Category: Auto Industry

Reevu motorcycle helmet is first to feature head-up display

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Motorcycle

Reevu Intelligent Helmet

Reevu, that company that makes those nifty helmets with the built-in rear viewers has another innovation for those of the two-wheeled persuasion. Expanding on the idea of a rear viewer, Reevu seems to have integrated a display into the top of the visor.

The system projects information, according to the images, ranging from turn-by-turn directions to speed to lap times. We’ll admit, the information provided is quite thin. The helmet manufacturer apparently uses something called a multiple reflective optical system to display the information, claiming it won’t strain the eyes or cause distraction for the driver.

Limited info aside, the potential of an in-helmet head-up display is huge for people on two and four wheels. The same concepts that make this appealing for bikers would make it a must-have for any serious track enthusiast. Drivers could get everything from lap times and sector splits to emergency warnings if oil pressure were to drop. You can bet we’ll follow this one closely. Scroll down below for the press release.

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Reevu motorcycle helmet is first to feature head-up display originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jul 2013 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Ford dinged by OSHA for asbestos at Buffalo plant

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Safety, Ford

Ford has come under fire from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for violations regarding asbestos exposure in a company metal stamping plant in Buffalo, NY. OSHA has cited Ford for eight violations in total, according to an Automotive News report, and faces fines of up to $41,800. 537 workers are employed at the stamping facility.

The violations include a pipefitter at the facility being exposed to asbestos-containing material while working on a steam line, other workers exposed to the material without respiratory protection and work areas that were not designed to limited the number of workers in contact with asbestos. Further, areas in which asbestos was present were not properly restricted, and levels of asbestos in the air were not monitored.

According to an unnamed Ford spokesperson in the AN report, the company feels that the OSHA citation is erroneous saying, “We have fully cooperated with the local OSHA officials and we don’t believe the citations are warranted.” Ford also maintains that it will work with the authorities to resolve the issue.

Ford dinged by OSHA for asbestos at Buffalo plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jul 2013 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: More EU states may block Daimler cars as refrigerant battle heats up

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

The last time we checked in on the battle of refrigerants, France had enacted a registration ban on some Mercedes-Benz vehicles because their air-conditioning systems were loaded with R134a, which was found to be harmful to the environment by EU tests. Now, other EU states are considering banning the substance, according to Automotive News, as they push for a new refrigerant, R1234yf, to be used in new vehicles across the board.

EU testing has shown that the new chemical refrigerant, R1234yf, is safe to use in automobiles and less harmful to the environment than R134a. But after testing it independently, Daimler claimed that R1234yf could be the primary source of a vehicle fire in certain crash scenarios, if the pressurized refrigerant line broke and leaked onto the hot exhaust system. Germany, going against the EU ban, still allows vehicles with R134a to be sold within its borders.

In a meeting in Brussels with the EU’s Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles on Wednesday, representatives from the 28 member states discussed the issue and agreed that all vehicles sold within the EU must conform to the law. They stated vehicles that have already been sold with R134a must be withdrawn, just as France did by not allowing the registration of Mercedes-Benz A-class, B-class and SL cars built after June.

More talks between France and Germany will be organized to find a solution to the problem. But in the meantime, according to Automotive News, Daimler said that the vehicle ban in France alone could detract two percent from its global sales. Read the official EU press releases from the meeting in Brussels after the jump.

Continue reading More EU states may block Daimler cars as refrigerant battle heats up

More EU states may block Daimler cars as refrigerant battle heats up originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jul 2013 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Malcolm Bricklin documentary The Entrepreneur gets official trailer

Filed under: Videos, TV/Movies

Subaru 360s, Fiat X1/9s, and even an electric bicycle – Malcolm Bricklin has been involved in the sale of each of them. You can even thank him for the loathed Yugo, which he brought to the US.

Bricklin’s most recent adventure of note was bringing Cherys to the US market. That deal, which should have seen Chinese cars on US shores by 2007 fell through. Bricklin sued, claiming he lost money on start-up costs and for expected profits.

Now, there’s a documentary, five years in the making, on the Chery business. Directed and filmed by Bricklin’s son, Jonathan, The Entrepreneur follows the jet-setting executive to various meetings as he tries to secure funding and manufacturing contracts along with the internal discussions about the business itself.

The Entrepreneur is available on on-demand cable, iTunes, Hulu, and SnagFilms. Check out the trailer below.

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Malcolm Bricklin documentary The Entrepreneur gets official trailer originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: BMW working with Dainese to put airbags in motorcycle suits [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety, Technology, BMW, Motorcycle

BMW Motorrad racing suit jointly developed with Dainese features airbag protection.Addressing the safety concerns of its customers, BMW Motorrad is co-developing a rider suit with Dainese to feature something that’s much more common in automobiles: airbags.

Starting with Dainese’s D-air Protect System, which is made up of inflatable protectors that deploy in 15 milliseconds, the two companies will integrate the technology into a BMW Motorrad brand, one-piece racing suit, the DoubleR RaceAir. Later a different, street-oriented airbag system that can be retrofitted to bikes will be offered to Beemer riders.

The DoubleR RaceAir is expected to be presented at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan in November, after all required crash testing has been completed.

In addition to the new racing suit, BMW Motorrad and Dainese have agreed to long-term cooperation to develop more safety gear.

Having proper safety gear equipped while riding a motorcycle is crucial, but the rider is the most important piece of the safety puzzle, so ride safely! Scroll down for the press release and to watch a video of the D-air airbag system in action.

Continue reading BMW working with Dainese to put airbags in motorcycle suits [w/video]

BMW working with Dainese to put airbags in motorcycle suits [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2014 Chevy Impala nets five-star crash rating from NHTSA [w/video]

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Technology, Videos, Chevrolet

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala is officially a safe car, earning a five-star safety score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program.

GM General Director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness, Gay Kent, says that the 2014 Impala was “designed to provide excellent crash safety,” and there’s a long list of safety features to back up that statement, some of which are firsts for Chevrolet. Only a few years ago luxury brands, such as Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, were pioneers of radar-based safety technologies. Now the technology has trickled down to more affordable cars, such as the 2014 Impala, which also features traffic-sensing radar (a first for a Chevrolet), adaptive cruise control that adjusts vehicle speed and can stop it in gridlock traffic, crash-imminent braking, collision alerts and lane departure warning. The car also has a rear-mounted video camera paired with an ultrasonic system to help with parking, 10 airbags and the list goes on.

Of course, driver aides such as traction control, stability control and anti-lock brakes come standard on the Impala, too, as does OnStar, GM’s GPS-based service that will send an emergency call for help if it senses the vehicle was in a crash.

Scroll down to read the press release about the full range of safety features that earned it a five-star crash rating, and be sure to check out the video of the crash test below.

Continue reading 2014 Chevy Impala nets five-star crash rating from NHTSA [w/video]

2014 Chevy Impala nets five-star crash rating from NHTSA [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Ford sues Japanese wiring harness supplier over price fixing

Filed under: Government/Legal, Ford

The dirty secrets of the multibillion-dollar wiring harness industry are being uncovered bit by bit, as more suppliers are found to be connected to a global price-fixing scandal. Automotive News reports that Ford is now suing a Japanese supplier that admitted to fixing prices of wiring harness components in a previous criminal investigation.

The civil lawsuit was filed in US District Court in Detroit against Fujikura Ltd. and its Detroit subsidiary, Fujikura Automotive America, on Tuesday. The lawsuit claims that the aforementioned companies coordinated with other suppliers to fix the prices of wiring harnesses sold to Ford from January 2000 through at least February 2010. Fujikura agreed to pay a $20 million fine in the criminal investigation, and Ford is suing for triple the damages – as allowed by US law – on the $10 billion it spent on harnesses during the 10-year period, though it’s not known how much money Ford lost on them.

The wiring harness industry, in 2010, was a $26.9 billion business, and the size of the investigation into price fixing reflects this. In February, Scott Hammond, US deputy assistant attorney general, said the investigation into price fixing “has grown over time and is broader than what we’ve announced so far,” reports Automotive News.

Ford sues Japanese wiring harness supplier over price fixing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read This: Wired editor to live with EV bike for six months

Filed under: Motorcycle, Electric

2013 Zero DS ZF 11.4 electric motorcycle in yellow

Wired Autopia honcho and Autoblog alum Damon Lavrinc is finished with the internal combustion engine. And four wheels. And a closed cabin in which to commute. For the next six months, Lavrinc will be staring Range Anxiety right in its cold, dead (battery) eyes, while splitting lanes and commuting through San Francisco on a long-term-test 2013 Zero DS ZF 11.4 electric motorcycle.

In reality, the latest creation from Zero is probably about as good as it gets in terms of EV bikes to live with (not that riders are spoiled for choice in that segment). The electric motor kicks out 54 horsepower and 68 pound-feet of torque, so power won’t be an issue in the hilly Bay Area, and max range of 126 miles from the 11.4 kWh battery pack is more than reasonable.

Lavrinc isn’t so over-the-moon for Zero that he doesn’t see potential drawbacks to the arrangement: “Big ones,” he mentions, “Death, for example.” Which should all make for a very compelling series of real-world reviews. We suggest clicking through to Autopia to read Damon’s own explanation for beginning this adventure, listening to Autoblog Podcast #338 where he reveals his plans as a guest on our show, and following along with updates as the months unfold. We will be.

Wired editor to live with EV bike for six months originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Land Rover LR4 getting facelift and interior refresh

Filed under: Spy Photos, Land Rover, Luxury, Off-Road

Land Rover is preparing a slight freshening of the its seven-passenger, mid-range LR4 (known outside of North America as the Discovery 4). The LR4/Disco 4 is currently the second oldest model in the Land Rover range, besides the mostly forgotten LR2/Freelander, and while it’s still a competent entry, its age is beginning to show.

This refresh should allow it to soldier on until a replacement can be built, which logic would dictate is to be called LR5/Discovery 5. Until then, the current SUV gets the typical batch of headlight tweaks, along with a freshened front bumper. The side mirrors are new as well.

On the inside, we can also expect a long-awaited upgrade to the infotainment system. Jaguar and Land Rover have both struggled in this regard, so here’s hoping the new system offers an improvement.

The big news for the LR4 will come under its hood. Jaguar Land Rover as a whole has already phased out the excellent but thirsty 5.0-liter V8, with the only holdover being the supercharged variant. That means the V8 LR4 is not long for this world. Look for it to be replaced by the same supercharged, 3.0-liter V6 that’s offered as a base engine in the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. As with the Jaguar XF we tested, ZF’s eight-speed automatic would likely harness the V6’s power.

Expect to see a refreshed LR4, likely before the end of 2013.

Land Rover LR4 getting facelift and interior refresh originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Snake and Mongoose is this summer’s other motorsports movie

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, TV/Movies

Dragster on a run in Snake & Mongoose.

Rush is the Formula One epic that everyone in the auto industry is talking about, thanks to its A-list director and star actor (Ron Howard and Chris Hemsowrth, respectively). But just because Rush has Opie Taylor and Thor involved, doesn’t mean it’ll be the only racing movie of the year.

There’s another flick, and we’ve covered it before. It’s called Snake & Mongoose, and it’s about as far removed from F1 as possible. It’s theatrical trailer has just hit the internet, and we thought you’d like a look.

Starring Jesse Williams and Richard Blake, Snake & Mongoose tells the story of a pair of southern California drag racers that revolutionized the sport, both in terms of their rivalry and the way they marketed themselves. See that Hot Wheels dragster sitting on your desk? You can thank these two guys for it.

The production value doesn’t look quite as impressive as Rush, but the story looks every bit as gripping. Snake & Mongoose hits theaters on September 6. Click below for the full trailer.

Continue reading Snake and Mongoose is this summer’s other motorsports movie

Snake and Mongoose is this summer’s other motorsports movie originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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