The big car audio companies chose to sit this round out. Fortunately, there was still a lot of cool tech at the 2009 SEMA Show.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)With the absence of the major car audio OEMs at the 2009 SEMA Show, it would be easy to assume that car tech has taken a backseat to tuning and muscle. However, the more compact electronics section allowed smaller companies with truly innovative products to shine. We found ourselves spending more time learning about cool products like the PowerSafe jumper cable, instead of rushing from booth to booth looking at amplifier after amplifier.
For example, On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II) interfaces were a major part of the tech scene at SEMA. From add-on modules for your GPS device to standalone OBD-II devices to Wi-Fi dongles that transform your iPhone into a handheld diagnostics station, there were dozens of different devices that allowed users to listen in on what their vehicle used to only share with a mechanic. These devices allow tuners to search for more power, greenies to eke more miles out of a gallon, and regular consumers to feel more confident when they take their cars in for maintenance.
Other cool technologies that picked up awards were rearview camera interfaces, off-road iPod cradles, and a funny little device that actually makes all of those cupholders useful.
Check out our gallery of award-winning new products at the 2009 SEMA Show for more details and pics.
View the Peugeot BB1 concept photo gallery
(Credit: Benoit Solivellas/CNET)Our colleagues in Paris got to drive Peugeot's BB1 concept car, a rare opportunity as concept cars usually get rolled out for display in a few auto shows, then never see the light of day again. The BB1 is small, designed as a city car, and runs on electricity, getting a range of 75 miles.
The BB1 includes an iPod dock mounted in the center of the steering wheel, which might prove to be a problem for the airbag. With an iPhone in the dock, the BB1 becomes Internet-enabled.
Earlier this week, I posted a video featuring an SUV, the T-98 Kombat, as made by Russian manufacturer Dartz (whose $1.5M Dartz Prombron Monaco Red Diamond Edition extravagantly decked out in whale penis leather--how high-brow is that--even got lip service recently on "The Colbert Report"). Anyhoo, this particular blog (located here for your convenience) garnered the snide comment of "It looks like a Hummer...big deal." Well, funny that you should say that, sir, as today's video features the Dartz Kombat one-on-one against the Hummer H1. Let's get ready to rumble!
The Dartz T-98 has been noted as one of the fastest multiterrain armored vehicles in the world, boasting an 8.1-liter engine and made with parts courtesy of General Motors. The Hummer H1 is often considered to be the most desirable of the Humvee makes, being the first of the now famous line introduced by AM General and also valued for its (relatively) efficient gas mileage. Coincidentally, the Hummer brand is also associated with GM, which had to part with the line as part of its bankruptcy settlement. So how much do they have in common versus how much they don't have in common? Well, I'll let you be the judge, as this video puts both vehicle types to the test in various environments including highways, sand dunes, forests, and snow. Enjoy. Or not. It's no big deal, right?
TOKYO -- Denso Corp., the world's No. 2 auto parts supplier, aims for a bigger stake of the global hybrid car market by standardizing its electric-gasoline drive train technology for sale to automakers other than Toyota Motor Corp. It also may begin production of lithium ion batteries.
Denso is a leader in supplying inverters, battery and engine control units, sensors and electric compressors for hybrids. Most of those sales go to Toyota, the Japanese supplier's top customer and biggest shareholder, with a 23 percent stake in Denso.
"We would like to supply our components to all customers," said Hiromi Tokuda, executive vice president in charge of R&D. The products would share underpinnings with the components made for Toyota but be tailored to the specifications of carmakers.
Batteries, too
Denso also may start making lithium ion batteries for use in hybrid or electric vehicles. Denso has been working on lithium technology for 15 years, originally for mobile phones. It continues development for in-house testing of its other hybrid system components.
... Read moreBlogger Alex Smolik spotted a rare Rolls Royce Drophead with a brushed-steel hood and a yellow Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. Both cars are from Qatar. The 1.5 minute shaky, hand-shot video shows off these cars on a Parisian street.
The GReddy Genesis Coupe is pretty heavily tuned and it wasn't even the craziest Coupe at Hyundai's booth.
(Credit: Hyundai)Last year, Hyundai was all about the Genesis sedan at the 2008 SEMA Show. For 2009, the newer and sportier Genesis Coupe steps to the forefront for its share of the spotlight. Hyundai had no fewer than four Coupes in its booth and there were dozens more scattered across the rest of the show floor. If that's not enough to convince your that Hyundai's got a hit on its hands, we're not sure what will.
Among Hyundai's offerings were the wild midengine V-8 RM460 Genesis Coupe and the mild Hennessey Tuning School Coupe. Also in the mix was Hyundai's Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec, which we've already taken a look at, and a Genesis sedan that received custom hand painted graphics live during the show.
Check out our photos of Hyundai's assortment of Geneses for even more details.
The Lexus LF-A looked good enough to lick in matte black.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)
Lexus' booth at the SEMA show was very small and very hard to find, but it was well worth seeking for one very good reason: the $400k, 550-horsepower Lexus LF-A.
We've already had a look at Lexus' official photos and perused the stats and details, but we just couldn't turn down another opportunity to take a peek the world's most expensive Toyota. Check out our photos of the Lexus LF-A from the 2009 SEMA Show.
Before we drove it, the idea of an X5 M seemed outlandish, and we suspected BMW's motives had more to do with marketing than the company's engineering reputation. How could an X5 all-wheel-drive SUV live up to the M badge? We should have trusted BMW, whose engineers are so pure of heart they would never let a vehicle wear the M that didn't deserve it. The X5 M is a monstrously powerful beast that handles like a sports car. In fact, we had to drive up next to other cars for a height comparison to remind us we were in an SUV.
Ford's inflatable seat belts are designed for the rear seat.
(Credit: Ford)Ford announced a new seat belt innovation on Thursday: seat belts that inflate during a collision. Designed for rear-seat passengers, Ford claims the new seat belts spread collision force over five times the area of a traditional seat belt when inflated. In a crash, the seat belts limit head and neck movement, which should reduce injury.
Ford also says the extra bulk of these seat belts gives them a padded feeling, making them more comfortable, so rear-seat passengers are more likely to wear them. Current usage statistics show that 82 percent of front seat occupants wear seat belts, but only 61 percent of rear seat passengers wear them.
These inflatable seat belts will be included in the next update to the Ford Explorer, with other Ford vehicles following.
A Humvee made by American General.
(Credit: AM General)Lithium-ion battery manufacturer EnerDel has signed an 18-month, $1.29 million contract with the U.S. Army to design and test hybrid battery options for the Humvee.
Trying to power the iconic fuel-guzzling High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV aka Humvee) with a battery, may seem like trying to put out a fire with a garden hose. But a lithium-ion battery system can deliver a lot of power from a battery quickly, giving a truck like the Humvee the thrust it requires.
EnerDel, a subsidiary of Ener1, will collaborate with the U.S. Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) on four possible power systems that could be implemented in the XM1124 version of the Humvee.
The company, which specializes in battery cell chemistry as well as the electronics and battery system designs, said it already has two viable options. EnerDel has developed a lithium-tatinate system in conjunction with Argonne National Laboratory that could accommodate the acceleration and hard braking required for such a powerful vehicle like the Humvee. It also has a lithium-manganese system that would give a vehicle extra-long range and allow electronics to be run off the battery for extended periods of time before needing to be recharged.
As part of the 18-month contract, EnerDel will also be involved in testing the systems under "extreme performance simulations." In addition to putting the test vehicles through the usual Humvee paces of wading through water and mountain climbing, there will also be an endurance test.
That will include seeing how a hybrid Humvee fares as a power plant for a field hospital or temporary military post. The requirement makes perfect sense given the ease with which a Humvee can be transported to hard-to-reach areas. One of its key features has always been that it could be dropped in to virtually any terrain by parachute.
A Humvee being parachuted out of a plane.
(Credit: AM General)The hybrid Humvee will also be more stealthy. Anyone who's had a close call with a Prius knows how dangerously silent hybrids can be in total battery mode. The hybrid version of the Humvee will have a powered-down "silent watch" mode that will allow it to run with its diesel generator off, reducing not only its noise, but also its thermal signature to avoid detection.
As always with major military project announcements, the company involved was quick to point out the down-the-road commercial application of its technology.
"In keeping with a long tradition, we also expect that innovations perfected here will have important benefits for the commercial markets," EnerDel President Rick Stanley said in a a statement.
There has already been interest in Raser Technologies' H3E, a plug-in hybrid version of a Hummer-branded SUV called the H3. While not truly a Hummer (the civilian version of the Humvee), the "Hummer-light" descendant has garnered the interest of even the most discerning Hummer enthusiasts.
So if EnerDel's batteries might be good enough to power a Hummvee, why haven't commercial automakers been knocking? They have actually. The company has signed research partnerships of varying commitment levels with Think Global, Fisker Automotive, Volvo, and Nissan. Its parent company, Ener1, is also working with U.S. utilities to develop smart grid storage units.
