The original Mobileye got its introduction back at the 2012 CES event just a couple weeks ago–and it’s still hard to believe that that only just recently ended–and showed off a wide variety of safety features, including such noteworthy functions as the Lane Departure Warning in which you’re warned when you’re veering into another lane or to use turn signals before changing a lane, the Forward Collision Warning which provides just under three seconds of advance warning before slamming into another car from behind, and the Pedestrian Collision Warning which does the same as the Forward Collision Warning, but specifically for pedestrians and bicyclists.

There are a variety of other alerts and functions as well, including high beam management and traffic sign recognition, and now, they’ve recently added Bluetooth capability to the mix so that the system can work with your smartphone to provide those extra features. There’s even a new feature that will give you a constant update of the speed limit by recording the signage you might miss as you travel by.

If you want in on these, models are actually currently available, with the Mobileye 550 set to sell for $749, and the Mobileye 560 coming in at $849.

Basically, Mobileye might well prove to make your commute safer and smoother, and it’s hard to argue with those kind of results. Add on to this the concept of 4G internet radio streaming to improve your car’s audio capabilities well beyond any reasonable limits and your commute may well be on its way to being an enjoyable part of the day. Of course, something like this also has the potential to lower vigilance as people depend more on their devices to do what their eyes always used to do.

But what do you guys think here? Will Mobileye make our drive times safer and better? Or will they give us a false sense of security? No matter what you think, head on down to the comments section and let’s talk Mobileye!

That being said, in terms of when, so far that was left as the general — sometime in Q1 2012. Once avaialble, Viper SmartStart 3.0 will be avaialble by way of the Android Market and the iOS App Store. This version, as one would expect, will arrive as a free upgrade for those already set up.

In terms of what to expect with Viper SmartStart 3.0, it is described as offering the “most advanced and user-friendly new features since SmartStart was introduced.” As to those new features, they will include SmartSchedule, vehicle status, vehicle diagnostics, auxiliary channels and more.

Breaking those down a bit further and we can begin with SmartSchedule. This one is said to be part weatherman and part mind reader. According to the description coming from Viper;

“SmartSchedule users tell SmartStart their daily routine and the Directed Cloud Services (DCS) network does the rest. DCS will continuously monitor temperature, location and schedule variables in the Cloud and push Smart Alerts to their phone when it’s time to warm up their car.”

Moving on, Vehicle Diagnostics will allow users to access “rich” information about their vehicles. And last up for today, the Auxiliary Channels and enhanced System Status. This one breaks down as follows;

“Users will soon have all the multi-zone control and customization options found on other Directed premium 2-way remotes, and will receive status updates with richer feedback, confirming the vehicle is running, armed, locked and more.”

All said and done, it looks like an already feature rich system will soon be a bit richer.

As it turns out, Ford installed better than three million Sync units in their cars for 2011, showing that there was certainly some interest in the voice-controlled entertainment and information dispenser that Microsoft had helped Ford create. They actually only recently sold the four millionth such car to be equipped with a Sync system. And now, Ford’s expecting big things out of 2012 for the Sync system, as they plan to put in fully nine million systems by sometime in 2015. Tripling the current number may seem like an outlandish forecast, especially given the state of the economy these days, but considering that the Sync system is set to roll out in Asian and European markets this year, it’s not really that outlandish at all.

Think of Sync as a kind of app store for your car, in which updates and new features can be quickly integrated with the car as a whole without a need to bring it back to the dealership or some similar authorized service center. Sync currently offers such features as Sync 911 Assist, which automatically connects you to a 911 dispatcher following an accident, and represents the first (and currently only, at last report) system that will call for help without requiring a subscription. Sync Services followed soon after, with a variety of information and entertainment products like news, sports and traffic reports, horoscopes and more added onto a turn by turn direction system. More recently, Sync AppLink gave users access to things like Pandora radio by voice control, and Operator Assist followed just in 2011 to give users help with business searches and improved directions.

I haven’t actually tried a Sync system, myself, but it sounds like a worthwhile addition, especially for those who do a lot of driving on unfamiliar roads. Of course, so does any standard GPS system, but this one certainly has some merit.

So what do you guys think here? Figure the Sync system can make the sales they’re looking to? Or will they find themselves prey to too much optimism? No matter what you think, hit the comments section below and tell us all about it!

Starting early in the new year–just when specifically is unclear–the New York City taxi system will get fully six new Nissan Leaf units introduced into its purview. The program is being launched with an eye toward determining if the entire city’s taxi system can be replaced by electric vehicles or if gas-powered units will still have their place.

Naturally, there are plenty of problems being eyed here, with tops on the list being the lack of charging stations located throughout the city. Others no doubt include the relatively short range of electric vehicles (the Leaf, for example, needs to recharge within a range of 62 to 138 miles), and I’m certainly interested to see how they perform in the midst of a potent New York winter, which the Northern Hemisphere is currently neck deep in (though in many places it’s been quite a bit milder than normal of late). Plus, considering that the New York taxi system currently ranks fully 13,000 cabs, finding the six electric ones will represent long odds indeed, giving you about a one in 2,166 chance of actually finding one.

Still though, it’s an interesting idea (personally, I think they should have boosted that sample size to at least 130 to make the study worthwhile) and one I’d like to see the ends of. While I certainly like the thought of charging my car on my house’s power systems, I would like it to be able to survive a proper winter and make it around 200 miles between chargings first.

So what do you guys think? Will the Leaf survive a New York winter? Or will it be back to the drawing board for the electric car? No matter what you think, we always like hearing from you in the comments section below!

On the surface, this is a great idea. The folks out at OnStar have made devices to mount in your car that use 4G LTE connections to allow you to not only stream video, but also make video calls from your car. They actually previewed such a system out at last year’s CES show, but will be bringing back a full version to display at the 2012 show. But the possibilities for dangerous misuse with something like this are pretty substantial in their own right.

While we don’t have many specifics as far as the tech package in these–things like screen sizes and available memory and the like aren’t on hand–we do have an idea about the system itself. They’re gearing it toward back seat passengers, which is certainly a plus for the safety-minded (plus actually takes care of a lot of those “dangerous misuse” possibilities), and will be making appearances in the Chevy Volt. Whether you’ll need a 4G enabled smartphone to get in on this, or your car will have a built-in 4G modem is as yet unclear, but either strategy would certainly fit the bill.

Personally, I like this idea myself. The idea that I could start streaming Pandora in my car is an untrammeled delight, though this will likely do some deeply unpleasant things to the revenue streams of local radio as a result. And if you’ve got kids, you’re probably already calling a Chevy dealer near you to find out how you get a Volt, or failing that, at least one of these systems installed to keep the kids busy on long car trips.

But what do you guys think here? A terrific advance for automotive travelers? Or a series of accidents waiting to happen? No matter what your opinion, we welcome it down in the comments section below!

The USB Music Box feature, which will only be coming your way via a set of about ten fairly recent model cars (after 2003), essentially provides you with a USB port that plugs into your car’s systems (it will also, according to press from Ford, be available as an aftermarket item) and allows you to connect USB devices to it, for use in your car.  You’ll be able to connect it to compatible audio systems, and compatible navigation systems, that have an AUX output, and you can secret the connection away in your choice of the glove compartment, the armrest, or the center console, which is likely where it will end up for most users.

And it will allow you to play your music from your USB device with a sound quality similar to that of the FM radio itself, which isn’t exactly top of the food chain as it sits, but is still somewhat better than trying to hook up a series of adapters or burning all your MP3s to disc, a process which for some could take hours, maybe even days.

Sadly, this appears to be only available in Europe for now, so the rest of us will have to make do with adapters and the like for the time being. This isn’t such a bad thing, of course–with portable speakers being what they are now and cigarette lighter adapters being widely available, chances are you can play just what you want if you don’t want to take your chances with the radio.

But what do you guys think on this one? Like your current system for providing traveling music? Or are you looking forward to getting a USB Music Box attachment from Ford? No matter what your stance, we always like hearing from you, and the comments section is just the place to fill us in!

The patent in question was awarded for Google’s development of a system that can change the car from manual, human, control to automatic, computer, control. Specifically, it has to do with a suite of sensors that identify when the vehicle stops, and then switches over to a second set of sensors that locate the car’s current position, and from there, where it should be, in relation to where it is. Alternatively, the car can use a QR code located in its general area to get data on where exactly it is.

It makes no small bit of sense that the company that’s done such a bang-up job with maps and global satellite imagery is trying to get into making cars take advantage of that technology, and I think there are plenty of us out there who’d love the thought of machine-precision on the highways. Though I personally find myself wondering how Google’s automated driving systems would fare against inclement weather like ice, snow, or heavy rain. But then, I suppose that’s why the human backup system is in place, to let the car do the grunt work of keeping it between the lines on the highway and keeping everybody straight and organized on city streets while we step in for emergencies.

There’s no word, sadly, on when we’ll be able to get auto-driving cars, or at least get our old cars retrofitted to include automatic driving systems, but with this patent under their belts, we should be seeing something happen relatively soon.

So what do you guys think of this? A great step forward for the folks at Google? Open invitation to mass drunk driving? Or is this so destabilizing an element on society that it’s impossible to figure out just what exactly the long term effects will be? Whatever your thoughts, we want to hear about them in the comments section below!

Suzuki has announced exhibits for the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, and the theme for this year is “Small cars for a big future.” Suzuki is making no joke about cars being small, though. Among its entrants is the Q-Concept, a two-seater concept microcar meant for everyday mobility. The Q-Concept is actually positioned between a motorcycle and an ultra-compact car. With a 2.5-meter overall length, you won’t have problems parallel parking, and you might be able to park in spaces meant for motorcycles.

The car seats two in a tandem configuration, so you won’t have to be lonely riding around in the Q-Concept. Being an EV, the Q-concept can add to your street-cred among environmentally-conscious circles. Suzuki promises different seating configurations, such as a single adult up front and two kids at the back, or a single passenger, plus space for some delivery cargo. The Q-concept will have a 10-km radius (about 6.2 miles), but Suzuki argues that small cars like these are for ferrying passengers around town, anyway, and not for long trips.

The only downside, of course, aside from potential safety issues, is that you will look like you’re riding in an oversized CD or MP3 player.

Not convinced yet? Don’t fret. Suzuki will likewise be introducing more conventional cars and motorcycles at the Tokyo Motor Show, but still with focus on being eco-friendly amid today’s demands for greener vehicles.

In Steve Jobs’ official biography, Walter Isaacson often made references to Jobs preferring finely-crafted automobiles like Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes and BMW motorcycles. But with his rebellious nature and love for great design, Jobs didn’t want to ruin his car’s look with a license plate. But how he managed to pull this off without having his car towed or impounded or going to jail himself may be due to a loophole in California law.

In gist, California DMV’s VC 4456 allows newly bought vehicles a six month period to display an official license plate. Steve Jobs was able to work around this by leasing a new Mercedes Benz every six months. While most photos of Jobs with his cars were from the back, it can be assumed that his cars do have temporary windshield stickers at the front in lieu of a license plate.

With this small loophole, Jobs was able to drive his Mercedes Benz SL55 AMG (pictured above) without license plates and without actually breaking the law. Of course, having a lot of money to lease (or maybe even buy) a Mercedes Benz every six months helps, too. It just goes to show that a bit of rebelliousness and knowledge of the laws that matter can help one get away with just about anything.

Recall that Google’s self-driving cars made waves in the media, having completed tours in the U.S. and Europe. Sources say the company is not content with just demonstrating a handful of self-driven cars. Google is actually working closely with auto manufacturers in the development and production of cars that drive themselves.

Reports cited by Business Insider say that the company has more than 50 employees working directly on the project, which means the company might be gearing up for a major effort. In contrast, the company’s Android team had about 100 engineers working on the project when the first Android smartphone was released in 2008. According to the source, co-founder Sergey Brin himself is overseeing the team, which is divided into three groups:

• Design and production;
• Business model; and,
• Public policy.

Design is still in the early stages, and the company wants to closely integrate the self-driving vehicles with the cars upon manufacture. Meanwhile, the team is also considering how they will tie in the self-driving technologies with other Google businesses. One theory is that the cars might be part of an on-demand car service like Zipcar or Uber. Another is that the cars will be used to take Street View photos.

As for the public policy part, self-driven vehicles might not exactly fall under what is allowed under the law. Google will be working closely with state and local governments to give approval to these self-driven cars. Recall that Nevada passed a law in June this year allowing “autonomous vehicles,” and this will be used by Google as a basis for convincing other states to do the same.

The folks at Ford, GM, Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen all got together and have agreed on a standard charging mechanism for all their forthcoming electric cars, using a single-port fast charging system to handle most everything from the quick charger to the full-on Level 1 system. And to top things off, they’ve even agreed to use HomePlug Green PHY, reportedly, as the standard for communications to hook things into Powerline Smart Grid applications.

And for you early adopters out there who find yourself with a Nissan Leaf or the like, it turns out that these new chargers, according to reports, will be backward compatible with the standard J1772 connector.

All fine and well, of course–one standard to refuel a vehicle is very important to let economies of scale take over–but there are still a whole lot of problems between electric cars and their full implementation. Tops on the list is weather performance; the thought of driving an ultra-light electric car on icy roads in high winds makes me shudder, and not because of how cold it would likely be in the cabin of one of those. The thought of taking one through a three-inch snowdrift makes me shudder possibly stronger. And perhaps the strongest shudders of all come from thinking about the price–I can buy a regular car and gas for it for a good long while on the strength of what one electric car sells for, and that’s before recharges and possibly new batteries.

But what do you guys think? Has the coterie of auto makers solved the wrong problem? Or is it good to get as many problems with electric cars solved in the near term as possible? Would you buy one even with the changes in charging? The comments section is waiting below to get some discussion going, so head on down and tell us what you think!

iPhone got taken down its peg by no less than Aston Martin itself, which might have some folks crying foul in that it’s Aston Martin’s list to begin with. But seeing as the list is a compilation effort of surveys of 2000 consumers, and a panel of 35 style experts (designers, magazine editors and website brass), it’s not as though Aston Martin meddled with the list.

Apparently, Brits’ desire to own one of the sweet James Bond rides, which has been in play for over a hundred years on some level (that’s about how long Aston Martin has been around in the first place) has managed to get a little of its own back against cutting edge hardware like the iPhone. But the strangest thing is that on the list, Apple doesn’t show up until number 13 on the top 20 list. iPhone, meanwhile, takes the second place slot (formerly first until this newest revision) and iPod shows up at third.

The rest of the top twenty, meanwhile, is rounded out with:

1. Blackberry
2. Bang & Olufsen
3. Harley-Davidson
4. Nintendo Wii
5. Google
6. Ferrari
7. Dom Perignon
8. BBC iPlayer
9. Vivienne Westwood
10. Apple
11. Tate Modern
12. YouTube
13. Mini
14. Chanel
15. Ray-Ban
16. Alexander McQueen
17. Jimmy Choo

Many surprises likely come up on that list. In fact, the whole list seems somewhat preposterous as they’re bouncing wildly between products and brand names across a host of industries. Champagne comes up on the same list as three vehicles and a line of sunglasses. Apple gets three slots on the list, and four if you count the BBC iPlayer. Google, meanwhile, gets two with Google and YouTube. Still though, it is interesting to see where the survey pegs the big brand names, even if 2000 respondents is a bit small for a country of around 60 million.

So what do you guys think of this list? Is it a good representation of the British style? Or is it entirely too schizophrenic to have much real value? Either way, we want to hear from you, so head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

The Winter Driving Experience is set to take place in Aspen, Colorado,and is based on the Pilota On Ice events staged out in Italy. Basically, what you get is the right to drive a Ferrari–a Ferrari FF, as a matter of fact, a perfect pick for such a track as it has four wheel drive–along a snow-covered track at the Little Nell Resort. You’ll be there for two nights, part of a student body of 12 or fewer (the numbers suggest it may only be ten), and you’ll even get a champagne reception, two dinners, and lunches at the track.

But what will kill most people who drive, regularly, in wintry conditions is the price. For two nights at the Little Nell, two dinners, lunches, and driving around all day, you’ll shell out fully $11,300. Oh, and you can bring a guest who gets the same package for an extra $950.

Frankly, I hate the thought of driving in snow. And while driving a Ferrari around for a couple days would be pretty fun, it’s not “down payment on a house” kind of fun, at least not for me. Though I’ll give good odds that there are more than a few folks out there that like the thought of spending a couple days sliding around a track at an upscale resort.

So what do you guys think? Would you take on the Ferrari winter driving track if you had the cash to drop? Or would you have literally dozens of better uses for that kind of money? Either way, we want to hear from you down in the comments section, so head on down and tell us what you think!

Android ain’t all this thing’s got going on. Here’s the obligatory list:

• 1.2GHz processor
• 6.2 inch 800×480 touchscreen display
• DVD player (can we say distracted driving?)
• Bluetooth
• USB slot
• 2 microSD slots
• Integrated 3G radios

Our Android phones are already distracting enough when we are driving (you don’t text, do you?). A car stereo giving you the ability to watch DVDs and surf the web may be too much for some people.

Another issue coming up is that the Ca-Fi uses a double-DIN slot which may not be too common in newer U.S. vehicles without some modification work. Check for compatibility with your car before getting all that too excited.

Earlier this year, I test-reviewed a Ford Fiesta for an automotive magazine, and one of the highlights was supposedly the voice-command interface. In reality, though, the system wasn’t very practical, and was a bit clunky. Ford wants to change this, by including open support for controlling mobile applications by voice.

At the TechCrunch Hackathon, Ford and Spotify demonstrated how easy it is to integrate the Ford SYNC voice control system with a mobile or Web-based application. With the demo, Ford showed how the voice recognition system can be used to control Smartphone apps. Meanwhile SYNC AppLink also enables mobile applications to output the display via the car’s own in-vehicle touchscreen display or radio head-unit display. The API also supports a feedback mechanism wherein controls inputted through the car’s entertainment system (or through voice) will make their way into the smartphone or tablet.

Ford will make the SYNC AppLink API available to developers, so that their mobile apps can easily interface with the car — while plugged in or wireless — which will include any of the SYNC subsystems: text-to-speech, speech-recognition, GPS location, trip meters, and the like. Ford’s SYNC AppLink will be available starting with 2012 models including the Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Mustang, F-150, Shelby, Fiesta and others.

Apparently part of the bill was aimed at raising the fines for those foolish souls still stupidly breaking this phone-talking law. The bill would raise the fine for first-time offenders from $20 to $50 and two-time offenders would get smacked with a $100 fine. That doesn’t sound too bad until you add on the taxes and penalties from cities and counties. After all is said and done, the fees would end up being $328 and $528. Governor Jerry Brown saw those numbers as a little over the top.

The veto makes a little more sense now doesn’t it. The governor wants to see drivers stop talking on their cell phones while on the road as much as anyone else does, but too far is too far.

Basically, what separates the Ford Evos from most other cars is not its fuel performance, but rather that it’s the first car to be “connected to the cloud”, or, have a continuous access to data storage. One of the key things about this cloud connection, or so Ford’s CTO Paul Mascarenas mentioned, is that it would learn your preferences and respond accordingly, almost like a car that has cookies.

For instance, in the Ford Evos, it might remember your favorite style of music, and access it when you drive. Or it may adjust the car’s performance according to your particular driving style, altering things like suspension and braking. It may even be able to go sufficiently far as to monitor your heart rate and temperature and then make adjustments in the car accordingly.

Personally, I find myself of two minds on this one. While I love a device that’s capable of performing multiple tasks at once, and this one definitely looks like the kind of Swiss Army device that makes me very happy, I can’t help but look at it and think that this is just more possibilities for things to go wrong. And when it comes to a car, losing one function is often enough to lose most of the others, including the all too important one of driving. And what happens when the car goes into the used market? Do you wipe the cloud clean and start afresh?

So what do you guys think about the Ford Evos? Sound like a good idea, or an invitation to trouble? No matter how you feel about this one, head on down to the comments section and let us know just what you think about it.

The Parrot Asteroid is an in-dash system that offers not only FM radio connectivity, but also a line-in connection, a USB connection, an SD card slot, music on demand system, and–get this!–a voice activated music search, letting you call for soothing music in the midst of heavy traffic…or your rage mix, whichever. But it’s not just music that the Parrot Asteroid handles, which makes sense given that it works with your Android device. It can also handle hands-free calling with Bluetooth and automatic phone book syncing. Plus, it will not only allow control via an included jog wheel, but it can also handle controls for most of its functions via voice command, letting you operate your vehicle with both hands on the wheel, in the grandest drivers’ ed style. It has a 3.2 inch LCD display, an external GPS antenna, and can even connect to the web via wi-fi hotspot (if you’re in range) or a 3G dongle (if you’re not in range of wi-fi).

This may well be one of the most complete car solutions out there, and not surprisingly, it’s priced like it. You’ll be able to lay hands on one of these yourself starting in October for $349, but considering it will do just about everything except fix you some driving snacks, it’s not hard to see that one of these wouldn’t be worthwhile for the travelers out there.

But what do you guys think? Think that these would be great in your car at most any time? Or will only the road warriors manage to get the kind of use out of them that would make them worth the price tag? Either way, we’d love to hear what you think about this one, so hit the comments section below and tell us what you think!

Setting land speed records is nothing new. In fact, the current land speed record for a wheeled vehicle is about 470 MPH. But for electric vehicles, getting up to speed — and sustaining it — is made difficult with the limitations of battery-powered motors. The team from Ohio State University was able to clear 291 MPH in August 0f 2010 with the Buckeye Bullet 2, which is a bit disappointing after version 1.0 reached 314 MPH in 2004 (the team partly blames the use of hydrogen fuel cells for the lack of speed). Still, this is already a big feat for an EV. This year, they’re aiming for 400 MPH.

Version 3.0 of Buckeye Bullet will feature a newly-designed body and fin shaped for better aerodynamics, as computed by the Ohio Supercomputer Center. The design also incorporates new tweaks, such as a new driver position, wind deflectors and the like. While version 2 of the car used hydrogen fuel cells, the team is reverting to their original battery-only setup (likely with NiMH batteries), for more sustainable power. Currently, Buckeye Bullet version 2.5 has reached 307.7 MPH over the Bonnevile Salt flats, where these high-octane, high-adrenaline folks do their speed tests. Buckeye Bullet 3.0 will make its run sometime before the year ends. Will the Buckeye Bullet break 400 MPH as planned?

We’d last heard about the Fisker Karma back in April, with the expectation that they would start shipping orders in June or July. They’re a month off, but they are indeed shipping this summer as had been projected. And the first ones to get hands on them are some pretty big names. You already know Leo DiCaprio’s getting one, because I spilled those particular beans up in the headline. But also set to snag one of these is Colin Powell, as well as Nobel Prize winner, former Vice-President, and ManBearPig detractor Al Gore.

The Fiskar Karma got into production back in March, and after a few delays, is finally shipping out, with sales of the $100,000 car fully booked until early next year. The sales, according to Fisker, seem to be evenly split between early adopters of hybrid vehicles and those folks who just like the relative novelty the Fisker Karma Lux has to offer, especially those who realize that electric cars aren’t quite ready for prime time yet, but like the fact that they can infuse their drive time with slightly greener electricity.

Fiskar’s total production run is 3000 strong, with 300 units per week being produced, meaning your chances of getting one before the end of the year are pretty much out of the picture. However, you may be interested in hearing that they’re also preparing a lower-cost version, though not much is known about it right now, that will sell for half the Karma Lux’s current price, or $50,000.

Sounds like a good run to me, and I’m actually becoming pretty enamored with the idea of hybrids (especially in that they solve so many of the current problems of pure electrics), but what do you guys think? Think the hybrid can catch on? Or is there something–like price–preventing it from really making a splash in the market? Either way, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section below and tell us what you think!

You can find out more concerning the Fisker Karma Lux here whilst, if you fancy availing yourself of one you can peruse the online brochure here (PDF).

Audi’s new A4 looks to be both bigger and lighter, which may sound like a contradiction in terms, but as it turns out is quite possible. It will pack a rear-axle electric motor with a range of 19 to 37 miles (30 to 60 KM for those of you who favor the metric), and will pack a gasoline engine to switch to when the range on the electric dies out. There’s not much mention of the specs on the gas engine, however, but you can probably figure it’s going to be about par for the course, and may well boast the same 211 horsepower engine that the current A4 uses, but that’s just speculation.

This may well be one of the better ideas I’ve seen in green transportation. The car is clearly geared toward performing like an actual car would, with support for rain and snow and the like, but it also means that short trips become a whole lot greener, and for most people, short trips are some of the most frequent trips they make. It removes a lot of the problems associated with the pure electric models, and at the same time, deeply slashes gas usage which in its own right is a sorely welcome development. Now if they can get the prices down to the level of reasonable people, then we might be in for a whole new paradigm in transportation.

But what do you guys think? Think the new A4 might represent a better chance for the hybrid segment to get some respect? Or do you think that this is going to price itself out of the market, like most of its predecessors, and end up going nowhere fast? Either way, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section below and tell us what you think!

The folks out at GM made the announcement only recently that their new Cadillac ELR would be what many likely thought was impossible before today; an electric Cadillac. But you might well recognize its earlier name; it was previously called the Converj.

The Cadillac ELR will, reportedly, use the same powertrain system that the Chevy Volt is currently using, as well as a lithium ion battery pack and electric motor. But for those times when you just don’t have enough charge left, the ELR will also boast a four cylinder gas engine, which apparently will not serve as the motor itself, but rather as a backup generator to provide power to the battery that would run the electric motor.

There’s no word yet on prices and release dates for this one just yet, though that’s currently said to be on the way soon. This is almost certainly going to be in the upper five figures, would be my guess, as it’s got all the price of an electric car coupled with the name value of Cadillac.

Development, however, is under way, so hopefully in the next year or two you’ll start seeing these come out.

Personally, I’m torn on electric vehicles. Sure, they’re a good idea in general, but they’ve got way too many flaws in the execution in their current state. Forget about winter driving with them, let alone having any kind of cargo space.

But what do you guys think? Is the Cadillac ELR the first step toward better electric cars for all? Or is this just a sop to the environmental lobby? However you feel about it, we want to hear from you, so hit the comments section and tell us what you think!

Luca di Montezemelo, the president of Ferrari, claims he doesn’t believe in electric cars. Because of this he claims you will never see an electric Ferrari. If electric cars are not the answer to this perceived environmental problem, then what is? He claims they are feverishly working on a Ferrari hybrid. From the horse’s mouth:

You will never see a Ferrari electric because I don’t believe in electric cars, because I don’t think they represent an important step forward for pollution or CO2 or the environment. But, we are working very, very hard on the hybrid Ferrari. This should be the future, and I hope in a couple of years you can see it.

Let’s see what they finally come up with.

Electric vehicles can help reduce one’s dependence on fossil fuels, but this only goes as far as reducing the need to actually buy gasoline (or Diesel) from the pump. But when you plug in at night or while at the office, consumption from the grid will still lead to some carbon being burnt up. Some alternatives have been proposed or marketed, such as solar EV charging stations. But a new charger from Sanya recharges EVs from wind power.

Sanya Skypump’s wind turbins have dual axes, which are inherently more advantageous than turbines with only a horizontal axis (problems with multi-directional wind) or vertical axis (premature bearing failure). The design can harvest wind power from any direction, and can charge a typical EV in about 6 hours. The 42 foot-high Sanya Skypump comes with a GE-provided turbine that outputs 4 KW. The technology can be mated with a WattStation control panel for car-charging applications. Pilot programs are already underway in Barcelona, New York City and Beijing.

The bad part is the cost. At $29,995 each, it costs as much as a brand new electric vehicle or hybrid, which might defeat the purpose of buying a green car for gas savings (unless you’re a hardcore green tech enthusiast). Chances are that building owners, educational institutions and commercial establishments are the best clients for this kind of device.

Four of Sony’s new car stereos (specifically, the DSX-S210X and DSX-S310BTX, as well as the CDX-GT660UP and CDX-GT565UP, which will also work with SiriusXM) are set to bring Pandora’s music streaming capabilities to your car. The how of the matter varies by model; while the two DSX models will find themselves connecting to the Pandora smartphone app by way of something called a “Tune Tray”, the CDX lineup will just use a USB connection to your smartphone and go from there. While both series will offer iOS support, you’ll need one of the DSX line if you’ve got an Android or Blackberry, as the DSX is the only line to offer the necessary Bluetooth support. There are said to be several models to come, and will start at $90.

Speaking here as a Pandora user, the experience is unquestionably better than FM. In fact, by and large, I prefer internet radio to pretty much every FM format around, if for no other reason than it’s impossible to find decent jazz where I am, and the internet offers a staggering variety of jazz stations. This is definitely going to be one that people who spend a lot of time in their cars are going to want to get in on.

How about you guys? Anyone think they’d like to get a Sony car receiver so you can run Pandora through it? Or do you think people should learn to be satisfied with FM radio, or MP3s, or the variety of other options they already have? Regardless of your specific opinion, we want to hear it, so head on down to the comments section and tell us what you think!

Nissan has recently unveiled a system that enables the LEAF to supply power to residences using its onboard Lithium-Ion batteries. This system is meant to augment the grid in an effort to contribute to a zero-emissions society in Japan. Through the new power supply system, the LEAF can be used to store emergency power that will be enough to supply a household for two days, or about 24 Kilowatt-hours.

You might wonder if this system will be useful at all, considering you would also need electricity to power up the LEAF for trips. But the point here is that the LEAF will now be able to be part of the grid. The system allows the LEAF to be smart enough to choose when it draws power from the grid, such as during nighttime or off-peak hours. If there are alternative sources — such as solar — these can be used, too.

The new Nissan LEAF power control system will be available to both new and existing LEAF owners. While initially rolling out in Japan, Nissan is likely to implement the system in international markets, too.

It seems that once again, Top Gear has shown an electric car being pushed to somewhere due to running out of charge. In this case, it was Jeremy Clarkson who found himself behind the wheel of a Leaf out in Lincoln, when he ran out of charge and thus had his car pushed by several helpful folks who got him to a charging station.

The problem with this, as Nissan was quick to point out, was that data from the car is automatically sent to Nissan, and revealed that not only did Clarkson begin his trip with 40 percent battery power, he also drove in circles for some distance to drop his charge to zero. Meanwhile, Nissan can show that they delivered the car to Top Gear with a full battery charge. Clarkson said he was attempting to show what would happen to a hapless electric car owner who ran out of juice, but this was somewhat distracted from by the fact that, later, James May drove a Peugeot Ion along the same course and was not shown to run out of charge.

It’s hard to actually try and go after Top Gear for this sort of thing; they’re a wonderful combination of education and entertainment, so most anything they do can be promptly filed under the one side or another. Chances are, this will go nowhere, and explains why Nissan’s likely just complaining about its portrayal as opposed to sending in the lawyer brigades like Tesla did.

So what do you guys think here? Is Nissan right in crying foul over Top Gear’s less than enthusiastic portrayal? Or is Top Gear welcome to carry on its brand of hilarious car-based comedy and education without concern for hurting carmakers’ feelings? Either way, we want to hear from you, so head on down to the comments section below and tell us what you think!

The folks out at SolarCity got together with the folks out at ClipperCreek to offer up a line of solar-powered electric car chargers that will actually work with any electric model currently available, by virtue of a standard charge cable, the SAE-J1772. Adding one of these car chargers–specifically a 240 volt Level II charger–will run about $1500 all told, and will allow a car to charge to full capacity in about four hours. That’s before, of course, the cost of the solar panels, and SolarCity will install panels as well, or can make the charger work with existing panels.

This puts paid to earlier troubles with electric cars, in that many noted that while the cars themselves have no real emissions, the power sources that generate the power in question often did. A solar power system pulls that issue right out of consideration, though many, many more such issues (reliability, performance, expense, and the like) are still as yet unanswered.

Interestingly, though, the expense issue does get a note of support here. Currently, if you’re in San Francisco, you’d pay about $107 a month on average to charge your car via the power grid. A leased solar system from SolarCity, meanwhile, would run about $54 a month. And both of those are actually less than the cost of driving with gas for many people. Still, though, that’s San Francisco, where you don’t have to deal with snow, ice, or frequently cloudy days.

So what do you guys think here? Think this is a good start toward cutting way back on oil as a fuel source? Or is this still only just a start, and nowhere near being able to solve our immediate problems? No matter what you think about all this, the comments section is waiting for you below, and we love to hear from you guys!

What TomTom and Coulomb are cooking up, according to reports, is basically what TomTom already does for restaurants and gas stations and the like, only for public car charging stations. But you’ll also get a little more information, like the cost to charge up, what kind of connections are available at said charging station, and so on.

For its part, Coulomb and TomTom aren’t talking about just when this will be available, though it is currently showing out at the Plug-In 2011 conference out in North Carolina this week.

Obviously one of the biggest problems in getting people to adopt the electric vehicle concept is an issue of recharging; finding a gas station isn’t exactly difficult, but finding a charging station for your electric car, well, that could be a lot more complicated. And with a service like this one in place–word is it will also be coming to other navigation systems eventually as well, not just TomTom–it will take a good chunk of people’s worry out of the equation.

Of course, there are still plenty of other hurdles involved with getting people to take on the electric car concept; price is still a huge factor, as is availability, and in a lot of places, performance is a big issue. But taking one problem out of the mix may well improve sales, and at this stage of the game, electric cars need all the buyers they can get.

So what do you guys think about this? Was the availability of–not to mention the ease of finding–chargers what was keeping you from buying an electric car? Or was one of the other issues holding you back instead? Either way, head on down to the comments section and let us know what you think!

Image courtesy: distraction.gov

That aside though, everyone realizes that paying attention to anything other than the road when you are driving is dangerous. Of course, on the flip side and regardless of their reasons — many people overlook the dangers. Nonetheless those dangers are real and what better way to show them off than with an infographic. After all, just about everyone loves a flashy looking infographic.

For example, everyone knows that it is dangerous to drink and drive, but did you know that distracted driving is like driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent. Furthermore, 18 percent of all fatal accidents are cause by a driving with a cell phone in hand. Bottom line, distracted driving is dangerous and that only seems to be encouraged in todays gadget filled world.

In the US there are also more than a few states that have universal bans on texting while driving. Of course, having several means there are lots more that do not have any limitations and some that have limitations only for new drivers. That being said, I am not necessarily in favor of creating laws to ticket those for driving with a phone in hand because I am not a fan of creating laws for things that should be common sense. Put your phone down while driving and pay attention to the road.

And with that, I will make this plea, check out the below image (which is courtesy of the Christensen Law Firm) and maybe even surf on over to the distracted.gov website and see a few more details and statistics.

Image courtesy: Ford.

The reason this captured my attention is where the Live Operator Assistance is coming from, MyAssist. And for those who have not heard of MyAssist, they are an assistance service where you can get help with things such as restaurant reservations, finding a good local doctor or business, travel assistance and much more. In short, if you are in need of a service to help lighten your load, I would suggest MyAssist.

My love of the virtual assistant service aside though, lets get back to the SYNC Services tie-in.

“Ford is beta testing an Operator Assist feature for the cloud-based network of SYNC Services, giving all registered Services users complimentary access to a live operator for help with business searches and address entry for turn-by-turn directions”

Basically, you can say the word ‘operator’ and get connected to a real live actual person. And speaking from experience, the MyAssist reps are stellar. Needless to say, they will be able to do things like help with information regarding a business or directions. They will even be able to send those directions along with other bits such as the address and phone number as a text message or directly to the vehicle.

This Live Operator Assistance will come in addition to the current turn-by-turn direction setup found with SYNC but it will take it a step further. For example, if you cannot understand the directions from the automated system or your voice request cannot be understood, you will then be prompted and asked if you want to be connected to the live operator.

With that, the Live Operator Assistance services within SYNC are currently being offered for free to all registered SYNC Services users.

Because “fuel-efficient” is something of a catch-all term, I’ll be a little more specific. Specifically,FedEx is planning to bring in a set of diesel trucks for long-distance driving, as well as some hybrids and, in the New York, Chicago and Memphis markets, an extra 43 vehicles completely powered by electricity.

The biggest addition–and the bulk of the 4000 number mentioned–comes from the clean diesel “Sprinter Vans”, which FedEx says are at least 100 percent more fuel efficient than their standard gasoline counterparts. FedEx added on a few other statistics, too, adding that their Sprinter fleet has 1.4 billion miles on it, and saved fully 66 million gallons of fuel since their inception back in 2000.

At this point you can say what you will about global warming and global cooling and corporate citizenship and the like, but this is undoubtedly going to put some punch back in FedEx’s bottom line. And in an environment where even the post office is a money-losing proposition, it’s not surprising to see FedEx look to not only buy some goodwill, but also save some cash by not having to buy near as much gasoline. If you consider that 66 million purported gallons of fuel savings and average it out at maybe $3.00 a gallon over the last ten years, well…the savings speak for themselves in the nine-figure neighborhood.

So what do you guys think here? Planet saving or money saving…or both? Or just a sop to the environmentalists? No matter how you feel about it, let us know down in the comments section!

Volkswagen‘s Temporary Auto Pilot uses a series of sensors, cameras, and lasers to successfully determine how far away other cars are from you, and keep a safe distance from those cars, while also keeping the car between the lines while traveling at up to 80 miles per hour. It will slow down before bends in the road and even negotiate said bends, and the Temporary Auto Pilot can be overridden at any time in case you need to suddenly retake control of the car or make an alternate route due to unexpected conditions on the road. This is geared more towards straight-line driving like highways or back roads, and not so much for city traffic where conditions are constantly shifting.

Personally, I’d love to see something like this get integrated with GPS–it’s not like the car doesn’t already know where I’m going. It’s telling me how to get there, for crying out loud. So if it knows so much about where I’m going, why doesn’t it shut up and take the wheel for me too? Then I could catch up on my reading. Or nap. Still though, this is a fine start, and if we could get it to the point where machines did all the driving for us too, chances are drunk driving incidents would fall through the floor, as well as texting and driving and other such road hazards. Just when it will be released, however, is as yet unknown.

So what do you guys think here? Like the thought of having your car do the driving for you? Or do you think this is the start of some much more insidious, Terminator-style plan to wipe out the human race? Whatever you think, though, we’re always glad to hear from you, so let us know what you think in the comments section.

Toyota’s GRMN II concept hybrid car will be showcased at the Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race from June 23 through June 26, held at the famous racetrack near Nürburg, Germany. GRMN stands for “GAZOO Racing Tuned by MN” with GAZOO  standing for a motorsports development program in Japan, and MN standing for “master of Nürburgring.”

GRMN II features a mid-engine layout, with the 3.5 liter 2GR-FXE engine driving power to the rear wheels. Meanwhile, electric motors up at the front drive power to the front wheels, for a stable ride and better maneuverability. The car features both hybrid and electric-only modes, which lets you choose whether to go for spirited driving or keep the emissions at (or near) zero for an eco-friendlier ride.

If you’re into cars, you probably know that “the Ring” is one of the more challenging tracks in the world. What’s more interesting is that it’s a public access toll road, so you can go ahead and time your laps for 20 Euro a pop.

Mitsubishi is planning to use this quick-charge technology to power its i-MIEV electric cars. Designed by Toshiba, the SCIB cells can get your car up and running within 15 minutes of plugging, which is somewhat like the rapid-charge notebook computer batteries from Lenovo. Apart from the 15-minute charge, users can also plug in for a quickie and get 50% charge in 10 minutes and 25% charge in five minutes.

It’s not as simple as plugging in at your usual wall outlet, though. Mitsubishi says you’ll need a special charging CHAdeMO charging station, which is available in North America and Japan. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait the usual half day for a decent charge.

Quick-charge technologies might just make electric cars more popular among the commuting masses. Will you purchase an EV if you could theoretically park at a charging station for five minutes before zooming home? This might be the business model of refuelling stations soon?

Even hybrid cars need gasoline-fed engines. And you can’t use a gas-guzzling power plant in your green car, can you?

This 1 liter powerplant from Ford was announced at the Beijing Auto show in April 2010 as a concept design, and it seems Ford is nearly ready to showcase a working unit. The small displacement will be offset with a few performance enhancing technologies native to EcoBoost, including a turbocharger, direct injection system, and twin independent variable camshaft timing or Ti-VCT for an improved powerband, while reducng emissions. Other notable features include:

• Offset crankshaft for improving fuel economy;
• Split cooling system that lets the cylinder block warm up before the cylinder head, helping fuel efficiency in cold weather;
• Exhaust manifold cast into cylinder head, for lower operating temperatures and wider powerband.

With these, the three-cylinder engine is said to outperform or at least rival the current 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine found in the Ford Fiesta, or approximately 120 hp of power and 152 Nm of torque, as per estimates.

Ford is set to formally announce the engine at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Who says small engines can’t pack a punch?

Nissan announced the sporty version of its LEAF electric vehicle last April, and the car is certainly an improvement over the simple design of its city-bound sibling, the Nissan LEAF. Performance-wise, the Nismo Leaf RC can accelerate from 0 to 62 MPH (which is 100 Km/h) in 6.85 seconds, and can sustain its top speed of 150 Km/h for 20 consecutive minutes on a single charge.

The fact that you can only sustain the top speed for a few minutes is the Leaf Nismo RC’s biggest disappointment, though. But consider that it’s an electric vehicle, and this is perhaps one of the biggest disadvantages of EVs.

We’re not sure if the Nismo Leaf RC will ever be sold in the market, although the electric technology developed for the car might make its way to Nissan’s other sport-oriented models like the Z series, GT-R, or maybe even Nissan’s own ESFLOW concept.

General Electric‘s latest project involves installing solar-powered chargers in carports in Connecticut. The solar-powered carports incorporate photovoltaic cells on their roofs, and charging stations alongside the parking spaces. The carport actually serves multiple purposes. For one, the roof will provide shade to your vehicle while it’s parked and charging (and from the rain, in case of inclement weather). Secondly, of course, the roof provides enough surface area for the solar cells.

GE has partnered with Inovateus Solar in creating the carports, which can charge up to 13 EVs per day. According to GE, any excess power will be driven back to the grid. If there is a deficiency of solar-generated electricity, then the GE EV Solar Carport can draw power from the grid. Of course, not all slots in this carport have EV charging stations, to accommodate those of us who are still using gas- or diesel-guzzling vehicles.

While engine manufacturers have traditionally attempted to get back power from exhaust gas through turbocharging. But the difficulty here is directly harnessing exhaust gas is often indirect, and not really efficient. An experimental technology using thermoelectric semiconductors aims to convert heat into usable energy that can potentially boost efficiency by at least 5%.

Current thermoelectric materials are not yet very efficient and practical, though, and so manufacturers BMW, Ford and GM are working on a solution. GM is currently experimenting on rare earth materials and super-strong alloys for this purpose. So far, GM was able to design a generator that converts exhaust heat into energy, resulting in a 3% fuel economy improvement in a Chevy engine.

The technology is far from cheap, and the cost of materials beats the savings from fuel economy. But this demonstrates that there are other ways of making fuel-fed engines more efficient other than hybrid and other electricity-based solutions that also contribute to the carbon footprint by using energy from the grid.

GM’s planning to make fully 60,000 Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera models in 2012, which is actually up about 25 percent over its previous announced forecast. And of those 60,000, about 45,000 will be meant for the United States, whilst the rest will go on to European, Chinese, and Canadian markets, among others.

It’s actually a pretty big expectation they’re looking to fill, as in April, they didn’t even manage to sell fully 500 Volt models, whilst the entire first third of the year couldn’t break the 2000 mark. It’s not as though it’s not an impressive car, getting a maximum of 379 miles on a charge and full fuel tank, though that does depend somewhat on driving habits, but the price was likely keeping more than a few potential buyers away.

See, a Volt currently retails for $41,000, though that’s before the government steps in and forks over a $7500 tax credit.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m all in favor of saving money on gas, but having to fork out the equivalent of a small house in some places to get a car doesn’t exactly strike me as a big cost savings. Even if I manage to save ten bucks a week on gas with this car, that would still take about 64 years for the car to pay for itself, when you figure in the tax credit.

So what do you guys think of this? Want to get your hands on a Volt? Or are you willing to drop a few extra bucks at the gas tank to keep your much, much cheaper car? Hit the comments section and say your piece!