Your car generates an astounding amount of data. It knows how fast you tend to drive, where, whether or not you're wearing your seatbelt, or even fiddling with stereo or settings at the time of a crash. That data isn't a secret kept between yourself and your car. It can be sent back to manufacturers through the vehicle's connected-car service such as OnStar or built-in 4G data connections. It can be subpoenaed, or even shared with insurance companies. This situation can make a privacy conscious individual a little wary. As cars become smartphones on wheels capable of collecting more and more data about us, automakers have had to adapt in this connected car era. Recognizing this, automakers have come together to adopt a set of protocols for handling consumer data, offering at least a veneer of privacy in the car. They are committing to a set of privacy practices, which is meant to both reassure consumers, and to head off new regulations which could hinder innovation. Essentially, their message to consumers is one of where people drive, and how they drive is of no concern to automakers. This is an agreement between BMW, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen on industry-wide principles regarding the handling and safeguarding of consumer data and privacy.
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The Toyota Prius is the mascot of the hybrid industry. Many people could not list 3 different hybrid models off the top of their head, but they all know the Prius. It's become synonymous with hybrid. Toyota has just announced that worldwide sales of the gasoline-electric hybrid have hit the three million mark. Three million of the quirky, yet iconic cars have been sold since it's 1997 introduction to Japan, and exported to the rest of the world three years later. This symbolic level of sales applies to the original Prius. When other Prius family members such as the Prius C or Aqua rechargeable are factored in, the numbers actually hit 3.7 million units. Across the entire Toyota line-up of vehicles, over five million hybrids have been sold worldwide to date.
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At the end of last September, you may have noticed an unusually slow race through the streets of Montreal. It was the 6th edition of the Rallye Vert de Montréal (Montreal Green Rally), a race featuring models that demonstrate the possibilities of cars of the future. This race is not based on speed, as the vehicles run at normal operating speeds, but rather consumption and efficiency and it's a direct way to teach the public about the emerging technologies of alternative mobility. It consists of a combination of elements. For example, the time to travel a given distance in relation to fuel consumption, based on the registered vehicle's classification of category and function. The rally is restricted to vehicles using alternative fuels and energy.
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With the myriad advances in green technologies in so many areas, have you ever wondered which of these are being integrated into current and future automobiles? Let's briefly examine some car models where solar panels, efficient lighting and earth-friendly materials are being built right in. Manufacturers such as Fisker, Ford, Toyota and Fiat are all looking at integrating solar panels into their cars. Fisker's Karma and Ford's 2013 Focus Electric are hooking their panels directly into the main power system to improve drive time through direct drive-battery charging, and in powering cabin temperature control systems.
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