This Cadillac CTS is a rolling Wi-Fi hotspot.
(Credit: CNET)We were recently handed the keys to a Cadillac CTS equipped with an Autonet in-car wireless access point. The system joins a cellular data connection with a Wi-Fi access point to offer Internet access on the go.
We figured, what better way to test this system than with a liveblog from the road?
The Autonet router mounts in the vehicle's trunk and takes up very little space.
(Credit: CNET)After starting the vehicle, we were able to quickly connect our laptop (as well as an iPod Touch) to the Autonet access point in exactly the same way that we would for a stationary access point.
After confirming that we were in fact connected to the Internet, we attempted a few unofficial speed tests. We logged onto YouTube and (using the timer on our iPod Touch) checked to see how quickly we were able to load and play one of the Antuan's favorite videos. From the time we clicked the link to the time the video began to play, nearly 3 minutes had elapsed. Even then, the video stuttered with constant buffering. By the time the one-minute video had completed, nearly 5 minutes had passed. For comparison, the same video loaded in about 25 seconds on an iPhone 3G using the 3G wireless connection.
Our speed test concluded, we hit the road with Editor Wayne Cunningham behind the wheel and Associate Editor Antuan Goodwin at the keyboard, liveblogging. We tested a few less data-intensive sites. Google Maps, for example, was relatively quick to display our search results, but lagged in displaying the actual map imagery and live traffic updates. Our own CNET Car Tech page also loaded quickly, but again, videos were painfully slow to play.
It's very hard to type with the keyboard bouncing around in your lap.
(Credit: CNET)Eventually, we found ourselves at a great little burrito place, and Wayne ran in to grab lunch. Meanwhile, Antuan was busy uploading the pictures that we'd snapped along the way. The photos averaged about 200kb each and uploaded in about 2-5 seconds apiece, which is definitely tolerable.
Taking a moment to look around, we found that this Cadillac vehicle was equipped with an iPod Touch in a cradle that featured a Cadillac app, which is not a part of the standard Autonet package. The app utilizes the Wi-Fi connection to deliver weather and traffic updates, as well as serving up a few local Internet radio stations via the CTS' auxiliary input. Audio quality was noticeably compressed, but not bad.
Because the system is completely hidden, there's no way of knowing how strong your cellular signal is, so you won't know if you're in a dead spot until you lose your signal. This is a minor inconvenience, which we are inclined to forgive.
The Autonet in-car access point retails for $499 (plus installation) with a $29-per-month subscription to keep the bits and bytes flowing.
Jaguar launches an updated XJ for the 2010 model year.
(Credit: Jaguar)Today, Jay Leno took the stage in England to introduce the 2010 Jaguar XJ. This model update follows on the successful update of the XK and launch of the XF, completing Jaguar's revamp of its model line-up. In his opening remarks, Leno commented on how it was a Jaguar that first got him into cars, an impressive achievement considering his current car collection.
The new XJ keeps many traditional Jaguar styling cues, such as a wire grille, but its sides come straight down; probably better for aerodynamics, rather than the more torpedo-like shape of older Jags. The roofline also extends back far over the trunk, with small triangular windows behind the main rear side windows. A standard glass top also has two sunroofs, both of which open, for front and rear seats.
Jaguar worked with stereo maker Bowers & Wilkins on the audio systems for the XK and XF, and continues the partnership in the XJ. The stereo for this car uses 1,200 watts of amplification, and includes a media hub with two USB ports for iPods and other sources along with Bluetooth audio streaming.
Instead of traditional analog instruments, the XJ gets a 12.3-inch high-resolution screen for its instrument cluster, with virtual speedometer and tachometer. The center LCD is an 8-inch touch screen for controlling audio, navigation, and the phone system.
The car will be built as a standard XJ and in a long wheelbase model, dubbed the XJL. The base engine for the car is a 5-liter V-8 making 385 horsepower. A supercharged version will also be available with 470 horsepower, and a Supersport model makes 510 horsepower.
The 2010 Jaguar XJ goes on sale in September.
Lithium-ion battery packs are the current favorite for electric cars.
(Credit: NASA)Battery technology presents the the biggest hurdle in going to electric vehicles. Current batteries don't provide the range of fossil-fuel-powered vehicles. Worse, batteries take a lot longer to recharge than the time it takes to fill a 16-gallon tank with gasoline. But this isn't the end of the story, as battery technology is still being developed. For 100 years we got along with lead-acid batteries, but research has gone into high gear to look at new battery compounds that might prove to be the breakthrough that lets electric vehicle performance equal or surpass that of gasoline-powered cars. Lithium ion is the current favored chemistry, but other, more exotic compounds are being researched, such as zinc-air and lithium-polymer. Electric car enthusiast Mike Thompson has compiled a chart of current battery and electricity storage technologies, along with various specifications. The most useful number in the chart is watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), which shows the energy density of the power source. The more electricity you can pack into a battery, the better range you will get for an electric car.
Click through for the full chart
According to the chart, research on lithium-polymer batteries shows that they could hit 400 Wh/kg, the highest of any other technology. Zinc-air is second at 200 Wh/kg, while nickel-metal-hydride, used in hybrid vehicles, is at 80 Wh/kg.
Today get ready for flying trucks as we got some great close-up video of two trophy trucks jumping a hill on RM 312 from the 2009 Baja 500 off road race.
Seeing video like this is what makes the Baja races so fun to see. Thrill seeking spectators love to position themselves all over the place throughout this off road race so they can really hear the roar of the engines and feel the dirt fly off the trucks' wheels as they go by. The first vehicle has been identified as Baja racing vet Robby Gordon who led the race at this time. By the time the second truck leaps into action, there's so much smoke and dust you can hardly see the picturesque waterside blue sky. The Baja 500 offers a lot to the senses, both from the cars and the views of the Baja peninsula.
LOS ANGELES--Hyundai plans to have a plug-in hybrid on sale in U.S. by late 2012.
Yang Woong-chul, research and development president of Hyundai-Kia Motors, says the new hybrid-only vehicle will be based on the Blue-Will concept shown at the Seoul Motor Show in April.
"We're going after Prius and the Volt with the plug-in," he said.
Blue-Will is an aggressive-looking four-door sports car powered by a 1.6-liter gasoline engine and a 100-kilowatt electric motor that together make 152 horsepower. The engine is mated to a continuously variable transmission. The lithium ion batteries will be supplied by LG Chem, of South Korea.
The concept has a wheelbase of 106.3 inches and is 169.3 inches long. According to Hyundai, the Blue-Will will get an estimated 50 mpg to 55 mpg in the hybrid-electric mode. It can travel about 38 miles in electric-only mode.
"We want to be the leader in fuel economy and alternative fuels," Yang said. "We want to show our technology and improve our image, not necessarily make money on hybrids.
"We want to get people to drive our cars. We need to get people to the dealerships."
Yang did not have any production numbers for the plug-in hybrid. He said Kia is not scheduled to get the vehicle.
Next year Hyundai will introduce its first hybrid in the United States when the mid-sized Sonata sedan is redesigned for the 2011 model year.
(Source: Automotive News)
It's been criticized for contributing to the obesity epidemic and condemned by PETA, but now a Burger King franchise in the New York metro area has announced that it wants in on the green movement. The high-traffic restaurant in Hillside, N.J., will install a speed bump designed to harness the kinetic energy produced by the hundreds of cars that pass through the drive-thru daily.
As they wait for their Double Whopper, customers will roll through a section of the drive-thru lane lined with metal plates that move down and up as cars head to the next window. The MotionPower technology developed by Burtonsville, Md.-based New Energy Technologies, could harness and capture the energy twice daily, the company reports.
"More than 150,000 cars drive through our Hillside store alone each year, and I think it would be great to capture the wasted kinetic energy of these hundreds of thousands of cars to generate clean electricity," said Andrew Paterno, co-owner of 12 N.Y. metro-area Burger Kings. In its report, New Energy Technologies said it is partnering with BK for "durability testing," so it may be awhile before energy is actually captured and put to use. Once active, it's possible that the energy would be routed directly to the power grid.
So how is Burger King benefiting from this? It's unlikely one "green" speed bump will attract more customers (unless it relieves the guilt of an unhealthy meal). Instead of offsetting the restaurant's already wasted energy, BK should focus on the many ways it can reduce its energy usage in the first place. For example, recycling used vegetable oil, installing solar panels on the roof and windows, or transporting their proteins on low-impact trucks, such as this one.
Will an energy-producing speed bump eclipse Burger King's bad rep with environmentalists? Probably not. But I'll give them credit for playing guinea pig. New Energy Technologies, which develops other renewable energy, has a larger plan to install speed bumps in toll booths, streets, border crossings, and other high-traffic areas.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)The Nissan Rogue may go down in history as one of the most inaccurately named cars of all time. It's not mysterious. It's not particularly quick. It is relatively quiet, but you won't be catching anyone off guard in this tubby little CUV. Instead of delivering a vehicle that breaks from convention and actually "goes rogue," Nissan has given us a decidedly average, small, crossover SUV. No surprises here.
Almost everything about the Rogue can be described as good but not great, whether it's power and handling or styling and cabin tech. In fact, the only aspect of the Rogue that is mildly surprising is Nissan's decision slap a Garmin on the dash instead of using its OEM package for navigation duties.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be sitting in a race car, anxiously awaiting the checkered flag to go down just so you can stomp down on the gas pedal and speed off onto rugged terrain? Well, now's your chance as we go along for a ride with the first five minutes of this year's Baja 500.
This in-car camera captures the first five minutes of the 2009 Baja 500 as seen through the lens within Robby Gordon's car. Robby Gordon is a NASCAR driver who has also participated in several previous Baja 500's, a race often regarded as one (if not the) most dangerous off-road race in modern times. The best thing about this video in my opinion is listening to that engine rev and roar through the streets of Ensenada and into the off-road terrain of its surrounding deserts. I love it, and hopefully you will too.
