From Engadget: Hertz charges into EV Plugless Power pilot program, can’t say it three times fast

Hertz has been offering up electric vehicles amongst its fleet of rental cars, and now it’s getting ready to pull the plug. The company is teaming with Evatran to test out the those cool little Plugless Power discs, installing some at its corporate headquarters this month. Hertz, along with a number of other companies will be logging “feedback on daily usage routines, user interfaces, and any additional functionality needed.” No word on when such technology might see wider distribution.

Continue reading Hertz charges into EV Plugless Power pilot program, can’t say it three times fast

Hertz charges into EV Plugless Power pilot program, can’t say it three times fast originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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From Autoblog: Video: Cadillac XTS to feature safety tech developed from autonomous vehicles

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Cadillac XTS tech

Five years ago, GM engineers, a variety of partner companies, and Carnegie Mellon University built a Chevrolet Tahoe that autonomously traversed 60 miles of urban traffic in less than six hours, taking home the DARPA Urban Challenge win. Later this year, some of that technology will make its way to production in the 2013 Cadillac XTS.

The list of active safety systems in the XTS is easily on par with what the Germans offer, including adaptive cruise control, intelligent brake assist, forward collision alert, automatic collision preparation, lane departure warning, blind spot alert and a heads up display (hit the jump for the full, exhaustive list).

The incorporation of all these systems is something GM is calling “sensor fusion,” which combines multiple inputs and serious processing power to, in the words of Bakhtiar Litkouhi, GM Research and Development lab group manager for perception and vehicle control systems, “provide advisory, warning, and control interventions to help drivers avoid collisions and save lives.”

It’s also the first step in bringing both semi-autonomous and fully autonomous vehicles to market, something Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are all actively working on.

Get a brief primer on the philosophy behind sensor fusion in the video and accompanying release below the fold.

Continue reading Cadillac XTS to feature safety tech developed from autonomous vehicles

Cadillac XTS to feature safety tech developed from autonomous vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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