answers Archives | AutoDepot

Video: CarTube answers what happens when you add YouTube to cars

Filed under: Videos, Humor

Braly Political makes a video about what would happen if YouTube made apps for cars. Enter CarTube.

We’ve already found out what can happen to people when they drive while operating their cell phones, and it can be tragic. There are plenty of studies on distracted driving that show use of mobile devices while behind the wheel is both dangerous and increasingly commonplace, and the obvious solution, voice-controlled technology, might also be more dangerous than we thought.

But technology doesn’t slow down for anybody. With digital media devices becoming an inescapable part of our lives, YouTube applications have become so popular that the video service can be operated on almost anything with a screen. But there’s one frontier YouTube hasn’t conquered: the automobile. Could you imagine what would happen if we could watch videos on car windshields, or had a keyboards mounted to steering wheels? We’re glad Barely Political dared to imagine (but we hope YouTube doesn’t), and then made a hilariously creepy video about it for YouTube’s Geek Week called Introducing CarTube. All we ask is that this one stays in the idea box.

We won’t spoil the fun, so be sure to watch the video below – this one shouldn’t be missed!

Continue reading CarTube answers what happens when you add YouTube to cars

CarTube answers what happens when you add YouTube to cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: CarTube answers what happens when you add YouTube to cars”

Tesla answers questions about battery swap announcement

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Tesla Motors, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

Tesla battery swap

After last night’s initial public demo of the Tesla Model S battery swap, we attended a small press conference with Tesla CEO Elon Musk where he answered questions about the program. You can get the early details about the swap stations in our first post and then dive into our back and forth with Tesla, below. You can also scroll down to see a video of the battery swap process in action, if you’re more of a visual learner.

Question: Will owners need to make a reservation for a battery swap?

Answer: No reservations are needed. Each of the swap sites will be stocked with enough batteries to cover demand.

Question: How many battery packs will be available at each location?

Answer: That depends purely on how frequently the station is used. For the most part, expect a swap station to stock about 50 batteries. However, busy corridors will have more and less popular stations will have fewer. The quantity will basically align proportionally with the number of Supercharger units at the station.

Question: Are the batteries at the stations all brand-new?

Answer: They will be brand-new at first. But as owners use them, they will obviously have recharging cycles on them. Each will be monitored for optimal performance, so the customer won’t have to worry about that.

Question: How much does it cost to upgrade a charging station to allow battery swapping?

Answer: It costs about $500,000 per site, and that includes digging the pit, construction and hardware. The electrical capacity is already on site (supplying energy to the Superchargers).

Continue reading Tesla answers questions about battery swap announcement

Tesla answers questions about battery swap announcement originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Tesla answers questions about battery swap announcement”

Renault answers demand with Laguna Monaco GP edition

Filed under: Coupe, Europe, Renault

Renault Laguna Coupe Monaco GP

Renault Laguna Coupe Monaco GP – Click above for image gallery

A few months back, Renault launched a special edition of its Laguna coupe called the Monaco GP edition. Only 400 examples were earmarked for production, available exclusively in the automaker’s domestic market. They proved an instant hit, selling out in short order. To satisfy customers’ demand for more, Renault has announced a second run of the cars.

The Laguna Monaco GP starts off as Black Edition coupe and upgrades from there. The Pearlescent White body is offset by the black roof and black Interlagos 18-inch alloys, while the high-contrast treatment is continued inside the cabin. As shown above, customers can also opt for black paint for a more sinister look.

French buyers can also choose between two diesels at 150 or 175 horsepower, with an options list ranging from four-wheel steering to a Bose sound system. It’s a sleek-looking coupe, particularly in this treatment, even if the powertrains don’t exactly live up to the Monaco GP racing designation. Follow the jump for more details and check out the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Renault Laguna Coupe Monaco GP

[Source: Renault]

Continue reading Renault answers demand with Laguna Monaco GP edition

Renault answers demand with Laguna Monaco GP edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Apr 2011 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Renault answers demand with Laguna Monaco GP edition”

Graf Weckerle answers all questions with Comte Noir edition Ferrari 599

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Ferrari

Comte Noir Edition Ferrari 599

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Comte Noir by Graf Weckerle – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’re not saying we’re psychic or anything, but after years of bringing you the best – and the worst – from the automotive industry, we’re getting a bit of a handle on what you, our dedicated readers, are thinking. So here goes: you were thinking that what the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano really needed was a set of fleur-de-lis wheels.

Okay, so maybe we’re a little off. But those pentagram alloys on the original 599 didn’t do it any favors. And these? They take 20 days to build. They’re forged from aluminum and titanium and have a two-tone anthracite and black finish. But the Comte Noir (French for “black count”) edition Fiorano is about more than those fancy wheels.

German tuner Graf Weckerle has also upped the 6-liter V12’s output from 620 horsepower to a whopping 835. No word on exactly how they did that, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they turned to an experienced Ferrari tuner like Edo Competition or Novitec Rosso for assistance. They’ve also mounted a new coil-over suspension and adjustable shocks, and hopefully upgraded the brakes to go with the extra power. Otherwise those pretty flowery wheels won’t do you any good as the apex approaches.

Gallery: Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Comte Noir by Graf Weckerle

[Source: Graf Weckerle]

Graf Weckerle answers all questions with Comte Noir edition Ferrari 599 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Graf Weckerle answers all questions with Comte Noir edition Ferrari 599”

Chrysler’s Francois has a lot of answers for brands, but not yet for Chrysler

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, Fiat

In-flight wireless Internet access and e-mail is both a boon and a curse to Chrysler chief marketing officer Olivier Francois, who says he already works 20 hours a day running marketing for both Chrysler, as well as five of Fiat’s brands. His frequent flight time was his last refuge to write and think through other work on the nine brands he manages without endless meetings or putting out fires.

And his email can be intriguing. On Nov. 11, he was flying Delta from Detroit to San Francisco. In flight, he received an email from Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win advising him that Burmese pro-Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi would soon be released from prison in part, read the email, because of the public pressure Fiat had generated through an ad in Europe last year that went viral spotlighting her imprisonment.

Good news, to be sure. But the email meant that Olivier spent the rest of the flight dictating edits by email from 35,000 feet on another ad he ad he commissioned for the cause, shot in Hiroshima, Japan at the 11th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates only days before with the Dalai Lama climbing out of a Chrysler 300 (the 300 is not in evidence, but he shot it in case he wants to run the ad in the U.S.) The new ad, featuring Lancia vehicles, which broke this week on European TV and the Internet, had to be changed to celebrate the political dissident’s release (watch it after the jump).

Francois, a self-assured French-born executive whose job is running Fiat’s marketing, Chrysler’s marketing, as well as serving as CEO of all aspects of the Chrysler and Lancia business as CEO of those brands, appears supremely confident in every thing he touches. And that encompasses a lot: from selecting ad agencies – six in the last year – to actually writing ad copy, composing music for ads and chasing down celebrities he wants photographed next to his cars.

But there is one brand task that Olivier admits is starting to get the better of him: fixing the Chrysler brand messaging. “It is a wonderful brand with great American roots, but finding the idea to reintroduce it…very difficult,” says Olivier.

Continue reading Chrysler’s Francois has a lot of answers for brands, but not yet for Chrysler

Chrysler’s Francois has a lot of answers for brands, but not yet for Chrysler originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Chrysler’s Francois has a lot of answers for brands, but not yet for Chrysler”

Video: Juke film answers the question – What were Nissan designers thinking?

Filed under: Videos, Crossover, Nissan, Design/Style

Nissan Juke with Albaisa

Design inspiration for the Nissan Juke – Click above to watch video after the jump

The 2011 Nissan Juke has what some might call ‘controversial’ styling. It’s downright polarizing. So, where did Nissan pull its inspiration from in order to craft these lines? Alfonso Albaisa is the Vice President of Nissan Design Europe and he’s here to explain exactly why the Juke looks like it does.

Albaisa states that the essence of the Juke “captures the pure life of a 30-something year-old guy.” The vehicle is aimed at a younger demographic of new car buyer and Nissan’s goal was to turn lifestyle elements into design features. The interior is supposed to be reminiscent of a person wearing a wetsuit while the front end is intended to invoke visions of a rally car.

Automotive designers are always entertaining to listen to, and Alfonso Albaisa is no exception. His descriptive language wended its way into our brains giving us a greater appreciation for Nissan’s little sporty crossover. Don’t believe us? Listen to the man in the clip after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Juke: First Drive

Continue reading Video: Juke film answers the question – What were Nissan designers thinking?

Video: Juke film answers the question – What were Nissan designers thinking? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Juke film answers the question – What were Nissan designers thinking?”