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Car Tech

By Jeffrey N. Ross

Being bored on the way to and from work may become a thing of the past. Talk on the phone, use your laptop, do your makeup, eat breakfast or even read a book. You won’t need your hands on the wheel to safely navigate the highway. The Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTE) are currently being tested in the UK, Sweden and Spain. They are being tested on tracks and closed courses for now, but will be tested on public highways in Spain in the future. The testing is scheduled to last for about three years.

The SARTE project is being researched and conducted in the European Union and being funded by the government.

Not only will the road trains make commuting more productive for you, but they could cut fuel use by 20 percent or more for the vehicles in the train. Not only would you be saving on fuel costs, but the trip would be safer with fewer accidents and less congestion on the highways.

Up to eight vehicles will be joined together using wireless sensors, a transmitter/receiver unit and navigation system. The sensors collect information from each vehicle and send it to the lead vehicle, which will be driven by a paid professional driver. Cars, trucks and even buses are able to connect and disconnect from the train at any time. Software inside each car will allow it to communicate with the lead car, allowing the lead car to know what’s going on around each car in the train.

“This type of autonomous driving actually doesn’t require any hocus-pocus technology, and no investment in infrastructure. Instead, the emphasis is on development and on adapting technology that is already in existence.” said Erik Coelingh of Volvo. Volvo has been one of the main companies participating in the road train project.

Details of the road train still have to be sorted out. Allowing vehicles to join the train and then leave on their own, signaling to other commuters that these specific vehicles are in a train and keeping the vehicles in the train safe are top on the list of specifics that will be focused on.

Earlier this year when I reviewed the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan, one of the most unique aspects of it was the availability of separate rear entertainment screens that could play television channels such as Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network. By the end of this year, Chrysler claims that it will be the first automaker to offer live mobile television viewing of up to 20 channels. The dealer-installed option will be available in late December in select Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram Truck vehicles.

Chrysler Group’s parts and accessories branch, Mopar, will offer FLO TV on 2008 through 2010 models of the Chrysler Town & Country, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Commander, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Journey, Dodge Nitro and Dodge Ram 1500/2500/3500 that are equipped with a factory DVD entertainment system. FLO TV can also be added on select 2008 through 2010 model year vehicles that are equipped with Mopar’s headrest entertainment system. The system costs $629 regardless of whether it is being installed on a new or used vehicle.

FLO TV, a subsidiary of Qualcomm Inc., receives its signal from a small antenna about the size of a computer mouse which is mounted on the roof. Like any other DVD entertainment system, the programs will be displayed on the rear monitors but only on the front monitor when the vehicle is in park. Currently, FLO TV only lists Fox News, CBS Mobile, Fox West, MSNBC, Comedy Central, ESPN, MTV, Nickelodeon, CNBC, but by the end of December Chrysler says there will be up to 20 channels of live or time-delayed television stations available with this system to show sports, breaking news, kids' shows, sitcoms, reality TV and daytime dramas. By the time the system is operational, FLO TV will be available in more than 100 major markets and that it should also work along most major interstate corridors.

Just like any other Mopar accessory, the optional FLO TV Auto Entertainment system will be covered by a three-year/36,000-mile warranty on new vehicles or a one-year/12,000-mile warranty on used vehicles for hardware and installation.