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Voice of authority irritating

Her voice goes through me like fingernails on a chalkboard. She is bossy and demanding and my husband hangs on her every word. She is the robochick inside the GPS system in my husband’s truck. I had the pleasure of spending the weekend listening to her bark directions at us not long ago when we traveled to Northern California. Perhaps ... Read More »

CORN – FUEL OR FOOD?

Unlike gasoline, ethanol can be produced from domestic feedstocks, not imported petroleum. Besides being a renewable biofuel, it burns somewhat cleaner compared to gasoline. Critics say that the environmental benefits are nil and more important, the use of biofuels has to compete with use of the same feedstocks for food. As we are already experiencing, this means higher food prices ... Read More »

Ford EcoBoost – V8 Performance from a V6

Many wonder if the new CAFE standards calling for much higher fuel economy will mean the end of performance cars. Probably not. For example, Ford believes less expensive gasoline engines will still power the majority of vehicles for many more years. While developing hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, Ford is working more efficient gasoline engines with greatly improved fuel economy and reduced emissions without sacrificing performance. Read More »

Flying cars coming in the near future?

If driving on California's hectic freeways has frazzled your nerves to the point of near breakdown, and traveling by airplane makes your hair turn whiter than your knuckles, you'd better sit down for this one. Read More »

NASCAR Technology Could Protect Drivers

Accident damaged guardrails and sand barrels for crash protection along our highways could be a thing of the past. They could be replaced by new self-healing automotive crash-barriers. These barriers are made of a material that recaptures its original shape minutes after a crash. Read More »

V2V: Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication

A driver suddenly encounters a patch of black ice and skids or runs into a dense fog and slows down. The vehicle automatically transmits a warning to other vehicles, avoiding an accident. Or perhaps, an emergency vehicle is about to enter an intersection. The emergency vehicle alerts all drivers in the area to avoid a collision. Read More »

Technology Overview: Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles

As with other hybrids, a plug-in hybrid vehicle has the ability to run on either electricity or an internal combustion engine. Plug-in hybrids have a larger battery than the batteries of conventional hybrids that can be recharged by plugging into an appropriate outlet. Read More »