Sunday, 25 August 2013
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Wireless charging of cars may still be the stuff of science fiction, but wireless charging in a car won't be for long. Bloomberg is reporting that General Motors will integrate Powermat Technologies' wireless charging tech into some of its vehicles next year, allowing wireless recharging of compatible phones.
GM, which is one of Powermat's investors, is attempting to beat both Toyota and Chrysler to bring wireless recharging into the car. The technology, which uses a coil to interact with the magnetic fields generated by a Powermat to transfer electricity, has been available to consumers for some time, and is only expected to become more ubiquitous in the coming years. According to Bloomberg, wireless charging tech will expand from the five million units sold in 2012 to nearly 100 million by 2015.
Bloomberg spoke to Dan Flores, a GM spokesman, who refused to comment on when and in what vehicles wireless charging would appear in, "We continue to work with Powermat to bring their technologies to GM products, but for competitive reasons we're not discussing specifics at this time. The technology continues to move forward."
GM, which is one of Powermat's investors, is attempting to beat both Toyota and Chrysler to bring wireless recharging into the car. The technology, which uses a coil to interact with the magnetic fields generated by a Powermat to transfer electricity, has been available to consumers for some time, and is only expected to become more ubiquitous in the coming years. According to Bloomberg, wireless charging tech will expand from the five million units sold in 2012 to nearly 100 million by 2015.
Bloomberg spoke to Dan Flores, a GM spokesman, who refused to comment on when and in what vehicles wireless charging would appear in, "We continue to work with Powermat to bring their technologies to GM products, but for competitive reasons we're not discussing specifics at this time. The technology continues to move forward."
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
For starters, the award-winning, high-revving 4.5-liter V8 has been retuned to deliver 596 horsepower, up from 562 hp in the standard 458, while torque remains the same at 398 pound-feet. But the other side of the power-to-weight ratio (quoted at 2.13 kilogram per cheval vapeur or 4.77 pounds per horsepower) is the extra mass Ferrari has cut out of the equation: the 458 Speciale's dry weight is quoted at 2,844 pounds (1,290 kg) , representing a significant drop from the 458 Italia's 3,274 lbs (1,485 kg) curb weight
Adaptive aerodynamics – which Ferrari plans on integrating into all future road cars – further help the 458 Speciale run to 62 miles per hour in 3 seconds flat and to 124 mph in 9.1 seconds. It's also said to lap Fiorano in 1:23.5, half a tick behind the twelve-cylinder F12 Berlinetta. The engineers in Maranello have also cooked up a new Side Slip Angle Control system that interfaces with the electronic differential to help it handle on the limit, with specially-developed Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber to help the Speciale grip at 1.33 g in lateral acceleration.
Sunday, 18 August 2013
Volvo is introducing a new engine family based on its new Drive-E philosophy, which encompasses "all innovations made to reduce the impact on the environment," the automaker says. Less cylinders allows for less environmental impact, so the new engines are all four-pots. They also were designed to pair easily with Volvo's upcoming hybrid drive system, which "will reach power figures in the V8 territory" and play a "dominant part of the top end of [Volvo's] range," says Derek Crabb, Vice President Powertrain Engineering. Volvo also says we can expect "power curves that give exciting drivability compared with engines with more cylinders."
Volvo says some versions of the engine were designed targeting best-in-class fuel economy. There are both gasoline and diesel options, but the latter of which isn't scheduled for US consumption. Instead, the US will be offered two states of tune of the gasoline Drive-E engine for front-wheel-drive vehicles. Some of Volvo's current all-wheel-drive powertrains will remain available in the US until the company has transitioned solely to the new, fuel-efficient inline-fours.
The two levels of tune to be offered are T6 and T5. The T6 is turbocharged and supercharged with 302 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The T5 is turbocharged only and has 240 hp and 258 lb-ft. They're between 13 percent and 26 percent more efficient than Volvo's current offerings, and they're smaller and lighter as well. Volvo says that a high-performance Drive-E engine is lighter "by nearly 100 pounds," but doesn't specify what it is being compared to. Drive-E engines will be paired with a new eight-speed automatic transmission, have friction reduction measures (we like the fully electric and variable-speed water pump) and feature stop-start and brake regeneration technologies.
The two levels of tune to be offered are T6 and T5. The T6 is turbocharged and supercharged with 302 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The T5 is turbocharged only and has 240 hp and 258 lb-ft. They're between 13 percent and 26 percent more efficient than Volvo's current offerings, and they're smaller and lighter as well. Volvo says that a high-performance Drive-E engine is lighter "by nearly 100 pounds," but doesn't specify what it is being compared to. Drive-E engines will be paired with a new eight-speed automatic transmission, have friction reduction measures (we like the fully electric and variable-speed water pump) and feature stop-start and brake regeneration technologies.
Friday, 16 August 2013
Most of us have been there. You're on a long drive, on an arrow-straight highway. You started early in the day, and now you're getting to that point that no amount of caffeine, sugar, music or other stimulants will keep you going. Your head nods once. You feel your eyelids start to droop. And then you pop back up. Falling asleep while driving is a genuinely terrifying and potentially lethal experience. If you feel yourself starting to get drowsy, do yourself and everyone else on the road a favor and pull off.
A woman in New Zealand didn't heed this sound advice. According to a story from The New Zealand Herald, the woman covered a distance of 300 kilometers (186.4 miles, or roughly the distance from New York City to Baltimore) while asleep, and somehow managed to text friends along the way. If she'd been drinking a beer, she'd have had all the bases covered for things you shouldn't do while piloting a motor vehicle.
The story takes a turn for the stupid, though, after it turns out the woman had a sleeping disorder and had taken sleeping pills ahead of the drive. Kiwi police were alerted to the issue by a friend of the woman, who was receiving garbled texts. The woman was eventually found by her cousin, slumped over the wheel at her former home. She had no memory of either driving or sending text messages. Not surprisingly, police have banned her from driving until they can obtain medical advice on her condition and decide whether she should hold a license.
A woman in New Zealand didn't heed this sound advice. According to a story from The New Zealand Herald, the woman covered a distance of 300 kilometers (186.4 miles, or roughly the distance from New York City to Baltimore) while asleep, and somehow managed to text friends along the way. If she'd been drinking a beer, she'd have had all the bases covered for things you shouldn't do while piloting a motor vehicle.
The story takes a turn for the stupid, though, after it turns out the woman had a sleeping disorder and had taken sleeping pills ahead of the drive. Kiwi police were alerted to the issue by a friend of the woman, who was receiving garbled texts. The woman was eventually found by her cousin, slumped over the wheel at her former home. She had no memory of either driving or sending text messages. Not surprisingly, police have banned her from driving until they can obtain medical advice on her condition and decide whether she should hold a license.
