New Concept of ‘One Liter’ Eco Car – Volkswagen XL1

Volkswagen is the third largest automobile manufacturer in the world and Europe’s largest. They develop vehicles and components; they manufacture complete vehicles, passenger cars and commercial vehicles. In this 2013 they planned to develop a new car, the 313mpg (0.9L/100 km) XL1 eco cigar.

 

As the chairman of VW said, they want to have a series of production in this car in 2013. Volkswagen XL1 is the new model of their ‘one-liter’ eco car after the VW L1 in 2002; the vision for a green car that only consumes 1 liter of fuel in 100 kilometers. XL1 has an engine weight of 227 kg and a total weight of 795 kg; very light compare to other cars. Like other cars, it is composed of a diesel hybrid system which helps to consume less fuel and achieved its maximum output. It uses a twin 47 bhp 800cc TDI common-rail diesel with a 27 bhp electric motor. XL1 can be drive in pure EV mode or as a conventional hybrid with the help of a clutch that is found in between in each motor. It is a two seated car with a dimension of 3970 mm in length and 1184 mm in height with a bootspace of 100 liters. It is made of complex materials; carbon fibre reinforced polymer monocoque. It has a maximum speed of 160kph, drag coefficient 0.186 and CO2 emissions of 24 g/km.

Direct Injection – Improves Fuel Economy and Engine Power

Exterior and interior designers of a car are always the main attraction of a car events/auto show. Most of the people didn’t show the people behind the engine/engine parts; its innovations that may help to maximize the car performance. Direct injections and more efficient automatic transmissions are some of the greatest innovations that help the car achieve its maximum performance. Fuel efficiency is the most important aspects of a car.

Before, cars that are equipped with automatics has 1-2 miles per gallons less compare to manuals; in terms of fuel consumption, but today they already matched manuals as far as fuel consumption is concern. The reasons for these are: automatics have more gears, the use of a gear ratio is closely equal to the driving situation; and they have been redesigned to reduce fuel-slurping slippage in the transmission’s torque converter. The advantage of a direct injection is that you can get improvements in both fuel economy and engine power. There are three phase in the evolution of fuel injection. The first phase is the throttle-body injection. This is done by injecting fuel into a central part of the intake manifold and to each cylinder’s intake valve. Next is the port injection, the fuel is dumped on the valve’s doorstep.  And the last phase of this evolution is the direct injection which can be done through squirting the gas directly into the combustion chamber under much greater pressure than a port injection system.

For a safer trip – K100 In-Car Bluetooth Speakerphone

Most of the drivers are complaining about the uncomfortable earbuds and headphones; this gives plantronics an idea to develop the K100 In-Car Bluetooth Speakerphone. It has a rechargeable battery that can last to 17 hours talk time and 15 days stand-by. It can be charge through the use of a micro-USB cable and car adapter.

K100 has three buttons and a volume control wheel. At the center, there is a large circular button which can be the power button, takes/ends a call and other call functions. It has also an operating distance of 33 feet away from the phone. It has dual microphones, digital signal processing technology, and echo cancellation to have a clear and natural sounding conversation. You can hear your caller and listen to music through its built-in speakers. This speakerphone has a FM transmitter with 5 pre-set stations (between 88 and 90 on the dial). It uses an A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), Bluetooth profile of K100. K100 is compatible to almost all bluetooth capable phones. It has a high-visible easy to touch buttons and it can be clip to the visor of the car. Plantronics K100 In-Car Bluetooth Speakerphone is good to all the cellphone users who like to use their phones while they are driving; to have safe trip while driving. It is easy to use, easy to set up and easy to install.

First Prototype of Electric Car Charging Station

Car manufacturers are starting to introduce electric cars in the market today. Automakers develop these kinds of cars because of the rapidly increasing of fuel; gasoline and diesel, and also to decrease pollution in the environment; greenhouse effect and other pollutants. But this concept has some weaknesses, and one of its weaknesses is the charging station. As we all know that batteries has a limited electricity output and it needs to be charged, but the problem is there are no charging stations yet until TVA and the Electric Power Research Institute unveils their concept in charging electric cars.

 

The first station is located at EPRI’s Knoxville research center of Dutchtown Road which is called the SMART station, for SMART Modal Area Recharge Terminal and the second station is located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These stations are equipped with 12 kilowatts of solar panel and a battery array of 5 kilowatt-hours of storage; this will help to analyze the possible capabilities of an electric car and also to supply its power. This serves as the research model of the electric cars on how they perform when they travel extended distance. It is the first charging stations in East Tennessee.

The stations will have 3 to 6 months of testing period and after that another stations will be added in Knoxville. To build a charging station it will cost at about $500,000 to $600,000 with the expense split between TVA and EPRI. This will not only recharge the battery but the power provider and utility research firm will study the different features of an electric car charging; its design, development, and a range of battery systems including customer behavior as well as the electricity system.

New Four Wheel Drive, Four Seated Ferrari Sports Car

Ferrari has revealed its super sized sports car called the Ferrari Four. It is a sports car that has enough luggage space, uses a four wheel drive system, shooting brake body style and its concept comes from Maranello. FF will be using a 6.3 liter V12 engine; function of direct injection, 12 cylinder motor with a power output of 660 horsepower and a rotation rate of 8,000 rpm. It is also equip by dual clutch F1 gearbox and has a weight of 1790 kg or 3946 lbs.

Ferrari Four uses the latest magnetorheological damping system (SCM3) and carbon ceramic brakes from Brembo. With its great power, FF can run with a speed of 100 km/hr (62 mph) with a time of 3.7 sec on level ground; maximum speed of 335 km/hr (208 mph). It consumes less fuel compare to others (15.4 liters/100 km) and has a CO2 emission rate of 360 g/km. This type of car will have its optimum performance in all weather condition, through the help of the intelligent predictive torque system, which distributes equal torque to all the wheels.

Compare to other sports car, FF has a bigger space with a total of 450 liters with all the four passengers to seat and if the rear seats are folded, back space will increase to about 800 liters. It has also some personalization features, six model specific exterior colors and interior rims, but images of the interior design have not yet been released. Ferrari Four will be released in The Geneva Motor Show this March.

Mazda Joining the Electric Car Market in 2012

As generation passes by, many of the car manufacturers created a more advanced cars in terms of their systems and looks. But these cars are still using gasoline and diesel as a fuel. In 2012 Mazda aimed to develop a zero emission car in Japan. Mazda wants to help the environment by creating an emission free car and this can be done by using an electric car. They planned to have battery-run at an estimated driving range of 200 km (124 miles) and the model is based on Mazda2/Demio subcompact. Though electric car has still a weakness; the battery is expensive and its driving range is limited. Most of the car makers such as Mitsubishi Motors Corp, Nissan Motors Co,  Volkswagen AG and Toyota Motor Corp announced its preparation in entering the electric car market as Japans government tighten their environmental regulations.

Asteroid – All in One Car Radio

Most of the manufacturers today develop a car radio that has advance features and Asteroid is one of it. Asteroid is a car radio that uses 3G, Bluetooth, and GPS, hands-free calling, maps and applications. It has a unique operating system called Android and it is compatible to selected smart phone applications. Asteroid has advance applications such as locating the lowest gasoline prices, closest parking, speed cameras and many others. This car radio has a voice recognition system; if you want to have a call just push a button and state the name of anyone in your address book. It has a double microphone that is located at the windshield of the car.

Asteroid has a 3 inch screen on the right side of the radio where you can see the different applications and you have the choice to select from the library. Some of its web based functions will need a 3GB USB or your phone as a key into the radio.  It also has a feature which can detect speed cameras that cat at least let you can avoid it, and it is called coyote. An Android application helps you avoid accidents by alerting the user to a danger on the road.

Car Battery Maintenance

One of the most important parts in a car is battery. Batteries are responsible of supplying electricity in the car. It helps to start the engine, stereo, lights and to all the system that uses electricity as a source. If the batteries are not properly handled and have damage, all this things are useless. It should have a regular check-up and proper maintenance to have its maximum output. A battery should be checked every three to six months. In maintaining a car battery, here are some tips in maintaining a car battery.

Corrosion Free – The terminals of the battery should be checked and it should be deterioration/rust free. If in case that there are some white powdery substances at the end of the terminal or in the clamp, it can be cleaned through a solution of water and baking soda. You can also prevent or at least impede future corrosion by spraying anti-corrosion products. Much important is to inspect the battery daily.

Visual Inspection – Inspecting the car battery everyday is a big help in extending the life of the battery. If you see fault or lump in the battery, this is a sign that the battery is starting to fail and it is advisable to replace it. Be sure that in every inspection, you should clean the battery because dirt can lead to power loss.

Some of the batteries extend their life span and others fails very early as far as there warranty period is concern. Car batteries are temperature sensitive, so as much as possible park your car in the shade and also make sure that it is full-charged in a cold weather. These are the things that may help you in extending the life of a car battery and having its maximum output.

Specialized Car Technicians are still in Demand

There are lots of cars nowadays that have different systems and styles but one common thing to them is maintenance. All of the cars should have a regular check-up to maintain its good condition and this job is done by automotive people. Technicians in this field should have a competitive skills and knowledge, and should learn new techniques and ideas so that they can meet the needs of their customer. Almost all of the car manufacturers today have an advance technology systems in their cars. This means that a technician should have a continuous learning about car maintenance because they are expected to inspect, maintain and repair a variety of cars.

As number of cars increased in this generation, automotive service technicians are also in demand. In every year, cars became more complicated, and in every refined car repairs, a specialized service technician is needed. The job of a car technician should not only be limited to oil changes and front-end alignments, but also he should have the ability to identify and solved the major problem of a car by using the appropriate way of fixing it.

NT3 Headset – For Convertible Cars

Most of the people today choose a sporty look and open-top cars; and these are convertible cars. As far as looks is concern convertible cars are very cool to watch, but most of us didn’t notice the difficult situation when it comes to our communication devices. When we are using conventional headsets, speaker phone systems and even bluetooth headsets, we cannot use them in a high speed run using our convertible cars it’s simply because of the wind turbulence. This gives an idea to develop a communication gadget that eliminates wind noise, and this device is the NT3 (by IASUS).

NT3 is a throat microphone headset that sits around the neck. It absorbs the vibration around the neck that is produced by the user’s voice. This device has a transponder technology; it eliminates noise that comes from wind and other environmental sound. Transponder technology was first developed for military pilots and tank drivers. NT3 features the IASUS Gen 3.0 Noise Terminator Transponder, Tangle-Resistant Braided Nylon Wiring and an Acoustic Coil Earpiece. It is compatible to phones that have a 2.5mm or 3.5mm jack, iPhone, BlackBerry and selected Nokia and Motorola phones.