Ford, MIT and Standford band together to further the cause of automated driving research

In order to reach automobile utopia of the future, Ford needs to lay the foundations of that dream today. That is why the car maker has chosen to join forces with the brightest minds from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Standford University to help it achieve its goal of making tomorrow's roads safer and more efficient with cars that have eyes, ears, and even a dash of common sense.

Ford's vision of the future is outlined in its Blueprint for Mobility, a set of goals and programs that it has put in front of its eyes to guide it towards that utopian future. It is a system that not only addresses points directly related to car manufacturing but embraces other support systems as well, which include government collaboration, infrastructure development, and research, particularly in the field of automated driving. While Ford already has some of the technology and hardware, it is looking towards these two universities to provide the much needed upgrade to the brains of the system.

Ford's research vehicles may be equipped with the latest LiDAR sensors, but that can only describe what is happening at the moment. Its research with MIT focuses, then, on trying to predict the future. By using algorithms, the car will be able to foresee where vehicles and pedestrians are likely to move after a given time, helping it to map out potential risks surrounding it and plan a path that will safely avoid such obstacles.

With Standford University, Ford is trying to develop a way for cars to see around obstacles as well. After all, it is one thing to know that there is something blocking your immediate view but another thing to know what's beyond that. This kind of "peek ahead" system can help cars and drivers determine whether it will be safe to change lanes in case of an emergency that involves a truck in front of the car.

These two research projects will be built on top of the recently unveiled Ford Fusion Hybrid research vehicle, itself a product of the car maker's collaboration with the University of Michigan and State Farm. According to Ford, drivers know that what you don't or can't see is just as important as what you can and it wants to develop a car with that same intuition or maybe even better.

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Ford Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication driving experience

Sitting in a parking lot across the street from the convention center was a driving demonstration from Ford. They were here at CES 2014 showing off the Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication technology, which is also referred to as V2V. Put in the simplest form, V2V is safety related. But to simply use the word safety without diving further into detail does it little justice.

As the vehicle-to-vehicle part of the name would suggest, this setup has the cars on the road sort of talking to each other. Basically, broadcasting signals and making sure they all know where the others are located. Ford was showing a how this setup can be used to help with blind spots, with blind corners and in times when the car in front of you makes a sudden stop.

They also showed how the V2V technology can help to protect you against someone running a red light. Before the driving began, it was made clear the demonstration wasn't making use of any radars, camera or lasers. Instead the cars being used were sending out signals using short range radio, DSRC, WiFi and GPS. The information being sent includes your current position, heading and speed. And for those worried about privacy, the data being broadcast is anonymous.

As we were told, this is basically about, "am I going to hit you or not." One of the key points we should make clear -- this does not take control of the car in any way. The driver still needs to be alert and still needs to hit the brake, or avoid moving over. The Ford V2V technology is a warning system that makes use of an audible sound, LED lights in the dash, an indicator on the side mirror and also with haptics located in the seat. To that point, the seat vibration will be narrowed down to the left or right side depending on where the potential trouble may be located.

Keeping in mind that we were being driving on a closed course with a group of three Ford vehicles, the demonstration provided did give us confidence this would be beneficial in a regular driving situation. There are some drawbacks though. For one you need to get this in cars, but there could also be an issue with overcrowding. Or maybe more accurately, with oversaturation of the network if you are in a congested area. Anyway, while you're not going to feel the vibration in the seat, the video sitting below will give you a better idea of how it works.

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Tesla Model S software updated with power fluctuation safeguard

Tesla's Model S has been the subject of note when it comes to electric cars, lately due to a spat of fires that have affected a few of the units. Recently, a garage caught fire containing a Model S that was charging, something Tesla maintains was not caused by the Model S and that the Orange County Fire Authority says was related to the wall-charging system. Following this latest incident, Tesla Motors has pushed out a software update.

With this software update, the Model S' onboard charging system will be able to detect what Tesla Motors calls unexpected fluctuations from the power source. When one of these fluctuations take place, the charging current will be dropped 25-percent, taking, as an example, a 40 amp rate and reducing it to 30 amps in an effort to avoid hazards.

Said the statement Tesla published with the software update: "This charge is designed to help protect you even when a problem exists that is outside of the car or charging electronics. It should significantly increase robustness and safety in the unlikely situation that a home wiring system, receptacle, adapter or cord is unable to meet its rated current capacity."

Other fires have also affected the Model S this year, starting with one that took place near Seattle due to debris in the road damaging the battery. Two other fires have also taken place, one later on in Tennessee and another in Mexico following a crash. While all of the fires resulted from incidents of some variety, the NHTSA has still elected to give the fires a careful look over.





SOURCE: AutoBlog

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Tesla says its product didn’t cause garage blaze while fire department is less certain

Tesla's long run of good luck came to an end earlier this year when one of its Model S cars caught on fire near Seattle, something that was the result of hitting debris in the road. This incident was followed up with some other incidents, not the least of which was a garage in California that contained a Model S catching on fire last month. Tesla Motors says the fire wasn't a result of its vehicle, but a report by the fire authority acquired by Reuters indicates less certainty.

Reuters says it has obtained a copy of the report by the Orange County Fire Authority, and in it the Tesla Model S and its charging system is implicated as a possible cause of the blaze. The report lists the fire as resulting from an "electrical failure in the charging system for an electric vehicle."

What caused the first to start isn't certain, however, according to the report. At the time of the fire, the Model S was charging via a 240-volt wall socket. Says the report of this: "The most probable cause of this fire is a high resistance connection at the wall socket or the Universal Mobile Connector from the Tesla charging system." Tesla Motors doesn't agree with the report, however, with one representative saying that the company investigated the issue and is certain it wasn't the Model S or charging system that caused the fire.

This contrasts with the Model S fires that happened this year, two in the United States and one in Mexico, which resulted from road incidents of some variety. Unfortunately for the company, news of the issue still resulted in a significant drop in stocks, and it is likely this latest issue won't help it any.




SOURCE: Reuters

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'Honda' had highest fleet fuel economy for MY2012 reports EPA

Each year the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA publishes a report that outlines the most and least fuel efficient automotive manufacturers on a fleet wide scale. The latest EPA report is in and it covers the 2012 model year range. The new report lists Honda as the most fuel efficient full-line automaker in the country.

The report says that American Honda had the highest fleet-average fuel efficiency. Honda also recorded the largest year-over-year fuel economy increase. Another thing that the EPA lauded Honda for was having the lowest CO2 emissions of any full-line automaker in the US for model year 2012.

American Honda includes the Honda and Acura brands in the US. The overall fleet fuel efficiency average for American Honda was 26.6 mpg. That represents a 9.7% or 2.5mpg increase compared to the model year 2011 results for Honda.

The numbers were very close; the EPA noted that Honda outperformed Mazda by a tenth of a mpg in the report to take the top spot. However, Honda was able to do this despite selling larger vehicles than Mazda. The industry average fuel efficiency for the entire fleet in the 2012 model year was 23.6 mpg.


SOURCE: Honda

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Acura MDX 2014 models recalled

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has published a report announcing a recall of 19,000 2014 Acura MDX SUVs in the United States. The reason deals with the SUVs’ powertrain, with Acura saying that a few bolts that keep that propeller shaft in place could loosen. In addition to Acura, both Suzuki and Harley-Davidson are also issuing recalls for their own models.

The problem could potentially cause damage to the MDX’s all-wheel-drive components, as well as making the SUV lose power. Acura spokesman Chris Naughton elaborated on this, saying to the folks at The New York Times: “If a propeller shaft detached, the vehicle would still operate in front-wheel drive, but Honda recommends stopping the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Fortunately, no accidents or personal injuries have been reported in conjunction with the problem, which Acura says it spotted in one of its assembly plants. Beyond Acura, Suzuki and Harley-Davidson are both also issuing recalls, with both doing so voluntarily. For Suzuki, 142 of the company’s 2013 SX4 vehicles are being recalled due to possible engine stalling caused by a problem with the transmission.

For its part, Harley-Davidson is recalling more at 19,600, pulling back its 2014 Touring motorcycles over a problem with the clutch master cylinder. In some cases, the rider may be unable to disengage the transmission, causing problems stopping and posing a serious safety risk. The company is aware of two crashes that have resulted due to the problem, and unfortunately one of them involved injuries, the extent of which were not detailed.






SOURCE: New York Times
SOURCE: slashgear

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2014 Honda Fit Hybrid scores highest MPG among Japanese hybrids

Honda has announced that its 2014 Fit Hybrid has beat out all other hybrid models in Japan with a mileage rating of 36.4 km/L, which works out to about 85MPG in the United States. The small car, among other things, features three driving modes that are automatically engaged depending on the environment in which the car is being driven.

easily referred to as an i-DCD. This is a one-motor system that the auto maker says is best suited for small cars, and works with the EV drive by “disengaging the engine and the motor”. It falls within the company’s Earth Dreams Technology category, which aims at achieving high gas mileage.

Inside, there’s an inline 4-cylinder 1.5-liter Atkinson cycle engine, as well as the i-DCD’s 7-speed DCT integrated high-output motor. In addition, there’s also an Intelligent Power Unit (IPU) with a lithium-ion battery built into it. Further expanding on the system to achieve a high gas mileage rating is the braking system.

Braking is done via an electric servo brake system, which is said to increase electrical regenerative efficiency. There’s also an all-electric compressor to lessen the load on the engine. All of this, when combined, results in a system that Honda says results in a fuel economy in excess of 35-percent better than the IMA hybrid system that is currently being used.

As mentioned, there are three driving modes, each of which is triggered automatically, comprised of EV Drive Mode (motor-only), the Hybrid Drive Mode (engine and motor driving), and the Engine Drive Mode (engine-only). Sales, said Honda, will start in Japan in September.

SOURCE: Honda

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