Cool!
Hot steering wheels and searing seat belt buckles may be a thing of the past, even when a vehicle is parked in the sun, according to Sonray Technologies. The company’s solar-powered car ventilation system, Kulcar, is made to keep car interiors cool. The unit, which mounts on car windows, reportedly vents up to 45 cubic feet per minute. Its dual-chamber fan is designed to continuously circulate new air and expel hazardous fumes from inside parked cars. Reported to replace the air inside an average-sized car every 90 seconds, Kulcar is an economical alternative to air-conditioning, according to the company. It is available on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J97X2YG for about $100.
Filling the gap
A motor vehicle is stolen every 44 seconds in the United States, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report – a total of more than 700,000 each year. Most insurance companies will cover the current market value of the car, but not the total amount owed to the finance company – often leaving the borrower to pay the difference. The same goes when a car owner has a car accident. One solution – a guaranteed asset protection (GAP) waiver purchased from the lender at the time a borrower buys his or her car – can help relieve most or all of the purchaser’s obligation to pay off the finance agreement, making it financially easier to get into another car.
Buyer beware
Nearly 800,000 used cars on America’s roads could very well be part of an emerging fraud called title washing, according to research from Carfax. Furthermore, more than 500 are likely being used as taxis. Consumers in New Jersey, North Carolina, Mississippi, California and Georgia are at highest risk, states the report, but title-washed cars can be found in every state. Essentially, title washing takes rebuilt wrecks and cars with odometer issues, and makes them look like problem-free, used cars on paper. Professional con men illegally alter vehicle documents to get title brands such as salvage or flood removed from a car’s title. They’ll often patch up the wrecked cars, move them to other states and sell them with a clear title to unsuspecting buyers, says Carfax. Consumers not only are at risk of losing thousands of dollars, they put their lives at risk purchasing unsafe cars. That said, all U.S. and Canada Motor Vehicle Departments are said to report branded titles to Carfax – information that is made available to car consumers. An inspection by a certified mechanic can also ease the minds of used car buyers.
Eco challenge
For the eighth year in a row, Lexus offered its Lexus Eco Challenge, a nationwide educational program and contest for students that inspires and empowers them to learn about the environment and take action to improve it. Teams of middle and high school students can enter one or two challenges: land and water, and air and climate. This year, the challenges will run simultaneously, allowing the teams a wider window to complete their action plans. Winners from each challenge are invited to participate in the final challenge, with a top prize of $30,000 for both the winning middle and high school teams. The challenge incorporates supplemental educational materials created and distributed by Scholastic, which support Common Core skills and encourage teachers to integrate creative lesson plans about the environment into their classrooms. The winning teams will each receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships and grants to be shared among the students, teacher and school. In addition, the winning action plans will be featured on a special webpage to inspire other students to take action in their communities. Not to be outdone by its eco-minded contestants, Lexus now offers five low-emission hybrid vehicles.
GM promotes cycling
A car company that promotes bicycles? General Motors’ Warren Technical Center is implementing a bike share program, which will enable its 19,000 employees to commute more easily both on and off campus. Together with Zagster, a private bike sharing company that has developed similar programs for other businesses, the dealership will station bicycles throughout its Tech Center, enabling employees to travel between its 61 buildings that are spread across its 330-acre campus. Each bike comes equipped with a basket to safely transport a laptop, notebook and other small belongings. Riders must wear helmets and use bells to alert pedestrians when they are approaching. The goal: to make Detroit a better, more environmentally friendly place to live, according to GM.
Knowledge gap means safety lag
Only 49 percent of teens and 47 percent of their parents believe their driver’s education program adequately prepares teens to drive, according to a report commissioned by Michelin North America and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). The two organizations, which conducted an in-depth audit of driver’s education curricula in all 50 states, discovered that only 16 states require tire safety information as part of driver’s education. Furthermore, only seven states require classroom time devoted to vehicle maintenance and tire safety. This knowledge gap may result in nearly 300,000 preventable car crashes involving inexperienced drivers each year, according to the report. Indeed, of the 2.2 million vehicle accidents reported to occur each year, 12 percent are said to involve inexperienced drivers and tire-related issues, such as insufficient tire tread or improperly inflated tires. To address the safety gap in the current U.S. driver’s education curriculum, Michelin and FIA are working to make new resources available to help teens and parents brush up on their own car and tire maintenance skills, including a downloadable glove box guide with important tips.
Happy with your car?
Customer satisfaction with automakers is down for a second straight year, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Automobiles and light vehicles have dropped 1.2 percent in satisfaction points, the report notes. Although the decline is said to be pervasive across both domestics and imports, certain domestic brands have improved, including Chevrolet (+4 percent) and Buick (+1 percent). That said, six of the top seven ranking ACSI cars are imports. Chrysler’s Jeep and Dodge, and the Audi, are said to grace the bottom of the ACSI list. The full report is available for free download at www.theACSI.org.