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Industry News: NTSB: Make Collision-Avoidance Tech Standard On All Cars
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By Drew Dowdell
Volvo caused a stir on Monday when it announced that it would begin setting a 112-mph top speed on all of its vehicles starting with the 2020 model year. The goal of the limit is to strive toward Volvo's Vision 2020 Plan to eliminate fatalities or serious injury in all Volvo new vehicles.
That release made no mention of Volvo's Polestar brand. CNET Roadshow interviewed Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath who said "We obviously will not do that, and it is a nice brand differentiator". Polestar is considered a performance brand, but he thinks that talking maximum speed is missing the point with regard electric cars. Most of the focus on EVs tends to be around the 0-60 performance rather than max speed.
As Polestar is still a Volvo at heart, it will benefit from Volvo's safety know-how, but it won't pursue a safety image like Volvo has.
Polestar unveiled the Polestar 2 electric car at the Geneva Auto Show this week. Read more below.
Related:
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By Drew Dowdell
Volvo caused a stir on Monday when it announced that it would begin setting a 112-mph top speed on all of its vehicles starting with the 2020 model year. The goal of the limit is to strive toward Volvo's Vision 2020 Plan to eliminate fatalities or serious injury in all Volvo new vehicles.
That release made no mention of Volvo's Polestar brand. CNET Roadshow interviewed Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath who said "We obviously will not do that, and it is a nice brand differentiator". Polestar is considered a performance brand, but he thinks that talking maximum speed is missing the point with regard electric cars. Most of the focus on EVs tends to be around the 0-60 performance rather than max speed.
As Polestar is still a Volvo at heart, it will benefit from Volvo's safety know-how, but it won't pursue a safety image like Volvo has.
Polestar unveiled the Polestar 2 electric car at the Geneva Auto Show this week. Read more below.
Related:
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By Drew Dowdell
Volvo has announced that all 2020 Volvos will come with an electronically limited top speed of 180 kph or 112 mph. The move is in pursuit of its Vision 2020 goal to have no fatalities or serious injuries in a new Volvo by 2020. The company identified three remaining gaps in its plan, one of which being speeding. Volvo says that the problem with high speeds is that above a certain point, in-car safety technology is no longer sufficient to prevent serious injury.
The company is also investigating a smart speed control system that will use GPS and geofencing to limit top speed around schools and hospitals.
The two other gap areas Volvo has identified are intoxication and distracted driving. Volvo will present ideas to tackle these problems at a special event on March 20th.
Volvo Press Release on Page 2
Volvo Cars to impose 180 kph speed limit on all cars to highlight dangers of speeding
Volvo Cars, as a worldwide leader in safety, is sending a strong signal about the dangers of speeding and will limit the top speed on all its cars to 180 kph from 2020.
The company’s Vision 2020, which aims for no one to be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020, is one of the most ambitious safety visions in the automotive industry. But realising that technology alone will not get it all the way to zero, Volvo Cars is now broadening its scope to include a focus on driver behaviour.
Research by Volvo Cars has identified three remaining concerns for safety that constitute so-called ‘gaps’ in its ambition to completely end serious injuries and fatalities in its cars, with speeding a very prominent one.
“Volvo is a leader in safety: we always have been and we always will be,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive. "Because of our research we know where the problem areas are when it comes to ending serious injuries and fatalities in our cars. And while a speed limitation is not a cure-all, it’s worth doing if we can even save one life.”
Apart from limiting top speeds, the company is also investigating how a combination of smart speed control and geofencing technology could automatically limit speeds around schools and hospitals in future.
“We want to start a conversation about whether car makers have the right or maybe even an obligation to install technology in cars that changes their driver´s behaviour, to tackle things like speeding, intoxication or distraction,” said Mr. Samuelsson. “We don’t have a firm answer to this question, but believe we should take leadership in the discussion and be a pioneer.”
The problem with speeding is that above certain speeds, in-car safety technology and smart infrastructure design are no longer enough to avoid severe injuries and fatalities in the event of an accident. That is why speed limits are in place in most western countries, yet speeding remains ubiquitous and one of the most common reasons for fatalities in traffic.
Millions of people still get speeding tickets every year and traffic accident data from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration shows that 25 per cent of all traffic fatalities in the US in 2017 were caused by speeding.
People simply do not recognise the danger involved in speed, says Jan Ivarsson, one of Volvo Cars’ leading safety experts.
“As humans, we all understand the dangers with snakes, spiders and heights. With speeds, not so much,” said Mr Ivarsson. “People often drive too fast in a given traffic situation and have poor speed adaption in relation to that traffic situation and their own capabilities as a driver. We need to support better behaviour and help people realise and understand that speeding is dangerous.”
Beyond speeding, two other problem areas constitute ‘gaps toward zero’. As obvious a problem as speeding (and as difficult to end) is intoxication. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal in large parts of the world, yet it remains a prime reason for injuries and fatalities on today’s roads.
The other area is distraction. Drivers distracted by their mobile phones or otherwise not fully engaged in driving are another major cause of traffic fatailities. In many ways, they are equally dangerous as drunk drivers.
Volvo Cars will present ideas to tackle the problem areas of intoxication and distraction at a special safety event in Gothenburg, Sweden on March 20.
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By Drew Dowdell
Volvo has announced that all 2020 Volvos will come with an electronically limited top speed of 180 kph or 112 mph. The move is in pursuit of its Vision 2020 goal to have no fatalities or serious injuries in a new Volvo by 2020. The company identified three remaining gaps in its plan, one of which being speeding. Volvo says that the problem with high speeds is that above a certain point, in-car safety technology is no longer sufficient to prevent serious injury.
The company is also investigating a smart speed control system that will use GPS and geofencing to limit top speed around schools and hospitals.
The two other gap areas Volvo has identified are intoxication and distracted driving. Volvo will present ideas to tackle these problems at a special event on March 20th.
Volvo Press Release on Page 2
Volvo Cars to impose 180 kph speed limit on all cars to highlight dangers of speeding
Volvo Cars, as a worldwide leader in safety, is sending a strong signal about the dangers of speeding and will limit the top speed on all its cars to 180 kph from 2020.
The company’s Vision 2020, which aims for no one to be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020, is one of the most ambitious safety visions in the automotive industry. But realising that technology alone will not get it all the way to zero, Volvo Cars is now broadening its scope to include a focus on driver behaviour.
Research by Volvo Cars has identified three remaining concerns for safety that constitute so-called ‘gaps’ in its ambition to completely end serious injuries and fatalities in its cars, with speeding a very prominent one.
“Volvo is a leader in safety: we always have been and we always will be,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive. "Because of our research we know where the problem areas are when it comes to ending serious injuries and fatalities in our cars. And while a speed limitation is not a cure-all, it’s worth doing if we can even save one life.”
Apart from limiting top speeds, the company is also investigating how a combination of smart speed control and geofencing technology could automatically limit speeds around schools and hospitals in future.
“We want to start a conversation about whether car makers have the right or maybe even an obligation to install technology in cars that changes their driver´s behaviour, to tackle things like speeding, intoxication or distraction,” said Mr. Samuelsson. “We don’t have a firm answer to this question, but believe we should take leadership in the discussion and be a pioneer.”
The problem with speeding is that above certain speeds, in-car safety technology and smart infrastructure design are no longer enough to avoid severe injuries and fatalities in the event of an accident. That is why speed limits are in place in most western countries, yet speeding remains ubiquitous and one of the most common reasons for fatalities in traffic.
Millions of people still get speeding tickets every year and traffic accident data from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration shows that 25 per cent of all traffic fatalities in the US in 2017 were caused by speeding.
People simply do not recognise the danger involved in speed, says Jan Ivarsson, one of Volvo Cars’ leading safety experts.
“As humans, we all understand the dangers with snakes, spiders and heights. With speeds, not so much,” said Mr Ivarsson. “People often drive too fast in a given traffic situation and have poor speed adaption in relation to that traffic situation and their own capabilities as a driver. We need to support better behaviour and help people realise and understand that speeding is dangerous.”
Beyond speeding, two other problem areas constitute ‘gaps toward zero’. As obvious a problem as speeding (and as difficult to end) is intoxication. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal in large parts of the world, yet it remains a prime reason for injuries and fatalities on today’s roads.
The other area is distraction. Drivers distracted by their mobile phones or otherwise not fully engaged in driving are another major cause of traffic fatailities. In many ways, they are equally dangerous as drunk drivers.
Volvo Cars will present ideas to tackle the problem areas of intoxication and distraction at a special safety event in Gothenburg, Sweden on March 20.
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By William Maley
Honda is giving their smallest model its first significant update since it was redesigned for the 2015 model year.
The 2018 Fit will now come with Honda Sensing suite of active safety equipment. Standard on EX and above, and optional on the LX and new Sport trim, Honda Sensing brings adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, road departure warning, and road departure mitigation. This puts it ahead of the Toyota Yaris which comes with a pre-collision system, lane departure alert, and automatic high beams.
As mentioned above, the Fit will get a new trim called Sport. This is more of an appearance package than anything else with 16-inch wheels finished in black, rear diffuser with bright orange trim, and chrome exhaust tip. All Fits do come with a new two-piece grille, while trims except the Sport come with new bumpers.
Honda says the 2018 Fit will arrive at dealers next month. Pricing hasn't been announced, but we expect it to be similar to the 2017's base price of $16,965.
Source: Honda
Press Release is on Page 2
Refreshed 2018 Honda Fit Launches Next Month with More Aggressive Styling, New Sport Trim and Available Honda Sensing
Jun 12, 2017 - TORRANCE, Calif.
More youthful and emotional styling enhances Fit's sporty character Honda Sensing® adds safety and driver assistive technologies to Honda's benchmark subcompact New style and features add to Fit's best-in-class space, refinement, practicality, fuel efficiency and affordability Honda today revealed the 2018 Fit with fresh new styling, the addition of a Sport trim and the availability of Honda Sensing® on its popular hatchback. Updated styling at the front and rear, and a splash of additional color add vibrancy and infuse the versatile Fit with an enhanced youthful, sporty and emotional character. The availability of Honda Sensing® brings the suite of advanced safety and driver assistive technologies to the subcompact Fit.
"With sporty new styling and additional feature content, the 2018 Honda Fit ups the ante with new styling and sophistication not typically found in the subcompact segment," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president of the American Honda Automobile Division. "Fit has always represented a great value for subcompact customers and the addition of available Honda Sensing® to its fun-to-drive performance and unmatched versatility will keep the Honda Fit as the industry's benchmark subcompact."
The 2018 Honda Fit features new, sportier styling, starting with a horizontally layered, two-piece chrome and piano black grille with a larger, more prominent "H" mark. The more integrated and sophisticated headlights blend into the side edges of the upper fascia's wing creating a unified yet more aggressive design. The front bumper sports top chrome accents and features a full-width splitter, along with more angular fog lights pods.
At the rear, the Fit's low and wide sporty styling continues with a redesigned bumper featuring a full-width character line in piano black and a splitter-shaped lower section. A newly styled taillight combo completes the Fit's sharper looking rear.
Positioned between the LX and EX trims, the new Fit Sport trim features an even more aggressive and sporty look with aero form features at the front, sides and rear, and a low and sharp front splitter highlighted in bright orange. An exclusive black finish on the 16-inch alloy wheels further adds to the sporty look. At the rear, a three-strake diffuser with bright orange upper trim line, chrome exhaust finisher and Sport badge complete the Fit Sport's aggressive exterior styling.
Two new vibrant colors – Helios Yellow Pearl (replacing Mystic Yellow) and Orange Fury – join an expanded color palette that includes White Orchid Pearl, Lunar Silver Metallic, Modern Steel Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl, Milano Red and Aegean Blue Metallic.
Available on LX and Sport trims and standard on EX and above, Honda Sensing® includes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Collision Mitigation Brake Braking System™ (CMBS™), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) incorporating Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) incorporating Road Departure Warning (RDW). This makes Fit the most affordable car in America with such a robust suite of available advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies and the only vehicle within its segment to do so.
This is the third-generation Fit's first update since the launch of the 2015 model in 2014. More in-depth information about the upgrades to the 2018 Fit, including expanded feature content will be provided in the near future.
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