Windshieldtime
CO2 emissions the new benchmark
Miles per gallon may be fading out as a way to measure a car’s efficiency, according to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal. Instead, the government is starting to focus on the amount of carbon dioxide a car emits. That’s a measure of the vehicle’s contribution to the load of man-made gases that many scientists and lawmakers believe are contributing to global warming. In Europe, carmakers already face a mandate to have their fleets reduce average CO2 emissions to 130 grams per kilometer (approximately 209 grams per mile) by 2015. In the United States, some cars – mostly hybrids – already would meet such a limit. The Toyota Prius, for example, emits just 168 grams per mile. Other top performers include: 2010 Ford Fusion (319 grams per mile CO2 emissions), 2011 Chevy Cruze (256 grams per mile) and the 2011 Ford Fiesta (261 grams per mile).
Recharge your batteries
Plug-In Solutions (www.pluginsolutions.net) is said to offer owners of hybrid vehicles the option of plugging their vehicle into an external electric power source to restore rechargeable batteries to full charge. The only vehicle that can be converted at this time is the 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, according to the company. The Plug-In Solutions conversion system adds an additional battery pack, along with all the necessary electronics, to allow the Prius to drive on electricity for 20 to 50 miles (depending on battery size and chemistry), according to the company. Once the auxiliary battery has been depleted, the vehicle reverts to standard Prius hybrid driving mode. The conversion system is installed underneath the rear cargo deck. Currently 110 vehicles use the Plug In Solutions conversion system, according to the company.
Will the Internet kill car radio?
Internet music services such as Pandora, Slacker and Last.fm are being tailored by software developers, consumer electronic companies and automakers to work more seamlessly with car stereo systems, according to a report in the New York Times. The devices responsible for this trend are smartphones like Apple’s iPhone, RIM’s line of BlackBerrys, and phones using the Android software developed by Google. These handsets all have free applications that play customized music channels streamed over the Internet using the phone’s 3G wireless data connection, according to the newspaper. The services are generally free, although smartphone owners typically pay about $30 a month on top of regular voice service for unlimited data usage.
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