.JPG "Plug In Volvo")
By Evan Ackerman
After a brutal day in assorted airports, I finally made it to the 2007 LA Auto Show this evening. I managed to sneak a few pics in before closing, and I’ll be there all day tomorrow. Now, I’m the first to admit that I can’t tell the difference between a cam shaft and… Well… Any other sort of shaft. In other words, I won’t be giving you detailed rundowns on the specs of all the new 2008 models. I’m going to be looking for new tech (like the latest generation hybrids) as well as (let’s be honest) eye candy. If you do have a specific car you’d like to see a picture of, please post in the comments and I’ll see if I can find it. One more teaser pic after the jump.
Oh baby.
it would be cool if you could report on new navigation system features. also, what is going on with tesla? i have a friend who works for them and the word is they still have a lot of kinks to work out.
Navigation systems are sort of a trickle-down technology. The only one being actively promoted is OnStar, which (for the technically literate) is kinda pointless, in my opinion, since you can accomplish the same tasks with a standard commercial GPS and a cell phone, and commercial GPS companies are going to be the ones doing the innovating, which car companies will then adopt. The reps I talked to say that GPS is becoming a standard in new cars, along with MP3 compatibility, in the same way that CD players used to be optional and are now everywhere. People are starting to expect it at least as an option if not as a standard.
OnStar give you a bit more than a GPS and cell phone. For instance, if you crash, and are knocked unconcious, OnStar will detect the the airbags were deployed and send help. ALso, OnStar can unlock your doors if you lock yourself out.
That sort of thing may not be worth the extra cost for some, but to others it is.