Toyota to Enter Plug-in Market with Prius Model
Toyota has produced only one model from the Prius platform in the past 10 years, the Prius sedan. Soon there will be four models: the regular, third-generation Prius sedan currently offered; the Prius V, which is basically a Prius station wagon; the Prius C, which is a sporty hatchback, and the Prius PHV, or "Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle." Toyota has had 84 early prototype Prius PHVs on the road since February.
BlackBerry App Identifies DUI Checkpoints
As a result of the efforts of four U.S. Senators (Reid, Schumer, Lautenberg, and Udall), RIM, maker of Blackberry phones, will remove from their online store a smartphone app which could be used to locate DUI police checkpoints. A combination of user-submitted information along with GPS features would permit the avoidance of checkpoints set up to capture those driving under the influence of alcohol. The senators have extended their request to Google and Apple.
The Future Smart Car Has Location Awareness
The BMW ConceptVision Connect Drive is a technology that gives the vehicle an ability to "know" its surroundings. This could help drivers find the best traffic routes and restaurants plus help improve safety.
Auto Test Reviewer Finds Problems With Techno Gadgets
After an auto critic writing in the Philadelphia Inquirer found a test vehicle wouldn't let him turn on the air conditioning, he looked into other ways advanced communication technology can affect motorists. Possibilities include stealing cars remotely or hacking into vehicle operation.
Analysts Fear GM Repeating Mistakes of the ’90s
Just over a year since it sank into government-run bankruptcy, a leaner, meaner GM relisted its shares on major world stock exchanges, bursting back onto the investment scene with the world's largest initial public offering. But just four months later some industry observers are expressing concern that the company's new driver, CEO Daniel Akerson, is unfamiliar with the car market terrain and could steer GM into a ditch.
