Posted Apr 7, 2010, by John Day
I can’t imagine that too many people relish the thought of running out of gas or, at some time in the future, when driving an electric vehicle (EV), running out of juice. “Range anxiety is the fear that the latter might happen, and Frost & Sullivan suggests that it can be mitigated with telematics. The less anxiety the better, I say.
Range anxiety remains the major challenge to be resolved to facilitate … Read More
Tags:
plug-in hybrid vehicles,
neighborhood electric vehicles,
Praveen Chandrasekar,
charging stations,
city electric vehicles,
battery electric vehicles,
Range Anxiety,
Hohm energy management application,
Microsoft,
Telematics,
Ford,
Frost & Sullivan
Posted Mar 12, 2010, by John Day
We form opinions quickly these days and increasingly we gravitate toward those who agree with us and tune out opposing arguments. It happens with political and social issues and it’s happening with Toyota as the company struggles to determine the cause(s) of unintended acceleration. Some have empathy while others delight in the company’s difficulties.
One problem with polarization is that details can … Read More
Tags:
GM,
GPS,
Ford,
Toyota,
Unintended Acceleration,
OnStar,
SYNC
Posted Feb 25, 2010, by John Day
I’m debating whether or not to get a smart phone. Do I really need one – or do I just want to have one? Well, either way, which one do I get? It’s not a simple decision, because the thing is going to have to last a couple of years, and the technology is advancing so quickly that no matter which phone I choose, there is likely to be a better one available before I’m out the door. That’s the way it is … Read More
Tags:
Qualcomm,
Mobile Media Interface Plus,
Smart Phone,
Ford,
Google Earth,
Audi a8,
UMTS Connectivity,
HOV Lane Routing,
Jim Buczkowski,
Wi-Fi Hotspot,
GSMA Mobile World Congress,
HD Radio
Posted Jan 7, 2010, by John Day
Readers of the New York Times were shocked – shocked – by a January 7 article headlined “Despite Risks, Internet Creeps Onto Car Dashboards.” Most of the nearly 500 Times readers who posted comments on the paper’s Web site voiced outrage that the automotive industry, in its greed and stupidity (paraphrasing here), would have the audacity to offer such disastrous wares when so much attention is already … Read More
Tags:
Distracted Driving,
Ford,
Audi,
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood,
Infotainment,
New York Times
Posted Dec 21, 2009, by John Day
Ford has its eye on millennials – born between 1979 and 1995 – because there are so many of them. It launched its voice-activated SYNC system on the Focus, rather than on a costlier vehicle, and its research indicates that millennials’ Internet on-ramp of choice … Read More
Tags:
Ford,
SYNC,
Apple iPhone
Posted Nov 13, 2009, by John Day
Remember the Presidential debates a year or so ago? Or the race itself, for that matter. Think how much of the reporting focused on who won the last debate, or who was ahead in the race at the moment. Same with college football. We want to know who’s leading whom – even if we don’t have reliable metrics for determining the winner.
This desire to keep score came to mind when I thought about the recent … Read More
Tags:
4G,
Mercedes-Benz,
Toyota Prius,
Long Term Evolution,
Fiat,
Alcatel-Lucent,
Daimler,
Volkswagen,
LTE,
PSA Peugeot Citroën,
Infotainment,
Telematics Munich,
Microsoft Auto,
Ford,
QNX Software,
ng Connect Program,
QNX CAR,
Genivi Alliance
Posted Oct 20, 2009, by John Day
Electronics and software enable upwards of 80% of the innovative features that attract car buyers, according to Jim Buczkowski, Ford’s global director for electrical and electronics systems. Vehicles equipped with Ford’s Sync entertainment and communications system, for example, turn twice as fast on dealer lots as vehicles without the feature, and Buczkowski says that exposure to Sync doubles a prospect’s … Read More
Tags:
Ford,
Electric Power Steering Assist,
Ford Sync,
Automatic High Beam,
Rain-Sensing Wipers,
Rear-View Camera,
Automatic Park Assist,
Ford Taurus,
Cross Traffic Alert,
Forward Collision Warning,
EcoBoost,
MyKey,
Automotive Electronics,
Popular Mechanics,
Blind Spot Information System
Posted Sep 16, 2009, by John Day
I was leafing through a national magazine recently and noticed a two-page ad for the Ford Taurus. I stopped to read the copy, and was pleased to see radar-based active safety features among the vehicle’s options – right up there with SYNC hands-free communications, a 12-speaker audio system, and several other enticements.
I subsequently learned that Ford offers active safety - adaptive cruise control … Read More
Tags:
Mercury Milan,
Lincoln MKT,
Sony,
Chrysler,
Chrysler Town & Country,
Blind Spot Monitoring,
SYNC,
Lincoln MKS,
Taurus,
Dodge Grand Caravan,
Ford
Jim Martens
J VanDomelen
Nazita Saye
Michael Ford
Robin Bornoff
Dennis Brophy
Mike Jensen
Colin Walls
Tom Fitzpatrick
Max Clark
Patrick Carrier
Mark Laing
Travis Mikjaniec
Christopher Hallinan
Bernard Sutton