safety

Plug + fuel cell = The future of Mercedes Benz

The Mercedes Benz vision for 2025 luxury

Mercedes-Benz F125! plug-in fuel cell hybrid introduces many futuristic technologies

By 2025 ICE-vehicles will still dominate auto sales according to every forecast available; however, alternative technologies should begin establishing a serious foothold in the mainstream market. While hybrid cars — still powered by ICE – will lead the way, plug-in hybrids and battery electrics could also hit double digit market share.

And some of those plug-in hybrids could be powered be new lithium-sulfur batteries and fuel cells, much like the Mercedes-Benz F125! plug-in fuel cell concept. Read more…

The car of the future seems less and less predictable

Catching up to the Jetsons?

And maybe even far less relevant

Want to spend less money on gasoline, but can’t afford a new, more fuel efficient car. No worries. A new Smartphone app can reduce your fueling costs by 20 percent according to a new MIT/Princeton study.

And that’s just the beginning of how the cloud is going to fundamentally change the auto industry — maybe even far more than the plug ever will. Read more…

CAFE: The first step to autonomous cars, but not necessarily electrification

Self-driving Prius competing in DARPA challenge

The he said, she said of new CAFE rules

Lots of interesting news out there regarding the new CAFE rules. However, if one thing is clear, it’s that what the impact of these new CAFE rules will be is almost anyone’s best guess.

Nevertheless, the most noteworthy idea I’ve seen so far isn’t the change coming to the auto industry in terms of powertrains, but in terms of safety — and how that translates into autonomous cars. Read more…

Finally, a bold GM move I can EN-V

The $10,000 solution to high gas prices.

GM looking more and more into the future

I’ve never been much of a GM fan. When it comes to leadership regarding US energy security, GM has used its position as the most important automaker in the world quite poorly. Nevertheless, GM has been showing some signs of change.

Hybrid pickup trucks, the Chevy Volt and a renewed focus on quality fuel efficient small cars have provided hopeful signs in recent years, and now comes word that the EN-V is headed into production. Read more…

Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt both very safe

Plug-ins are safe. Period.

Safety not a reason to avoid plug-in vehicles

Today, the Nissan Leaf joined the Chevy Volt as NHTSA 5-star cars. Likewise, both plug-in vehicles have earned Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Complain about costs or range, but safety certainly isn’t a reason not to buy a plug-in vehicle. Read more…

Chevy Volt caused garage fire? Let’s hold on

Did the Volt cause a garage fire?

Let’s wait for the evidence, folks

Wow. Did some of my friends come out of the woodwork in the last 24 hours. “Did you hear? The Chevy Volt caused a house to burn down.”

The Volt, or faulty wiring, I inquired. Read more…

America! And Japan: Silverado and RX hybrids on USAA Top Buy List

The best truck for those in the military?

Have USAA insurance? Consider these hybrids

USAA Insurance company has put together a list of its top automotive buys.

However, Cars.com warns “Of course, USAA inserts its insurance rates into the equation along with MSRP as it relates to a car’s features like engine type and safety equipment.” In addition to that warning, Cars.com offers several other yellow flags for car buyers trying to use this list (Read More).

Nevertheless, data is data. Read more…

Is the car just evil, even if it’s a hybrid or plug-in?

Time to brake the automotive mold

Or can the mold be broken?

“‘Growing out of oil’ will not be possible relying on a single technological solution. It requires a new concept of mobility, supported by a cluster of new technologies as well as more sustainable behaviour,” concludes the European Union’s Transport 2050 road map to the future of transportation.

While Tranport 2050 doesn’t call the auto ‘evil’, it does claim that personal transportation is today unsustainable, and even moving to only hybrids and plug-ins won’t be enough – at least in Europe. Read more…

BYD, Chinese plug-ins not living up to the hype – but watch out

BYD full of broke plug-in promises so far.

Even Warren Buffett was duped

Crappy cars, stolen designs and a possible dud of a battery highlight the state of BYD according to recent analysis that calls into question not only Warren Buffett’s $232 million investment into BYD, but also the entire state of Chinese-made plug-in vehicles.

Were investors duped? Does BYD really know how to make a quality battery for plug-in vehicles? Is China poised to become a world leader in battery-powered autos? Read more…

Watch Google’s self-driving Toyota Prius in action

Now this is a game-changer

In my opinion the problem with the automobile isn’t the fact that it doesn’t plug-in, it’s the fact that there are too many automobiles built too inefficiently with far too many natural resources. Yet, in the next few decades, the world’s automotive fleet is expected to triple. Is that really sustainable, regardless of the fuel source?

Thus, I think something like auto-drive opens up the possibility for entirely new business models for car ownership, rentals, size, powertrains, etc., and the technology is far closer than many might believe.

Don’t believe it? Here’s a small clip of one of Google’s self-driving Toyota Prius hybrid cars.

Source: InsideLine