Protecting Your Ride

Since we’re in the height of graduation season, many graduates will be receiving new cars, or renting cars for special graduation events. If you know someone receiving something along these lines, a car cover is the perfect accessory for keeping this gift looking new for a lasting time. Empire Covers offers a multitude of covers for almost any vehicle, including truck covers, and any kind of protection.Reward your graduate with the gift of coverage to keep their gift looking as new as it is now for years to come.

The auto industry is constantly making changes to accommodate the current consumer. For example, the Chevy Equinox has been modified for the female driver. Chevy has adapted with concave door panels so women do not knock their rings while using the lock and window controls. Also, they have made the center console large enough to fit a purse. The safety features they have employed is to advocate for the high-heel wearers. This is in an effort to make driving safer. Women now have an angled accelerator pedal in the Equinox to make it easier to drive while wearing heels. The new angle of the pedal will also take strain off the driver’s ankle making driving more comfortable all around.

Autonomous vehicles are the future of the automobile industry. Research and development has been conducted consistently for years and test models have proven to be successful. There are a series of lasers installed to retrieve information several times a second to communicate with the navigation system which determines when the road bends or if there is an object in the road that needs to be avoided. A successful test model was developed in 2007 and it has not had any mishaps during test drives. Automotive companies and consumers are still skeptical of the idea of autonomous vehicles though.

Similar tools have been incorporated with modern day vehicles; like automatic braking and parking, and warning sounds when objects get too close. With safe driving features like these, accidents can be avoided. This type of invention is still in the testing stage and is not in a rush to go on the market. The reason for this – in the event of an accident, blame would be placed on the vehicle and its manufacturer instead of the driver’s errors.

A group of West Philadelphia High School students have impressed us all with their hybrid sports car they built themselves. This hand full of dedicated students are a part of the high school’s Academy of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering (AAME). Over the past several years they have won numerous awards for the hybrid vehicles they have fabricated. This elite group of students has entered competitions where they are competing against large automotive corporations and colleges. Being able to compete at this level is a great accomplishment and the team of students deserves a lot of credit. They have chosen the high road and have dedicated themselves to learning instead of the influences of rough West Philadelphia.

They have created an affordable hybrid vehicle that gives us a good look at what the public may be driving in just a few short years. These kids are currently awaiting the results for the latest contest they have entered, the Progressive Automotive X Prize. There are a number of contests they have won in the past, beating out MIT and major automotive companies, these wins have had large monetary rewards to fund this positive program. These rewards and the recognition keep the students motivated to excel in mechanical engineering.

Ecotec engines have four-cylinders and the technology used is extremely revolutionary. Fuel efficiency is all the rage with the scarcity of our fossil fuels and this product will meet the mark. This new technology is going to reduce the amount of fuel utilized and emissions. In addition, these engines will be designed to last longer without as much regular maintenance required.

GM is investing almost $500 million towards production. New technology yields new jobs and this particular project will require 550 new positions to be filled. They are going to be expanding in three different US plants; upgrading the general warehouse, new machinery, and tools. With this kind of expansion the economy will definitely feel from relief with this new engine and all it entails.

Plug-In hybrid vehicles are eco-friendly and practical, with this new technology car drivers will also be considered environmentally friendly. Normally, these new model cars can get around 50 miles on just one battery charge. The good thing is that if you are traveling a long distance and do not have time to stop and charge up, it also runs on gasoline. Specifically the Kia Ray, a new hybrid not yet on the market, has incorporated a material designed to reflect heat and sun to limit use of air conditioning which will decrease emissions and battery/gasoline use. With these revolutionary designs hybrid cars will take over the auto industry.

With the 2010 North American Auto Show touring around now I feel like it’s appropriate for me to discuss my favorite concept car ever—the Jeep Hurricane. The Hurricane was unveiled in 2005 at the Detroit Auto Show.

As you can see from the images of the Hurricane, it has a very unique four-wheel steering system. This steering system allows the vehicle to move sideways, or even in circles. As badly as you may want to own one of these—they’re unfortunately not expected to be put into production. The concept car was not a complete waste for Daimler-Chrysler though, many patents were secured during the development of the Jeep Hurricane.

Tata Motors Company took the car covers off and revealed the world’s cheapest car! This car in know as the Nano (The People’s Car) and is being launched in India. This car continues to make headlines in both directions. While providing India with transportation costing only around $2,200 it could help move the country forward. On the other hand the safety of these vehicles is being criticized. Only time will tell if the comparison’s to Henry Ford’s Model T holds true for the Nano and Tata Motors Company as a whole.

To learn more about the Nano and Tata Motors, visit them online at http://www.tatamotors.com .