolet.
Ron is the CalCars Technology Lead, who first drove an electric car in the 1968 Caltech-MIT cross-country race and led the 2004 open-source PRIUS+ Project, converting hybrids so they could plug in. Felix is the founder of CalCars, and the three men have been important influences on bringing Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles to the mainstream.

The Novato event was covered by the Marin Independent Journal.

Felix spoke at Plug-In 2010. A transcript of his perspectives on the development of PHEV can be read here.

See the Professor Plug-in music video a fun way to see some PHEV modern history.

As published by Larry Holser at Examiner.com

Electric Cars Going Mainstream This Year

2011-01-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

Nissan & Chevy are just now beginning delivery of their electric cars.

An electric car had actually been introduced at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair by Ferdinand Porsche. The car broke speed records and had a range of about 30 miles. Later he combined the electric drive with an internal combustion engine, creating the "System Mixt." a gasoline-electric hybrid that broke more records. A century later the first electric-gas hybrid vehicle was introduced to the US in 1999 by Honda with it’s Insight, followed the very next year by Toyota’s Prius.

Some consumers had expressed “range anxiety” about electric cars. “Range Anxiety” is the concern that an electric vehicle will run out of power with no recharger nearby, or that the driver may need to wait hours to recharge away from home.

How is Range Anxiety being addressed?

1. More EV charging stations.

There are three levels of EV chargers. Level 1 and 2 power the internal charger.

Level 1: 120 volts & charges in 11 hours.
Level 2: 240 volts & charges in 6 hours.
Level 3: 480 volts in under 30 min.

The Nissan Leaf can take all three levels. The GM-Volt can take level 1 and 2.

How do you find a EV charging station?

EV Charger Maps On-line
EV Charger Finder – Yes, there’s an app for that, and as of December 2010, it’s free!

2. The EV batteries have increased capacity.

The Nissan Leaf website says that “depending on the conditions, when your battery is new your range may vary anywhere from 138 - 62 miles.” For the majority of drivers, that battery capacity will handle the commute to and from work with stops for shopping, even without charging.

3. EV with gasoline engine - a safety-net

The GM Volt’s approach is all-electric power to wheels with a small internal combustion engine that GM calls an “emergency generator” to the batteries. Since the battery-only range is about 25-50 miles (depending on conditions) , the gasoline engine can increase the range to about 400 miles.

4. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV)

PHEVs have the ability to drive on batteries only, after charging, with a full-size engine that can be used after the batteries are depleted. They will be coming to Ford, Toyota, Volvo and Peugeot showrooms in 2012, with BMW, Mitsubishi, and Volkswagen in 2013.

Google has tracked a fleet of Hybrid and PHEV vehciles for two years, getting over 100 mpg in the city. See the details.

5. Swappable batteries

Drivers go to a “switch station” which swaps their low batteries for a fully charged ones. The swap is faster than refuelling at a gas station. Will auto manufacturers standardize their batteries and access?

Much of the innovation is coming from Silicon Valley, and we look forward to reporting it. Please send insights and news items to holser@futurecars.us.

As published by Larry Holser on Examiner.com

EV Charge With Your Meal?

2010-12-24T13:08:00.000-08:00

A recently opened McDonalds restaurant in West Virginia is the first McDonalds in the nation to have an EV charging station.

Cracker Barrel Restaurant & Country Store plans to offer EV charging stations in twenty-four of it's Tennessee stores.

Walgreen's Pharmacy Offering EV Charging Stations

2010-12-24T12:57:00.000-08:00

The Walgreens pharmacy chain will offer rapid-charging EV stations at 18 Houston-area stores next year, through a partnership with power utility NRG Energy.

NRG's eVgo Network will initially include over 100 charging stations and cost NRG about $10 million. The eVgo Network will be rolled out in early 2011 throughout Houston and Harris County,Texas.

The eVgo network will include both Level 2 chargers, which generally take four hours to recharge EV batteries to full charge, and DC rapid chargers, which can charge an EV in about 30 minutes.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Increasing

2010-12-24T12:28:00.000-08:00

Electric Vehicles are getting more charging locations across the United States and around the world.

Public electric vehicle charging stations that take credit card went on-line in November at San Francisco's Pier 27 parking garage. Drivers can use a credit card to charge their electric vehicles. The cost to charge a vehicle all day is normally between two to three dollars.

The first public EV charging station opened this month in Kansas. Last month Minnesota launched it's first EV charging station in St. Paul at First National Bank. The power to charge the vehicles comes from wind & solar energy generation. Plans are for 150 of the stations to be in place in the Twin Cities area in four years.

First Nissan Leaf Delivered Today

2010-12-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

The first all electric Nissan LEAF is delivered today in Northern California.

The Leaf is, as Nissan states "A car with no oil, no gas tank, no transmission, no tailpipe.
A car that runs on 100% electricity..." Unlike GM's soon-to-arrive Volt, or Toyota's well-established hybrids, the Leaf has no gasoline engine. As part of the ownership, the purchaser gets a personal "Filling Station" at their home to charge the car overnight. See the video.

Public charging stations for electric vehicles are already in some businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area. A list of charging stations can be found HERE.

Nissan has taken 20,000 reservations for the Leaf. All the major manufacturers (and some you probaly have never heard of) have electric vehicles in development.

First Chevy Volt Auctioned for Detroit Schools

2010-12-02T07:49:00.000-08:00

DETROIT – The first Chevrolet Volt available for retail sale will be offered at public auction with the proceeds benefiting math and sciences education in the Detroit Public Schools.

Honda Presents Plug-in Hybrid at LA Auto Show

2010-11-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Honda's platform's lithium-Ion battery, plug-in capability, hybrid function and petrol combustion engine to provide clean performance. See the video of the Honda Plug-in Hybrid platform HERE:

Hard Economic Realities for Hybrids

2010-11-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

Bloomberg.com, after interviews and research has brought some harsh realities of the market & economics of hybrids. I personally own a hybrid (Toyota Highlander), and am usually positive in my reports, but to honestly report reality, I have to report the research and expert interviews.

Bloomberg quotes a J.D. Powers Director of Forecasting:

At some point, the reality is that for this technology to be accepted, it needs to be done without a government crutch,” said Jeff Schuster, director of forecasting at J.D. Power & Associates in Troy, Michigan. “But without a huge gas-price increase or further government demand, the natural demand just isn’t to be there.

J.D. Power also reports "Global sales of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric cars are projected to be 954,500 vehicles, or 2.2 percent of the 44.7 million passenger vehicles projected to be sold this year, J.D. Power said in an Oct. 27 report. That may rise to 5.2 million units in 2020..."

Others interviewed in the article were concerned that government subsidies seem to be needed to make economic sense for consumers. The article states that "The government purchased about 64 percent of GM’s Chevy Malibu hybrid models and 29 percent of all Ford Fusion hybrids manufactured since Obama took office in 2009, the data show. GM stopped making the Malibu hybrid in 2009 after lack of consumer demand."

Bloomberg.com also quotes Dan Becker, Director of the Safe Climate Campaign with a positive view of the US government's alternative fuel vehicle purchases:
“At a time when we’re just beginning the era of the hybrid, it’s a positive sign that the government is stepping up to the plate and helping build that market.”

The article states that the Obama administration is promising over $11 billion in taxpayer funds to develop plug-in hybrid vehicles.

ATT Fleet To Increase Alternative Vehicles

2010-11-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

AT&T plans to purchase 15,000 alternative fuel vehicles over next 10 years. The purchases will include hybrid and compressed natural gas (CNG).

See the AT&T video HERE:

New Website for Plug-in Electric Vehicles

2010-11-17T13:41:00.000-08:00

Southern California Edison today announces a website for plug-in electric vehicles (PEV).

It has tips for cities for working with electric vehicles, for perspective buyers on shopping for PEV, and preparing your home for a PEV.

See it HERE.

Future Cars at SEMA Show 2010

2010-11-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

SEMA Show 2010 opened the exhibit halls today.

Yesterday seminars to help the business operators do a better job in technical, sales, marketing, and operations were in full swing, with continuation through the week. Open only to members of the auomotive industry, the seminars, new products, opportunities to get hands on with products and ask questions make this an important time for those in the industry. SEMA Show 2009 drew more than 50,000 domestic and international buyers. The displays are segmented into 12 sections, and a New Products Showcase featured nearly 1,500 newly introduced parts, tools and components.

From SEMA_Show2010

Today I interviewed Julian Calvert of Edison2, the creators of the Very Light Car and winners of the Progressive Automotive X Prize, a $10 million competition to build a production-capable, clean, well-performing and safe 100+ mpg car.

SEMA Show 2010 Coverage

2010-10-31T02:52:00.000-07:00

This is NOT your reporter looking for a parking space in Las Vegas.
It is a shot of the SEMA Show 4WD Test Drive track in 2008.

As we cover the cars, products, & events, post a comment here if you see something you'd like us to check out in more detail, & we'll see what we can do.

Green Power from Brown?

2010-10-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

The Bio-Bug runs on methane gas generated during the sewage treatment process.

Waste flushed down the toilets of just 70 homes in Bristol is enough to power the Bio-Bug for a year, based on an annual mileage of 10,000 miles.

In Sweden, more than 11,500 vehicles already run on biomethane produced from sewage plants. Engineers say that the driver cannot tell how it is powered.

Read more about the Bio Bug HERE

First Chevy Volt Rolls off Assembly Line

2010-04-01T00:25:00.000-07:00

The first 2011 Chevrolet Volt rolled off the assembly line in Hamtramck, Michigan, on Monday.

Earlier cars were made in limited numbers at other GM locations. Some have been seen at auto shows. One quarter of th cars have been used for crash tests so far, and the remaining ones have logged well over half a million collective miles of testing. VIDEO: Test Drive of the Volt (Wall Street Journal)

Ford Announces Electric Vehicle Strategy

2010-03-31T23:47:00.000-07:00

Ford’s global electrification strategy includes plans to produce five full electric or hybrid vehicles in the compact, midsize and light commercial segments for the North American market by 2012 and European markets by 2013.

Specifically, Ford will launch two zero-emission all-electric vehicles including the Transit Connect Electric light commercial vehicle in North America in late 2010 and in Europe in 2011, followed by the Focus Electric in North America in 2011 and Europe in 2012. Three other yet-to-be-named vehicles – including two next-generation hybrid electric vehicles and a plug-in hybrid vehicle – will follow in North America in 2012 and Europe in 2013.

Toyota Begins Plug-in Hybrid Demo in 2010

2010-01-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle (PHV) made its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in December, 2009.

The vehicle expands Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology with the introduction of a first generation lithium-ion battery that enables all-electric operation at higher speeds and longer distances than the conventional Prius hybrid. When fully charged, the vehicle is targeted to achieve a maximum electric-only range of approximately 13 miles and will be capable of achieving highway speeds up to 60 mph in electric-only mode. For longer distances, the Prius PHV reverts to “hybrid mode” and operates like a regular Prius.

A total of 350 vehicles will begin delivery in Japan and Europe in support of model programs with business and government partners aimed at raising societal awareness of, and preparedness for, this important new technology, with 150 vehicles in the US. Regional programs are currently slated for California, Washington D.C., New York, Oregon and Pennsylvania. Each placement scenario will have a variety of ‘use cases’ or driving conditions to gain maximum input to vehicle performance and customer needs.

The battery powering the Prius PHV is the first lithium-ion drive-battery developed by Toyota and its joint venture battery production company, Panasonic Electric Vehicle Energy (PEVE).

All vehicles will be equipped with data retrieval devices which will monitor activities such as how often the vehicle is charged and when; whether the batteries are depleted or being topped off during charging; trip duration, all-EV driving range, combined mpg and so on.

Plug-in Hybrid Website

Mass Production of GM's Volt Battery Begins

2010-01-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

Three years to the date after the Chevrolet Volt concept car was unveiled, the first Chevrolet Volt lithium-ion battery pack moved through the assembly line at GM’s new Brownstown Battery Assembly Plant in Michigan. GM announced that this is the beginning of the production of the Volt.

The raw lithium cells will be manufactured LG Chem’s plant in Korea, and LG Chem plans to build a lithium cell battery in Michigan later in 2010.

GM Volt Website

Jay Leno Test Drives a Volt

Chicago's Solar-powered Plug-in Station for Cars

2009-11-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

One of the nations first solar-powered electric vehicle plug-in stations was installed in the spring of 2009 in Chicago. The ChargePoint Stations are built by Coulomb Technologies.

Read the article in Inhabitat
Read the article in Jetson Green

Electric Dream Machines: Pull up & Plug in

2009-11-11T07:43:00.000-08:00

From an article in Australia's The Age by SIMON O'BRIEN November 11, 2009 & in AllCars Electric.com by Eric Loveday 11/10/09

Brisbane is hosting Australia's first first Electric Vehicle Conference this week.
The article in The Age describes how issues of developing electric car infrastructure will be discussed by authorities in technology, business and government.

Luke Grana, Chief Executive Officer of ChargePoint Pty Ltd. has said that the average cost to drive a car in Australia is about $10 for 100 kilometers, but an electric vehicle would cost only about $2 per 100 kilometers.

Coulomb Technologies has ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations in use around the world.

Trial charging systems in parking lots would be in place in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne by the first half of 2010. The effects on the electrical infrastructure consumers, society and the environment will be studied.

Hybrids in 2009 Races - Formula One & Le Mans

2008-11-12T11:57:00.000-08:00

2009 Formula One
Beginning with the 2009 season, the Formula One regulations allow for the use of hybrid technology to increase the power & efficiency of the race cars.

The BMW Sauber F1.09 will be equipped with a hybrid system consisting of a combination of electric motor & generator, with power electronics & an energy storage module. Regenerative braking boosts the power in the energy storage module so the electric motor, in combination with the V8 provides extra power.

Le Mans

Peugeot has revealed a hybrid race car for the 2009 Le Mans competition. Approval is pending.
Read more at: AutoBlogGreen 9/2008,

Toyota is reportedly planning re-entering Le Mans racing - this time with hybrids. Read more at: Automobile 4/2008, Left Lane 3/2008,

HYBRIDS AREN'T WIMPY! A Personal Story On a personal note, I was shocked at the tremendous power & speed available when the electric motor & gas engine in our Toyota Hybrid Highlander kicked in together. We wanted better gas mileage in a SUV, but I thought that hybrids were wimpy.

So when we drove our Highlander on an interstate with four adults, two children and all our luggage, I was being careful about being stuck behind a semi on a hill. I just gave a little extra on the accelerator to get around the semi and return to the slow lane. Well, both the electric and gas engines kicked in. Even with four adults, two kids, all our luggage & GOING UPHILL - I was at 95 miles per hour very quickly. I'm glad everyone else was asleep so I wouldn't hear a commentary on my speed burst, but Wow - HYBRIDS AREN'T WIMPY!

Wild Vehicles at SEMA Show in Las Vegas

2008-11-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

Do you recognize this vehicle, seen at the 2008 SEMA Show?

The first one to correctly identify it wins a DriveUSA t-shirt.

Hint: It's featured in an exciting series on the Discovery channel.

All Electric Ford F-150 Delivers 600hp!

2008-11-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

November 5, 2008 (Las Vegas, NV)
This all electric concept vehicle, built by UK-based PML Flightlink in partnership with Ford, is on display at the 2008 SEMA Show.

Using the F-150 Pick-up, the mechanical engine, transmission, gearbox, drivetrain, differential, gas tank and exhaust were replaced with the Hi-Pa Drive system.

The four electric in-wheel motors that power the fully-electric Hi-Pa Drive F-150 will deliver more than 600 horsepower as well as more torque than the 320 horsepower V-8 engine it replaced.

2008 SEMA Show in Las Vegas

2008-11-05T11:32:00.000-08:00

November 5, 2008 (Las Vegas, NV)
The SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show is spread over one million net square feet of exhibit space hosts 2,000 exhibitors and over 125,000 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

It's the premier auto accessories trade show in the world, and is an industry-only event, so we came here to cover it for you.

We'll be interviewing some builders with vehicles that are competing in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize competition. What is the x-Prize? It's a TEN MILLION DOLLAR prize to the winner of a cross-country race in 2009 for vehicles that can exceed 100 Miles Per Gallon (or 100 MPG equivalent).

The Race Is On!

2008-09-03T16:07:00.000-07:00

There are increased efforts for Electric Vehicles (EV) & Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). For instance...

Actual Tests of PHEV Conversions at 90+ MPG

Utility company Pacific Gas & Electric, search giant's Google.org, & A123 Hymotion (builder of the conversion equipment) continue the evaluation. Follow the results HERE.

GM Selects the Battery Maker for the Volt

GM intends to begin production of the Volt at the end of 2010, and has been evaluating potential vendors for the lithium-ion batteries. GM's VP, Bob Lutz announced that the selection of the vendor has been made, but he did not specify the manufacturer yet.

Electrics in the Pipeline

2008-07-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

These are exciting times for electric vehicles. Major auto manufacturers are refining plug-in systems and testing them in fleets.

Toyota has announced that it will sell plug-in electric hybrid vehicles (PHEV) in the US in 2010.

Tony Posawatz, Vehicle Line Director for the Chevy Volt says that though "we haven't said exactly when the Chevy Volt will come to market, we've set our internal targets to complete the vehicle by the end of 2010."

Today Tesla Motors opened a new showroom for their 100% electric cars, & the cars are now in production.

Manufacturers are talking with Utility companies to be sure that the path is ready for cars to be plugged into the electric grid. There are many interesting prospects here:

Intelligent electric meters (already in development) will give lower rates during low power demand periods -when most people will plug in their PHEVs.
Possible the electrical grid (and customers like you and me) could benefit from selling power from the hybrid's electrical system back to the utility.

Later I'll have some news from the Plug-in Conference held in Silicon Valley this week.

Plug-In Hybrid Conversion Alert

2008-07-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

Less than a month ago a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) caught fire and was destroyed. No one was hurt. The vehicle was a Toyota Prius with an after-market conversion to make the Prius a PHEV. The maker of the conversion kit (Hybrids Plus, of Boulder, CO) and several other organizations are investigating.

Hybrids Plus said, "After the incident we notified all owners of Hybrids Plus conversions, described to them the sequence of events in the incident, advising them not to drive until further information was available, and to call Hybrids Plus if there was any sign of a problem with their vehicle.

Over the past week we have conducted two extensive forensic examinations of the vehicle and of the battery pack using a team of experts that included Hybrids Plus technical staff, our cell manufacturer, and experts in electric vehicles." Read the complete statement.

This report from CRN (Cooperative Research Network, A Service of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association):

On June 7, 2008, the converted Prius plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) owned by Central Electric Power Cooperative in Columbia, SC, was destroyed by an internal fire that occurred during a routine drive. Thankfully, there were no injuries. But the converted Prius was destroyed. The cause of the fire is not known.

Until further investigation, CRN has advised grounding all test vehicles in the PHEV demonstration and is undertaking a detailed investigation. CRN has employed Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (ETEC) of Phoenix, AZ, to perform an initial investigation on the PHEV. This firm has come highly recommended due to its experience with failure analysis and electric cars. The firm will work to determine the cause of the fire and make recommendations if more specialized forensics experts are needed to complete the investigation. The six other vehicles in CRN’s PHEV demonstration program have experienced only minor technical issues to date.

General Motors is expects to have the first OEM Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle available in 2010.
Read Toyota's perspective on the challenges of commercially viable OEM PHEV's.

The PHEV has a lot of promise, and it's good to know that studies are being made to learn how to use this exciting technology in a safe manner.

Straight Vegetable Oil Fuel Running Afoul of Law?

2008-07-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

In 1895, when Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine, it could run on variety of fuels-even vegetable oil! Bio diesel is becoming increasingly popular, with more stations around the nation having it available at the pump.

Some people, are installing conversion kits (www.greasecar.com), & using SVO-straight vegetable oil, which they pick up from restaurants. It seems like a win-win situation, waste is put to use, the restaurant saves money on disposal, and the driver saves money on fuel.

However the US Environmental Protection Agency is raising concerns about not having tested the vehicles or fuel. On top of this, some government agencies are worried about losing out on tax revenue. Hmmm. What do you think about this?

Will Dyson Vacuum Motor Drive New Solar Car?

2008-06-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

Celebrity inventor, James Dyson, (most known for his innovative vacuum) is rumored to be working on an engine for an electric car, reports UK's Daily Mail. The British billionaire isn't satisfied with the low miles per charge for which drivers must settle.

Electric cars in the UK include the tiny G-Wiz (made in India by the Reva Electric Car Comp any). It costs about £9,000 (under $18,000 US), has a maximum speed of 50mph, and has a range of 48 miles before it needs recharging. Once you find a charging station, it can take 2-8 hours to "fill-up." While there are only 100 electric charging stations currently in the UK, there are plans to increase that number to nearly 1,000 before 2010. Electrified Brit's can pay a fee for access to the charging station, but receive free perks (parking & such) for having an electric vehicle. France has hundreds of such stations already, and is working on more.

The facts of driving range & charging station availability make the rumored technology applications in Dyson's version so appealing. As the story goes, in addition to being able to charge conventionally, the Dyson system will have solar panels on the top of the vehicle to help improve the range and power of the engine. A version of the Dyson Digital Motor, used in the vacuum cleaners may be the power plant. It weighs half what an engine of similar power does, yet spins at 10,000 rpm (five times faster than a Formula One racecar).

Reports are that he isn't looking at a complete car, but providing the system to be used by existing car manufacturers. He is rumored to be putting nearly one billion dollars towards the efforts. I say best wishes to Sir James and his engineers.

RESEARCH: Road Robots Develop

2008-06-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

New Developments from DARPA's "Robot Driving Competition:"

(June 2008) "The Boss", first place winner of the DARPA Urban Challenge was the result of joint work of General Motors Research & Development and Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science and College of Engineering. The GM-Carnegie Mellon Autonomous Driving Collaborative Research Lab is being established as an extension of GM's Global Research & Development network and will be located at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh.

(June 2008) "Stanley" the first winner of a DARPA Challenge, is heading to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, as an example of technological pioneering. This driverless car was developed jointly with Stanford University School of Engineering and Volkswagen Research in both California and Wolfsburg, Germany. Stanford and VW will continue to collaborate at the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab (VAIL) on the university’s campus.

It is really awesome to see several vehicles driving on a course without drivers, making decisions about when to safely proceed at a stop-sign or where to park. In November 2007 I traveled to Victorville, California to cover the 2007 DARPA* Urban Challenge. Eighty-nine teams applied, and thirty-five were chosen for the National Qualification Event.

The vehicles were designed and built to drive entirely on their own with no driver in the vehicle and no remote control. The vehicle determined its environment with sensors and positioning systems, to carry out assigned tasks in certain areas completely on its own.

These vehicles packed a lot of computing power to complete the task while evaluating the environment to control steering, brakes, and acceleration. There were different courses in the 55 mile event - some involving driving in a course with turns, stop signs, cross-traffic, rough terrain, and suburban streets. It was really strange to see driverless vehicles coming up to stop signs, waiting for traffic to clear, signalling (why can't human drivers do this), turning into the proper lane, and parking in the right spot in a parking lot.

I don't expect auto-pilot functions anytime soon in your car, but besides reducing risks to our troops, one of the team members said that there are possible safety improvements to our driving in some situations. Larry Burns, GM vice president of R&D and Strategic Planning said, "Imagine being virtually chauffeured safely in your car while doing your e-mail, eating breakfast and watching the news." Now I know some people try this now, but we're looking at this happening SAFELY in the future.

*DARPA is the acronym for The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense (DoD).

POLICY: New Silent Vehicles Bring Safety Concerns

2008-06-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

On June 23, 2008 the National Federation of the Blind asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the Department of Transportation to review potential safety issues posed to the blind and other pedestrians by silent engine technology used in hybrid and electric automobiles.

Without visual cues, the blind must depend on hearing to determine where running vehicles are as well as their direction. The National Federation of the Blind advocates the establishment of a minimum sound standard for all new vehicles sold and licensed in the United States.

Push to Bring Plug-in Hybrid Cars to Market

2008-06-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

Will 2010 be a big year for plug-in hybrid vehicles?*

General Motors plans to bring the Volt to market in 2010. Although a concept model was shown at car shows around the world, the exterior is being re-crafted to lower the wind resistance.

Mitsubishi is working to bring its iMiEV electric vehicle to market in 2009 for fleets, and 2010 for the public. They report that a prototype can run for 80 miles with a full charge on their innovative lithium-ion batteries.

Toyota will supply plug-in hybrids to commercial customers by 2010.

Daimler AG plans to launch two electric models in 2020: a Mercedes-Benz and a model from Daimler's Smart car division.

Hyundai Motors is reportedly testing a plug-in hybrid to bring to market in 2009 or 2010.