Tag: light

BYD: Want to sell our cars? Sell our light bulbs too!

BYD E6China Automaker BYD is in no hurry to launch in the U.S., and it shows in its plan.

BYD has been showing cars at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit for three years now, originally planning to launch an electric car by the end of 2012 to consumers. Now that’s looking like 2013, according to Mike Austin, VP of BYD’s U.S. division.

In the meantime, BYD is testing some cars in a fleet with the Housing Authority of Los Angeles.

The plan is for the company to find at least five dealers who are willing to not only sell a BYD e6 electric and a plug-in hybrid, called the f3DM, but also BYD LED lights, solar panels and other products related to “green” living. “We aren’t pursuing the typical sales and distribution model,” says Austin.

BYD has gained notoriety for its rapid rise in China and for the investment in the company made by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which owns 10% of the company best known for lithium-ion batteries for cellphones and other consumer electronics.

BYD last year sold 520,000 vehicles in China, impressive but well short of the 800,000 it stated as its goal.

Austin says the company has not selected dealers yet, but acknowledged that the business model for selling BYD’s other products will not appeal to some dealers. “That’s okay, because we are doing something unique here. We are in not in a hurry to launch in the U.S.,” says Austin, who noted the growth in the Chinese market that BYD is trying to manage.

The five dealers BYD is looking for to launch is the start of a network planned to grow to 20 and according to Austin not all of the dealerships at launch will be in California.

BYD: Want to sell our cars? Sell our light bulbs too! originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Kia Picanto comes into the light

Filed under: Budget, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Kia, UK

2011 Kia Picanto

2011 Kia Picanto – Click above for high-res image gallery

Kia has just released details on the next-generation Picanto for UK buyers. The pint-sized city car has grown a bit, gaining a bit in both the wheelbase and width departments, and buyers will find an all-new, more aggressively styled exterior, too. Traditionally, the Picanto has only been served up as a five-door hatch, though Kia says that for the first time, UK buyers will be able to take advantage of a new three-door variant as well. The rest of the model’s markets will have to make do with just the five-door design.

Kia has also thrown in a smattering of new drivetrain options as well. Buyers can choose between 1.0-liter or 1.2 liter gasoline engines, though there are no power figures for either at the moment. Kia says that each engine will be available in LPG, bi-fuel and flex-fuel variants depending on market demand. The company hasn’t released an on-sale date, either, but we do know that the public will be able to get up close and personal with the Picanto at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March. Hit the jump for the full press release. Thanks to all for the tips!

Gallery: 2011 Kia Picanto

[Source: Kia]

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New Kia Picanto comes into the light originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota recalling 94,000 2011 Sienna minivans over brake light bracket issue

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Recalls, Toyota

2011 Toyota Sienna

2011 Toyota Sienna – Click above for high-res image gallery

Toyota has issued a voluntary recall for approximately 94,000 2011 Sienna minivans produced before the beginning of November 2010. The recall is a result of a Stop Lamp Switch Bracket placed near the parking brake. When the parking brake is fully applied it may deform the switch bracket. This could result in the brake lights remaining lit or even partial engagement of the brakes resulting in a reduction of brake effectiveness over time.

No other vehicles have been affected by the issue and no accidents or injuries have been reported as of a result. Owners of affected vehicles will receive a notice in the mail by the middle of January, which contains instructions on how to handle any affects they might feel if their switch bracket has been deformed. A second notice will be sent out in February to inform customers that replacement parts are now available and appointments can be made with local Toyota service departments. Hop the jump for the full details.

Gallery: Review: 2011 Toyota Sienna

2011 Toyota Sienna

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Toyota]

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Toyota recalling 94,000 2011 Sienna minivans over brake light bracket issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oshkosh Light Concept Vehicle competes in Baja 1000

Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Military, Off-Road

Oshkosh Extreme Racing Light Concept Vehicle (LCV) – Click above for high-res image gallery, follow the jump for video

Yep, that’s a diesel hybrid Light Concept Vehicle (LCV) from the Oshkosh Extreme Racing team competing in the 43rd running of the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. “Light” in this case is relative, of course. Oshkosh builds a large variety of bigger machines, ranging from fire trucks to rigs capable of hauling up to 70 tons.

Now, the Oshkosh outfit didn’t win the event. In fact, only one of its two entries finished, and it was six and a half hours too late to be scored. It was, though, an opportunity to see how Oshkosh’s ProPulse hybrid system would hold up to the rigors of off-road abuse. In that department the race was a success.

According to the Oshkosh, the hybrid system uses a diesel engine to send power to a generator which, in turn, directly powers the wheels (Though not stated, we imagine there’s an electric motor involved for each set of wheels.) In place of batteries, the setup relies on ultracapacitors to store and deliver energy. The arrangement is said to reduce fuel consumption by 20 percent thanks to the elimination of components such as the torque converter, automatic transmission, transfer case and driveshafts. To get a better look at this beast, check out the gallery below or the video of it in action after the break.

Gallery: Oshkosh Extreme Racing Light Concept Vehicle

[Source: Oshkosh Corporation via Green Car Congress]

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Oshkosh Light Concept Vehicle competes in Baja 1000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Nov 2010 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hourglass traffic light concept is street racing’s best friend

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Technology, Design/Style

Hourglass traffic light concept
Designer Thanva Tivawong has come up with a solution for all you impatient drivers out there. What if you knew exactly when a stoplight was going to change from green to yellow, or more importantly, from red to green? In theory, traffic would be expedited and drivers would be less likely to try to beat yellow lights in the rush to make good time. That’s exactly the logic behind the hourglass stoplight concept you see above. As time soldiers on, the pixels in the light drain from top to bottom. When time’s up, the light changes color and the process starts all over again.

There are a couple of problems with this notion. First, colorblind drivers are left completely in the cold. More importantly, we’re also concerned about the idea of basically turning every intersection into a drag strip, complete with fully-functional Christmas trees. It’d be great for the street racing scene, sure, but we don’t want to give the granny in the lane next to us an excuse to lay down her best ETA when the light goes green.

[Source: Engadget]

Hourglass traffic light concept is street racing’s best friend originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: One-third of drivers don’t know what this dashboard light means

Filed under: Safety, Ford

Remember the Ford Explorer/Firestone tire debacle from a decade ago? Thousands of the ‘utes rolled-over and much of the blame fell on insufficiently inflated tires, costing the Blue Oval billions of dollars to replace the tires on just about every Explorer still left on the road. The other fallout from Explorer-gate (or Firestone-gate) was institution of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System that’s now a legal standard on every car and truck built since 2008.

TPMS sensors constantly measure the pressure in all four tires, and when one or more tires is more than 25 percent below the recommended amount, a light illuminates on the gauge cluster. Most of us know the light (on right) and if you do, you’re among the 54 percent of drivers who know what it means. But more importantly, less than half of the population doesn’t.

TPMS maker Schrader recently surveyed drivers to see if there were knowledgeable about all things TPMS, and the results had to be a bit disappointing. First, the good news: 96 percent of all drivers surveyed felt that under-inflated tires were a serious safety problem. Now the bad news: Only 44 percent of drivers polled regularly check their tire pressure. Furthermore, one third of drivers surveyed didn’t know what TPMS was or what it was used for. Another 44 percent were unaware what the symbol was supposed to represent, while still another 14 percent thought the symbol identified a problem of the non-tire variety.

In order to combat some of the ignorance among motorists about one of its main products, Schrader has introduced its TPMS Made Simple website. While it’s not exactly riveting stuff, the site is chock full of information about TPMS, including what to do when that (apparently) inscrutable warning light in your gauge cluster illuminates (Hint: check your tires) and the economic benefit of properly inflated rubber, including improved fuel economy and longer lasting tires. Head over to the site to become a TPMS expert.

[Sources: USA Today | TPMS Made Simple]

Study: One-third of drivers don’t know what this dashboard light means originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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