Gadget that tells drivers how to catch every light on green
IT IS one of the most frustrating things about driving – the traffic lights that turn red just as you approach.
But a world without the interminable waits could be around the corner thanks to a clever dashboard gadget.
It uses timing information from new-style traffic lights transmitted to drivers whose cars are fitted with special devices. Motorists are alerted to the status of the traffic lights and how long each colour will last.
The alert also advises the best speed at which to drive to ensure they get there just in time for the lights to change to green.
The technology, which is being trialled by Ford, could spell the end to the estimated two days per year commuters spend waiting at junctions.
A Ford spokesman said: ‘At a distance of between 300 to 500 metres, the car is able to pick up a communication signal from the traffic light as to its status.
‘The driver may, for instance, be travelling at 30mph in a built-up area. The system will warn that if he or she continues at that speed, the lights will be on red when they reach the lights.
‘But it advises the driver that if they drop their speed to 20mph or 25mph, then the lights will be on green when they get there.’
Similarly, it may tell the driver that if they continue at the same speed they will be stopped on red at the next lights – but if they increase their speed slightly, they will sail through a green light. The innovation means motorists could avoid all red lights during their journey.
Transport for London and some councils already use electronic systems that give buses priority at traffic lights – switching them to red for cars so that buses coming out of special lanes can pass through. Christian Ress, supervisor for driver-assist technologies at Ford, said: ‘There’s not much worse after a long day than to hit one red light after another on the drive home, and be forced to stop and start again at every junction.
‘Enabling drivers to “ride the green wave” also means a smoother, continuous journey that helps to improve the flow of traffic.’
The company is also trialling technology that connects cars so that a vehicle which brakes suddenly around a blind bend can warn cars travelling up to 500 metres behind about the unseen hazard ahead, and even apply the brakes automatically. Ford’s work on ‘connected’ and autonomous vehicle technology was carried out in conjunction with Jaguar Land Rover and Tata.
The traffic light trials will take place in Milton Keynes and Coventry over the next two years.
TOP British car designer Peter Horbury helped spark a car-buying revolution in the UK this week as the Chinese motor giant, Geely, which employs him, unveiled plans to sell its new vehicles like smartphones.
Horbury and his team spent three years creating not only a new car, but a new car brand, Lynk & Co, with a new way for customers to pay for their motoring and share cars.
Instead of visiting a massive showroom, shopping for a new car will be like signing up for a mobile phone deal in a store or online.
Bosses say consumers feel ‘cheated’ when forced to haggle. So, instead of lots of options and trim levels, the firm will offer a selection of fully-equipped, fixed-price, themed ‘seasonal collections’.
Cars will be delivered and picked up for service from your door. And slashing distribution costs mean cars will be cheaper.
I was in Gothenburg to see the first Lynk & Co model out of the blocks: the 01 sports utility vehicle, unveiled with a sporty gull-winged concept coupe. Designed and engineered in Sweden, the new car and brand — dubbed ‘a smartphone on wheels’ — is aimed at younger, tech-savvy consumers.
It will be built next year in China at a new factory capable of building 500,000 vehicles a year, before going on sale in the UK, Europe and the U.S. from 2018, from around £16,000.
Lynk & Co says drivers will sign up to monthly ‘pay-as-you-go’
payment plans familiar to millions of mobile phone users. Subscribers can sign up to use the car all the time, share the vehicle, or use it for a specific period.
Unlike current personal leasing monthly plans, drivers will not be locked into lengthy contracts. Nor will they own the car at the
end of the term. But they can also buy one outright.
The cars also have their own internal wi-fi hotspots, are linked permanently to the internet and can download software via a dedicated app store. The 01 will be followed by the 02 and 03.
The Volvo connection means
MINI is to launch its first plug-in hybrid. Powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine linked to an electric motor under the rear axle and batteries below the rear seats, the secondgeneration Countryman model (left) will go up to 78 mph in pure electric mode. Re-charging time will be 3 hours 15 minutes on the mains and 2 hours 15 minutes on a high-power wall charger.
the new 01 is packed with safety features. It uses the same flexible platform and under-pinnings as Volvo’s compact 4x4s.
Geely also owns the London Taxi Company and is building a factory near Coventry to produce a new generation of electricpowered black cabs.
VOLKSWAGEN is to slash the number of variants of its new Golf model to be unveiled next month, which could spell the death knell for the popular convertible model. Chairman Herbert Diess also believes it will take four years for VW to recover its reputation following the emissions scandal.
FED up with being hassled by showroom sales staff? Jaguar Land Rover’s new store at Westfield Stratford, East London, is staffed by special non-selling product experts called ‘Angels’, promising a ‘no-pressure, no-haggle environment’ for customers to browse, test, buy and service their new cars.
JLR said of the strategy, in partnership with leasing specialist Rockar: ‘Angels are recruited from the luxury goods and fashion sectors and are there to offer advice and product information only.’
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FANCY turning over a new Leaf? Nissan is doing deals on its second-hand electric cars, offering monthly payments from £175 with dealers giving a £1,000 ‘contribution’ or discount on the price.