John Scott is testing his patented CamberTires made in an asymmetrical tire mold which yields an outer sidewall slightly taller than the inner sidewall. Mounted with a 3-degree tilt at the top toward vehicle center, it is supposed to improve ride, lateral traction, fuel efficiency and tread life.
The new 2011 Ford Explorer is still being considered an SUV rather than a crossover despite being built on a unibody and having components in common with the Taurus and Flex. Sitting lower and being wider and longer adds to its inherent stability. The addition of Curve Control built atop AdvanceTrac stability control system completes the safety upgrade.
General Motors Ventures bought a minority stake in Bright Automotive hoping to accelerate the debut of their IDEA plug-in hybrid multipurpose vehicle for business fleets. Running 40 miles on battery and then 36 mpg on small gasoline engine will produce a 100 mpg vehicle with a positive total cost of ownership.
Vehicle systems using even the most advanced voice recognition software are still distracting and slow reaction time as much as 30%. As human-machine hands-free interfaces improve, the same parts of the brain needed for driving are involved so distractions occur.
The National Independent Automobile Dealers Assn. has added uShip to the National Member Benefits Program. Now members have customized access to finding specialized transporters. Dealers list vehicles needing shipment, and carriers compete to win the business.