America is the land of the SUV and so it’s no surprise that Volkswagen came here to launch its CrossBlue plug-in concept. The SUV features a front-mounted diesel engine paired with an electric motor in a traditional hybrid configuration, plus a second, more powerful electric motor in the rear to drive those wheels in the back. This configuration gives it all wheel drive and also allows the ECU to either send power to or retrieve power from (in the form of regeneration) either motor to recharge the on-board battery pack — which can also be juiced up by plugging into the wall.
The system is said to deliver an estimated 85MPGe efficiency, which is pretty amazing for an SUV, and 14 miles of pure electric driving should you wish. As it’s a concept, it’s anybody’s guess just how it’ll actually perform when it goes into production, but we couldn’t help but notice something very much available today in the back seats: iPad minis. Yes, one was embedded in each of the headrests, rear-facing for maximum efficiency in keeping the kids busy during a long cruise. Again, this is just a concept, so no guarantees we’ll ever see this on the road, but a VW rep commented that they hope to see this in production in a year or two.
This year’s Consumer Electronics Show has yet to officially kick off, but that’s not stopping early birds like MSI from getting their news out ahead of the flood. Announced as part of its upcoming showcase, the company’s Slider S20 is the very same Ultrabook we first saw back at Computex 2012 and even recently had hands-on time with, but now there’s official pricing and a semi-concrete release date to accompany it: Q1 2013 for $1,200. True to its name, this 2.2lbs Windows 8hybrid measures just under 1-inch in thickness and features an 11.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080 10-point multi-touch IPS display, an Intel Core i5 processor, 128GB of SSD storage, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 720p front-facing camera and supports radios for Bluetooth 4.0 , as well as WiFi b/g/n. As for connectivity, the glossy white convertible hosts ports for USB 3.0 (2x), Ethernet, mini HDMI-out and a Jackson Peak Wireless adapter. It’ll be on display in Vegas next week, so you can check it out en vivo if you happen to be in town. Otherwise, make do with the PR just past the break.
This year the automotive world really stepped it up when it comes to technological breakthroughs, especially when it came to connecting to drivers’ personal mobile devices. What we’ve seen was everything from integration of mobile chipsets into automobile systems to wireless connectivity to smartphones from many of the top car and truck brands across the spectrum. Have a peek at some of the highlights in our 2012 run-down right this minute!
Note: the following set of vehicles and technology is in no particular order – the innovations we’re seeing this year are essentially all groundbreaking as we’re seeing the dawn of the mobile connectivity age in auto right before our eyes!
Audi A6: Google Maps, NVIDIA Tegra SoC, Bang and Olufsen audio
Back in January of this year we heard direct from Audi that they’d be teaming up with NVIDIA to bring the Tegra 3 quad-core mobile chipset to their automotive lineup. The Audi A6 took the opportunity to work with that processor and bust out a lovely touchscreen panel with 3D Google Earth views that the pilot is able to control on the fly. There’s also a touchpad where you can write commands to the vehicle one letter at a time as well as voice controls for next-generation control.
This machine works with Bang & Olufsen audio to keep your beats strong, and Audi assures the user that they’ve got plans for upgradeable entertainment and graphics modules as well. Keep an eye on our Tegra Portal to see NVIDIA continue working to bring high-powered processing to the market!
Tesla Model S: the year’s most infamous electric vehicle
The Tesla Model S has been in the news for months upon months now, gaining a spot up at the top of the “best of 2012″ lists for auto publications galore here near the end of the year. This machine is the flagship of the Tesla fleet and works with a collection of massive battery options – have at its birth the longest range of any electric vehicle on the planet.
This machine works with a beastly 17-inch capacitive touch LCD display with built-in navigation (with seven years of free updates if you pick the right package) and connection to a high-definition rear-view camera. This machine is shifting the way we work with cars here in the now, an essential cog in the machine that drives us toward an all-electric vehicle set for humanity.
Fisker Karma: a lot of bad press for a radical plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan
What we saw with the Fisker Karma this year was nothing short of a negative press nightmare with two major recalls, one starting in December of 2011 and reverberating through the press through 2012, the other logged in August of 2012. The first recall was for a battery fire risk caused by coolant leakage, the second was for a faulty cooling fan unit. Then there were several fires, one of them in May in Fort Bend County, Texas, another in August in Woodside, California. After a single vehicle model has more than a couple incidents with it such as these, the press tends to pick up even the most minor incident – the result was that this futuristic beast had a lot more “negative” visibility than it did positive in 2012.
On the other hand, Fisker hasn’t fallen to the press. They’re bringing on the Fisker Atlantic EV early in the year and a new $100 million dollar investment round in September. They’ve also got plans for a less expensive vehicle by the name of Fisker Atlantic which will be appearing no sooner than 2014.
BMW 3 Series and friends: packed tight with technological mainstays
The folks at BMW have brought on a fabulous mix of high-tech features to not just their 3 Series and X3 SUVs, but the BMW X1 Crossover [check out our full review here] as well, most notably with the iconic center control station you see in the photo below. BMW comes correct on more than one model this year with blind spot detection, heads-up displays, lane departure warnings, and both rear and side parking cameras so you’ll never miss that rambunctious pet of yours.
BMW brings on adaptive cruise control, auto-high-beams, and internet integration with your center stack display – you’ll want to pick up a brand new 3 Series or X3 SUV for every single one of these features should you pick up the right package. It’s not going to come on cheap, but BMW created some of the most impressive packages the whole year long.
Ford Focus: an affordable line of forward-thinking vehicles for the whole family
The Ford Focus lineup includes several lovely little beasts pumped full of technological features, including the hatchback, the sedan, Focus ST with EcoBoost engine, C-Max station wagon / MPV coming in two iterations (hybrid and plug-in hybrid), and the fabulous Focus Electric. These vehicles each have their own fabulous feature high-marks like electric power-assist steering, iPod jacks, Bluetooth wireless connectivity to your smartphone, and parking sonar.
With Ford’s parking sonar technology ties up with electric power-assist steering to bring on automated self-parking and brings on cross-traffic alerts as well. You can upgrade your Focus in several cases with on-screen navigation, and there’s a bit of brand Ford brought forward that’ll place a smile on the faces of parents everywhere: MyKey. With MyKey, parents are able to limit how fast a Focus can stop, the on/off and volume of the vehicle’s audio system, and crash notifications via the web.
We also got a hands-on look at the AT&T-branded MyFord Mobile app for the 2012 Ford Focus Electric earlier this year that you’re going to be able to have a peek at below. This app works on iOS and Android and allows you to jump right into the guts of your vehicle without even being in the same neighborhood – hot stuff!
Nissan Altima: it’s got two display size options, sure, but it’s really all about the tires
The Nissan Altima works with either a 5 or 7-inch display ready to work with your tunes and your backup camera. This display allows you to work with Pandora radio, Google-powered local destination alerts, text messages, and more – though for some of these items you’ll need a connected smartphone. You’ve also got blind spot warnings, lane departure warnings, and moving object detection too. This machine also packs a simple AUX-in port that every modern vehicle should so you can connect your MP3 player or smartphone with a simple headphone-sized audio cord right out of the box.
The most instant-win technology you’ll get on this line is Easy Fill. With the technology known as Easy Fill, you fill your tires up with air until the vehicle beeps once when you’re near the correct pressure, then again when you’re there. Extremely simple feature that we’re certain most people would love to have.
Toyota Prius: a hero for the hybrid class gets a big tech upgrade
This year the Toyota Prius blasted forth once again with the new highest-mpg on the road along with the all-new Entune music and smartphone connectivity system. The Prius line carrying Entune works with your Entune account, your compatible smartphone connecting with the official Entune app and Bluetooth (or USB) with apps galore. Bing brings you local points of interest, as does OpenTable – dinner reservations too, Pandora and iheartradio bring on the runes, and MovieTickets.com allows you to pick up tickets for the next big blockbuster from your center console.
Entune also brings on local Fuel Prices, Stocks, Sports, Traffic, and Weather information too – and of course Entune isn’t limited to the Prius, it’s hit quite a few of Toyota’s 2012 and 2013 models. The Prius line is coming forth with Bluetooth and USB jack standard from now through the foreseeable future, too, Toyota making such connections an expected feature in cars across the industry (so it is expected).
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: geofencing, smartphone connectivity, and a massive display up front
Earlier this year we had a test drive of the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and had a peek at its futuristic insides. This machine brings on an 8-inch color LCD touchscreen with full navigation integration. This vehicle’s system includes Bluetooth connectivity to your smartphone for music streaming as well as an iPhone app for remote start, locking, and unlocking. You’ve also got the option to “geofence” this vehicle digitally, setting physical limits for where this vehicle can drive – drive too far and the whole vehicle shuts down.
2013 Cadillac ATS: with the Cadillac User Experience (CUE) in full effect
We had a close-up peek at the CUE in our 2013 Cadillac ATS Review – it was clear basically immediately that the high-quality interior on this machine was right in step with the competition, starting with its 8-inch capacitive touchscreen and running right through to USB and SD card compatibility. Have a peek at the hands-on video with CUE and feel the excellence in informatics and entertainment – Bluetooth connectivity with up to 10 devices included as well.
This machine works with physical buttons galore as well, pushing information to another 5.7-inch display in the instrument cluster and a heads-up display as well. The audio in this machine works with Bose technology, including a noise-cancellation system to reduce road and engine noise while you’re jamming at high speed.
Kia Soul (Eclaim!): bringing the Microsoft UVO Infotainment System to the great outdoors
The Kia Soul comes in several different spec models, as many fine modern vehicles do: our Kia Soul Review from earlier this year went by the name !, or Exclaim! This machine brought on the Microsoft-powered “UVO Infotainment System.” This system works with a 7-inch touchscreen in this case, bringing on Bluetooth stereo, USB and aux-in connections for your smartphone, and voice control. You can work with Sirius XM satellite radio right out the gate, and of course there’s a back-up camera so you’ll be in-line with governmental regulations for many years to come.
Mazda CX-5: with SKYACTIV, this machine may well be the best competition future-friendly electric batteries have
This machine takes on the hybrid and all-electric competition with Mazda’s SKYACTIV technology, combining “weight reduction, efficiency improvement and design rethinking”, as our Mazda CX-5 Review mentions right up front. This machine also works with three-stage heated front seats, rear-view mirror auto-dimming, and of course, a 5.8-inch LCD display. This display is touch friendly (provided you get the right package) as well as TomTom-powered GPS navigation.
Wireless connectivity with your smartphone is provided by Bluetooth and syncing allows you to access you contacts and make a call from the vehicle’s touchscreen. There’s a controller down by your parking break called the Multimedia Commander that you can use to scroll through selections on your touchscreen – or you can just use the generally OK voice command system via the dedicated activation button on the vehicle’s steering wheel.
Wrap-up
SlashGear will continue to be your source for the top technology coverage in automotive through the future with many more high-powered vehicle reviews to come in 2013. Be sure to check out our monstrous [Car Portal] to see the futuristic automobile segment from any angle you do so choose, top to bottom, and get pumped up about the connections you’re about to make!
Automaker Ford has announced that the 2013 Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid will offer EPA fuel economy estimates of up to 108 MPGe in the city. That efficiency rating will give the Ford vehicle the title of the most fuel-efficient sedan in America, beating the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid by five MPGe.
Ford is also bragging that the EPA certified the plug-in hybrid for up to 92 MPGe on the highway giving it a combined rating of 100 MPGe. Ford says that those economy figures to help customers save as much as $6850 in fuel costs over five years. Ford also took the time to talk about projected sales for Q4 2012 for hybrid and electric vehicles.
Ford is predicting that it will sell over 19,000 hybrid and electric vehicles during Q4 2012 making it the best quarter for hybrids ever. Ford predicts that over half of all its hybrid vehicle sales for the year will come during Q4. There is a bit of a dark shadow over Ford and its fuel efficiency claims.
The EPA is currently reviewing both the hybrid Fusion and the C-Hybrid over questionable fuel economy claims. Independent reviewers and owners of the vehicles alleged that fuel economy is significantly different in the real world compared to the claims Ford makes on window stickers.
Toyota has new cars rolling off the assembly line in Japan this week, launching both the 2013 Crown Royal and Crown Athlete. Judging from the press shots we see below, the new cars in the Crown series look pretty sleek. Toyota even made a point of drawing our attention to the grills of the cars in its announcement, which it says were “based on the shape of a crown.”
As sleek as they look, they demand a pretty hefty price if you want to take one home with you. Toyota didn’t get too terribly specific, but it did say that prices for cars in the Crown series range from $41,362 for the Royal on up to $63,626 for the Athlete G. That can’t exactly be considered pocket change, so those who want one are going to spend a significant amount of cash.
Of course, if you’re living in the US, you’re out of luck anyway. Despite the fact that the Royal and Athlete mark the 14th generation of the Crown series, the line isn’t offered by Toyota in the US. We suppose this is one of those instance where you’ll have to admire from afar, sadly.
In any case, rear-wheel drive cars in the 2013 Crown series come with the option of a hybrid setup that features a 2.5 liter inline four-cylinder engine. For those who aren’t interested in hybrid technology, Toyota also offers the Crown with a 2.5 or 3.5 V6 engine. Check out our story timeline below for more on Toyota!
In November of 2011, American commercial airlines consumed 48.3 million gallons of fuel—every day—and paid a total of $49.8 billion that month to do so. And with increasingly tight operating budgets, fuel efficiency has quickly become a primary concern for the airlines. Boeing thinks one possible solution is its new plug-in hybrid jet concept that burns 70 percent less gas per flight with the help of the local power grid. More »
Fuel economy is a big deal in today’s car industry. With gas prices as high as they are and a looming energy crisis, it seems that manufacturers and consumers would both like to start weening off gas. Of course, since fuel economy is big, we hear car commercials talking up estimated miles-per-gallon figures all the time, something that has Ford becoming the subject of an EPA review.
According to The Los Angeles Times, the Environmental Protection Agency will be reviewing two Ford hybrids – the Fusion and the C-Max – which have been receiving some consumer complaints of late. Here’s the issue: Ford says that both cars achieve 47 miles-per-gallon, whether that’s city, highway, or combined. When Consumer Reports tested both vehicles, its results didn’t mesh with Ford’s claims.
Consumer Reports said that the Fusion managed 35 mpg in the city, 41 MPG on the highway, and 39 MPG overall. On the other hand, the C-Max ended up with 35 MPG in a city setting, 38 for highways, and 39 overall. Those are good results for both cars, Consumer Reports said, but obviously not what Ford was touting.
For its part, Ford maintains that reports from consumers vary, with some even exceeding the quoted 47 miles-per-gallon setting. That much seems true – depending on how you drive, your mileage will indeed vary, with some coming in below a manufacturer’s claim and others managing to beat it. In the end though, it’ll all come down to what the EPA decides, so we’ll be waiting to see what the Agency has to say after it has reviewed the data.
It looks like the Taichi hybrid laptop from Asus is too elusive to handle. First unveiled at Computex 2012 in Taiwan, the Taichi sports a dual IPS display that easily converts the device into a tablet or a notebook, depending on your mood. When the Asus Taichi visited the FCC last month, we were already assuming that it will arrive just in time for the holiday season. But it’s not. According to PC World, Asus is delaying the shipments of the hybrid in the U.S.
An Asus spokesperson reportedly told the publication via email that the shipments could start next month, but it could also be delayed up to next year. In short, Asus’s roadmap is still uncertain. Asus allegedly denied to specify the reason for the delay nor did it gave any information about the availability of the hybrid worldwide. In case you didn’t know, the Asus Taichi comes in two models – one running Intel Core i5 and another running Intel Core i7.
Hybrid vehicles are typically rather boring cars with the ultimate goal being fuel efficiency. Honda is showing off the new 2013 CR-Z Sport Hybrid coupe that looks much sportier than the traditional hybrid and the CR-Z is a hybrid with a more performance-tuned nature. The 2013 CR-Z Sport Hybrid will go on sale on November 21.
For the 2013 year model, the vehicle gets significant updates for powertrain, styling, and new features. One of the key new features is more power from the new lithium-ion battery pack that improves the performance of the vehicle and its EPA fuel efficiency ratings. The hybrid drivetrain system in the car uses a 1.5-liter four-cylinder 16-valve single overhead cam engine with intelligent Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control. That system allows the engine to produce more power.
The power of the electric motor has been increased to 2013 from 10 kW to 15 kW thanks to a high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack. The CR-Z is now able to deliver a combined peak output of 130 hp at 6000 RPMs and 140 pound-foot of torque for manual transmission versions with CVT models offering 127 pounds-foot of torque.
Despite the extra power, the EPA city/highway/combined efficiency rating is up by one mpg to 36/39/37 mpg for CVT models. Six-speed manual models have ratings of 31/38/34. The vehicle also gets a number of other changes for 2013 including a revised front fascia, 16-inch alloy wheels, a new rear diffuser, a new Plus Sport System, revised interior trim, available two-tone seats, standard Bluetooth, standard rearview camera, and lots more.
Ford has announced EPA-certified efficiency numbers on the all-new 2013 C-Max Energi. This vehicle is a plug-in hybrid and has been EPA certified at 108 MPGe in the city, 92 MPGe on the Highway, and 100 MPGe combined. Ford estimates that the vehicle will save drivers about $7000 in fuel costs over five years.
One of the most impressive features of the C-Max Energi is its driving range on a single tank of fuel and a fully charged battery. The vehicle can go 620 miles with a full tank and a topped off battery, which is 80 miles further than Toyota’s Prius plug-in. Despite the longer driving distance and impressive EPA certified economy figures, the C-Max Energi is the most affordable plug-in hybrid vehicle in America.
The car carries an MSRP of $29,995 after federal tax credits. A driving range of 620 miles with a full battery and a full tank of gas is enough to get owners from Detroit to New York City or Los Angeles to Las Vegas on a single tank of fuel. The vehicle can also drive up to 21 miles in electric mode only, which is over three times as far as the Prius plug-in can travel in electric mode alone.
The C-Max Energi has 195 net system horsepower with a fully charged battery, which is 60 more than Toyota’s plug-in hybrid. The vehicle can also travel up to 85 mph in electric mode, giving it the ability to cruise even the fastest highways. The car also has Ford’s EV+ system allowing the vehicle to stay in electric only mode for longer durations by learning frequent destinations.
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