At the Los Angeles Auto Show a number of carmakers highlighted new safety features focusing on preventing accidents rather than merely surviving them. New features unveiled included lane-departure and blind-spot warning technology on the Ford Explorer and a virtual bumper feature on the Cadillac XTS. The additional features are needed to act on the safety warnings when a driver fails to do so.
Car sharing company Zipcar plans to offer full-size cargo vans, that it calls Zipvan, in a pilot project in San Francisco. This is in response to customers showing an interest in renting large Zipcars by the hour for moving around cities. Zipcar will also target small businesses looking for a cheaper way to move goods.
More fleets are using technology to take advantage of near-real-time reporting on driver performance. Today's technologies allow fleets to keep track of where their trucks are at any moment as well as how the trucks are being operated. Tracking driver behavior has become more important, particularly in response to the new CSA enforcement program.
Mazda in Japan says it has found a way to store energy from hybrid regenerative braking in a capacitor. Regenerative braking systems use an electric motor or alternator to generate electricity as the vehicle decelerates. Mazda's new i-Eloop system can be fully charged in seconds and is expected to save about 10% on gas.
Edmunds.com thinks the November's SAAR numbers will increase over October to reach 13.6 million. Thanksgiving weekend brought higher sales than initially expected, driven by bargain-hunting consumers looking for OEM incentives and used-car deals, bringing sale-savvy customers out to the lots.