Technology

The party also says the government will almost certainly have to mandate the use of the E10 ethanol blend in the fuel supply if the major oil companies fail to lift their game.Queensland Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce said today the big oil companies were clearly failing to meet their voluntary target."The Australian people want it, and if they're not going to come to the game with the voluntary target, we should be mandating it," he told reporters."I don't know how much longer we have to play this game of herding the elephant with a feather. We have to actually get serious about it."At their federal conference in Canberra yesterday, The Nationals voted to call on the government to remove or phase out the 10 per cent cap, promote the wider use of ethanol through motor sport events and set up an independent fuel testing agency.Amid record high petrol prices in August, Prime Minister John Howard announced grants of up to $20,000 to encourage service station owners to put in ethanol blends at their pumps.The government has also offered a subsidy of up to $2000 for motorists wanting to convert their vehicles to run on liquefied petrol gas.The Nationals view the greater use of ethanol - which can be made from sugarcane or wheat - as a boost for rural industries in their electorates, and are pushing the government to mandate its use in the nation's fuel supply.So far, however, the government has opted for a voluntary system, getting the major oil companies to agree to voluntary targets for ethanol production and sale.Australia's biggest ethanol producer, the Manildra Group, released research today showing 90 per cent of Australians would consider using ethanol blends in their vehicles.The company commissioned a Newspoll on the subject, surveying 700 adults across NSW and the ACT.Manildra managing director John Honan said the results showed the growing community acceptance of the fuel."I think the research shows there's a lot more community acceptance out there than there previously was," he said.The big oil companies - BP, Caltex, Mobil and Shell - have agreed to take up between 89 and 120 million litres of E10 by the end of this year, but The Nationals' Senate leader Ron Boswell said they had only sold about 11 million litres so far."The oil companies have backslided on their commitment," he said."I agree that if they can't meet their commitment to the government and can't keep their word, then we've got to take some further action."The government is trying to meet its target of getting 350 million litres of alternative fuels into the nation's petrol supply by 2010 - the same year excise protection for ethanol is due to end.AAP

GM claims the new model is the most technologically advanced automobile ever built.It is the first vehicle to combine the hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion system with advanced technologies such as wheel-hub motors, steer- and brake-by-wire controls, a lightweight aluminium structure and lithium-ion batteries."General Motors is proving that advanced technology can remove the (car) from the environmental debate and reduce our dependence on petroleum," says GM's vice-president for research and development and strategic planning Larry Burns.And it's as green a concept as you'll find: the five-seat crossover SUV only emits water vapor and uses clean, renewable hydrogen as a fuel.It accelerates from 0-100km/hour in 10 seconds and features 70 per cent more torque, shorter braking distances and a range of 482km between fill-ups. The Sequel was first unveiled in 2005 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and at this stage is only a concept car.The Sequel joins the likes of the BMW Hydrogen 7 and the Mercedes A-Class and B-Class-based fuel-cell models.

The ultra-green machine has a 2.8-litre, twin-turbocharged engine based on the GM global V6 made in Australia. However, the engine in the Aero X has been developed by Swedish engineers to run on bio-ethanol.Saab says the bio-ethanol engine does not increase greenhouse-gas levels because its CO2 emissions are balanced by the amount of CO2 that is removed from the atmosphere when crops for conversion to bio-ethanol are grown.It has 298kW of power, 500Nm of torque with a seven-speed double-clutch manual gearbox in a lightweight carbon-fibre body.Saab says it is theoretically capable of 0-100km/h in less than five seconds.Several new concept cars are expected to debut at the show along with key new production models, including the all-new Toyota Aurion, the Ford BF II Falcon and Holden's new Captiva 4WD.For details, go to australianmotorshow.com

The C-Matisse is a low-riding, four-door coupe that showcases the stand-out style motoring fans expect from French coupes.It could make it on to the stand with its stunning exterior design alone, but there is more to this show special than its lovely curves. The C-Matisse showcases diesel-electric hybrid technology, a system that Citroen is committed to introduce on its production cars by 2008.The concept is powered by a V6 diesel engine with 150kW of power and 400Nm of torque delivered through the front wheels.There are also two electric motors that drive the rear wheels. These motors, which are powered by a bank of batteries, sit in the rear wheel hubs.Citroen says this has an added advantage of helping with positive weight distribution between the front and rear of the car, which benefits the car's handling characteristics.The batteries that power the motors are hooked up to the braking system and are recharged using energy created when the car brakes, just like the system used in the Toyota Prius petrol-electric hybrid. The C-Matisse can operate at lower speeds just using the silent electric motors.At higher speeds, or when the driver wants to accelerate harder, the diesel engine kicks in, turning the C-Matisse into a powerful all-wheel-drive. That means the sleek machine is able to dash from 0-100km/h in just 6.2 seconds and run all the way to 250km/h.Citroen says the concept car is able to return an excellent fuel consumption figure of just 6.3 litres for 100km of mixed city and highway driving.The C-Matisse is also a green machine, even when the diesel is running, as the V6 is fitted with a particulate filter to prevent the emission of small soot particles.Citroen, along with its sister company Peugeot, is committed to diesel-electric hybrids that promise even better fuel economy and less emissions than existing petrol-electric systems.The only downside is the cost, as a diesel engine is more expensive to produce than a petrol equivalent and the electric components are also pricey. The C-Matisse uses special materials to keep its weight pegged just below 1400kg, very light for a car of its size, using carbon-fibre body panels.It has four pop-up doors that allow for ease of access and, of course, look cool.There is comfortable seating for four in the luxurious interior that Citroen has modelled on an aircraft cockpit.The C-Matisse is just 1240mm tall, 2000mm wide and 4740mm long with a long bonnet and virtually no rear overhang.It uses a bank of powerful LED lights at the front that light up progressively. For example, the lights at the edge of the headlights come on when the car is cornering to provide extra light on that side of the vehicle.Citroen will also use the Paris Motor Show to reveal the C4 Picasso people mover, which will be shown at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney next month and go on sale early next year.

Petrol-electric cars would become an everyday sight here by 2015, Dr Andreas Truckenbrodt said, with Australia likely to follow American buying patterns rather than European. However, Dr Truckenbrodt, who was here to review the two-year trial of fuel cell buses in Perth, reversed years of predictions by DaimlerChrysler by saying hydrogen power would be limited to niche vehicles."Your repertoire of vehicle sizes and driving styles is closer to North America than Europe," he said. "Europe will be overwhelmingly diesel, but the open question is Japan."Forecasts pointed to the US vehicle market being 65 per cent petrol, 25 per cent hybrid and 10 per cent diesel in 2015, he said.Europe would remain at 50 per cent diesel with hybrids taking a smaller bite from the sales of petrol cars.DaimlerChrysler, BMW and General Motors are jointly developing a new type of hybrid transmission that promises greater efficiency than existing designs.The "dual mode" system would appear in US showrooms next year in large SUVs from Chevrolet and Dodge. Later versions would be offered in Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. The system could be engineered for front or rear-drive, Dr Truckenbrodt said.GM's version has been designed to fit in the casing of the long-serving four-speed automatic used in the VE Commodore - a significant step in making a hybrid version of the car feasible. This year Holden received $48 million from the federal Government to investigate building a petrol-electric version of its large sedan.Dr Truckenbrodt, DaimlerChrysler's executive director on the $1.3 billion Detroit-based project, said hybrids were one of many options the company was examining in response to oil shortages and greenhouse concerns. "It's becoming clear there is no single solution which will be the silver bullet," he said.Previously, DaimlerChrysler had predicted offering hydrogen fuel-cell powered Mercedes-Benz cars by 2010 but Dr Truckenbrodt said the problems of hydrogen storage and infrastructure had proved more difficult than designing viable fuel cell engines."This is not a problem just for DaimlerChrysler but for the whole industry," he said.He predicted fuel cell vehicles would be confined to small niches such as urban buses and delivery vans. "It is not the case that the next 20 years will see the replacement of the internal combustion engine," he said.With petrol and diesel engines here to stay, hybrid technology was the best way of increasing their efficiency and lowering emissions. But future hybrids had to show more improvement in fuel consumption than early designs had done, he said. Trendsetters had bought the first generation of hybrids as environmental statements, but mainstream buyers would consider them only if they significantly cut fuel bills while retaining the feel of a conventional vehicle."More and more customers are buying hybrids because they want to see the payoff," he said. "We're confident the dual mode system will have less distance between its certification (fuel consumption) numbers and real world numbers."DaimlerChrysler would apply the new hybrid system to diesel engines, but Dr Truckenbrodt said combining technologies would make the vehicles very expensive.

The reason is that most hybrid transmissions use two electric motors/generators - one connected to the engine generates electricity to power the car while the other turns that electricity into motion.This "power split" system works well in the city but it means hybrids cannot run purely on petrol power. The electric generator and motor have to run all the time, even when the petrol engine is doing most of the work.This is less efficient than a conventional transmission in steady, highway speed driving.The "dual mode" hybrid transmission being developed by DaimlerChrysler, BMW and GM adds extra gears and clutches to the hybrid transmission to create an all-mechanical path from the petrol engine to the wheels.In highway driving, dual mode hybrids work the same way as transmissions in conventional cars.A dual mode hybrid uses the electric motor and generator only for accelerating and recovering energy in braking. At steady high speeds it is driven purely on petrol (or diesel) power.That might sound like a step backwards but it's actually an improvement in efficiency.The jointly developed dual mode transmission has four purely mechanical ratios for open road cruising on petrol/diesel as well as the infinitely variable electro-mechanical gearing range of a power-split hybrid for urban driving.

A fleet of 30 of the fuel-cell buses — utilising technology that is already largely outdated — has covered more than 500,000km and carried more than 10 million passengers in countries from Europe to China since 2003.Also circulating in a variety of urban environments is a collection of A-Class and B-Class based fuel-cell models.Fuel-cell technology has been buzz development for many key manufacturers, with Honda, Nissan and General Motors all having models operating in day-to-day situations.Honda's FCX is the first of the cars to go to private owners with very limited numbers utilising the "hydrogen highway" filling station infrastructure around Los Angeles.However, it is the Mercedes-Benz F600 HYGenius that is providing the excitement and advances engineers hope will accelerate the flow to a commercial fuel cell future."We want to improve the robustness and service life of the entire system. And the best way to see if we're succeeding is to take the vehicle on test drives over long distances," says Andreas Docter, who was responsible for the construction of the fuel-cell system used in the HYGenius and also heads the fuel-cell systems engineering department at DaimlerChrysler Research.Technology improvements and refinements give the HYGenius a fuel efficiency equivalent of 2.9 litres of diesel per 100kilometres. Packaging is one of the key areas demonstrated on the HYGenius with the vehicle's entire drive unit tucked away in the vehicle's sandwich floor.DaimlerChrysler engineers say one of the most significant innovations on the HYGenius running model is a new fuel tank that can store hydrogen at 700bar, double the pressure of the previous model.The pressure increase allows up to 4kg of hydrogen to be carried, enough for a 400km journey. Also causing excitement is a new membrane technology for the fuel cells and and a new humidification system consisting of hollow fibres.Both innovations allow for precise heat and water management, which means water in liquid form no longer collects in the stack.Water freezing in the stack during winter has previously been a serious stumbling block with severe difficulty in starting the engine.The new technology allows the HYGenius to start easily at temperatures as low as minus 25 Celsius.The test-bed HYGenius is also running a new smaller and more powerful electric-drive unit on the rear axle, a lithium ion battery that produces twice the output of the previous nickel metal hydride units, new bipolar plates that replaces graphite with .15mm-thick foil helping to reduce the size of the stack by almost 40 per cent, and a newly developed electric turbocharger, smaller and more efficient to supply oxygen to the cells.Mercedes-Benz has a strong record of technology transfer from research vehicles to production models.Since 1981, the company has displayed 11 research models with technologies such as Distronic cruise control, gas-discharge lamps (xenon), active body control, window airbags, corning lights and voice-activated systems making the leap to mainstream production.

The suggestion that, in some months at least, Corollas would outsell Commodores would have got you locked up. Back then, of course, oil was but $30 a barrel.Although the VE Commodore is set to remain Australia's single, top-selling model range (see pages eight and nine) at least for the time being, the ground on which the passenger-car market is played has shifted seismically.The immediate consequence is the ever-increasing popularity of relatively economical, four-cylinder, petrol-engined vehicles. Beyond that, cars powered by alternative fuels are with us in a way that's only going to get bigger.Although diesel power comprises but a fraction of private-vehicle sales, that fraction has expanded this year to the point where "alternative" is too flighty a term.Diesel has long been the dominant fuel in Europe, where tax incentives make it affordable. But even its comparatively heavy price at the pumps, and the premium Australians are obliged to pay for diesel cars, haven't curtailed the segment's growth.At mid-year 12,182 diesel cars and SUVs had been bought by private owners. That's about one-twentieth of the number who bought petrol vehicles.But twice as many diesel cars had been bought by June 30 as had been by mid-2005.Volkswagen, now the best-selling German marque in Australia, sells more of its direct-injection, turbo-diesel models than its petrol variants.The oilers available in cars of other marques — notably Audi, Peugeot and Citroen — make their near-equivalent-capacity petrol cars redundant.VW's Polo Match diesel ($22,990) and the Citroen C4 1.6 HDi ($29,990) are just two diesels easily capable of more than 1000km on a tank.The counter-claim that this superior-to-petrol economy barely compensates for a higher purchase price is diminished by two factors.The first is that petrol equivalents of these cars demand costly premium unleaded. The second is that, increasingly, purchase prices are coming into line with those of petrol-driven cars.Although hardly the most affordable example at $86,500, the recently launched Audi A4 3.0 V6 TDI Quattro literally drives home the point that diesel doesn't mean forsaking fun.This A4 is a legitimate sports sedan that provides greater torque and superior dynamics to the $130K Audi S4 with its V8 petrol engine.The A4 TDI benefits from essentially the same technology that powered twin Audi R10 diesels to victory and third place at Le Mans in June.So, too, does parent group VW, whose range of 1.9 and 2.0 TDI Golfs starts from a less exotic $30K.If diesel provides the most readily available and popular petrol alternative (VW has an oiler model in every range, including the forthcoming Eos drop-top), petrol/electric hybrids are coming hither.If the most notable, Toyota's Prius, is a platform to showcase technology rather than a decent car, then the cheaper Honda Civic Hybrid shows that petrol-electric combinations need not mean complete compromise.And the superb GS450H by Toyota's luxury subsidiary, Lexus, points to a future where V8-equivalent performance can be had for four-cylinder fuel economy, although an affordable way of accessing something so seamless (the GS450H costs $122K) is some way off.Hydrogen vehicles are up and running, but not thus far as practical, mass-produced units.BMW has been involved in hydrogen-cell research and development for 15 years, as product chief Burkhard Goschel told CARSguide last week."It will grow up, but how fast I don't know," Goschel said."The issue is storing hydrogen. You need about 10kg for a good range. It should be in liquid form, but some issues over storage in cars has to be solved."Expect BMW to reveal a major development on this front later this year.Once omnipotent in Aussie family-car dominance, Holden and Ford Australia are belatedly getting hip to a world where unleaded petrol costs $1.50 a litre.Both manufacturers' parents have access to first-rate diesel engines. The prospect of a Falcon packing the superb 2.7-litre V6 bi-turbo diesel that also powers Citroens and Jags, is intriguing.More immediately, Ford Australia has been galvanised to harness a readily available technology.In an elaborate 23-day, 13,000km trial, an LPG-equipped Falcon is travelling around Australia for about $1000 in fuel. Lexus GS450hPrice: $121,900Engine: 3.5-litre V6 petrol & 147kW electric hybridPower (total): 253kW/368Nm plusO-100km/h: 6.0 secs (est)Fuel consumption (urban/open road combined): 7.9 litres per 100kmThe first practical rear-wheel-drive luxury hybrid sedan makes Lexus's petrol V8s obsolete.The hybrid Lexus betters the performance of the latter for fourcylinder economy. Only the lack of boot space - compromised by the RWD and battery gubbins - detracts from the package. Toyota Prius IIPrice: From $37,000-$46,500Engine: 1.5-litre hybridPower/Torque: 57kW/115Nm0-100km/h: 10.9 secsConsumes: 4.4L/100kmOutstanding economy doesn't mitigate a prohibitive price tag, laughable looks and appalling driving experience.You can have a petrol/electric hybrid without too much compromise, but not in this, the model that is unfortunately - synonymous with the technology.Honda's Civic Hybrid is not only cheaper, it also looks like a car. Peugeot 407 HDiPrice: From $61,990Engine: 2.7-litre V6 bi-turbo dieselPower/Torque: 150kW/440Nm0-100km/h: 8.5 secsConsumes: 8.4L/100kmThe Ford/PSA joint venture twin-turbo diesel engine has won friends and influenced people since making its local debut in Jaguar's S-Type.Available now in Pug's medium sedan and wagon, the thing can be accessed for $40K less. Ignoring the usual French-car caveats, these models render the V6 petrol irrelevant. Ford Territory TurboPrice: From $53,990 >Engine: 4.0-litre six-cyl turbo petrolPower/torque: 245kW/480Nm0-100km/h: 7.0 sec (est)Consumes: 14.2L/100kmAustralia's favourite SUV just got more go. Only problem is that it won't go as far - between refills, that is.The all-wheel-drive Territory Turbo is an immensely accomplished SUV that really does have car-like handling, and a superb ZF six-speed auto gearbox.Not only is the Tezza Turbo's claimed consumption figure considerable, however, it's also optimistic. Holden Commodore OmegaPrice: From $34,490Engine: 3.6-litre V6 petrolPower/torque: 180kW/0-100km/h: TBAConsumes:10.9L/100kmAustralia's favourite fleet and government hack is finally here and it's pretty good (see page 24).But is it too little, too late? Or, rather, too much, too late? Holden have made much of the fact that the incoming VE range drinks no more than the VZ series it replaces. Still that translates to almost $100 to fill from empty. Mazda 3 Maxx SportPrice: $28,500 (auto)Engine: 2.0-litre four-cyl petrolPower/torque: 108kW/182Nm0-100km/h: 9.0 secsConsumes: 8.9L/100kmIt's Australia's favourite fully-imported car and with reason - combining bullet-proof Japanese quality, strong performance, driver-orientated dynamics and good economy.Recently upgraded, the 3 comes as either a five-speed auto or six-speed manual gearboxes (another economy fillip), improved refinement and Euroequalling safety packages.The 3 range starts from $21K, but punters typically go for the upperechelon models.  COMPARING FUELS  PetrolBy degrees of magnitude the most common fuel used in passenger vehicles.PROS: Ready availability, almost infinite choice of capacity, relative affordability.CONS: Petrol prices are going in only one direction - north. DieselDiesels comprise a rapidly growing segment of the passenger car market.PROS: Economy (more than 1000km per tank in some models). Performance.CONS: Most diesel pumps are filthy. Diesel contains higher levels of sulphur. Biodiesel is rare and expensive. HybridRefers mainly to vehicles which use a rechargeable electric energy storage system and a fuelled propulsion power source.PROS: Low-polluting and low-consuming. Increasingly affordable. Near silent.CONS: Far too expensive (Prius). Dangerously silent. LPGEmission reducing and half the price of petrol, liquid petroleum gas is most commonly used in dual fuel large sedans, especially taxis.PROS: Much cheaper and much cleaner than petrol.CONS: LPG provision can eat boot space. Do you really want to drive a cab? HydrogenIn combustion variants, hydrogen is burned in much the same method as a petrol engine. In fuel-cell conversion, the hydrogen is converted to electricity through cells that then power electric motors.PROS: A BMW internal combustion hydrogen car has attained 300 km/h. Mazda has developed rotary engines to burn hydrogen. General Motors is investing in fuel cells.CONS: Making hydrogen a practical fuel is proving very difficult with no infrastructure at fuel stations to support it. EthanolWhile the grain-derived stuff is "greener" than pure petrol, by no means is it so certain that all cars will run happily on the 10 per cent recommended ethanol mix.PROS: Nice for Manildra. The Liberal Party loves it.CONS: By no means nice for your car. The Liberal Party loves it.

"We see it as a segment buster," Grant says. "It competes against nothing because there is nothing like it available."Lexus has dubbed the petrol-electric RX as a "luxury performance hybrid SUV", making it the second new hybrid model after the GS450h to sport a Lexus badge this year."Final specifications for the car are still under discussion but it will arrive as a true Lexus," Grant insists. "We always strive to get as much specification as possible in a simplistic model line-up at a realistic price point."While conceding some may see it as odd that the RX400h uses the old 3.3-litre V6 from the superceded RX330 rather than the all-new 3.5-litre from the new RX350, Grant says it is fully consistent with Lexus development policy."These sorts of product discussions are continuous," Grant says. "The next step in this line of hybrid development may be a larger petrol engine but just as easily it could be a smaller, more efficient petrol engine and a more powerful electric motor to increase power output."It is an open-ended discussion and really there is no set-in-stone policy direction."Rated a SULEV (Super Low Emissions Vehicle) in the US, the RX400h will carry a fuel economy rating for Australia of 8.1 litres per 100km, which is 3.0 litres per 100km more efficient than the all-petrol RX350.The technology is along the same development lines as the GS450h and the luxo-pack LS600h long wheelbase which will go on sale in Australia early next year. The main power source is the 3.3-litre DOHC V6 modified slightly from its RX330 incarnation to produce 155kW. That drive is enhanced by a bank of three electric motors which feed in extra drive when demanded by the car's ECUs.While the full available powers from petrol and electric sources — the 298kW (400hp) that the car is named for — are never available at the same time, the hybrid RX is rated at 200kW with the extra urge obvious at launch and when called on for overtaking.The power split from the electric motors is an additional 123kW to the front wheels from one motor and another 50kW to the rear wheels from a second.The third motor starts the petrol engine (which shuts down at stoplights), regulates the continuously variable transmission's ratios and generates electricity.When called on for maximum acceleration, the RX400h gets away from standstill with V8-like urgency. Lexus Australia claims it will put the 0-100km/h sprint behind in a creditable 7.9 seconds, although figures out of the US suggest closer to 7.3 seconds for the sprint.In common with other Toyota and Lexus hybrids the system collects energy from regenerative braking, storing the harvested electricity in the bank of nickel-metal-hydride batteries hidden away under the floor behind the rear seats.Acceleration is seamless, aided in no small part by the CVT which is in sharp contrast with the rather coarse note of the 3.3-litre engine.The dash layout is in keeping with other hybrids with engaging displays illustrating the ebb and flow of electric energy to and from the drive wheels. In place of a tachometer there is a largely-for-show power-usage display that can be effectively monitored only at the cost of not watching the road.Do hybrids have a future in Australia? carsguide.com.au

That means people in the market for a new GPS can now get up-to-date maps.The previous version contained data 18 months out of date.Whereis 13 was released by Sensis in March and Voxson was the first to convert the data, test it, and release products with the data integrated into the Voxtrack 500 and Voxtrack 800.With more than 1000 vehicles sold with GPS systems each month and an explosion in aftermarket sat nav, many drivers are becoming frustrated with outdated mapping software.Every year, thousands of new streets are constructed around Australia, quickly making software outdated.On a recent national launch of the Mercedes-Benz S Class, the sat nav equipment showed the vehicle driving through a green field when we were actually on the new Hume Highway bypass.Voxson CEO Andrew Longginou said that with more than 1.3 million Australians having GPS on their shopping list, in-car navigation was their biggest growth area.Voxson, which began manufacturing car radios and audio systems 35 years ago, can also upgrade current customers to the latest Whereis software.Product design engineer David Hendriks said there would be a new version of the maps in 12-18 months.Upgrade maps will cost about $200 and come on an SD card."The user simply purchases the new map card and swaps it into their unit," Hendriks said.International maps can also be bought in this form.The Voxtrack 800 includes voice and visual prompts, plus a video player, MP3 player and jpeg picture viewer for $799.It quickly attaches to a mounting bracket that has a strong suction cup connector that will not only stick to shiny surfaces but also some hard vinyl surfaces.Some of the handy functions are audible alerts for fixed speed camera zones, red-light cameras and a predetermined speed limit; flashing light prompts for turns; and an illuminated anti-glare touch screen which worked well in all lighting conditions.I'm not sure why anyone would want a picture viewer function, but it's simple to operate and download pictures from a laptop via the provided USB cable.Similarly, videos and MP3 files can be downloaded. The unit comes with 256Mb map cards.The software and map data take up about 100Mb leaving enough space for about 50 songs or a short movie."We advise customers to use their own SD cards (the unit will accept up to 2Gb cards) for copying their music or movie files so as to limit the chances of corrupting or accidentally erasing the map data," Hendricks said."When copying movie files users generally use what's known as transcoders to convert the file to the correct format and screen size."As the screen resolution is quite low compared to that of a DVD, the video file can be significantly compressed with the transcoder and the final file size is quite reasonable."Voxson cannot supply transcoder applications with the unit due to licensing restrictions.However they are readily available online and anyone making movie files is often already using them.There is an audio output for headphones or connection to your car stereo if it has a headphone or auxiliary input jack.The Voxtrack 500 also has voice and visual prompts bracket system, illuminated anti-glare touch screen and costs $699.Visit: www.voxson.com.au; whereis.com.au