WINDSHIELD TIME Chances are you spend a lot of time in your car. Here’s something that might help you appreciate your home-away-from-home a little more.
Bridgestone’s Non-Pneumatic Tire Technology “Air Free Concept”
Automotive-related news
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EV charging off-peak hours
Navigation is easier than ever
As electric vehicles proliferate, so will the demand for EV charging – and electricity providers are trying to figure out how to accommodate it. Wallingford, Connecticut has launched SmartCharge New England, described as “a data acquisition, behavioral reward and public outreach program aimed at encouraging customers to charge electric vehicles during off-peak period.” The program is initially limited to 25 participants, who will receive a connected car device that can be installed without a professional by inserting the device into the vehicle’s diagnostic port. Once installed, the device will connect to the local cellular network and transmit data to a cloud-based platform.
Factory-installed navigation systems offer better accuracy, more features and better integration than ever, according to a report in The New York Times. Take the navigation system in the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, for example. If you select audio driving directions in the system menu, the voice underscores the required action. When approaching a right turn, the voice comes from the right side of the vehicle. As you approach the intersection, volume increases. If you’d rather listen to the vehicle’s 36-speaker surround-sound system, you can turn off the voice and depend instead on the large, high-resolution display on the vehicle’s 16.9-inch infotainment screen. A heads-up display of route directions
May 2021
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