One of the many double-edged new features in vehicles is the modern start/stop system. Designed to save a few teaspoonfuls of fuel by shutting down a cars engine under certain conditions while its at rest, this invention amuses and annoys in equal measure.On one hand, it is saving fuel; on the other, it can kill power steering on some cars, and roar back to life with a rude judder in others.GM thinks it may have a way around some of these annoyances. At present, a start/stop system looks for a number of criteria before shutting down an engine, including road speed and accessory load. According to a new patent filed by The General, the addition of a camera and slick AI programming could make the systems that much more bearable. Using the cars onboard GPS to help determine location and situation, GMs patent will allow a start/stop system to recognize the difference between being in a parking lot or on the 401 during rush hour. Combined with machine learning, it would theoretically be able to deactivate the start/stop during parking lot maneuvers, or when pulling into a driveway.Few things in this life are more irritating than a car shutting off the instant one stops outside their home only for it to fire again when the driver moves their foot off the brake. If the driver is not quick enough to clue into whats going on raises hand theres a good chance theyll stab a finger at the ignition button to turn off the car but, because the system has already turned the car off, such action results in the engine re-firing for no reason. It can be infuriating.Technically, the system could also read traffic data from the cloud in an attempt to prepare itself for start/stop duty when it might not otherwise be needed. If ones commute is generally light on traffic, such knowledge harvested from the cloud would allow the car to recognize upcoming congestion and permit the start/stop system to operate once thrust into that environment. Since the car is monitoring its whereabouts, Luddites will surely carp about privacy.Its an intriguing solution to a wholly self-created problem. Well keep our ears to the ground for more
Origin: General Motors patents a slightly less annoying start-stop system
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More patents further hint new Ford Bronco could have removable doors
1966 Ford Bronco ICON DerelictIcon Tom Petty once sang that waiting is the hardest part. Hes exactly right especially when it comes to the new Ford Bronco.It seems like an eternity since the company announced the trucks return in Detroit nearly three years ago. Since then, weve been kept alive with the dribs and drabs of teasers and leaks.The latest leak comes courtesy of the sharp eyes at AutoGuide, who have found patent drawings which seemingly confirm rumours the new Bronco will have removable doors in addition to a removable top. These drawings depict a squared-off SUV with, to put it mildly, a free-flow interior.Binning the doors on command would be a great feature, one that until now was reserved for owners of Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators. Nothing is certain, of course, especially since car companies frequently patent ideas and never use them for any number of reasons. But even the possibility of a door-less Bronco gets us jonesing to visit a Blue Oval dealer post-haste.Also buried in these patent drawings is a nifty method of providing side protection for occupants. It seems that the company is developing some sort of remote inflator, one which could be permanently fixed in the door pillar but fire its charge some distance to inflate a bag located inside a set of rugged tubular doors.The filings suggest this could be accomplished by way of a stout-but-telescopic bar equipped with strategically placed holes. As for the rest of this new Ford, well have to wait like everyone else. Your author found a listing at Canadian Tire, of all places, suggesting the 2021 Bronco will have a 2.3-litre four-banger under its hood, a mill which likely shares much with that found in the Ranger.This man is also willing to bet money a removable roof, or at least removable roof panels, will be in the offing on Bronco, along with off-road kit from the Ranger
Origin: More patents further hint new Ford Bronco could have removable doors
First patents surface for Dyson electric car planned for 2021
Patent drawings for what could be Dysons upcoming electric vehicleDyson Dyson’s electric car may have a long wheelbase, an interior cabin with reclining seats and an aerodynamic design, according to patents recently awarded to the company. The patents, filed about 18 months ago and made public Wednesday, are the first glimpse of the car being built by the U.K.-based company known for pricey vacuums, hair dryers and air purifiers. In an email to staff, founder James Dyson said the patents don’t reveal what our vehicle will really look like or give any specifics around what it will do, but they do provide a glimpse of some of the inventive steps the company is weighing. The patents also indicate Dyson is mulling a vehicle with larger wheels to improve efficiency. Dyson’s email also hinted at a car with a low center of gravity to improve handling. The company posted a new automotive page to its website detailing its history in the automotive world and how its experience working on motors could contribute to a car. Dyson joins a growing list of technology companies getting into the car business. Tesla has pioneered electric vehicles, Alphabet’s Waymo unit leads in self-driving technology, while Apple has had an automotive project since about 2016. Patent drawings for what could be Dyson’s upcoming electric vehicle Dyson Dyson first disclosed plans to build an electric car in 2017, saying it would invest 2 billion pounds (US$2.6 billion) on the vehicle and accompanying batteries. Last year, the company said it would build a facility in Singapore to develop the car it hopes to introduce by 2021. In his email to staff, Dyson said that testing of the car would ramp up next month and that more than 500 people are working on the
Origin: First patents surface for Dyson electric car planned for 2021
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