A new crash test program from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety aims to ensure that manufacturers pay attention to the safety of front passengers as well as drivers.
The test was developed after it became clear that some manufacturers were giving short shrift to the right side of the vehicle when it comes to small overlap front crash protection. A good or acceptable passenger-side rating will be required to qualify for the Institute’s 2018 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award.
The first test group in the passenger-side small overlap front test program did better overall than vehicles IIHS previously evaluated for research. Ten out of 13 midsize cars tested earn a good rating, while one is acceptable and two earn a marginal rating.
In contrast with a group of 2014-16 model small SUVs tested for research, none of the 2017-18 midsize cars had a poor or marginal structural rating. Instead, the biggest problem in the new group was inconsistent airbag protection in five cars, which would put passengers’ heads at risk.
Johnson Controls, a global multi-industrial company, is constantly focusing on improving the future of car seating. Thinking ahead, Johnson Controls will present its seating demonstrator vehicle SD15 to customers and media at the 66th Frankfurt Autoshow. The SD15 features a simulated vehicle environment with a focus on first- and second-row seating while addressing the three automotive megatrends from a seating perspective: autonomous driving, lightweight, and increasing customer demands towards individualization and style for future urban mobility.
Furthermore, the stylish ink jet printed seat covers of the SD15 show what Johnson Controls can do in terms of individualization. The weight and space saving multi-material seats padded with highly ergonomic foam parts pave the way towards the demands of lightweight design. Many SD15 features support the megatrend of autonomous driving in the future “multi-talented” vehicle seat.
The SD15’s front row features a power driver seat mounted to a curved track, eliminating the need for separate and complex mechanisms found in conventional seat arrangements. The seat offers a control console mounted directly to the seat structure that moves conveniently with the occupant, instead of being fixed between the seats which offers wireless charging options for mobile devices.
To view the multimedia release visit:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7592351-johnson-controls-new-SD15-seating-vehicle/
Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry, today announces the winners of the 2015 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards, honoring the top new model year vehicle choices available in the U.S. market. The 2015 Ford F-150 is named Kelley Blue Book's Overall Best Buy of 2015, alongside Best Buy Award winners in 12 major vehicle categories.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7297831-kelley-blue-book-2015-best-buy-awards/
With its roads and freeways as the foundation of driving adventures encompassing sunny surf-side beaches, rugged snow-covered mountains, starkly beautiful deserts and a wide variety of other destinations, Kia Motors America (KMA) chose Los Angeles for the North American debut of the all-new 2016 Sorento CUV.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7078359-2016-kia-sorento-north-america-debut-la-auto-show/
2017 Long range Renault Zoe EV A practical winner First Drive, That's because Renault has managed to increase the Zoe's range with an impressive 41-kWh battery, called the R90, that gives an official NEDC range of 403 kilometers (250 miles). Sure, the NEDC range is a optimistic fiction concocted by European regulators – something that even Renault admits – but the new Zoe's real-world range should be around 200 km (124 miles) in the winter and 300 km (186 miles) in the summer. Compared to the first-gen Zoe's 250 km (155 mile) NEDC range, this is a tremendous improvement.
First experience in the prototype Tesla Model 3 $35,000 electric car. This is the dual-motor version - the entry level car will be single-motor, RWD.
More details at http://www.slashgear.com/tags/tesla
Three out of seven large pickup trucks evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in a new round of crash tests earn an acceptable or higher rating for occupant protection in a small overlap front crash.
IIHS evaluated two body styles of each 2016 model-year pickup — crew cab and extended cab. Crew cabs have four full doors and two full rows of seating. Extended cabs have two full front doors, two smaller rear doors and compact second-row seats.
IIHS last year decided it would test the two most popular variants of large pickups instead of just one after discovering that the Ford F-150 extended cab lacked structural countermeasures that helped the crew cab earn the top rating of good in the small overlap test. The test replicates what happens when a vehicle runs off the road and hits a tree or pole or clips another vehicle that has crossed the center line.
Ford improved the 2016 model F-150 SuperCab to clinch a good rating in the small overlap crash test, up from the 2015 model’s marginal rating. The F-150 is the only large pickup in the latest test group to earn the Institute’s top rating in the test. It joins the F-150 SuperCrew in earning a 2016 TOP SAFETY PICK award when equipped with Ford’s optional basic-rated forward collision warning system.
Vehicles that earn a basic rating for front crash prevention plus good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK. To qualify for 2016 TOP SAFETY PICK+, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the five crashworthiness tests and an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention.
For six weeks this spring, America’s PrepareAthon! and other preparedness partners will focus on different hazards and provide simple actions that people and communities should take to prepare for each particular hazard.
This sixth week highlights extreme heat. Individuals, communities, businesses, schools, and houses of worship around the country are holding preparedness discussions, conducting drills, and taking specific steps to prepare for extreme heat.
America’s PrepareAthon!SM is a grassroots, community-based campaign for action to get families, organizations, and entire communities better prepared for extreme heat and other emergencies.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7770531-fema-national-prepareathon/
Suning Commerce Group, a Fortune Global 500 company owned by Suning Holdings Group (“Suning” or “the Group”), has put its Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) warehouse into service in Fengxian District, Shanghai, boosting its capabilities in the field of smart logistics.
Equipped with 200 robots that carry selected items and move smoothly through stocking shelves, Suning’s AGV warehouse in Shanghai has been first used to meet the substantially increasing needs of logistics during the 11/11 Shopping Festival. The warehouse performs the task more efficiently by providing a “goods-to-people” solution instead of the traditional "people-to-goods" model. The facility is expected to be the largest automated warehousing system in China when put to full-scale operation with total 1,000 robots in 2018.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8232151-suning-automated-guided-vehicle-warehouse/
