Monday, April 2, 2012

Smart and Innovative Car Technologies

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With the rising concern about energy crisis, a car that runs on alternative energy sources (electricity, hydrogen, compressed air, and liquid nitrogen) is always welcome. This will not only reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, but it will minimize air pollution too. Experiments are ongoing on the same and some electric cars are already on the road. Likewise, there are proposals for replacing steel in cars with stronger and lighter materials, like fiberglass, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, and duralumin. The following are some of the new technologies in  
                                           Navigation System

Cars with navigation system are becoming quite common in the United States. This advanced car technology guides the driver with audible and visual directions. The driver has to enter the destination, may be restaurants or a specific street, and the system guides accordingly. With this, you can roam the city without knowing the actual route which you will be driving.


                                                                     Economy Mode

All car owners are very conscious about issues like conserving fuel as far as possible. Let's take the example of using an air conditioner (AC). Many of us are in the habit of switching it off, when it is not required. In recent times, the automobile manufacturers are making cars with the 'economy mode' feature, which aims at switching off the non-essential systems of the car automatically.


                                                                         Curtain Airbags


Car airbags placed on the dashboard and steering wheel have been in use since the last few decades. In some of the latest car models, curtain airbags are placed in the headliner area, just above the windows as a car safety feature. This ensures minimum head injury to both, the person sitting in the front seat and the back seat during a car accident.


                                           Black Box Technology

Black box technology, also known as event data recorders (like the flight recorders used in airplanes), are used for recording the details of the car at a certain time. In North America, this feature is installed in majority of the cars with airbags. With this, the car owner can show proof of the driving speed, the location, and other details. This advanced technology is very useful in terms of legal issues and car insurance claims, for example, in case of car accidents.


                                                                         Run-Flat Tires


Run-flat tires is a feature in some latest hybrid cars, in which the tires do not change their shape, even without air pressure in them. In case of an emergency, the car with these tires can be driven for about 50 miles or so. Thus, with run-flat tires, the convenience and security levels of the car are increased.


                                                                 Car That Parks by Itself

Imagine a car that parks by itself! Yes, I am not kidding, cars with such a system will come in the market soon. With such an advanced technology, the driver only needs to put his foot on the brake and automatically, the car will parallel-park by itself. Well! Doesn't this sound very interesting? It will be useful, while managing the car in tight parking areas and garages.