CAR-LOG
Sunday, November 30, 2003
By sushrut
The sky car being developed by Moller International is the first attempt at actually developing a flying car that is affordable, easy to maintain and able to make the use of cars obsolete. The sky car at the moment is only able to hover. If it is actually perfected we will then have a new form of transport. There won’t be any time wasted in traffic or waiting at signals. We will be able to get from one point to another directly.
With the constant improvement in technology the prospects of a flying car actually being produced looks promising. Then once it is produced there is the problem of tackling with the general human behavior. The fear some people may have of traveling in it or trusting it not to crash or malfunction. The major concern for most people is safety. If Moller International is able to provide a full-proof safety system on the sky car we might witness a revolution in mass transportation.
The sky car being developed by Moller International is the first attempt at actually developing a flying car that is affordable, easy to maintain and able to make the use of cars obsolete. The sky car at the moment is only able to hover. If it is actually perfected we will then have a new form of transport. There won’t be any time wasted in traffic or waiting at signals. We will be able to get from one point to another directly.
With the constant improvement in technology the prospects of a flying car actually being produced looks promising. Then once it is produced there is the problem of tackling with the general human behavior. The fear some people may have of traveling in it or trusting it not to crash or malfunction. The major concern for most people is safety. If Moller International is able to provide a full-proof safety system on the sky car we might witness a revolution in mass transportation.
By ANk
Perhaps or rather certainly I'm late this week and apologise for the delay. This week, I'd like to talk about car safety measures. At the time that cars were created, they were considered to be "monsters" or "horseless-carts". Anyone who did not know how to drive a car could end up doing a lot of damage to himself/herself as well as others around him if that person were to sit behind the wheel. Car safety has thus always been an important issue. One of the most common thing used in car safety is the seat belt. The seat belt has now become a compulsory safety feature in cars and here in the US, it is required by law to be worn at least by the all passengers sitting in the front seats. A lot of research has been done on car safety and another tool used for protection from injuries during an accident is the air-bag. There have been various different crash tests and these have proved the importance and usefulness of air bags. Here are a few links to crash test videos and one can see for oneself how useful these videos are in evaluating the safety of a car -
1. Crash Tests Conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
2. Crash Test Video Vault
3. Exponent- Multimedia Crash Test Video
Note: some of the images may be disturbing so watch with caution.
Perhaps or rather certainly I'm late this week and apologise for the delay. This week, I'd like to talk about car safety measures. At the time that cars were created, they were considered to be "monsters" or "horseless-carts". Anyone who did not know how to drive a car could end up doing a lot of damage to himself/herself as well as others around him if that person were to sit behind the wheel. Car safety has thus always been an important issue. One of the most common thing used in car safety is the seat belt. The seat belt has now become a compulsory safety feature in cars and here in the US, it is required by law to be worn at least by the all passengers sitting in the front seats. A lot of research has been done on car safety and another tool used for protection from injuries during an accident is the air-bag. There have been various different crash tests and these have proved the importance and usefulness of air bags. Here are a few links to crash test videos and one can see for oneself how useful these videos are in evaluating the safety of a car -
1. Crash Tests Conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
2. Crash Test Video Vault
3. Exponent- Multimedia Crash Test Video
Note: some of the images may be disturbing so watch with caution.
By Richard
Here is an interesting site on Fuel Cells that contains a lot of information about them. For those of you who wish to read more about fuel cells, this site offers much about how they work, what they require to work, and how else they are being tested and applied into vehicles. I bring this up because fuel cells are incredibly efficient and put out no emissions. They offer the chance of a revolution in the car industry. Hybrid engines are not as revolutionary as fuel cells as they are only marginally more efficient for the price tag. Here is a site about these hybrids that contains information on how they work. These sites provide some insight into how these two engines work, their pros, cons, all relative to gasoline powered combustion engines, for those of us who are not completely familiar with their intricacies.
Here is an interesting site on Fuel Cells that contains a lot of information about them. For those of you who wish to read more about fuel cells, this site offers much about how they work, what they require to work, and how else they are being tested and applied into vehicles. I bring this up because fuel cells are incredibly efficient and put out no emissions. They offer the chance of a revolution in the car industry. Hybrid engines are not as revolutionary as fuel cells as they are only marginally more efficient for the price tag. Here is a site about these hybrids that contains information on how they work. These sites provide some insight into how these two engines work, their pros, cons, all relative to gasoline powered combustion engines, for those of us who are not completely familiar with their intricacies.
By Richard
As technology advances, people begin to expect newer and more innovative creations, especially cars. There are many reasons why not everyone still drives a car from the sixties, unlike myself. Cars today are safer, handle better, most are more affordable than ever, and they are generally more gas efficient. Lately, the gas issue has been addressed by a new type of car, the hybrid. These cars are the answers to the waste of fuel on gasoline engines, and the cost of electric cars. They run off of a hybrid gas electric car that saves gas. Unfortunately, these cars are still relatively expensive. For example, one would have to drive several thousand miles in a hybrid Honda Civic to save enough money on gas, rather than just buy a regular civic. This problem mainly arises due to the new technology put into these cars, even though they are gasoline engine driven, Honda Civics are very gas efficient. While there are very few hybrid cars out there, new ones are being built, for example, the Honda Imas, recently showcased in the Tokyo Auto Show. While hybrid cars do generally save gas, they are not the only substitute. Cars powered buy hydrogen fuel cells are also being designed. While these cars would need very little replenishment over long periods of time, the nature of the fuel causes it to be very expensive. While many new types cars are being introduced to the market, gasoline engines are far from being outdated, as they have come a long way from the leaded polluters of the thirties to the newer cleaner versions of today. It will be some time before hybrids, fuel cells, or gasoline engines take a distinct lead in today's race of better engines.
As technology advances, people begin to expect newer and more innovative creations, especially cars. There are many reasons why not everyone still drives a car from the sixties, unlike myself. Cars today are safer, handle better, most are more affordable than ever, and they are generally more gas efficient. Lately, the gas issue has been addressed by a new type of car, the hybrid. These cars are the answers to the waste of fuel on gasoline engines, and the cost of electric cars. They run off of a hybrid gas electric car that saves gas. Unfortunately, these cars are still relatively expensive. For example, one would have to drive several thousand miles in a hybrid Honda Civic to save enough money on gas, rather than just buy a regular civic. This problem mainly arises due to the new technology put into these cars, even though they are gasoline engine driven, Honda Civics are very gas efficient. While there are very few hybrid cars out there, new ones are being built, for example, the Honda Imas, recently showcased in the Tokyo Auto Show. While hybrid cars do generally save gas, they are not the only substitute. Cars powered buy hydrogen fuel cells are also being designed. While these cars would need very little replenishment over long periods of time, the nature of the fuel causes it to be very expensive. While many new types cars are being introduced to the market, gasoline engines are far from being outdated, as they have come a long way from the leaded polluters of the thirties to the newer cleaner versions of today. It will be some time before hybrids, fuel cells, or gasoline engines take a distinct lead in today's race of better engines.
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
By Kyle
The Detroit Project
There is an interesting up and coming group concerning fuel economy called The Detroit Project. Their goal is to convince domestic automakers to produce more fuel efficient cars, or even alternatively fueled cars. They believe that it creates too great of a dependence on foreign oil supplies which has lead to war in the past. The Detroit Project argues that the money spent on fuel for gas-guzzling automobiles like SUV’s eventually funnels down to terrorist groups in oil-producing countries. They make an effective impact on the reader by offering video clips of commercials concerning the relation between fuel economy and terrorism. An interesting commercial is one called “Dream”. It states that Detroit automakers have the ability to make a SUV attain 40 MPG, yet Detroit won’t build it. Other commercials call for the need of hybrid cars and for the decline of wasteful SUV’s. The majority of the Detroit Project’s essays tend to be narrative making multiple arguable points concerning the lack of persistence in decreasing foreign oil dependency.
The Detroit Project
There is an interesting up and coming group concerning fuel economy called The Detroit Project. Their goal is to convince domestic automakers to produce more fuel efficient cars, or even alternatively fueled cars. They believe that it creates too great of a dependence on foreign oil supplies which has lead to war in the past. The Detroit Project argues that the money spent on fuel for gas-guzzling automobiles like SUV’s eventually funnels down to terrorist groups in oil-producing countries. They make an effective impact on the reader by offering video clips of commercials concerning the relation between fuel economy and terrorism. An interesting commercial is one called “Dream”. It states that Detroit automakers have the ability to make a SUV attain 40 MPG, yet Detroit won’t build it. Other commercials call for the need of hybrid cars and for the decline of wasteful SUV’s. The majority of the Detroit Project’s essays tend to be narrative making multiple arguable points concerning the lack of persistence in decreasing foreign oil dependency.
Monday, November 17, 2003
By Kyle
Engine/Fuel Efficiency Comparison
In a time when gas prices are an everyday concern, larger automobiles and larger engines are becoming increasingly popular. In order to meet their fuel efficiency quotas, companies are offering a range of economy cars to counter balance their vehicles with large and often excessive engines. Japanese automakers have been developing gas-electric hybrid engines for years, which have recently been made available to the general public. However American companies are only showing interest now in the idea. Ford won’t even have a concept vehicle ready for a few years, let alone a production model. Increased engine displacement (or size) has been the general trend in new production automobiles. One reason is because many of the vehicles on the road are becoming larger and need the extra power in order to maintain performance. But on the other hand, larger engines are being introduced for pleasure reasons only. Take the new Audi S4 for example. The Audi A4 series comes standard with either a turbocharged 1.8L 4-cylinder engine or a naturally aspirated 3.0L 6-cylinder engine, both of which deliver adequate acceleration and performance. However Audi decided to include a 4.2L 8-cylinder engine into their S4 model. This is nearly a 150% displacement increase from their 3.0L model. In their defense however, they managed to maintain a 150% increase in horsepower (220HP with the 3.0L compared to 340HP with the 4.2L). While many companies increase engine size to gain more power, they often lose efficiency and fuel economy in the process. This is usually a common trait in domestic automobiles, whereas imports tend to be more efficient overall. Even though larger engines are staging a comeback, hybrids are also making a name for themselves. The new Honda Civic hybrid combines a gas-electric engine with its current body model to create an attractive offer for consumers. The Civic manages a combined average of 49 MPG, which is a major incentive since many current vehicles struggle to get 25 MPG.
Engine/Fuel Efficiency Comparison
In a time when gas prices are an everyday concern, larger automobiles and larger engines are becoming increasingly popular. In order to meet their fuel efficiency quotas, companies are offering a range of economy cars to counter balance their vehicles with large and often excessive engines. Japanese automakers have been developing gas-electric hybrid engines for years, which have recently been made available to the general public. However American companies are only showing interest now in the idea. Ford won’t even have a concept vehicle ready for a few years, let alone a production model. Increased engine displacement (or size) has been the general trend in new production automobiles. One reason is because many of the vehicles on the road are becoming larger and need the extra power in order to maintain performance. But on the other hand, larger engines are being introduced for pleasure reasons only. Take the new Audi S4 for example. The Audi A4 series comes standard with either a turbocharged 1.8L 4-cylinder engine or a naturally aspirated 3.0L 6-cylinder engine, both of which deliver adequate acceleration and performance. However Audi decided to include a 4.2L 8-cylinder engine into their S4 model. This is nearly a 150% displacement increase from their 3.0L model. In their defense however, they managed to maintain a 150% increase in horsepower (220HP with the 3.0L compared to 340HP with the 4.2L). While many companies increase engine size to gain more power, they often lose efficiency and fuel economy in the process. This is usually a common trait in domestic automobiles, whereas imports tend to be more efficient overall. Even though larger engines are staging a comeback, hybrids are also making a name for themselves. The new Honda Civic hybrid combines a gas-electric engine with its current body model to create an attractive offer for consumers. The Civic manages a combined average of 49 MPG, which is a major incentive since many current vehicles struggle to get 25 MPG.
By Matthew
The Case for Seat-Belt Laws
Most States have seat belt laws now but many still contest the laws as abridging their rights as Americans. The Article on Popular Mechanics website details the argument for mandatory seat belt laws. Primarily, not wearing a seat belt is stupid, period. Hitting a stationary object at 30 mph without wearing one makes your body a pinball in a machine with the steering column, dashboard and windshield acting as bumpers tallying up points for how many times your body can hit them. Study after study has shown that wearing a seat belt has infinitely more benefits than the cost of inconvenience. While drivers still respond that it is their right to basically play Russian Roulette on the road, their injuries require paramedics, ambulances and emergency rooms, all under tax payer expense. One who survives or even dies in an accident can cost the taxpayers millions of dollars. Furthermore, drivers without a seat belt tend to drive more recklessly and much more likely to lose control of a car during a collision, endangering the safety of the surrounding drivers. It has never been a right in America to endanger the lives of other people and cost taxpayer millions of dollars due to the lack of the simple action of wearing one's seat belt.
The Case for Seat-Belt Laws
Most States have seat belt laws now but many still contest the laws as abridging their rights as Americans. The Article on Popular Mechanics website details the argument for mandatory seat belt laws. Primarily, not wearing a seat belt is stupid, period. Hitting a stationary object at 30 mph without wearing one makes your body a pinball in a machine with the steering column, dashboard and windshield acting as bumpers tallying up points for how many times your body can hit them. Study after study has shown that wearing a seat belt has infinitely more benefits than the cost of inconvenience. While drivers still respond that it is their right to basically play Russian Roulette on the road, their injuries require paramedics, ambulances and emergency rooms, all under tax payer expense. One who survives or even dies in an accident can cost the taxpayers millions of dollars. Furthermore, drivers without a seat belt tend to drive more recklessly and much more likely to lose control of a car during a collision, endangering the safety of the surrounding drivers. It has never been a right in America to endanger the lives of other people and cost taxpayer millions of dollars due to the lack of the simple action of wearing one's seat belt.
Sunday, November 16, 2003
By sushrut
Cars over the years have undergone evolution; ever so often-automobile companies develop new features in their cars, which help to improve the driving or safety. Features like A.B.S, airbags and G.P.S just to name a few are commonplace in most cars.
What will the car of the future be like? Take this scenario as an example, a daily commute to work. I get to my car and place my thumb on a sensor on the door .I gets into my car and I tell it my desired destination. It decides the best route and it gives me directions. I get onto the free way and I put the car into automatic. While I let my car do all the driving I watch the news, which is projected onto my windshield and maybe even check my e-mail.
To far fetched is it? No actually it isn’t. The technology for the above is already here. Like all other inventions it will take time for people to accept it. The thought of your car actually controlling it self is scary to many people who like to be in control of things. Then there are the initial startup expenses that cause the use of such technology expensive.
The technology is here it just that we are not ready for it yet. There will soon come a day when all these will be standard on all automobiles.
Cars over the years have undergone evolution; ever so often-automobile companies develop new features in their cars, which help to improve the driving or safety. Features like A.B.S, airbags and G.P.S just to name a few are commonplace in most cars.
What will the car of the future be like? Take this scenario as an example, a daily commute to work. I get to my car and place my thumb on a sensor on the door .I gets into my car and I tell it my desired destination. It decides the best route and it gives me directions. I get onto the free way and I put the car into automatic. While I let my car do all the driving I watch the news, which is projected onto my windshield and maybe even check my e-mail.
To far fetched is it? No actually it isn’t. The technology for the above is already here. Like all other inventions it will take time for people to accept it. The thought of your car actually controlling it self is scary to many people who like to be in control of things. Then there are the initial startup expenses that cause the use of such technology expensive.
The technology is here it just that we are not ready for it yet. There will soon come a day when all these will be standard on all automobiles.
By ANk
As promised, this week, I will be talking about the "evolution" of cars. Cars these days are a lot different from what they used to be. This is not only from the exterior, but the engine as well has undergone several changes. Keeping in mind that some of the readers may not be knowing about the technical mumbo jumbo about cars (don't worry, I'm right there at the top of the list), I will not go into the details about these changes. Car's have become more fuel efficient and important factors for this change is the world wide awareness about energy conservation, value for money and concern for the environment. Todays cars give for mileage and cause less to the environment at the same time, than cars that were built in the early 19th century.
A new concept of virtually no pollution cars is coming up. Cars are being designed to run on things like solar energy, electricity, natural gases (like hydrogen fuel cells, liquid nitrogen) and believe it or not, even water! How cool would it be to have a car that runs on water! Cheap, practically av ailable almost everywhere (except probably the Sahara desert!) and the only pollution given off would be oxygen and hydrogen! However, these cars are extremely expensive and do not have the so called charisma to attract customers. The acceleration, horsepower and I guess the most important factor, top speed, not to mention mantainence. That is why, they haven't been so popular with the market.
For this reason, car manufacturers are at present working on the concept of a hybrid car. A hybrid car, popularly called hybrid, operates on two types of fuels; one is generally conventional fuel or gasoline, the other is a "no-pollution" fuel such as electricity, natural gas or solar energy. However, this concept is popular mainly with Japanese manufacturers. I feel that this concept is very important if we are to conserve our natural resources and protect our environment. We do not want a "Matrix" like scenario in our real world! Thus, I feel that this concept should be promoted by the public and adopted as a norm by car manufacturers until we find a way to harvest energy from a better, long lasting and environment friendly energy source.
As promised, this week, I will be talking about the "evolution" of cars. Cars these days are a lot different from what they used to be. This is not only from the exterior, but the engine as well has undergone several changes. Keeping in mind that some of the readers may not be knowing about the technical mumbo jumbo about cars (don't worry, I'm right there at the top of the list), I will not go into the details about these changes. Car's have become more fuel efficient and important factors for this change is the world wide awareness about energy conservation, value for money and concern for the environment. Todays cars give for mileage and cause less to the environment at the same time, than cars that were built in the early 19th century.
A new concept of virtually no pollution cars is coming up. Cars are being designed to run on things like solar energy, electricity, natural gases (like hydrogen fuel cells, liquid nitrogen) and believe it or not, even water! How cool would it be to have a car that runs on water! Cheap, practically av ailable almost everywhere (except probably the Sahara desert!) and the only pollution given off would be oxygen and hydrogen! However, these cars are extremely expensive and do not have the so called charisma to attract customers. The acceleration, horsepower and I guess the most important factor, top speed, not to mention mantainence. That is why, they haven't been so popular with the market.
For this reason, car manufacturers are at present working on the concept of a hybrid car. A hybrid car, popularly called hybrid, operates on two types of fuels; one is generally conventional fuel or gasoline, the other is a "no-pollution" fuel such as electricity, natural gas or solar energy. However, this concept is popular mainly with Japanese manufacturers. I feel that this concept is very important if we are to conserve our natural resources and protect our environment. We do not want a "Matrix" like scenario in our real world! Thus, I feel that this concept should be promoted by the public and adopted as a norm by car manufacturers until we find a way to harvest energy from a better, long lasting and environment friendly energy source.
Thursday, November 06, 2003
By Richard
Ever since the advent of the automobile, namely the car, our way of life has been evolving. We can go further faster than we could, and as technology got better, we could get around with more style. Cars with flair have been around for some time, however the most notable are probably the models from the '50s, with their flared fenders and unusual colors. Since then, many types of cars have existed. Today, we have sedans, trucks, sports, SUV's, luxuries, and many others. I'm going to concentrate on the luxury cars in this post. A couple years ago, a luxury car was defined by leather seats, wood trim, a comfortable ride, and a high price tag. Today, that is still true. More and more cars get the luxury label, and some of these vehicles stretch the limits of what defines a luxury car. For example, Hummer's new H2 model, is a luxury vehicle. It isn't a Mercedes, or a Bentley, and it definitely doesn't look like one. But it offers all the accessories that are associated with luxury such as the leather seats and comfortable ride. Trucks, the workhorses of our combustion driven economy, are now given the title of luxury vehicles. The Chevy Silverado with Denali package is one of the most luxuriant vehicles around. This truck rivals the comfort provided by traditional luxury cars. Not only are new types of cars being given the title of luxury, but the price of luxury is changing. Yes, the traditional Mercedes-Benz S430 is $73,000. The Bentleys are $350,000. But, you can buy a Hyundai Elantra GT for $16,000, and it has all the traditional requirements of a luxury car. It offers leather seats, a smooth ride, and wood trim (although its a substitute, it looks real enough) for an extra $225. Although the Elantra seems like a luxury car, Hyundai leaves that title to its XG350, which is $25,000. As you can see, today's cars are redefining traditional titles such as "luxury car". Generally, a car can be found to match any taste, want, or desire of any consumer.
Ever since the advent of the automobile, namely the car, our way of life has been evolving. We can go further faster than we could, and as technology got better, we could get around with more style. Cars with flair have been around for some time, however the most notable are probably the models from the '50s, with their flared fenders and unusual colors. Since then, many types of cars have existed. Today, we have sedans, trucks, sports, SUV's, luxuries, and many others. I'm going to concentrate on the luxury cars in this post. A couple years ago, a luxury car was defined by leather seats, wood trim, a comfortable ride, and a high price tag. Today, that is still true. More and more cars get the luxury label, and some of these vehicles stretch the limits of what defines a luxury car. For example, Hummer's new H2 model, is a luxury vehicle. It isn't a Mercedes, or a Bentley, and it definitely doesn't look like one. But it offers all the accessories that are associated with luxury such as the leather seats and comfortable ride. Trucks, the workhorses of our combustion driven economy, are now given the title of luxury vehicles. The Chevy Silverado with Denali package is one of the most luxuriant vehicles around. This truck rivals the comfort provided by traditional luxury cars. Not only are new types of cars being given the title of luxury, but the price of luxury is changing. Yes, the traditional Mercedes-Benz S430 is $73,000. The Bentleys are $350,000. But, you can buy a Hyundai Elantra GT for $16,000, and it has all the traditional requirements of a luxury car. It offers leather seats, a smooth ride, and wood trim (although its a substitute, it looks real enough) for an extra $225. Although the Elantra seems like a luxury car, Hyundai leaves that title to its XG350, which is $25,000. As you can see, today's cars are redefining traditional titles such as "luxury car". Generally, a car can be found to match any taste, want, or desire of any consumer.
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
By Matthew
Automobiles now present the over-powing, indispensable force of commuting in most cities around the U.S. and less so around the world. For the present time, the Internal Combustion Engine gives the best method for commuting people around, looking at both the relative efficiency compared to other types of engines and its superiority in flexibility compared to any other type of transportation. Primarily, considering the present engineering standards of the alternative fuel sources and engines, the internal combustion engine has the most well-tested and cheapest to manufacture engine available. Despite the advancements in solar receptors, solar power doesn't give the car enough energy in direct sunlight, much less enough energy to store and use at night. Indeed, nobody h really has hope for solar cars anymore. Electricals and hybrids definitely show promise and the engineering will come to a point where these engines will become very cost-efficient and marketable. However, the present technology doesn't allow for enough power for the cars and the increased fuel mileage comes at a steeply increased price. One article in "Car and Driver" pointed out that only after driving over 100000 miles would one make up the difference between the Civic hybrid and the normal Civic. I understand and sympathize with the pollution control viewpoint but if you compare cars of today with the muscle cars dominant decades ago, you will see why the pollution in many cities has decreased over the years without a switch to alternate engines or a heavy use of mass transit. Not to say that more work doesn't need to be done and I would concur that the government and the private sector need to push on towards reasonable and clean future.
Automobiles now present the over-powing, indispensable force of commuting in most cities around the U.S. and less so around the world. For the present time, the Internal Combustion Engine gives the best method for commuting people around, looking at both the relative efficiency compared to other types of engines and its superiority in flexibility compared to any other type of transportation. Primarily, considering the present engineering standards of the alternative fuel sources and engines, the internal combustion engine has the most well-tested and cheapest to manufacture engine available. Despite the advancements in solar receptors, solar power doesn't give the car enough energy in direct sunlight, much less enough energy to store and use at night. Indeed, nobody h really has hope for solar cars anymore. Electricals and hybrids definitely show promise and the engineering will come to a point where these engines will become very cost-efficient and marketable. However, the present technology doesn't allow for enough power for the cars and the increased fuel mileage comes at a steeply increased price. One article in "Car and Driver" pointed out that only after driving over 100000 miles would one make up the difference between the Civic hybrid and the normal Civic. I understand and sympathize with the pollution control viewpoint but if you compare cars of today with the muscle cars dominant decades ago, you will see why the pollution in many cities has decreased over the years without a switch to alternate engines or a heavy use of mass transit. Not to say that more work doesn't need to be done and I would concur that the government and the private sector need to push on towards reasonable and clean future.
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
By ANk
Automobiles are a huge boon to mankind. One cannot think about a world without automobiles. That is why, we have decided to discuss automobiles (cars more specifically) in our group blog.
Although I am almost a total zero when it comes to cars, engines etc, I will still try my best to discuss and comment as much as I can. The "buzz" word about today's cars is how they are evolving. How alternate fuels operated cars are now comnig on the front; how it will affect the energy and pollution scene.
Another thing about them is how they are getting better, faster, cheaper and more fuel efficient with lots of accessories. To write about the technical stuff would be beyond my capacity, but I can more easily describe in layman terms about cars. Thus in the weeks ahead, I will be focussing on evolution of cars, the ecological point of view about cars and also the social aspect and value of cars.
Automobiles are a huge boon to mankind. One cannot think about a world without automobiles. That is why, we have decided to discuss automobiles (cars more specifically) in our group blog.
Although I am almost a total zero when it comes to cars, engines etc, I will still try my best to discuss and comment as much as I can. The "buzz" word about today's cars is how they are evolving. How alternate fuels operated cars are now comnig on the front; how it will affect the energy and pollution scene.
Another thing about them is how they are getting better, faster, cheaper and more fuel efficient with lots of accessories. To write about the technical stuff would be beyond my capacity, but I can more easily describe in layman terms about cars. Thus in the weeks ahead, I will be focussing on evolution of cars, the ecological point of view about cars and also the social aspect and value of cars.
By sushrut
Our group decided to present a blog discussion on automobiles. We are going to discuss the modern methods of advertising, the latest technology involved and the general change in trends of consumer in purchasing different types of vehicles.
The types of cars being designed have changed vastly over the years and keep changing. From the great gas guzzlers of the 80’s to the hybrids we see now being developed. With the increase in pollution and the inflation in prices of gas people are beginning to get comfortable to the idea of using hybrid or even electric cars. These hybrid cars use the latest technologies in their engines. This is a good thing but increases the over all cost of the cars. Getting over this hurdle is one of the many problems faced by the cars of the future.
In my future entries I plan to discuss the advantages of these cars and the various incentives that are being put into place to help popularize them. I will also be discussing other car related issues.
Our group decided to present a blog discussion on automobiles. We are going to discuss the modern methods of advertising, the latest technology involved and the general change in trends of consumer in purchasing different types of vehicles.
The types of cars being designed have changed vastly over the years and keep changing. From the great gas guzzlers of the 80’s to the hybrids we see now being developed. With the increase in pollution and the inflation in prices of gas people are beginning to get comfortable to the idea of using hybrid or even electric cars. These hybrid cars use the latest technologies in their engines. This is a good thing but increases the over all cost of the cars. Getting over this hurdle is one of the many problems faced by the cars of the future.
In my future entries I plan to discuss the advantages of these cars and the various incentives that are being put into place to help popularize them. I will also be discussing other car related issues.
By Kyle
Automotive Introduction
For our group blog we decided to focus on automobiles, concentrating on their performance, fuel economy and overall efficiency. We will be discussing the excessiveness of larger engines. Large engines are now staging a comeback following their phase out during the 1970’s gas shortage. Although some engines are becoming more fuel efficient, many of the engines available today are increasing both in cylinders and displacement. The reason for this return to larger engines is because the public wants increasingly greater performance out of their vehicles. Another reason for larger engines is because of the escalating popularity of SUV’s and other heavier vehicles which require more power. On the other hand, many companies are developing hybrid vehicles in order to meet their fuel efficiency quota.
Automotive Introduction
For our group blog we decided to focus on automobiles, concentrating on their performance, fuel economy and overall efficiency. We will be discussing the excessiveness of larger engines. Large engines are now staging a comeback following their phase out during the 1970’s gas shortage. Although some engines are becoming more fuel efficient, many of the engines available today are increasing both in cylinders and displacement. The reason for this return to larger engines is because the public wants increasingly greater performance out of their vehicles. Another reason for larger engines is because of the escalating popularity of SUV’s and other heavier vehicles which require more power. On the other hand, many companies are developing hybrid vehicles in order to meet their fuel efficiency quota.
