Vehicles are much safer now. Five-star crash test ratings are extremely common, but of course there are ways that cars could be even safer. CNN reports that Mercedes-Benz has come up with a concept car the Mercedes-Benz ESF that is supposedly the safest car that could become a norm in the near future.  The ESF has several ideas of how cars can be safer.

The first idea is a “braking bag” under the car.  There are sensors under the car and when the sensors detect that a crash is about to happen, the bag inflates which pushes a metal plate down onto the road to slow the car and help reduce impact.  Sounds good to me.

Another safety idea is an air bag inside the a metal beam in the car door.  If there is side impact, the air bag will inflate pushing the beam outward to help take the impact.  Another good thought.

Lights that will use infrared night vision to detect people or animals in the road and then shine lights directly on them to try to prevent a crash/accident. Good idea but seems like a stretch.

During a side impact, the outside seat bolster will push the driver or passenger inward, away from the door.  The last future safety idea that is a part of the Mercedes-Benz ESF is the belt bag.  These are air bags within the seat belts that will help prevent injuries. Ford Motor Co. will be using the belt bag is all of their 2011 Ford Explorer and Mercedes-Benz expects that it will have the belt bags on its cars within 5 years.

Isn’t it amazing the technology that just keeps improving for vehicles?  It’s crazy. Every time you buy a car, there will be some big technological improvement within a year, and to have safety technology improved is great!

Aftermarket wheels are always a huge hit for vehicle gurus.  People love them.  There is a downside though.  Now that the technology in vehicles is so much better, it’s hard to just buy new, bigger wheels without causing your tire pressure system to go crazy.   I read an article where someone bought 19 inch wheels and tires, but then needed to buy 17 inch wheels to put snow tires on.  The cost of all of those wheels and tires is just the beginning of his problems.  Now, the tire pressure monitoring system cannot recognize all of these different tires.  So, now he has to buy new tire sensors for these tires.  It’s at least $50 a sensor. In some cases, you may want to be aftermarket sensors, because they will be cheaper.  So, now your tire upgrade is probably approaching $800-$1000. Yikes. This is where you really have to think about making changes to your vehicles.  The technology hurts you.  Everything costs more and you can’t not buy the new sensors. Low tire pressure can majorly screw up your car as well as be unsafe. Check into these things before you spend the money to buy the aftermarket wheels then you can enjoy your aftermarket wheels and tires!!!

John Brown is an editor of roadabletimes.com, which is a website for database of flying cars.  He predicts that flying cars will not longer be a fantasy but actually a reality within the next 5 years…”a practical everyday flying car.”  When you think about this it seems ridiculous to me. We are trying to get electric cars and hybrids to become everyday use in the next 5 years, let alone flying cars.  Well I saw pictures and little descriptions of these 6 flying cars on msnbc.com that have slight potential to become more than a concept, and some of definitely more believable that there is a chance than others.

First instance, there is one that is called a Skycar and it is like a dune-buggy car that has a huge propeller on the rear and then a parasail for when you want to fly.  This Skycar actually made a successful trip from London to Timbuktu, Mali recently.  The car goes from 0 to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds, that’s good!  It also can drive a top speed of 140 mph.  When it flies, it can go 100 mph at top speed and if the engines were to fail midflight (hopefully not!) you can glide to safety with the parasail.  Skycars are on sale for about $80,000 and will be on sale starting later this year.  The Skycar seems like a pretty legit flying car, but where will you fly it?  I don’t know if doesn’t seem that practical to me.  I guess maybe I’d need more information.  If our society is having a hard time considering hybrids and electric cars, will people really buy these flying cars?  Especially for that price?  We’ll see.

I’m not privileged enough to have a car with the keyless cars, but there are 155 models this year that are offering an option of the keyless cars.  There were only 41 models with this available in 2006.  So in case you don’t know, the keyless cars work like this. You have to have a fob in your pocket or purse and as you approach the car your car doors will unlock and then you push a button to start your car and off you go.  Sounds easy and awesome, right?  i think so.

Well of course there are the skeptics and the problems with the keyless cars as their is with all new technology.  Not major problems or complaints, and probably in time their kinks will be ironed out.  One complaint by customers is that they are not sure what to do to turn off the car in an emergency.  Some models have your hold down the button, others must press the button 2-3 times.  There is no consistency with these keyless cars. Safety groups are trying to get Congress to have federal regulations put on these cars so that all of the procedures are the same.  This would make it easier for people, especially if these keyless cars become the norm.  That way if people were borrowing a car or renting a car, they would know exactly how the fob/car works without a key.  I love the idea of keyless cars and expect that this technology will become the norm before we know it.  Then I’ll be cool like the keyless car customers are.  Maybe not too, but I’ll try.

Do you have a fancy new car or are planning on getting one soon?  Well, you may very well have an opportunity to have some seriously cool technology in your dashboard, and yet another distraction while you are driving. Some vehicles will have 10 inch screens with availability to the web, 3-D maps, and high-def videos. You can even watch a movie…..all while driving!  Great!  Well, supposedly you will not be able to access some of the technology while your car is actually in motion, but still.  Sounds great but how can having a video screen and access to everything under the sun be good while you drive.  I understand that the automakers will limit some things, but there has to be something else.  More distractions cannot continue to happen while we are driving. Texting, talking, surfing the web……what’s next?  I know some of you probably think I sound like some little nerd that is prim and proper all the time. Not true. I like to follow the rules, but with these distractions it is hard to follow the rules all the time!  Too much other good stuff going on!!!

I think it’s kindof sad that I am writing about this today. I guess sad is not the right word.  I just can’t believe that there is now new computer software, DriveSafe.ly, that will read incoming text messages aloud, which of course then allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road. Crazy!  First of all, it’s against the law to text message while driving, but then again that doesn’t necessarily stop people from doing it, so I guess that’s why I am writing about this. In today’s society, we need a computer software that will allow people to get their text messages read to them while driving. They NEED to have access to the texts.  Anyways, then the software will send a message back to the person with a pre-recorded message of the driver’s choice such as “Hey, I’m driving, txt u later.”  It’s even got the text language as well!  

There are also some applications out there that will let you know when you are speeding or a voice will warn you that you are approaching a red-light camera, speed traps, school zone, or something else that might catch you up while you are driving. This software system is called PhantomALERT.  This system is like a radar detector but supposedly better.  You should never get a speeding ticket again…at least that’s their motto.   

I don’t know all of this seems kindof crazy to me. Just turn off your cell phone or use a bluetooth or handsfree headset. I’m not naive, I know that we are a mobile-device addicted nation. I get it because I am as well, so we’ll see how successful these computer software programs become as they become available across the country.  I’m sure they won’t be cheap.

I found an article on autoweek.com that talks about a study done in July by DriverSide.com and Kelton Research.  The survey found that even though 90% of Americans think that they do everything right to keep their cars in great shape, they don’t at all. Actually according to the survey, only 41% of those that responded followed the scheduled maintenance plan from the manufacturer, 31% waxed their cars regularly (geez that truly seems high to me), and only 16% actually repaired dents and scratches in a timely fashion.  Cracks in windshields and warning lights that go on in people’s cars were ignored quite often.  The moral of the story is that people don’t do anything with their cars until there is a problem. 

My neighbor is one of the 41% that always does the scheduled maintenance AND actually washes and waxes his cars often too, and maybe that’s why both of their cars have over 100,000 miles on them and you would never be able to tell. Anyways, driverside.com has added a diagnostic tool to their website to help the majority of us. It helps you to figure out the cause of the problem with your car and sometimes can even give you a how-to to fix the car yourself.  If not, you can ask one of their mechanics a question online. This diagnostic tool was just launched this week and is free…..yes I said FREE.  Actually when I just went and checked out the website, I signed up and added my car to “my garage” on the website to keep track on maintenance. Great idea, so pass the word on! 

Did you ever wonder and consider trying to run your vehicle on wood and not gas?  Well if you did, good for you to be so environmentally friendly but the majority of us just go to the gas station and fill up our tanks and call it a day. Well, a man in Connecticut, Dave Nichols, is currently running his 1989 Ford F-150 pickup truck on wood, leaves, cardboard, and other ”biomass” material that gives off virually no pollution.  This process is actually called gasification.  Gasification could also heat and power homes. There are a lot of possibilities for this, but according to Nichols and others is very “easy to achieve.”  Nichols’ truck seems to work like any other truck that can reach 40 mph and above on local roads and go 80 mph on the highway.  The big and very noticeable difference is that right behind the rear window there is something that looks like a wood stove. It’s actually a metal barrel. Gas is captured from the barrel and then a vacuum system sucks it through piping that runs under the truck to the engine.  Nichols says that he has driven 10,000 miles without gas including a 600 mile trip with 400 lbs of wood in the back.  A pound of wood will fuel his truck for 1 to 2 miles, which equals out to costing about 8 cents per mile to fuel compared to 19 cents per mile if you used regular gas.  Nichols is trying to perfect the fuel system and according to him he is close.  He says that an electronic system that would allow drivers to push a button instead of having to use a propane torch to start it is the final part needed.  Nichols started a company called 21st Century Motor Works to work on his gasification system. 

Of course there is always a downside. Larry Baxter, a chemical engineering professor at Brigham Young University says that there are two problems. One is that the gasification process can produce materials that can damage engines and the other problem is that it’s impractical to load up your car or truck with pounds of wood and other materials to drive.  Nichols disagrees with the first problem saying that he’s found a way to produce a clean-burning fuel that would save people thousands of dollars to fuel their cars and heat their homes.  I guess time will tell if this company or others can get the gasification process perfected and who knows maybe soon all of us will be using wood to run our vehicles and not gas! Alright, that’s far-fetched, but fun to think about!

I thought I’d get everyone up to speed on the auto news from the last few days.

For starters, new details on the 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost were released today.

www.lincah.com

The new Rolls-Royce Ghost that is due out the middle of next year is a nice looking vehicle.  It has unbelievable power with a 6.6-liter, turbocharged V-12 engine that puts out 563 horsepower and 575 lb ft torque.  The top speed is 155 miles per hour and the Rolls-Royce Ghost can get from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds.  This “smaller, entry-level model will share a platform with the new BMW 7 series.  It has an 8 speed automatic transmission.  The starting price will be somewhere in the low $300,000. A bargain!

More news.  Toyota has announced today that it is no longer profitable in the United States. Toyota has been extremely successful in the last several years in the U.S., but Toyota actually had a full year of operating loss. Not good for the auto industry. They are considering closing a warehouse in California.

The revival plans of the Aston Martin Lagonda, which was introduced at the Geneva Auto Show, have been put on hold and there is a good possibility that the project will be cancelled. 

Mercedes-Benz has done well with their fuel economy on their E-Class Sedans for Europe.  The diesels are getting 45 miles per gallon on average and the gas is getting 33 miles per gallon, which obviously is a lot less but has more power with 184 horsepower and a top speed of 144 mph, compared to the diesel of 136 horsepower and top speed of 130 mph.

And last but not least, General Motors has introduced “Remote Ignition Block” through OnStar.  A few years ago, GM introduced “Stolen Vehicle Slowdown” which would allow OnStar operators to remotely slow down the engine power of a stolen car at the request of police. Well, now they have outdone that with the Remote Ignition Block.  The OnStar operator can remotely access the vehicle’s computer and disable certain functions such as locking the vehicle’s ignition, so once the car is turned off it cannot be restarted.  This would help find stolen vehicles quicker, since the car cannot go anywhere after its turned off, and also hopefully help to prevent high speed chases.

So, there you have it. Alittle car information for your reading pleasure!

Have any of you heard about the new idea of pay-as-you-go car insurance that is being thrown around in California?  Well, it’s true. I found an article on autoweek.com that says that California is seriously considering doing this and as early as November.  What would happen would be that you could buy insurance coverage by the mile.  This way the consumer could just pay for the insurance that they use and save money.  Another thought of lawmakers is that people would drive less, therefore there would be less emissions, which equals healthier air, etc. 

So, how it works is that you can prepay for a specific number of miles. You could buy a blocks of miles for a certain amount of time, if you need more you can buy them.  There will be discounts available to you if you use this new insurance option.  Part of the plan can be that you report your miles to the insurance company and their insurance agent or repair shop will check your odometer. 

This pay-as-you-go insurance option is definitely not worthwhile for the commuter with a lengthy commute or people that drive a great deal one week and then not so much the next. It would be too hard for these consumers and probably cost them a lot more.  I guess it’s a good idea if it truly works out like California is hoping that it does. I don’t know if people will truly drive less to save some money.  I’m sure there are some people that will do that, but a great number of them?  I don’t know. I know I probably wouldn’t.  I don’t love to drive now, I do it when I have to, therefore nothing would change for me with this new pay-as-you-go insurance.  But that’s just me, I’ll be interested to see if it does begin in November, and how many people choose to go this route.