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Auto blog

The next-generation wearable will be your car

This year's CES has had a heavy emphasis on the class of device known as the "wearable" – think about the Apple Watch, or Fitbit, if that's helpful. These devices usually piggyback off of a smartphone's hardware or some other data connection and utilize various onboard sensors and feedback devices to interact with the wearer. In the case of the Fitbit, it's health tracking through sensors that monitor your pulse and movement; for the Apple Watch and similar devices, it's all that and some more. Manufacturers seem to be developing a consensus that vehicles should be taking on some of a wearable's functionality. As evidenced by Volvo's newly announced tie-up with the Microsoft Band 2 fitness tracking wearable, car manufacturers are starting to explore how wearable devices will help drivers. The On Call app brings voice commands, spoken into the Band 2, into the mix. It'll allow you to pass an address from your smartphone's agenda right to your Volvo's nav system, or to preheat your car. Eventually, Volvo would like your car to learn things about your routines, and communicate back to you – or even, improvise to help you wake up earlier to avoid that traffic that might make you late. Do you need to buy a device, like the $249 Band 2, and always wear it to have these sorts of interactions with your car? Despite the emphasis on wearables, CES 2016 has also given us a glimmer of a vehicle future that cuts out the wearable middleman entirely. Take Audi's new Fit Driver project. The goal is to reduce driver stress levels, prevent driver fatigue, and provide a relaxing interior environment by adjusting cabin elements like seat massage, climate control, and even the interior lighting. While it focuses on a wearable device to monitor heart rate and skin temperature, the Audi itself will use on-board sensors to examine driving style and breathing rate as well as external conditions – the weather, traffic, that sort of thing. Could the seats measure skin temperature? Could the seatbelt measure heart rate? Seems like Audi might not need the wearable at all – the car's already doing most of the work. Whether there's a device on a driver's wrist or not, manufacturers seem to be developing a consensus that vehicles should be taking on some of a wearable's functionality.

Recharge Wrap-up: Ford Transit hybrid conversion, PlugShare updates app

A new report quantifies China's growing vehicle scrapping industry. With major growth in vehicle ownership since 2000, China is expecting its first scrappage peak this year. In 2013, China's scrappage rate was four percent, around two to four percent below other developed countries. However, more and more organizations are being certified to dismantle and recycle vehicles. With 9 to 12 million vehicles reaching end of life in 2015, and 12 to 16 million by 2020, recycling and remanufacturing parts could be a significant industry in China - as much as $32 billion this year. Read more in the release from ReportBuyer. PlugShare has updated its mobile app with a new interface and features. The EV charger locator service's most important new feature is a trip planner, which shows charging stations within five miles of the specified route (that range is expected to become adjustable with future updates). Other new features include a local charging activity viewer, bookmarks, messaging, leaderboards, a customizable user profile, and new search options. Users can now specify specific plug types or charging networks in their search for charging options. Check out the rundown of the updated app at Green Car Reports. XL Hybrids has created a hybrid system for the Ford Transit. The conversion company has adapted its XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System for Ford's popular van, allowing for better fuel economy and low-end torque. The system works with model year 2015 and 2016 cargo and passenger versions of the Ford Transit, powered by either the 3.7-liter or the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine, regardless of the wheelbase or roof height. It can improve fuel economy and CO2 emissions by about 20 percent. Vans with the XL3 system installed retain their factory warranty, and the hybrid system comes with a three-year, 75,000-mile warranty from XL Hybrids. Read more in the press release below. XL Hybrids Introduces the First Hybrid Electric Ford Transit Van for the North American Market The XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System to be compatible with MY2015 and MY2016 Ford Transit cargo vans and passenger wagons BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--XL Hybrids, Inc., the leader in fleet electrification solutions for commercial and municipal fleets, today announced its XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System has now been adapted for the Ford Transit van – the first hybrid electric Transit van for the North American market.

Edmunds ranks the best used cars for 2013

When people ask us what car we would recommend for them, it's usually not easy to answer. To make a useful recommendation we must consider which of the numerous vehicle segments fits their needs best, and then choose one of the many vehicles offered in each segment. For some people, new cars don't meet their expectations of value, because they lose so much of it the moment they are purchased and driven off the dealer lot. For them, there's always the used-car market, where great deals can be found, but cars' histories of reliability and maintenance records - and perhaps that Certified Pre-Owned warranty - become ever-important factors playing into purchase choice.
To help out, Edmunds has done us the favor of assembling a list of the best used vehicles money can buy, covering model years 2006-2011, according to what it considers the most important criteria when shopping for used autos: reliability, safety, value and availability. That means unreliable, unsafe, super-expensive or limited-edition models don't appear on the list, but instead cars from each segment that are more likely to satisfy the general population.
There are some real goodies on the list, including but not limited to vehicles such as the capable Honda Fit, the cultish Honda Accord coupe (which can be had with a 240-horsepower V6 and a six-speed manual transmission some years), and the powerful Chevrolet Corvette. While Edmunds' choice of the Volvo C70 for best used convertible baffled us at first (not that it's a bad car), it redeemed itself by stating that the Mazda MX-5 still is an unofficial top choice if you don't require more than two seats.