Cars Doing Stop & Go Driving Autonomously By 2016

 

Following Google’s lead in testing autonomous vehicles in California and Nevada, Continental has also begin doing so in Nevada.
As Google did earlier last year also, automotive supplier Continental received Nevada’s “Autonomous Vehicle Testing License” – a state approval from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to test automated driving on the state’s public roads.
Continental’s testing license is for the company’s highly automated vehicle, and represents the first license granted by the Nevada DMV to an automotive supplier.
“At Continental, we continue to invest in research and development for next generation technologies – such as our highly automated vehicle – that will drive us toward a safer, more efficient and more comfortable future,” said Dr. Elmar Degenhart, chairman of the executive board of Continental. “As a company, Continental’s strategy is clearly focused on making this type of future technology a reality. It’s clear to us that automated driving will be a key element in the mobility of the future. As a system supplier, we are perfectly positioned to develop and launch series production of solutions for partially automated systems for our customers by 2016. We will be able to develop the first applications for highly and ultimately fully automated driving, even at higher speeds and in more complex driving situations, ready for production by 2020 or 2025.”
After completing driving demonstrations on Dec. 18 in Carson City, Nev., the DMV’s Autonomous Review Committee approved Continental’s safety plans, employee training, system functions and accident reporting mechanisms.
Following these approvals, Continental will receive its testing license and red license plate featuring an infinity sign to represent the car of the future.
The plate is designed to be easily recognized by law enforcement and the public at large. This license plate will only be used for licensed test vehicles for automated driving.

“This vehicle demonstrates what modern technology can do to provide a safer, more comfortable drive. Earning this license represents an important intermediate step towards automated driving for Continental,” said Dr. Peter Rieth, head of Systems & Technology in Continental’s Chassis & Safety Division. “Continuing our research and testing in the most challenging environment – public roads – will allow us to continue to assess and develop our highly automated vehicle.”
Continental says its current highly automated vehicle is designed to always have a driver monitoring the vehicle behind the wheel, unlike a completely driverless vehicle.
The automated vehicle can accommodate, according to Continental, multiple driving scenarios. Utilizing four short-range radar sensors (two at the front, two at the rear), one long-range radar and a stereo camera, the vehicle is capable of cruising down an open freeway as well as negotiating heavy rush-hour traffic.
Taking advantage of Continental’s sensor fusion technology as part of the ContiGuard safety concept, the vehicle is able to track all objects as they enter into the sensors’ field of view. The object information is then processed and passed on to the control unit (Continental Motion Domain Controller) to control the vehicle’s longitudinal and lateral motion via signals to the engine, the brakes and the steering system.
The equipment in Continental’s highly automated vehicle differs from the customized sensors and tailor-made actuators in other automated vehicles. The vehicle, which has already logged more than 15,000 test miles (24,000 kilometers), is built primarily with equipment that is already available in series production.
Continental says its short term goal is to relieve the driver of tedious and monotonous activities, such as driving on highways with minimal traffic or in low-speed situations like traffic jams.
Although the concept of complete fully automated driving is valid, it is not yet fully viable, according to Continental. Continental’s highly automated vehicle, however, is seen by the company as an intermediate step toward fully automated driving.
Continental’s vehicle brings Continental closer to achieving the company’s Vision Zero – the goal of reaching zero accidents and zero fatalities on the roadways. Continental will continue real world evaluations with this vehicle.
Continental expects that, starting in 2016, partially automated systems may be assisting drivers in “stop & go” situations on the freeway at low speeds of up to 19 mph.
“Over the last few weeks, we on the Executive Board have considered the strategic and budget planning for our five divisions for the coming year in great detail. For our automotive divisions, this planning includes all of the necessary elements that need to be implemented step-by-step across the board so that fully-automated driving becomes reality by 2025,” said Dr. Elmar Degenhart, chairman of the Executive Board of Continental.

According to Continental, with suitable systems on board, drivers will in the future be able to decide whether to do the driving themselves or to let the vehicle take control. With the market launch of highly automated vehicles by 2020, drivers will be able to concentrate on other activities, such as reading the latest headlines on the Internet. This will give drivers much more freedom.
At the same time, an automatically controlled vehicle will be even safer thanks to the increased interaction with itself and its environment. Furthermore, the energy management and driving characteristics of the vehicle will be optimized on the basis of a real-time data concept, thereby enabling more energy-efficient driving.
Today, more than 1,250 specialists at Continental are working on the basics of automated driving. They are working specifically on driver assistance systems, such as adaptive cruise control and emergency brake assistance, which employ sophisticated technology to record the vehicle environment using a camera, infrared, and radar in various driving situations and therefore to warn, support, and relieve the driver.
While Continental expects to launch autonomous vehicles progressively in 2016, 2020 and fully autonomous in 2025, legislation is decisive when it comes to actual market launch.
“The basic technical prerequisite for the implementation of automated driving is system reliability. Road safety of the highest degree is therefore the essential foundation on which automated driving must be based,” explained Degenhart. In concrete terms, this calls for fail-safe architecture that keeps the vehicle in a safe state in the event of a fault. However, the time frame for development of this necessary safety architecture will not be the sole factor that determines the timing of market launch: “Legislative bodies will take the major decisions as to when and how automated vehicles will be introduced onto the market, and the required legal framework still needs to be drawn up,” added Degenhart.

 Cars Doing Stop & Go Driving Autonomously By 2016

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Best Months for Electric Car Sales october

The month of October has surprised a few as the best month ever for sales of electric and plug-in hybrid cars. What does this mean for the future of alternative energy cars, especially after this election?

Crystal ball, magic ball, tell me what the future holds for us, the economy and electric vehicles, EV, and plug-in hybrids, PHEV. Surely you don’t believe in crystal ball magic and not too many would bet on them, so how can our so-called economist predict accurately? One hint, look at the past numbers, draw a trend and keep the overall picture in mind. Sounds easy, somehow not too many experts get it right.

The Best EV, PHEV Sales Record Month of October. According to the latest figures from Pike Research, the month of October has been kind for alternative vehicle proponents. This defies the constant and poor publicity over how theoretically lithium-ion battery technology does not working. Starting with the ubiquitous Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid that reached another best-seller month with 2,961 vehicles. That is compounded on top of the January to October period where GM sold 19,309 Volts, up 286%. But on the electric vehicle side, Nissan also faired well with its best month this year, 1,579 Leafs sold, which is an increase of 86% compared with the same period last year.


Putting Numbers Into Perspective. But all these numbers are no reason to celebrate yet, after all, they are only a month’s worth and must bee seen under the harsh light of this current wobbly economy. In other words, a hiccup doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods, especially considering the uncertainties this election year’s worth of fear these “debates” instilled in the minds of many. As for Nissan, the company is still not able to meet its over-estimated target of 20,000 Leafs by the end of the year in the US with only 6,791 Leafs sold through the period of January to October, down 15.6%. As for GM, the picture isn’t as chirpy as it is painted to be. Those sales were won due to the automaker’s hefty incentives designed to boost sales for its Volt.
Ford Up. The other EV and soon PHEV player is Ford and the company faired very well so far with its C-MAX Hybrid sales. What was even more surprising was to find the C-Max Energi, the plug-in hybrid version of the C-MAX on its first month of full sales in October with 144 units out the door. The surprise here is the high level of commitment and faith the Ford clientele has with the company for a car no one has driven yet to our knowledge. Ford sold 118 Focus Electric last month also, that is up from 89 units in June, which reached the total of 346 units this year.
Toyota Prius and Friends. The Prius is always a strong sale despite the general mood of the economy but the plug-in version of the Toyota Prius must have surprised many at Toyota. About 1,900 units were sold last month beating its previous record high by 43%. Toyota, can you hear them? They are ready for the electric drive.
Here are the numbers:
Chevy Volt, 2,961 sold
Toyota Prius Plug-In, 1,889 sold
Nissan Leaf, 1,579 sold
Tesla Model S, 290-300 sold although those numbers are estimates
Ford C-Max Energi, 144 sold
Ford Focus Electric, 118 sold
Fisker Karma, 75-100 sold although those numbers are estimates
Toyota RAV4 EV, 47 sold
Mitsubishi i-MiEV, 30 sold
Honda Fit EV, 16 sold
Looking at the numbers this reminds me of a Tuareg saying, especially considering the continuous alarmist headlines from the so-called general media: “The dogs bark, but the caravan marches onward, regardless” Electric cars, hybrids and plug-in hybrids are selling. They fit the lifestyles and needs of some people. Yet some questions should be asked, such as, are those sales based on fear of an eventual Romney administration winning and cutting loans to electric car makers? See our: Romney Reiterates No Loans To Electric Vehicle Companies. Is one month enough to define a trend? We will have to wait after the election to see how well electric cars, EV, hybrids, HEV and plug-in hybrids, PHEV are selling.

Slow Plug-In Car Sales In Michigan

                                                                                                             Hybrid cars have well and truly hit the mainstream.

After years of slow sales around a decade ago, Toyota has now sold over 4 million hybrids. And Honda recently passed its first million.

But in the home of the U.S. auto industry, buyers have been slower to catch on to the concept.

According to the Detroit Free Press, research by Edmunds shows Michigan consumers are buying hybrids at a rate well below the national average.

Hybrid cars made up 3.4 percent of the new vehicle market in August.

And Michigan consumers buy 3.7 percent of all vehicles sold in the U.S.--but they've bought only 1.8 percent of all the gasoline-electric hybrids sold. Michigan also accounts for only 1.5 percent of all plug-in sales.

It's good news for hybrids in general though. That 3.4 percent figure is a whole percent higher than over the same period last year--no doubt helped by strong sales from the Prius line.

And Detroit's own Chevy Volt is continuing to out-sell its Nissan Leaf rival, once again topping its previous sales record with 2,961 units shifted in October. The Volt has now sold almost 20,000 units in 2012.

But with a bit more help from its home state, that number could be even higher. How about it, Michigan?

Cool technology for Audi A6

Cool technology for Audi A6

We do write about cars often, but with the Singapore Grand Prix happening this weekend, we're suffering from a little bit of motoring fever.

Thus,  for 3G connectivity so that you can surf the Web, too (Warning: Not recommended while driving).we hopped into an Audi A6 hybrid--because we're trying to be environmentally friendly--which has just been introduced in Singapore.

On top of your usual run-of-the-mill Bluetooth connectivity and proximity sensors, the vehicle features an impressive range of (optional) add-ons, too. For example, Google Earth offers turn-by-turn navigation and displays more details about your destination, such as contact information.

Of course, there's a SIM card slot for 3G connectivity so that you can surf the Web, too (Warning: Not recommended while driving)

The onboard multimedia interface (MMI) navigation system has an integrated touchpad that has handwriting recognition. There's also voice control as well, so that you can search for destinations or contacts by speech, but we didn't manage to test it out.

Using a combination of sensors and cameras, the A6 hybrid is even capable of helping you to park by doing the steering (you'll still need to engage the gears and foot pedals). The night vision assistant uses thermal imaging to sense any pedestrians or animals in dark areas, highlighting and emitting warning sounds if you fail to spot them.

he vehicle runs on a parallel hybrid system, meaning that the engine runs on fuel, while the electric motor runs on batteries located in the trunk. Unlike all-electric vehicles, you don't need to charge an A6 hybrid.

Audi claims the car can reach a top speed of 238kmh, but that drops to 100kmh on electric power alone. And don't count on going too far on electric power alone either--you'll only travel up to 3km at an average speed of 60kmh.

The upside is knowing that you're doing your bit for the environment--the electric motor is able to recover energy when you decelerate. This "recuperation" ability converts the vehicle's kinetic energy into electric energy, which is then stored in the battery.

Plus, you're saving more money by consuming less petrol, with the A6 hybrid sipping a mere 6.4 liters per 100 kilometers.

In Singapore, the eco-friendly car costs S$278,150 inclusive of the certificate of entitlement (COE), about S$30,000 more than the normal saloon version. It's the first Audi hybrid to be commercially available in the city-state, although there are other models from car makers such as Lexus, Honda and Toyota already.

We also saw the Audi A1 e-tron concept car, which is scheduled for road testing in Southeast Asia in the near future. The A1 e-tron is powered by an electric motor and a Wankel engine, which kicks in when the battery supply is depleted and acts as a "range extender". Since it's a concept vehicle, you can't exactly go to a showroom and ask to take it out for a test drive, unlike the A6 hybrid.

We can tell you how it sounds like, though: Not much. The electric motor is so silent that Audi's acoustics experts have created an "e-sound" for its e-tron models. Our verdict: It lives up to its name with an audio signature straight out of the "Tron: Legacy" movie.

Toyota’s Camry Hybrid is the top car on road

Toyota’s Camry Hybrid is the top car on road

The Camry Hybrid XLE doesn’t make us feel like we’re giving up automotive civility in the name of economy.

The novelty of specialty gas-electric cars has worn off, so now we can focus on them as transportation instead of mere marvels of engineering. As well, hybrid drivetrains have been put into many everyday cars, such as this Toyota Camry, which in addition to shutting off its gas engine at stops also has an ECO mode and even an “EV” switch for electric-only operation.

But in EV mode I haven’t been able to go farther than six-tenths of a mile, and that only by creeping along a flat road at less than 25 miles per hour. As soon as the battery icon shows three-quarters empty, or a hill or traffic demands more throttle, the gas motor kicks in.

So why the EV button? The Camry Hybrid can, if conditions are right, cross a mall parking lot in dead silence, sneaking up on pedestrians along the way. Or maybe it’s to reduce exhaust fumes in urban congestion? But, at least in the cities I know, if you’re not willing to goose the throttle to close gaps and dart across intersections, you’ll be sliced, diced and left for dead. Your teenagers might thank you, though, for a car that lets them sneak silently up the driveway long past curfew.

But this isn’t driving, it’s playing computer games. I fiddle with the eco settings on this car until I’ve had enough, and then I look at the road instead of the dashboard, put my foot down and drive normally. This may be what Toyota wants, as then we discover that the TCH is a pretty decent car—better even, in some ways, than the regular version.

For starters, it’s a Camry, so it should last until heck freezes over. As befits one of America’s perpetual best-sellers, it is also handsome, spacious, comfortable, quiet, neatly screwed together and priced well. Unlike its gas-electric sibling, the Prius, a Camry Hybrid doesn’t feel like an ultralight airplane; it’s a substantial, if unexciting family sedan. Unlike the Prius, it doesn’t have an annoying backup alarm that only people inside the car can hear, or a goofy shift lever, or weird, grabby brakes. And, unlike even the 268-horsepower, 6-cylinder gas Camry, the Hybrid responds instantly to the throttle with a highly agreeable shove of electrically augmented torque.

Most of the creepy shudders, silences and dynamic deadness of other hybrids have been engineered out, so this car feels quite normal. Even the continuously variable transmission behaves like a “real” automatic. The Camry Hybrid doesn’t make us suffer in the name of saving gas.

It’s not even all that expensive. Camry Hybrid prices start at $26,750, delivery included. The upmarket XLE TCH starts at $28,160 (4-cylinder gas XLEs start at $25,535); with a backup camera, a touch screen and all sorts of connectivity features, ours stickered at $30,021—a bit less than an entry-level 6-cylinder gas Camry.

The feds rate the Camry Hybrid XLE at 40 miles per gallon in the city and 38 on the highway. (Hybrids do better at slower speeds because that’s where the electric motor can help.) The other night I drove this car on the interstate for 198 miles at computer-reported averages of 67 MPH and 35.7 MPG. Since then, I’ve racked up another 99 miles in town and on local roads, to the tune of 40.9 MPG.

The 4-cylinder gasoline Camry XLE is rated for 25 MPG in town and 35 on the highway. But on the highway, where the electrics are just tagging along for the ride, why doesn’t the gas car rate 38 MPG, same as the Hybrid? Especially since a 4-cylinder gas XLE weighs 3,245 pounds to the hybrid’s 3,441 pounds.

Maybe Toyota could create a hybrid that lets us simply undo a couple of latches and drop 200 pounds of batteries and electric motor at home before we set off on a road trip. Then we’d get 40-plus MPG in town, with electric help, and—with a lighter car—on the highway too.

Certified Used Hybrid Vehicle Program launched by toyota

Certified Used Hybrid Vehicle Program launched by toyota

In canadas history for the first time toyota is launching the Certified Used Hybrid Vehicle program.The company claims this is an expansion of their Certified Used Vehicle program,“designed to enable Canadians to buy previously-owned hybrid models with maximum confidence.”
Tony Wearing, Senior Managing Director, Toyota Canada Incsays, “Hybrids are as reliable, and as easy to own and drive, as conventional vehicles”. “So it’s natural to build on our program for certified pre-owned vehicles with this new initiative tailored to those built around Toyota’s proven hybrid technology. Add in the ability to view Toyota Dealer hybrid inventories online plus special financing rates, and it’s never been easier to shop for the right hybrid vehicle.”
Toyota certified used hybrid vehicles are treated like all other Toyota CPO vehicles, plus they undergo a special 134-point inspection, are reconditioned, and then backed by Toyota’s comprehensive warranty, including  Toyota’s eight-year/160,000 km warranty on all hybrid components.

“This new program is yet another example of why we have declared 2012 The Year of the Hybrid in Canada,” Wearing added.