The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is examining lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars after a Chevrolet Volt ignited shortly after undergoing a crash test. GM said the fire would not have occurred if the automaker's protocols for deactivating the battery after the crash had been followed. Federal officials said they had no reason at this time to view the Volt as unsafe.
Following its introduction of a full-sized commercial panel van in both standard and tall models, Nissan's new NV3500 HD Passenger Van seats 12, uses the same platform, will be offered with V-6 or V-8, and will be available at about one-third of its dealerships early next year. Nissan expects the majority of its passenger vans to serve as hotel and parking lot shuttles.
The need to speed innovation and reduce development costs of in-car applications is causing the car industry to shift focus from fully embedded infotainment solutions to those that will integrate the smartphone and its applications. Most car infotainment systems still run on custom-built applications that are expensive to produce and hard to upgrade once they ship with the vehicle. The smartphone can change all that due to its capacity to serve as an easily upgradable operating platform if properly integrated with the car's head unit.
The Obama administration's proposed rule requiring 54.5 mpg corporate average fuel economy by 2025 would add about $2,000 to the price of each passenger vehicle sold, according to NHTSA and EPA. The NADA objects to the rule and thinks the number will be closer to $3,000 per vehicle and price millions of Americans out of the market.
The end of Daylight Savings Time means many drivers will encounter darkness and drowsiness as nightfall arrives earlier. A study by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that a drowsy driver was involved in one in six fatal crashes and in one in eight crashes causing serious injury. Recent AAA Foundation research revealed that more than two out of every five drivers admits to having fallen asleep at the wheel at some point.