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.
Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has announced that it will introduce Skype for Business, Microsoft’s leading collaborative productivity app, to its new 90 Series cars. Volvo Cars is the first carmaker to launch such an in-car productivity tool.
“We’ve all been there. Sitting in the car trying to join a conference call. You either fumble with or drop your phone while trying to connect or you forget the long pin code to join. It’s not the best way to start an important call in the car. On top of all that your attention is not where it should be – on the road. With the addition of Skype for Business all that goes away,” said Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz Vice President Consumer Connectivity Services at Volvo Car Group.
Skype for Business is actively used by millions of people at work around the globe. In Volvo’s 90 Series cars people will be able to view their upcoming meetings and participant details, and join meetings with one click via the large centre display.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8010151-volvo-cars-adds-skype-business-90-series/
With lower fuel cost and less emissions, many automakers and fleets are turning to compressed natural gas (CNG) as a vehicle fuel. Even though the fuel has been used in this capacity for decades, increasing prices of gasoline and growing concern for the environment has reignited interest. In this video we talk with Kathryn Clay, the executive director of the Drive Natural Gas Initiative, and Stephe Yborra, the director of market development at NGV America, about the growth, development and future of CNG in America.
Volvo Cars presents a unique, complete system solution that makes it possible to integrate self-driving cars into real traffic – with ordinary people in the driver’s seat.
“We are entering uncharted territory in the field of autonomous driving,” says Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development of Volvo Car Group. “Taking the exciting step to a public pilot, with the ambition to enable ordinary people to sit behind the wheel in normal traffic on public roads, has never been done before.”
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7443851-volvo-first-self-driving-car-system/
This video explains how much flexibility you can gain with solar plug in recharging stations. You can even earn money by selling the elecricity you have bought for a cheap price at times when electricity prices are higher.
The vehicles deemed the 16 Best Family Cars of 2016 were announced today by Kelley Blue Book, www.kbb.com, the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. After extensive testing and evaluation, with a keen focus on safety, comfort, convenience, spaciousness for both passengers and cargo, and fit of various rear-facing and forward-facing child safety car seats, the KBB.com expert editors recommend their choices for a diverse group of vehicles that best meet the needs of today’s modern families.
“For two weeks’ time we drove, lived-with, folded-down-seats-of, paired-phones-to and installed-baby-seats-in each and every one of the contenders,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst of Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. “We loaded cargo, contorted ourselves into third rows, watched movies on rear-seat screens, toted rowing teams to marinas – in short, we did everything that you and your family might do with a vehicle day-to-day. And we did all this with a certain sense of what a family needs and wants, since many of our testers are simultaneously parents of kids ranging from mid-twenties to newborn. So this wasn’t just a cursory exercise, but instead it drew heavily upon our family-car experiences, needs and wants.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7748351-kelley-blue-book-best-family-cars-2016/
Quadriplegic former IndyCar driver and current team owner Sam Schmidt completed the bottom half of the challenging, high-altitude Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb yesterday in the Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW) Semi-Autonomous Motorcar (SAM car).
Schmidt, who was paralyzed from the neck down in a crash during an IndyCar practice lap in 2000, is able to steer, accelerate and brake the modified 2016 Corvette Z06 SAM car using only his head. Sensors mounted on an Arrow-designed high-tech headset that Schmidt wears connect to infrared cameras mounted on the dashboard and detect his head-tilt motions to steer. A sip-and-puff device that Smith breathes into enables him to accelerate and brake.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is warning drivers to take their keys and lock their vehicles, or risk becoming a statistic. Some 45,000 drivers last year admitted that they had left their keys in the car when it was stolen.
“This may sound like a broken record,” said NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle. “But the simple fact is, too many people make it easy for car thieves. We repeatedly warn motorists to lock it up and take the keys, but our research shows that in too many cases, that’s not happening. Today’s vehicles have excellent anti-theft systems, but they don’t work if you don’t use them.”
The new PSA, “If Only Cars Could Talk,” uses animated cars to drive home the point that a thoughtless driver may regret the decision to leave the car unlocked with the keys inside because they are only making a quick stop.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7523154-nicb-psa-warns-of-car-and-cargo-theft/
At the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show today, Kia Motors America (KMA) introduced a better way to roll with the world debut of the all-new 2020 Soul, a completely new yet familiar version of Kia's beloved and award-winning urban runabout. Taking everything that helped popularize the quirky, unconventionally styled subcompact, Kia Motors poured more of its soul into nearly every inch of the vehicle, resulting in a third-generation that continues to transcend unmatched style, peppy performance, thrilling technology, and urban practicality.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/82460510-2020-kia-soul-los-angeles-auto-show/
Volvo Cars, the premium car maker best known for its leadership in safety, has teamed up with three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and artist Barbara Davidson for a world-first - using the on-board safety cameras of the new Volvo XC60 to create a special collection of photographs.
This is the first time ever that a car is used as a camera by a photographer. Davidson’s collection of around 30 photographs, taken through the lenses of the XC60’s on-board safety cameras, captures life on the streets of the Danish capital Copenhagen from a completely fresh perspective.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8129151-volvo-cars-exhibition-life-city-xc60/
