Technology

The Honda Accord Hybrid sedan marks a turning point for the Japanese company; it's the company's first all-new hybrid system in 16 years.Toyota has sold almost 10 times as many hybrid cars as Honda globally but the company hopes to close that gap with a series of all-new petrol-electric cars.The Honda Accord Hybrid has lithium-ion battery technology (for longer petrol-free driving range) and two electric motors (mounted back to back) which are connected to an Atkinson cycle engine (similar to that used by Toyota) for new levels of fuel efficiency.Unlike earlier Honda hybrids, the new setup will allow the car to use electric power alone up to cruising speeds, when conditions are ideal, before switching to petrol.The Accord Hybrid sips just 4.2L/100kmEarlier Honda hybrids used the electric motor only to boost the petrol engine once it was already on the move.Based on overseas fuel economy figures, the Accord Hybrid sips just 4.2L/100km, making it more frugal than the Toyota Camry Hybrid.Honda is yet to release pricing but it is expected to start from less than $40,000.As with the top-end versions of the current Accord, the Hybrid will be available with a blind-zone camera, which shows in the central display screen an image of the left side of the car in turns or when changing lanes.Meanwhile, the Honda NSX will be powered by a twin-turbo V6 matched to another version of the company's new hybrid technology (including a lithium-ion battery), and a nine-speed twin-clutch automatic. Power and performance figures are yet to be released.Honda Australia is yet to confirm its allocation of NSX supercars, which are due to go into production in the US (rather than Japan) this year."We are still aiming for 2016, hopefully some time in the middle of 2016," says Honda Australia director Stephen Collins. And the price? "I can honestly say thatI have no idea where it will end up," Collins says.In the US, the NSX is tipped to cost about $150,000 plus taxes and delivery charges. But it will probably exceed $200,000 here.The original NSX went on sale in Australia in 1991 for $160,000, rising to $220,000 in 1995 then $256,000 when it was discontinued in 2005. About 160 examples were sold here from a global production run of 18,685.Honda Australia says that only a handful of its national network of 107 dealers will sell and service the NSX.

The head of Lexus's international division has taken a shot at plug-in hybrids as the company's German rivals rush to embrace the technology. Plug-in hybrids are the flavour of the month for German luxury brands, which initially were slow to develop hybrids.But Lexus executive vice-president international Mark Templin says the company is not rushing to adopt plug-in technologies, despite parent company Toyota selling a plug-in version of the Prius in the US."I believe that plug-in hybrid is just a stepping stone to the next technology, which is fuel cell," he says. "Most consumers don't use them the way they're designed to be used.Most people don't plug them in all the time"Governments give tax breaks, or regulations are pushing people, to do that but the reality is that in markets where they are being sold today, most people don't plug them in all the time. They just drive them like a normal car."Templin says people continue to fill their cars with petrol and the benefits of reducing CO2 emissions - the reason for governments subsidising the technology - are not being realised.Lexus is believed to be working on a fuel-cell version of its LS limousine that could break cover in the next couple of years.Its approach contrasts with that of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, which are pushing ahead with plug-in variants.Audi plans to launch at least one plug-in hybrid model a yearBenz will roll out 10 new plug-in hybrids by 2017.Daimler board member Dr Thomas Weber says: "The plug-in hybrid is an investment in the future of Mercedes-Benz and we believe it will become established as the successful technology for maximum efficiency coupled with powerful dynamic performance."Rival Audi plans to launch at least one plug-in hybrid model a year, while BMW has launched the i3 and i8 plug-ins.Porsche has plug-in versions of the Cayenne hybrid and Panamera sedan and its 918 sports car is also a plug-in. Research and development head Wolfgang Hatz is a fan of the technology.Where does the hydrogen come from?"I believe that plug-in is a very nice technology. You can drive locally emissions-free," Hatz says. "We have the SUV, the sedan and the sports car. So in each market we are present we have a concept."He says fuel-cell vehicles aren't on the company's radar. "I don't think a 911 hydrogen fuel-cell car is the right answer. My doubt is, where does the hydrogen come from?"Critics of fuel-cell vehicles point out that the most affordable way to produce hydrogen is through fracking, which creates questions about environmental friendliness. On the other hand, many argue electric cars plugged in to a grid powered by coal are no better than petrol cars.

I agree with your comments on reversing cameras as I prefer to rely on my side mirrors and rear parking sensors. But my new Infiniti Q50 hybrid has an issue: once I've selected reverse I must have to wait a full 12 seconds before the sensors will activate. That's a bit late for the poor person or object behind. The dealer simply points to the handbook and says it is "a driver aid and should not be relied on". Maybe you would get a better response from the manufacturer on my behalf.

It was a scene straight from Gone in 60 Seconds or Grand Theft Auto, except it wasn't Hollywood. It was an industrial estate in Dandenong.

It is a painful, drawn-out loss as first Ford, then Holden and finally Toyota lock their gates. Countless schemes have attempted to save the industry but the end was, in hindsight, inevitable.Just in the past seven years some $10 billion in subsidies from state and federal governments failed to revitalise the industry.How much was it costing each of us taxpayers so that a dwindling number of enthusiasts could drive their favourite Holden or Ford?Even if we don't weld our cars any more, all the other functions are performed locallyIn fact we have always paid high taxes to support the industry. For much of the past century it was in the form of tariffs, reaching nearly 60 per cent. As we are reminded regularly, call it what you like but in the end it is a tax.But let's remember: even if we don't weld our cars any more, all the other functions are performed locally. They are imported, marketed, sold, fuelled and serviced as much as ever, so don't take off your marketing jacket.In fact, if you are involved in selling cars, you'll be busier than ever. Australia offers 64 brands, more new cars than anywhere else in the world. Even the US only has about 50. They will be coming from Europe, America, China, Korea, Japan, Thailand - as they have been for years.Such a crowded choice makes marketing a nightmare. How do you differentiate your model from all the rest? They all look so shiny, fast, desirable, driven by sexy girls and hunky men.There will no longer be the "buy local" urge among drivers or fleetsThe iconic labels will remain; Holden is planning to bring in Germany's Opel Insignia and there is much debate about whether to badge it "Commodore". You can be sure similar arguments can be heard in the Ford and Toyota offices.From the customer's point of view, the next few years will be a good time to buy a car, with the many manufacturers jostling for market share, putting downward pressure on prices and sugaring the benefits.Car companies will need to pay much more attention to each brand's positioning and message. There will no longer be the "buy local" urge among drivers or fleets. Pricing and status will be focal points.As brands are forced to develop personalities, let's hope we see a resurgence in creative advertising - the clever, witty ads of the Bernbach and Ogilvy era, to make the ads stand up and be noticed.They will need it. A whole new market will explode on top of this. The electric cars are queuing up to enter.Ford will have its Focus at $43,000 with 122km range; the BMW i3 at $65,000 with 200km in its batteries. But crowning them all, Tesla claims a range of up to 500km, though its car costs $100,000.At the moment electric car sales are hampered by availability and price but these are being resolved.New technology for batteries is also emerging from the university labs, which will transform the major drag on EV sales: the fear of running out of juice.In a year or two we'll see a competitive petrol versus electric car market. So let me reassure you, though the mammoth factories may be no more, you have not see the last of shiny-suited car salesmen spruiking on your telly.

Volvo has invented a hi-tech bicycle helmet that aims to keep cars a safe distance away from cyclists while sharing the road.The Swedish car maker has unveiled a helmet that uses Bluetooth technology to 'talk' to your phone, which in turns sends the cyclist's exact location and speed to an internet cloud.That information can then be shared with cars using the same cloud-based data – and the system can even be reversed, so that cyclists can be warned about nearby cars.The hi-tech helmet was unveiled at the Geneva motor show overnight and was a joint venture between Volvo, helmet maker Poc and technology company Ericsson.The helmet that beams information to outer space is still many years away from becoming a reality, but Volvo technology expert Fredrik Marthinsson says the company is "exploring every available option"."We know we have, in theory, the technology to do this right now," said Mr Marthinsson."But it's dependent on so many things. First we need the technology in the helmet and then for cars to share the same information network over an internet cloud."Almost 100 cyclists have been killed on Australian roads over the past two yearsHe said it is Volvo's "vision" to have such a solution to cyclist safety in the near future.Almost 100 cyclists have been killed on Australian roads over the past two years, compared to 67 cyclist fatalities in the two years prior, figures from the Federal Government show.The hi-tech helmet is an extension of the "car to car" and "car to infrastructure" technology unveiled by Volvo earlier this year.In the meantime, Volvo has recently upgraded its "City Safety" laser and radar system which can now detect pedestrians and cyclists, as well as cars.The technology was originally introduced in 2009 to stop rear-end crashes in slow-moving traffic but has since been modified to detect other road users.

We bought a new VW Golf Comfortline in September with driver assist and the navigation package. The GPS is totally unacceptable, it is not up to date and the enunciation is terrible. VW Australia is aware of this and said "not our problem", but they are working on a fix. The navigation system has a traffic function module but we were told during the delivery orientation it's not available on this isn't part of the Australian cars. Further in the handbook it shows two types of an electric mirror folding function — we we're later told this is not fitted in locally delivered cars. Why don't sales people highlight these shortcomings or omissions in local examples and let buyers decide if they want to proceed?

Results of a RACQ survey recently revealed 49 per cent of drivers aged 16-24 admitted to using their mobiles when driving with calling, selfies and social media being the most common uses.But Springfield Lakes road worker Tim Forward says young drivers aren't the worst and talking outweighs other types of use.In just six months working as a stop and go sign worker around Beaudesert and Ipswich, Mr Forward was nearly hit at least four times by distracted drivers.If the drivers are made to stop, you'd see them jump on their phone pretty much straight awayHe said the number of drivers talking on their phones was alarming and a road worker could be killed."I'd say at least 75 per cent would be talking on their phone when driving through road works," he said. "If the drivers are made to stop, you'd see them jump on their phone pretty much straight away."Mr Forward said drivers over the age of 40 were the worst for talking on their phones. He said drivers who use their mobile when driving were endangering lives."A large truck came within metres of hitting me," he said.Drivers aged 20-29 years were the worst for using a handheld mobile phone"We do everything we can to stay off the roads and not to hold people up for long but we cop a lot of abuse."My partner does get quite worried about it." A Transport and Main Roads spokeswoman said the number of mobile phone infringements issued in the Springfield area from January 1 to 2012 to October 31 2014 had increased from 19 to 66.Department of Transport and Main Roads statistics revealed drivers aged 20-29 years were the worst for using a handheld mobile phone in the Springfield region with 27 infringements issued between January and October last year.This was followed by drivers aged 30-39 years with 21 infringements issued. Springfield Police Station officer in charge Sergeant Geoff Noller said there was plenty of evidence Springfield drivers were using phones when driving.Mr Forward said he would still work in the industry but a greater police presence around road work sites was needed.

Swedish car maker Volvo plans to share information between cars over the internet via a data cloud, to help navigate around trouble spots.Volvo says it will soon be possible for one car to warn others nearby about road hazards, such as an oil spill or a pot hole.Road workers could be alerted to oil spills and pot holes as soon as they surfaceSensors in modern cars are now so sensitive they can accurately measure changes in road surfaces.In theory, if the cloud system were linked to authorities, road workers could be alerted to oil spills and pot holes as soon as they surface.This latest development is all part of the gradual automation of the automobile.Two years from now Volvo, Audi and Mercedes-Benz and others will have cars on sale that will be able to all but drive themselves on freeways.The "on-ramp to off-ramp" technology is designed to take the bump out of the daily grind by using cameras, lasers and radar sensors to keep pace with other traffic, steer the car in a lane, and maintain a gap with the vehicle in front – or brake automatically if the car ahead stops suddenly."We have one of the most advanced autonomous driving projects of all car makers, we're way ahead of Google," said Volvo safety expert Graeme McInally."The commute is the most boring time for any driver, so that's obviously something that we're working on."Audi and others believe it will be at least another 10 years before automated cars can handle city trafficTech giant Google has been working on automated cars for several years, modifying Toyota Prius hybrids and other vehicles, and using them primarily to map roads.But Google has indicated it wants to challenge the automotive industry with a self-driving car of its own.The biggest challenge is getting automated cars to process information in city and suburban environments, where there are many more hazards to avoid than on freeways.Audi and others believe it will be at least another 10 years before automated cars can handle city traffic and spot pedestrians and cyclists.The South Australian government this week became the first state to announce plans to amend its road rules to accommodate autonomous cars.In the US, there are special exemptions for automated cars in California, Nevada and Michigan"Our Motor Vehicles Act was written when the FB model Holden was being released to the market in 1959 and our Road Traffic Act two years later," Governor Hieu Van Le told Parliament." Government will reform both pieces of legislation and also legislate for driverless vehicles, which will revolutionise transportation in South Australia."In the US, there are special exemptions for automated cars in California, Nevada and Michigan, where the world's biggest brands are testing new systems that have been likened to auto-pilot on an aircraft.However, anyone thinking they may be able to drink and drive or read a book while behind the wheel of an automated car should be aware that authorities and the insurance industry have already deemed that the driver is legally responsible, and therefore must obey the road rules, including the 0.05 blood alcohol limit."In most countries, legislation has to get up to speed on this," said Mr McInally. "Who has the ultimate responsibility? It has to be the driver."Drivers must stay alert at all times and be ready to take controls in case the car's automated systems malfunction, say authorities.

Last week’s column about reversing cameras sparked plenty of healthy debate. Some readers agree with Mazda boss Martin Benders that reversing cameras aren’t a silver bullet, while others see them as a potential lifesaver.A silver bullet does exist.Almost five years ago, I attended a Nissan safety briefing in Japan where the company told media it was looking at developing technology that could slam on a car’s brakes if it detected anything in its path when the car was reversing.Emergency braking feature for reversing is still not commonplaceNissan engineering director Masao Fukushima said the technology would be relatively quick and inexpensive to develop as it used existing features such as parking sensors and blind-spot radar.But despite huge advances in safety tech, an emergency braking feature for reversing is still not commonplace, even on luxury vehicles.We have auto braking that can stop a car moving forward at low speed and there are even cruise control setups that can brake in an emergency.Mazda is the only mainstream maker to have a reversing emergency brake featureIronically, Mazda is the only mainstream maker to have a reversing emergency brake feature — available on its top-of-the-line Mazda6 sedan. The Infiniti Q50 also has it.But in Australia, it’s been left to a Brisbane aftermarket company to develop a solution. The Reverse Alert sells for about $1500 installed.The company is preparing to list on the stock exchange. It envisages the technology being used on forklifts, building sites — and, of course, the home driveway. It is estimated one child a week is reversed over.