Major Developments Major Developments by Calendar Year

October 17, 2013

Latest Improvements in Car Safety

Filed under: 2012 — Tags: — Ralph C Dreher @ 7:01 AM

In the earlier stages of the car manufacturing, cars could ran at low speed compared to those today. Improvements in the car engines have led to increase in the car speed. Simultaneously the other parts of the car like brakes, wheels, etc., are also improved to fit into the engines capacity.
Along with these, safety features of the car also improved. The demand from the public and because of legislation for safety features in automobile made manufacturers to focus on including safety features. Until 1980s, safety was not a selling feature for cars. Awareness among public relating to safety in the cars increased because of independent crash tests by different groups. This article discusses the improvements in car safety.

  • Seat belts: The invention of seat belts has more safeguarded many people’s lives than any other safety feature in the automobiles. Volvo was the first to introduce three point or lap/sash seat belt for standard fitting. It was launched in 1959 on the Amazon and PV544 sedans. Victoria is the first state in the world to make the seat belts for front seats compulsory in 1970. Making seat belt wearing while driving, reduced accidents by fifty percent.

Today’s seat belts are more effective than the first basic model. The problem of poor adjustment was minimized with inertia reel. Seat belt helps you – by taking slack out of system. And, will prevent the occupant’s excessive forward movement. When the body is being pressed tight, the load limiter releases the belt as per the senses it got during injury. Some of the advancements in the seat belts we can not see in the structure of the car itself.

  • Electronic stability control: The earliest inventors of this system are Mercedes Benz and BMW. The electronic stability control takes the anti-lock braking system a lot further. It helps the driver take action prevent skidding by automatic sensing of skid occurrence.

Some cars have linked the electric power assisted steering with stability control system. It will help the driver in cases when they are using insufficient or excessive amount of steering input, the electric stability system automatically adjust the gap and correct the angle from a skid. Recent studies show that the electronic stability control is good at reducing single vehicle crashes.

  • Car structure: Sedan was designed to minimize the harm to the passengers in 1960. Its technology allows the automobile engineers to estimate the destructiveness of the automobiles in their computers. It helps them create safer structures. Today’s cars have a strong and rigid passenger cell. Front and rear crumple zones, structure around the cabin and the rigid passenger cell protects passengers by absorbing, spreading and reducing the energy or force generated when crashes oaccur so the the impact is minimal on passenger compartment. The front end of the modern vehicle may be damaged more than it was in the 1960s.
  • Air bags: General Motors in the USA was originally developed the feature in the late 1960s. These help reduce the injury and death in the event of crashes. The front air bags became very common in every new vehicle. Some cars that have full length have side air bags on vehicle window. These will protect passengers from head and upper body injury. The recent air bags technology allows the air bag deployment as per the severity of the accident.
  • Brakes and tyres: Today’s tyres have more grip levels even in wet weather than the 1960s. The disc brakes are more reliable than the previous drum brakes in normal times as well as in emergency. The anti-lock braking system prevents the lockup under heavy braking and allows steering control.

The invention and the development in car-safety are still going on. Night vision technology in cars, automatic emergency calling, etc., are available in some cars. Some are in development stage. These allow the driver and the passengers for a safer journey. (more…)

October 1, 2013

The Automotive Technology – Drive-by-Wire

Filed under: 2013,Technology — Tags: , — Ralph C Dreher @ 8:42 AM

This system is designed with the help of engineering management system for vehicles. This is world’s first steering technology that allows to control independently a vehicle’s steering inputs and also tire angle. By transmitting the steering inputs, to the tires by mechanical link, the steering system directs the movements of tire.

In future, technology of the steering control the tire movements of the vehicle by electronic signals by reading the driver’s intention from steering inputs. The future system will transfer drivers’ intention even faster to the wheels than the mechanical system, by quickly communicating road surface feed back to the drivers. It increases the direct driving performance. This system will provide necessary performance by avoiding the unnecessary road generated disturbances.

This system receives the frequency signals, that is, when the vehicle is moving. This system is also called “by wire” or “x by wire”. This system mainly relies on electronics and the wide range of vehicle operations will control by it that includes braking, acceleration and steering. This systems will have the potential to increase the safety, functionality, comfort during the drive.

If you replace the systems like drive by wire and conventional throttle system, it can reduce the number of moving parts in your vehicle significantly. This increases operational accuracy, decreases weight and stretches out the time between the service visits for maintaining things like mechanical and other adjustments and some other by wire systems does not require service at all.

To enhance the driving capability further, the Nissan has developed a system that is camera based straight line stability. By making small input adjustments, the technology improves vehicle stability. The vehicle will, then, accurately trace and it will continue as planned in the lane as it is traveling. Due to cross winds or road surface the vehicle direction will change and the system acts to minimize the effects of the conditions will result in reduced steering input from the driver. (more…)

December 18, 2012

Basic Safety Features Necessary for your Car

Filed under: Automotive — Tags: — Winson @ 11:01 AM

Technology enables us to lead a comfortable and much safer lifestyles. Technology has also made travel much safer. Accidents which cause much damage to the automobiles as well as the people travel in them are unanticipated. The latest technology used in cars are useful to reduce the chance of accidents and also to reduce the damage or the injuries caused to the passengers, thus saving lives even after an accident.

The basic features which everyone should know are seat belts, air bags and crumple zones. All these three features reduce injuries to the people in the accident affected car by absorbing energy released due to collision. As per some state governments, these features are mandatory in the cars and people should also check them while purchasing a car to have a safer traveling.

Other safety features are designed to avoid a crash altogether or to escape from the accident with minimum injuries. They are as follows.

Anti-lock braking system: This feature enables the car to stop as quick as it can, the moment the breaks are applied. Hence, this prevent skidding and crashing into the other vehicle providing the greatest friction between the car and the road.

Tire-pressure monitoring systems: This system has been made mandatory by US traffic administration for all cars by in 2008. In general, these tire-monitoring systems enable the driver to know the tire pressure. If it is lower, the required pressure they will make some audible warning or a light on the instrument panel and enables the driver to know about low pressure.

Safety cage feature: This feature strengthens the cabin area of the car and provides maximum protection to the people in a roll over accident.

Roll-over prevention: The roll over prevention system when installed in the car, helps in sensing the potential rollover and thus activates the other parts of the vehicle to function automatically. If the system senses any signs of roll over, it will automatically apply brakes and throttle as required to maintain in control.

These features enable the automobiles and the passengers traveling therein to stay safe. (more…)

August 28, 2012

U.S Auto Sales See Best Year Since 2007

Filed under: Automotive — Tags: — Winson @ 7:32 AM

Most automakers estimated and reported that a rise in car sales in May will be more but the results were less than the expected number. This is because of bad economic condition in the U.S. in recent years. Auto sales have been continuously retrieving and reaching the third year with at least 10% gain and the best showing since 2007.

Some industry analysts estimate that sales for 2012 are expected to reach 14.3 million units, the best full year for sales since 2007, when 16.1 million vehicles were sold. In January 2012, analysts estimated that sales will reach 13.6 million units this year, before Toyota and other automakers surpass projections.

According to an industry analyst at Barclay’s Capital in Chicago “Even if we stay where we are, it’s a pretty good year,” to sell.

General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have earned higher profits in the first quarter of 2012 than estimated profits, say analysts. This has happened due to improvement in economic conditions, increased demand and loosening credit card systems.

However the first quarter of 2012 year deliveries in the States have been the strongest since 2008 when sales reached 15.4 million before mishap to a full-year 13.2 million.

Since the recession in 1982, U.S. sold only 10.4 million in 2009 and was considered the lowest sales of the year. But in 2010 sales improved and reached 11.6 million and in 2011 it reached 12.8 million.

Matt St over, an industry analyst at Guggenheim Partners in New York said, “Part of the regeneration is related to the depths of the downturn that led to the bankruptcies of General Motors(GM) and Chrysler.”
(more…)

October 18, 2011

Hyundai and KIA Motors are Accelerating their Sales in September 2011

Filed under: Automobile — Tags: — Winson @ 11:57 AM

Hyundai and Kia motors are gradually increasing their market share in the US auto market. They are continuously performing in the market for the last two decades. Hyundai and Kia have combined sales of 95,000 units of cars and light trucks for the month of September 2011. They want to reach the reach the number three position beating Chrysler. Hyundai and Kia domestic sales increased up to 9.1% for September 2011 which is more than September 2010 domestic sales (8%).

Hyundai Motors is performing well in the US market. Hyundai’s Equus luxury car won the award from the JD power as a large premium car of the year for 2011 and Hyundai Azera also received the best large car in the ideal vehicle category by the Auto Pacific. Hyundai is playing very intelligently in the auto market as they are offering the guarantee and warranty features with their car, they are providing assurance value guarantee to their vehicles up to 24th to 48th months.

Hyundai and Kia motors are willing to make such investments to keep gaining their market share continuously. Even though many brands are seeing the declining phase, the Hyundai and Kia motors are only concentrating on investing more to increase their market share in the US market.

(more…)

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