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Entries for April 2008

The Rise of the Digital Dummy

Posted by Marc Laspina on 4/29/2008 at 1:00 PM

Virtual models of humans are being used to improve auto designs and test auto safety features.

By Salvatore Salamone

The combination of ever-more complex computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulations, new high-performance computing (HPC) clusters, and significantly more sophisticated digital computer models of driver and passenger dummies (so-called virtual crash test dummies) may enable automakers to produce safer cars.

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Active Cruise Control: A Smart, Safe Choice

Posted by Marc Laspina on 4/22/2008 at 1:00 PM

By Samuel Greengard

It's easy to forget how tedious it is to drive long distances — and how much concentration it takes. Spend a few hours on the highway, and you're likely to find your speed drifting upward and downward. You may also discover that as you grow tired and your reactions slow, it's difficult to maintain a safe following distance.

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Continuously Variable Transmissions: the Next Generation

Posted by Marc Laspina on 4/15/2008 at 1:00 PM

Cars equipped with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) offer better fuel efficiency, a smoother ride and better acceleration from smaller engines.

By Jim Henry

If squeezing out every last mile per gallon is a major issue, you may want to consider a growing number of cars — including many gasoline-electric hybrids — that are equipped with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Other benefits include a smoother ride and better acceleration from smaller engines.

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High-Performance Halogen Replacement Headlights: Seeing the Light

Posted by Marc Laspina on 4/8/2008 at 1:00 PM

Replacing your existing halogen headlight bulbs with high-performance replacement bulbs can increase night visibility and safety.

By Bill Machrone

Whiter and brighter have always been good selling points, and they're just as applicable to automobile headlights as they are to laundry. The halogen bulbs found in most headlights provide whiter, brighter light than the older, yellowish sealed-beam designs that dominated U.S. headlights until the early 1990s.

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A New Twist on Electric Vehicles: Battery Rentals

Posted by Marc Laspina on 4/1/2008 at 1:00 PM

Start-up Project Better Place plans to establish a network of charging spots and battery exchange stations where workers will replace spent batteries in hybrid electric vehicles.

By Salvatore Salamone

Borrowing a business model from cellular service providers, the well-financed (it's already raised $200 million in funding) start-up Project Better Place plans to change the way people use plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Similar to the way wireless operators deploy a network of cell towers to provide mobile phone coverage, Project Better Place will establish a network of charging spots and battery exchange stations where workers will pull out and replace spent batteries in about the same amount of time required to fill a conventional car's tank with gas.

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About this Blog

These articles — exclusively on Progressive.com — keep you up-to-date with developments and news about vehicle technology. Provided by Ziff Davis Enterprise.

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