Monthly Archives: December 2011
4 Things to do when driving in Bad Weather
Driving in bad weather is something that each and every one of us has to do at one point and time in our lives. Yes, we can’t control the weather but in order to prevent accidents from happening there are simple things that we can do to ensure that we have a safe journey from and to home sweet home.
Number 1: Turn on Your Windshield Wipers and Headlights:
This is definitely one of the very basic things to do. As soon as you see rain drops tumbling onto your windshield turn on your windshield wipers so that your vision is not blurred. Also, turn on your headlights so that other drivers on the road can see you clearly. To make sure that your headlights as well as your tail lights are working properly, check them once a week.
Number 2: Make Sure there is ample room between your Car and others around it:
As soon as the rain starts to pour down make sure that you reduce your speed and make room between your car and the one ahead of it. Keeping the distance is a good idea because in bad weather cars are likely to stop more often so it is best to keep the standard distance between cars.
Number 3: Avoid Hydroplaning:
Hydroplaning is very common when one drives on wet roads. Even though the conditions may not seem bad at one time but they can take a turn for the worst when you find your car skidding out of control. To avoid hydroplaning it is very important that you have very good tires as they reduce the risk of your car skidding on the road. The right air pressure in the tires also helps you get rid of the problem of hydroplaning. So, it is necessary that you regularly check the air pressure of your tires.
Number 4: What to do when your car hydroplanes?
If your car begins to hydroplane, just remember that panicking wouldn’t really do you any good. Keep your steering wheel straight and reduce your vehicle’s speed gradually. When you’ll reduce the speed slowly the weight of your car will eventually help you restore your control over your car.
The above mentioned things might seem very common to you, however when the situation arises many of us forget about these basic things.
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Smart For-Us electric pickup making its world premiere at the Detroit Auto Show
Stuttgart – Dec 07, 2011. smart is turning the automotive world upside down once again and challenging ideas about what an urban pickup should look like. In a tongue-in-cheek manner the for-us signals that this is the right car for the young and young-at-heart with active lives who attach importance to low emissions and taking up minimum road space. The smart for-us translates the practical loading concept of a pickup to the reality of 21st century urban traffic for the first time.
With its exterior dimensions (length/width/height: 3547/1506/1701mm) it could almost go unnoticed on the loading area of a typical pickup, and it also anything but ordinary under the body. Thanks to the state-of-the-art electric drive with a55 kW magneto-electric motor the zero-emission smart for-us is agile and lively to drive. It will celebrate its world premiere at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (14 – 22 January 2012).
smart CEO Dr. Annette Winkler says “We at smart love pick-ups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable. With the smart for-us a petrol station is no longer required!”
Like car2go, the globally successful car sharing initiative from smart for more flexibility in city traffic, the smart for-us is a mobility concept. It has plenty of room for two people and space for two smart ebikes behind them. Thanks to the docking station on the cargo area of the smart for-us their batteries are always charged, and smart for-us drivers can also reach destinations that are out of bounds for cars – for example traffic-calmed zones in the city or isolated park trails.
The design: sassy and robust with extremely short overhangs
Compared with the series-produced fortwo the smart for-us makes a powerful statement and its appearance plays with the martial image of conventional mega-pickups. Nevertheless, it greets the viewer with a friendly yet assertive face. It features convex and sensuously shaped body surfaces. The large brand emblem is proudly sported on the grille, and the front has a pronounced three-dimensional design with an underride guard finishing off the lower part of the front end.
The longer wheelbase (2480 mm/plus 613 mm) and the track that has been widened by 50 mm on each side also emphasise the robust look of the study. At the same time the extremely short overhangs at the front and rear make it exceedingly compact.
The tailboard at the rear of the smart for-us is electrically driven. When it opens first of all the cargo floor including tailboard retracts by 280 mm, then the tailgate slides down in a parallel position. The cargo on the 900 mm cargo area is then extremely easy to access.
Sleek, taut surfaces in mother-of-pearl white combined with precisely designed technical functional elements in brushed aluminium – the interior is characterised by contrasts. Like in the smart forvision, the whole cockpit boasts aerodynamic styling for interior ventilation. In place of a conventional rear-view mirror the smart for-us features a smartphone accommodated in a holder on top of the instrument panel support. The driver can see what is happening on the road behind with the help of an integrated video camera.
Stylish, uncomplicated, highly functional and easy to individualise – the two seats in the concept car are typically smart. The seat shells, which are open in the middle, are covered with a soft yellow fabric throw giving them a hammock-like seating feel.
Electric drive – zero-local-emission driving fun
The electric drive of the smart for-us is based on the innovative drive concept of the smart fortwo electric drive, which will be launched in the spring of 2012. Thanks to the 55 kW magneto-electric motor the smart for-us is agile and lively to drive. With 130 Newton metres of torque it boasts powerful, lag-free acceleration and it can overtake other vehicles with the greatest of ease. The maximum speed exceeds 120 km/h. The lithium-ion battery has capacity of 17.6 kWh.
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Your Car Maintenance Checklist for the Winter Season
“Tis the season to be jolly”, yes winters are surely one of the most anticipated seasons of the year. With them comes Christmas and New Years, times of joy and celebration. The winter season represents good times for us; unfortunately the same cannot be said for our car’s engine.
The winter season poses potential risks for your vehicle if you don’t upkeep it for the snowy season. Freezing temperatures can have a bad effect on your car; this is why it is necessary to maintain your vehicle as soon as the winters arrive.
Preparing your car for the winter season isn’t difficult at all; all you have to do is follow these simple steps:
Maintenance Check #1: Check Your Car’s Antifreeze:
Antifreeze plays a very important role in your engine’s performance, this is because this fluid never freezes and so your engine never seizes to work. Coolant and Antifreeze are fluids with the help of which your engine is able to survive the tough winter season. When the cold weather starts remember to check if your car has the right amount of coolant or antifreeze.
Maintenance Check #2: Check your Car’s Windshield Wipers:
Your Windshield wipers are one of your best friends during the winter season. It is only because of them that you are able to drive in the rain, snow and fog. Make sure that your windshield wipers are clean and working properly, if you notice a problem with them replace them as soon as possible because you never when it’ll start to snow. Usually, wipers have an average life span of 6-12 months; however this time period also depends on their usage.
Maintenance Check #3: Check your Battery:
Ask your mechanic to check that your battery is powerful enough to bear the cold weather because if your battery is weak it will take a lot of time warm up in the chilly winter mornings. Also, ensure that all your battery connections are in place and are free of corrosion.
Maintenance Check #4: Check your Air Filters:
A clean air filter is your car’s healthy lung that is why you must check and make sure that it always remains clean. If your air filter is clogged it becomes harder to operate the car, which obviously has a bad effect on your vehicle’s performance.
The above mentioned check list will help you enjoy your winter season without you having to worry about your car’s performance.
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APNewsBreak: GM willing to buy back Volts
NEW YORK (AP) — General Motors will buy Chevrolet Volts back from any owner who is afraid the electric cars will catch fire, the company’s CEO said Thursday.
In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, CEO Dan Akerson insisted that the cars are safe, but said the company will purchase the Volts because it wants to keep customers happy. Three fires have broken out in Volts after side-impact crash tests done by the federal government.
Akerson said that if necessary, GM will recall the more than 6,000 Volts now on the road in the U.S. and repair them once the company and federal safety regulators figure out what caused the fires.
“If we find that is the solution, we will retrofit every one of them,” Akerson said. “We’ll make it right.”
The fires happened seven days to three weeks after tests performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And GM has said there’s no threat of fires immediately after crashes. GM also has said that no Volts involved in real-world crashes have caught fire.
Still, NHTSA has opened an investigation into the fires and has asked other companies that make electric cars for battery testing data. NHTSA said the safety testing hasn’t raised concerns about electric vehicles other than the Volt.
“The fire broke out seven days later. Not seven minutes. Not seven seconds,” Akerson said, adding that the company wants to fix the problem so people continue to have faith in Volts and other advanced technology cars. The company is notified of any Volt crash through its OnStar safety system and dispatches a team with 48 hours to drain the battery, preventing fires, he said.
“I think in the interest of General Motors, the industry, the electrification of the car, it’s best to get it right now than when you have – instead of 6,000 – 60,000 or 600,000 cars on the road,” he said.
The NHTSA testing, Akerson said, intruded into the Volt’s battery pack by four to five inches, beyond the normal testing standard of about two inches. Then the cars were rotated 360 degrees to simulate a rollover crash. He said anytime there’s a new technology introduced like the Volt, problems will arise. GM is dedicated to fixing them.
He conceded that the fires may cause some potential buyers to shy away from the Volt. But he added that GM is trying to get the message out that they happened only after extreme tests. Akerson also stressed that standard gas engine cars also have problems with fires after crashes.
The Volt can go about 35 miles on battery power before a small gasoline generator kicks in to keep the car running. The car can be recharged with a standard home electrical outlet.
The Nissan Leaf, a fully electric car and the Volt’s main competitor, has not had any similar fires after crash tests or real-world crashes, Nissan said.
The Leaf battery is cooled by air rather than a liquid used to cool the Volt battery.
Akerson said investigators are looking at spilled coolant as one possible cause of the fires, although he said the coolant itself did not catch fire. Investigators are looking at everything from circuit boards to the way the battery cells are packaged into the Volt’s larger T-shaped battery pack, he said.
Investigators have some promising leads but no conclusions yet, Akerson said.
GM doesn’t expect many Volt owners to return their cars, given feedback from customers thus far, said spokesman Rob Peterson.
Earlier this week GM offered loaner cars to all Volt owners until the cause of the fires is found and fixed. So far, Akerson said 16 Volt owners have inquired and only two have taken the loaners.
