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Archive for October, 2018

Kia Really Goes To Rio and Hyundai Nexo Goes Five Star.

Turbo or not turbo, that is the question. Kia seems to think the answer is yes, with the petite little Rio getting a rejig both in the mechanical and model sense. Finally the four speed auto has been given the flick and will be replaced by a six speed. The Si and SLi have also been discontinued and replaced by a model called Sport which will take the new six speed. The GT has a revvy 1.0L three cylinder and Kia’s own seven speed dual clutch auto.It’ll still be a three model range. The S kicks everything off with the unchanged 74kW four with six pseed manual or, sadly, the four speed auto. There’s a pretty good list of standard equipment including the expected stability and safety programs, reverse camera, reverse sensors, six airbags, and the smart apps of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Sport goes up a notch with a leather trimmed tiller, the aforementioned transmission choices, leather trimmed gear selector, and electric folding mirrors. It’ll also roll on stylish 17 inch alloys.

The top of the range GT-Line features a three cylinder turbo engine. It pack a fair bit of a punch for the size, with 88kW and 172Nm of torque on tap. The new seven speed dual clutch auto should take advantage of that and make the GT-Line the car it’s deserved to be. Autonomous Emergency Braking, Idle Stop and Go, and Lane Keep Assist enhance the appeal. The funky GT-Line body kit, LED driving lights and position lamps, LED rears and LED fog lamps add to the visuals of the pert Rio GT-Line.Along with Kia’s standard seven year warranty comes some sharp pricing. The S manual is a steal at $16,990 driveaway, and just $500 more for the S auto. The new Sport will start at $17,990 for the manual and $18,990 for the auto, with both also a driveaway price. The GT-Line remains super competitive at $21,990 and with the new seven speed DCT promises fire cracker performance in its price and class. Contact Kia for more details.A car due to land in Australia in the first half of 2019 is the hydrogen fed Hyundai Nexo. With the known volatility of the fuel, safety is paramount and the Nexo has achieved a Euro NCAP five star rating. This makes it the world’s first fuel cell vehicle to receive this rating. To back up the claim is a full suite of safety equipment under the Hyundai SmartSense banner. Forward Collision Avoidance Assist with pedestrian assist utilises radar and camera technology. In a three stage process the FCA will alert the driver by sound and by a visual alarm. Assessing the situation the onboard system may apply the brakes depending on the danger level. Maximum emergency braking is applied if the system feels it’s warranted.The onboard Lane Keeping Assist is part of the package that helped gain the EuroNCAP five star rating. That’s backed up by the Lane Following Assist system that’s also standard equipment. The pair keep the Nexo on the straight and narrow at speeds up to 150 kilometres per hour. Contact Hyundai for more details. http://credit-n.ru/kurs-cb.html

Robots And Skeletons From Kia And Hyundai

As often as science fiction leads to real life science fact, the reverse applies more than expected. Robotic assistance in various forms have been a part of sci-fi lore for decades and in films such as Aliens we’ve seen what are called exoskeletons. Hyundai and Kia, with the latter a major and wholly owned sub-section of Hyundai, are working together to develop the Hyundai Vest Exoskeleton (H-VEX). AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is also recognised as a major area of growth in technology, and established a specific robotics team to work on developing the technology and where applications can be utilised. Along with the Hyundai Chairless Exoskeleton or H-CEX, which adds extra support to a user’s knee joints, the units are lightweight but offer plenty of extra assistance.

The H-CEX itself weighs just 1.6 kilos yet provides up to 150 kilograms of extra lift. It’s fitted with waist, thigh, and knee belts to provide a range of adjustment for the user. The H-VEX is an upper body oriented device, and is said to be rated to an extra 60kg of mass when arms are raised above the head. the support design here focuses on the neck and upper back.
The robotics division is also investigating other forms of wearables, along with service robots and what is called micro wearability. Last years Hyundai’s robotics team showcased the Hyundai Medical exoskeleton or H-MEX. This provided a higher level of mobility for paraplegics and the infirm, with the end result being the device should be properly registered for legal use in the medical field. An extension of this is the HUMA, or Hyundai Universal Medical Assist program. This device can assist in having a human run at up to 12 km/h when needed.

AI is being developed for service and sales robots. Areas such as a natural conversation level and a natural mobility look & feel to assist in engaging with clients in environments such as car dealerships. By being able to provide specifications, price options, and more, it will help customers gain vital information before a need to have a salesperson become involved.

Hyundai exoskeleton

Dr. Youngcho Chi, Executive Vice President of Strategy & Technology Division and Chief Innovation Officer of Hyundai Motor Group said, “The field of robotics has the potential to usher in a new era in our industry. The possibilities for the technology are endless – from future mobility solutions and industrial productivity aids to vital military applications, we think the future is better with robots. The huge collective experience within the Hyundai Motor Group will facilitate rapid progress in the coming years. We are excited about current developments, and very optimistic for the use of this technology to improve lives around the globe.” http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/creditplus-online-zaimi.html

Fossil Fuel, EVs or Bio Fuels?

Fossil Fuels

Is petroleum diesel still a fuel that is going to be around to power our cars in the future?  On the surface, it might look like the era of the diesel engine might be drawing to a close, especially when we hear that some manufacturers are pulling the pin on building new diesel engines.  The truth is that non-renewable resources, which include fossil fuels such as oil, coal, petroleum and natural gas, are all finite in their quantity available in nature for the future.  Diesel fuel is a petroleum product, and so is considered to be a finite non-renewable resource.  Certainly it would seem that petroleum-based diesel has a limited window of opportunity for powering motor vehicles around the globe.  But is this actually the case?

Added to the seemingly limited supply of our fossil fuels, we also hear that some car manufacturers are deciding to avoid building new diesel engines all together.  Volvo was one of the first to announce boldly that by 2019 there would be no more diesel powered Volvo cars and SUVs in their line-up.  Volkswagen Group’s diesel emissions cheating scandal has meant that they have decided to stop selling diesel models, as well.  Volkswagen Group is pretty big when you consider that VW, Audi and Porsche are all under the same banner.

Because our global economy relies on so many diesel engines for performing many mechanical tasks we can’t drive the world’s diesel fleet over the cliff and forget about them just yet.  The reality is that even America’s economy would grind to a halt immediately if they decided to go without diesel power overnight.  Diesel engines are used in so many commercial applications – trucking, construction, shipping, farming, buses and much, much more.  Diesel motors are still far more energy frugal (assuming proper and legal emissions treatment is followed) compared with gasoline equivalents.  For any sort of heavy-duty transportation work or for towing purposes, the low-end torque of a diesel engine simply cannot be matched by gasoline motors which have to be worked much harder for the same amount of work – and therefore pump out more emissions.

EVs

EVs are getting plenty of press at the moment, but in reality they have a very long way to go before they can truly be considered as a true logistical alternative to the diesel motor.  There just simply isn’t the network in place to produce so many EVs nor power so many EVs for our global economy to continue growing at the pace it is.

Biofuels

What I haven’t heard so much of lately is the advancements made in biofuels.  Biofuels seem to me to be the much more sensible replacement option for petroleum diesel, as biodiesel fuels are a renewable resource.  Biofuels are derived from biological materials such as food crops, crop residues, forest residues, animal wastes, and landfills.  Major biofuels are biodiesel, ethanol, and methane; and biofuels, by their very nature, are renewable over a period of less than one year for those based on crop rotation, crop residues, and animal wastes or about 35 years for those based on forest residues.

Emissions from burning biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine have significantly lower levels of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, sulphur oxides, odour, and noxious “smoke” compared to emissions from the conventional petroleum diesel motor that we are more familiar with.  Also, carbon dioxide emissions from combustion of biodiesel are reduced by about 10% when compared to petroleum diesel, but there is a more significant carbon dioxide benefit with biodiesel made from plant oils.  During the photosynthesis process, as the plants are growing and developing, carbon dioxide is drawn from the environment into the plant, while the plants release beneficial oxygen into the environment.

How are EV batteries made?  Are they as clean as renewable biofuels?  If EVs are running on electricity produced by burning dirty fossil fuels, the climate benefits are limited.  Because of the complex batteries that EVs use, it currently takes more energy to produce an electric car than a conventional one.  While fewer emissions are produced by the cars themselves while driving on the streets, CO2 is still being emitted by power plants needed to charge the EVs.  And, disposing of those complex EV batteries creates an environmental hazard in itself.  EV batteries also need to be made from non-renewable minerals such as copper and cobalt, and rare earths like neodymium.

Some other negatives for EVs are that the mining activities for the minerals in countries like China or the Democratic Republic of Congo often cause human rights violations and vast ecological devastation which include: deforestation, polluted rivers and contaminated soil.  Not so great!  And, in addition, many automakers use aluminium to build the bodies of EVs, and a tremendous amount of energy is required to process bauxite ore into the lightweight metal.

Trucks, ships and tractors still think diesel power rules!  Even though some car manufacturers have abandoned petroleum diesel fuelled cars, there are other automotive manufacturers that have actually ramped up their diesel vehicle production.  General Motors, Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW, Mazda, Kia, Jeep, Ford, Nissan and Chevrolet are all manufacturing plenty of new diesel motors.

Hmmm?!  Biofuels then? http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/denga-zaimy-nalichnimi.html

MINI Adds A Royal Edition.

In line with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arriving in Australia for The Invictus Games, MINI has announced a limited edition with royal overtones. The Kensington Edition is a proper limited run with just 60 cars to be made available. The option will be on the Cooper/Cooper S three and five door models, with fifteen each for the four trim levels. Mini are also using the internet in the order process, with an online ordering and allocation process specifically for the Kensington.The cars will be painted in the eyecatching Pure Burgundy metallic paint that MINI has showcased previously. Extra features such as an illuminated door sill and Kensington specific badging are complemented by the extensive standard features list. The Cooper S gets a sports oriented double clutch transmission, an 8.8 inch touchscreen with Mini Navigation Plus, and a well specified safety package. The Kensington will see a Driver Assist Package, featuring City Collision Mitigation, Forward Collision Warning, High-Beam Assistant and Speed Sign Recognition. Then there’s the Active Package, featuring LED Headlights with Union Jack tail lights, MINI Excitement Package, White Indicator lenses, automatic climate control and Wireless phone charging (already standard on Cooper S).There’s a pair of different wheels, with the Cooper receiving 16 inch Victory spoke alloys, the Cooper S rolling on 17 inch Cosmos spoke alloys, with both painted black. These are matched by the blacked coated mirror caps, roof, and spoiler. Inside there is a Panoramic sunroof, black leather seating in a diamond quilt weave for the Cooper, and the “MINI Yours” carbon black package for the Cooper S. Piano black and chrome highlights are featured and the Cooper S receives heated front seats also.

Warranty is a three year and unlimited kilometre package with optionable extra warranty and servicing.

Pricing starts at $41,990 driveaway for MINI Cooper 3-door Hatch Kensington Edition. The MINI Cooper 5-door Hatch Kensington Edition is $43,150, with the MINI Cooper S 3-door Hatch Kensington Edition at $52,900 and the MINI Cooper S 5-door Hatch Kensington Edition $54,150. Order your new MINI Kensington here: 2019 MINI Kensington http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/greenmoney-online-zaymi-za-20-minut.html