Two House Democrats criticized a Republican report that harshly criticized the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for failing to discover defects in General Motors cars linked to at least 19 deaths and 54 crashes.
The 44-page report from the House Energy and Commerce majority staff said the agency suffered a series of failures and made “inexcusable” mistakes in failing to discover the GM problem. It question the agency’s technical competence, use of analytic software, training and focus.
But Henry A. Waxman, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the panel, and Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., who is the ranking member of the subcommittee that oversees NHTSA, took issue with some findings.
U.S. Senators took turns lambasting the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration during a subcommittee hearing for failing to discover sooner the problem with General Motors faulty ignition switch that is cause of 19 deaths and the recall of 2.6 million vehicles.
Senator Claire McCaskill, who chaired Tuesday’s hearing, blasted the agency for not doing more to get to the bottom of the problem by exercising its powers, including subpoenas, to do so.
“That reflects obviously on an agency that is perhaps more interested in singing kumbaya with the manufacturers than being a cop on the beat,” she said.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used virtual tokens, cellphones and vehicle-to-vehicle wireless LANs to build a system for allocating the limited space available on major thoroughfares. It doesn’t require any physical infrastructure, such as tollbooths, so it could be implemented quickly almost anywhere, they said.
Instead of using cameras or electronic tollbooths by the roadway to detect cars passing a certain point, the MIT system, called RoadRunner, is based on GPS (Global Positioning System) information from the driver’s cellphone in each car. As more cars get connected to the Internet, the system may be able to go into the car itself, according to Jason Gao, a graduate student in electrical engineering and computer science who developed the system with Professor Li-Shiuan Peh.
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Pedestrians sometimes wander into traffic. Imagine if their cell phones could alert oncoming drivers. In a system being tested by auto-parts supplier Denso, computer software in the car would receive the phone signal, analyze speed and direction, and instantly determine if the pedestrian will cross the car's path. That cuts down on false warnings. "It even can go as far as applying the brakes for you," said Doua Vang, a Denso engineering manager.
This life saving technology, along with four other life and/or time saving technologies, are being shown this week at the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in Detroit.
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Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Efficient Drivetrains Incorporated (EDI) have unveiled two new utility trucks, including the industry’s first electric hybrid drivetrain Class 5 truck featuring 120 kilowatts of exportable power capable of providing power to homes and businesses during outages
The vehicles feature the “EDI Drive” plug-in electric hybrid (PHEV) system, which provides up to 30 miles of all-electric range and an additional 300 miles of range in PHEV mode and an 80% reduction in emissions when compared to conventional trucks. In addition, these vehicles are the industry’s first to also offer both parallel and series hybrid modes, allowing the vehicle to maximize fuel efficiency in both highway and in-city driving conditions.
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