Armadillo-T electric vehicle concept folds up for easy storage

Michael Bay, your real-life Transformer has arrived. Sort of.

From postwar Packards to Beetles old and new, there are no shortage of cars that vaguely resemble the armadillo.

Yet none, so far as we know, have mastered the shelled mammal's impressive vertical leap -- and none possess that oh-so-armadillian trait, the ability to curl up into a little protective ball.

Not more than once, anyway.

Apparently finding this lack of armadillo-ness to be the main factor holding us back from a future of efficient transportation, a group of researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology spent gobs of money on a very, very special prototype.

Yes, the Armadillo-T has hit the scene, and nothing will ever be the same. It doesn't jump, but according to the Wall Street Journal, the prototype EV starts off small (about the size of a smart car) and gets smaller, reducing its overall length to just 65 inches after parking. That means you can fit three of the neatly packaged parcels in the footprint of one standard parked car.

You might be wondering what happens if the car folds up with the occupant inside. A smartphone activation system is supposed to prevent that from happening, but the very nature of the transition from road-mode to storage-mode -- the rear of the vehicle flips up and to sit on top of, and partially enclose, the passenger pod -- means that locking your friend inside and initiating the transformation probably won't result in a busted spine.

And speaking of transformations, we guess the dual nature of the Armadillo-T technically makes it a capital-T Transformer, but its aesthetics -- and lack of weaponry -- leave us a bit cold. Maybe project leader Professor Suh's people could talk to Michael Bay's people and work up something more intimidating for Armadillo-T2: Production Version.

Anyway, forget about the car's golf cart-like looks and stance for a moment: This is (one more) prototype for a real, transforming car that has at least a ghost of a chance of entering production. Its mode of operation is different than the ones employed on the Renault Zoom concept MIT's Hiriko/CityCar project, which could possibly make it more viable to build and sell. At the very least, it's interesting to watch it in action.

Push the technology a bit further and there's no telling what'll happen: We imagine a family sedan that folds down to the size of a suitcase will remain out of reach, but maybe we can get an S-Class that tucks into a nice leather steamer trunk.

-- Graham Kozak

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Why we're not fearing the loss of moving parts in new cars

Switching from mechanical to electrical technology isn't a bad thing for people who love to drive. It's making driving easier and more fuel efficient.

Even though some car enthusiasts lament the creep of technology into cars, electronics replacing mechanical parts are nothing new. Think of power steering and how it has helped made driving easier and safer for decades.

More recently, electric power steering that uses electric motors to assist driver input instead of a hydraulic pump, as with earlier systems, has become common. EPS also saves fuel, because it runs independently of the engine's power and allows for start-stop systems that shut off the engine at traffic lights. 

But regardless of whether power steering was hydraulically or electrically assisted, drivers continued to have a direct mechanical connection to the front wheels. That is, until the first "steering-by-wire" system was recently introduced on a production vehicle, the 2014 Infiniti Q50. 

This means that the mechanical linkage connecting the front wheels to the steering wheels has been replaced with electronics. The advantages of steering-by-wire systems include advancements in stability control and that the steering ratio can be infinitely varied. 

But such arrangements also mean that there's no physical feedback or tactile "steering feel" for the driver, which is anathema to enthusiasts. Some complain that electronics are more prone to failure, although a fail-safe system on the Infiniti Q50 relies on a good ol' mechanical linkage if that happens. And remember the last time you flew on a commercial airline? The pilots were using steering-by-wire to control the plane.

Such systems likely are just the beginning of electronics replacing critical mechanical functions and parts on cars, and in a more obvious fashion than steering-by-wire.

• Beating the Man in Volkswagen's slippery XL1
• New Tesla crossover debuts at 2013 Detroit Auto Show
• 2014 Infiniti Q50: Bold moves made good

For example, Tesla wasn’t able to completely eliminate the door handles on the Model S for improved aerodynamics on the all-electric luxury sedan. Instead, the handles are flush with the body and pop out only when the driver approaches with the key. But Tesla does want to ditch the side mirrors on the Model X crossover that it plans to launch late next year.

The original Model X concept had cameras built into the doors that fed video displays inside the car. Tesla said that removing the side mirrors would reduce wind resistance and therefore increase efficiency and battery range. But the idea doesn’t adhere to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 regulating rearview mirrors on cars.

When the Model X appeared at the Detroit Auto Show in January of this year, traditional side mirrors had replaced the cameras. But Tesla’s head designer, Franz von Holzhausen, recently said that the company is "still in talks with authorities to get the necessary permissions" to replace the side mirrors with cameras.

This isn’t an original idea, of course, or the first time technology from an automaker has gotten out ahead of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, which oversees automotive safety regulations. Audi’s R8 e-tron supercar concept included a 7.7-inch widescreen LED in place of the traditional glass rearview mirror.

The LED displays images from an always-on, wide-angle camera in a heated mount in the rear bumper. Audi used a special LED created by Samsung that provides a wider viewing angle than a traditional mirror does, and it doesn't need a backlight, so uses less power. Audi adapted the digital rearview mirror from its LeMans-winning R18 e-tron prototype.

Volkswagen also got rid of the side mirrors on the XL1, an ultra-efficient diesel-hybrid supercar that debuted at this year’s Geneva Auto Show and replaced them with two door-mounted cameras a lá Tesla. A writer for Automotive News drove the XL1 around VW's hometown of Wolfsburg, Germany, and reported that "relying on cameras was unsettling at first, but it worked fine" and pointed out "how useful night-vision side mirrors could be."

While some auto enthusiasts almost reflexively decry the advance of technology such as drive-by-wire and driver assist systems that take over in case of an accident, the majority of car owners embrace electronics if such systems make their time behind the wheel safer and easier.

Plus, you can't stop progress -- and in my opinion, that's a good thing. Otherwise, we'd still be wrestling with non-assisted steering.

Doug Newcomb has been covering car technology for more than 20 years for outlets ranging from Rolling Stone to Edmunds.com. In 2008, he published his first book, "Car Audio for Dummies" (Wiley). He lives and drives in Hood River, Ore., with his wife and two kids, who share his passion for cars and car technology, especially driving and listening to music.

Georgia, California most expensive states to operate a car

Survey takes into account fuel, taxes and fees, insurance and repairs – and shows that high gas prices can be offset by other operating costs.

You would think that states such as California, which has the highest gas taxes in the country, and New York, with sky-high prices for parking in the metropolitan area, would be the most expensive places to own and operate a car.

But while California comes in at No. 2 on Bankrate's first-ever Car Cost Index, New York is way down at No. 20. No. 1 is Georgia, followed by California and then Wyoming.

Bankrate also said its survey showed that in some states, lower operating costs such as insurance and repairs more than compensate for high gas prices.

To determine the annual cost of operating a car in each state, Bankrate drew data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners on average car-insurance costs, from CarMD.com on average repair costs and from Kelley Blue Book on taxes and fees. It estimated gasoline costs by using average pump prices from GasBuddy.com for 2012. Bankrate said it didn't include data on vehicle depreciation “since geography isn't a major factor in determining that cost.”

While lots of attention is given to fuel prices, Bankrate found that high gas prices can be offset by lower insurance premiums and the cost of taxes and fees. In fact, for the top five states on its list, gas prices varied from a high of $1,129 per year in No. 1 Georgia to a low of $811 in No. 5 Nevada.

And even though Alabama had the second-highest annual fuel cost ($1,284) after No. 3 Wyoming ($1,643), it ranked 34th on the list since repairs ($352), taxes and fees ($662) and insurance ($667) in the state are all below the U.S. averages of $353, $1,058 and $762, respectively.

Here are the five most and least expensive states in which to operate a car, based on average annual costs for gasoline, repairs, insurance premiums and taxes, according to Bankrate's Car Cost Index.

Most expensive

Georgia ($4,233) 

California ($3,966)

Wyoming ($3,938)

Rhode Island ($3,913)

Nevada ($3,886)

Least expensive

Oregon ($2,204)

Alaska ($2,227)

South Dakota ($2,343)

Montana ($2,660)

Indiana ($2,698)

For the complete list, go to Bankrate.com.

Nissan Titan to get Cummins turbodiesel V8 in 2015

Ram will share Cummins cachet with Japanese automaker

Chrysler Group may have to share with Nissan Motor Co. the stylish chrome capital C and black block letter Turbo Diesel logo that has adorned Ram heavy-duty pickups for nearly a quarter century. It was unclear today if there will be marketing implications to Nissan using the Cummins name on a competitive truck.

Nissan announced earlier today that its Titan pickup will get a Cummins turbodiesel in the 2015 calendar year. "We will definitely leverage the Cummins brand name," said Nissan spokesman Dan Bedore.

Cummins has been the sole supplier of diesel engines for Chrysler's Ram pickup since 1989 -- and the Cummins name is seen as a key reason why many customers buy the truck. The Cummins diesel engine has a reputation for long life, low maintenance and good fuel economy while towing heavy loads.

 The Ram with a Cummins diesel is rated at 850 pounds-feet of torque and can tow an industry-best 30,000 pounds. Silver Cummins Turbo Diesel badges are attached to the fenders of Ram trucks with the engine. Chrysler officials would not comment on Nissan's deal with Cummins or whether the name on a competitor's truck could hurt Ram's sales or dilute the brand's exclusivity.

Ram spokesman Nick Cappa said buyers associate the Cummins engine with ability to tow and haul huge loads. "People buy heavy-duty trucks for their capability, and that's what we deliver," he said.

The Cummins engine Chrysler uses in the Ram is a 6.7-liter inline-six, while Nissan's Cummins diesel is a 5.0-liter V8 based on a different design. Chrysler uses the Cummins engine only in heavy-duty versions of the Ram. Nissan doesn't offer a heavy-duty version of the Titan, and the Cummins engine will provide greater towing ability and higher fuel economy than the Titan's gasoline V8.

Later this year, Ram will offer a V6 turbodiesel from VM Motori in the light-duty or 1500 versions of the Ram.

Working on logo

Cummins spokesman Dave Groggin said the company will work with Nissan on the logo, but he said it is too early to say if there will be any differences. "It's our logo, not a Ram logo. We worked with Ram on the logo and we'll work with Nissan," he said. "Clearly both automakers see value having our logo on the side of their vehicles."

Details of the next Mississippi-built Titan, which hasn't been fully revamped since its 2003 introduction, aren't being disclosed at this time, the company said.

"Truck owners told us there's a demand for the performance and torque of a diesel in a capable truck that doesn't require the jump up to a heavy-duty commercial pickup," Fred Diaz, vice president for North American Nissan sales and marketing, said in the statement. "There is no question that the new Titan will turn heads."

Missed expectations

Nissan missed expectations a decade ago with Japan's first pickup that appeared to match the size and power of the trucks that are a cornerstone of U.S. sales for General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler. Nissan never met an initial target of selling 100,000 Titans a year, and delivered just 10,020 this year through July, a sixth the volume of Toyota Motor Corp.'s Tundra, and a fraction of the sales of Ford's F-Series, GM's Silverado and Chrysler's Ram pickups.

Titan sales fell 42 percent in July compared with the same month last year and have dropped 21 percent for the first seven months of the year, according to the Automotive News data center. Nissan's total U.S. sales have risen 9 percent over the same seven months.

U.S. full-size pickup sales jumped 23 percent this year through July, according to Autodata Corp., as an improving economy encourages buyers to replace their aging trucks. Large pickups account for a majority of earnings for U.S. automakers, according to Morgan Stanley.

               

The diesel engines will be built at a Cummins factory in Columbus, Ind., for installation at Nissan's Canton, Miss., plant.

Diesel appeal

Owners of large pickups are among the most loyal to GM, Ford and Chrysler. Nissan hired Diaz, 47, earlier this year after the executive headed Chrysler's Ram brand and Mexican unit. Toyota, which is readying a revamped Tundra, has no plans to add a diesel powertrain at this time, said Bill Fay, the company's group vice president for U.S. sales, in an interview in San Diego.

Karl Brauer, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said fuel efficiency requirements continue to push automakers to consider new, alternative drivetrain solutions. "By offering a Cummins turbo diesel in the next Titan, Nissan is increasing both performance and fuel efficiency for its truck just as the segment is seeing rapid growth," he said in a statement. "Customer loyalty among truck buyers remains a barrier to brands like Nissan and Toyota, but a 5.0-liter turbo diesel, offering approximately 550 pound-feet of torque, could change truck buyers' consideration list when the next Titan hits showrooms next year."

The diesel engines will be built at a Cummins factory in Columbus, Ind., for installation at Nissan's Canton, Miss., plant. Nissan didn't provide investment figures or say whether additional U.S. manufacturing jobs would result from the project. Cummins is also based in Columbus, south of Indianapolis. Nissan's North American unit is based near Nashville, Tenn.

Bloomberg contributed to this report 

(Nissan's deal with Cummins could have marketing implications for Ram originally appeared on Automotive News.)

-- Richard Truett

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NHTSA probes Grand Cherokee fires

Blazes start in headliner

U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV after complaints about fires inside the car.

In a filing Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has received three reports of fires in the headliner of the SUV near the passenger-side sun visor. The inquiry covers 146,000 vehicles. It is not related to a long-running probe of older Grand Cherokees that caught fire when struck from behind.

In each of the three complaints that prompted the NHTSA investigation, the driver smelled something burning and saw smoke coming from the headliner. Lowering the windows in an effort to clear the smoke only fanned the flames.

The three fires had to be extinguished because they kept burning after the car was turned off. In one case the fire shattered the sunroof, and in another the burning visor fell onto the passenger seat and set the seat on fire.

Chrysler Group said the Grand Cherokee remains one of the safest cars on the road.

“Customer safety is paramount at Chrysler Group,” a spokesman wrote in an e-mail today. “Accordingly, our engineers are investigating this concern while also fully supporting the preliminary evaluation opened by [NHTSA].”

NHTSA typically begins this type of evaluation when consumer complaints or manufacturer service bulletins suggest there may be a safety-related defect.

Once that evaluation is complete, the agency either begins an engineering analysis or closes the inquiry. Based on the outcome of the engineering analysis, a vehicle may be recalled or the inquiry may be closed with no further action.

-- Gabe Nelson of Automotive News

"Grand Cherokee headliner fires probed by NHTSA" was originally publish by Automotive News.
 

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