The advantages of leasing a new 2012 Ford Transit Connect
You are no doubt familiar with the Transit Connect, the panel van that Ford began importing from Europe in mid-2009. You’ve probably noticed them in your neighborhood with things like custom cakes, cable companies, cat groomers and cleaning services advertised on their flat, windowless sides. You’ll be seeing even more of them soon as the Transit Connect Taxi begins replacing the Crown Victoria in taxi fleets across the country. Transit Connects are everywhere now. People are using van lease hire to buy them. It turns out business owners were tired of only being offered a full-size truck or van for their commercial fleet needs, because in many cases a small, fuel efficient panel van can do the same job far better and more cheaply.
That’s why finally seeing the Transit Connect XLT in person created a very different impression than what we got from pictures. It is tall, like Kareem Abdul-Jabar tall. Actually, it’s only six-foot, six-inches (79.3 inches), so it’s more like Kobe Bryant, but that still shadows a Cadillac Escalade by 3.4 inches, and [Read more...]
Automotive Battery Chargers
Most modern cars are now fitted with a low maintenance battery and these either require little electrolyte topping up and in some cases, none at all. This is a result of advances in automotive technology where alternators ensure that the battery is not subjected to an abnormal voltage charge.
The battery charger that you use in your workshop needs to be as versatile as your vehicle’s charging system to ensure that your battery’s life if not cut short by a defective process.
The big problem encountered with maintenance-free or sealed batteries is gassing, this is where electrolyte is lost as a result of too high a charge. Battery chargers designed to deal with these maintenance-free batteries are referred to as automatic and they cut off the voltage between around 13.8v and 14.5v to prevent gassing taking place.
Some of these automatic chargers allow the battery to be permanently connected, topping up the charge when necessary.
This float charge is very useful when you have a motor caravan or a car that is laid up for a length of time. CTEK and some of the Gunsons range of chargers are designed with this function. These chargers also have reverse-polarity protection with a built in cut-out feature and are supplied with a decent length of [Read more...]
Technological Peak: Efficiency Made Easy in Automotive Shop Software
by sldownard
Rapid increases in technological developments have characterized much of the 21st century. Their spread has left no industry entirely untouched. This technology has increased efficiency, minimized errors and overall increased methods of production in almost every context. Though not automatically associated with technology in all cases, the automotive industry, more specifically automotive shop software is a perfect example of the peak of technological development.
Automotive shop software has multiple purposes in the workplace such as keeping track of and providing repair work orders, tracking customers and their vehicles as well as maintaining their service histories, analyzing productivity, developing estimates and analyzing auto shop profitability. The implication of such software programs have exponentially improved turnaround time for auto repair shop owners in every stage of the process from estimates to completion.
There are a couple qualities that shop owners look for when considering different auto shop software programs available on the market.
Of course price [Read more...]
Tomorrow’s Technology Applied Today In The Automotive Industry
by jeffcutler
With the adage a few small things can change the world, imagine what trillions of particles that are only nanometers wide can do. That is exactly what ferrofluid is and true to the old saying ferrofluid truly can change the world we live in today. Nowhere is this change more apparent currently than in the automotive industry. Due to the excellent ability to perform thermomagnetic convection, this relatively new fluid is revolutionizing the industry in a variety of ways including speakers, seals, and shock absorbers.
First of all however, a brief background of Ferrofluid should be discussed. With a name based off the Latin root ferrum, meaning iron, this substance is typically comprised of particles of magnetite or hematite which contain iron suspended within an organic or water based liquid. When these particles are dispersed using surfactant they allow the base liquid to become colloidal in nature and the coating given by the surfactant process prevents magnetic and Van Der Waals forces from clumping the iron based particles.
The end result is a fluid capable of multiple [Read more...]
Put The Latest Technology To Work With Maha Automotive Lifts
by Lower Columbia College
Automotive engineering is evolving at a record pace. Cars and trucks are no longer just vehicles that get us from Point A to Point B. A car is the sum of its many intricate parts; in order to repair or analyze those parts, you need the latest in automotive lifts from MAHA, one of the lifting industry leaders.
MAHA has been manufacturing automotive lifts for over 40 years. Their standards of excellence in engineering and technology have made them a trusted supplier of automotive lifts for repair shops, service centers and OEMs. Keeping up with the latest automotive lifts technology can actually increase revenue, as well as save money. The proper automotive lifts ensure quality control, whether used in the manufacturing sector, or in service.
When you deal with MAHA, you know the automotive lifts you purchase will be of the highest quality. They also have the largest selection of custom automotive lifts, so you can choose the ones that will best suit your needs. You have your choice of two and four post automotive lifts, as well as specialty, in ground and scissors [Read more...]
What automotive technology is on offer when you get a Renault?
by sldownard
When driving a Renault you can’t help but notice how smooth it runs, as it effortlessly travels along the street. This could explain the reason why it is so efficient, because it is quite an economical runner. This stuff means that you take pride in strapping on your seat belt and taking your Renault out for a drive, regardless of whether it is to the high street or your place of work. In addition to that they handle nicely giving you immense control and amazing grip on the road. Therefore the driving experience of Renault models really makes them stand out from manufacturers that create similar models.
Renaults have been created to be chic and contemporary, so they have sweeping smooth lines along the side and round curves on the bonnet and rear bumper. That means they look amazing as well as clean and trendy. The hues used in Renault bodywork are vibrant making them a true reflection of today’s culture of optimism and forward thinking.
As well as adding style, the smooth lines of a Renault also make them relatively easy to clean, which [Read more...]
Bluetooth Handsfree Technology Applied in the Automotive Industry
by RDECOM
Most people have heard of the Bluetooth technology, especially now that the latest gadgets are manufactured with it. Laptops, cellular phones, and even digital cameras are endowed with this technology that adds convenience and flexibility to modern consumers.
Bluetooth is known to people as a means of connecting and transferring data from a server to a receiver. It is a standardized short-range wireless communication technology utilizing low-power radio frequency. It uses very little energy, is cheap, and can be operated my many people—despite the fact that each Bluetooth car kit or any unit is made by different manufacturers.
This is an innovative technology that allows sending and receiving of data through wireless communication.
Bluetooth is able to connect several devices at once without jeopardizing the link. It utilizes 79 different radio channels that are 1 Hertz apart.
The receiver can then use these radio signals to communicate with any [Read more...]
Improving Your Automotive Repair Service Company Through Information Technology
by Lower Columbia College
Many Japanese businesses have prospered to become large-scale multi-national companies because of their constant search for improvement. This should be true for all businesses regardless of type and scale. And the automotive repair industry requires more of this continuous desire for improvement because their services deal directly with keeping people safe by keeping roads accident-free with properly-functioning vehicles.
That being said, automotive repair isnt something you entrust to just anyone. Clients need to be assured of the quality of a certain shops services before they go for it. This used to be a tricky task. Most clients then relied on word-of-mouth. While this was effective enough, it limited the reach of an auto shop to its immediate community.
Nowadays, automotive repair businesses rely on the use of information technology through online marketing. Online marketing makes use of several methods to fulfill certain functions. These functions basically are information dissemination, customer service management and information [Read more...]
Mphase Designs Automotive Product Based On Advanced Battery Technology
by Argonne National Laboratory
mPhase Technologies Inc. announced that it has refined its design of a new automotive product based on an advanced battery technology.This automotive product is being developed by mPhase in collaboration with a major European automobile manufacturer, said official sources.It is expected that the refinement of this product will ensure advanced functionality along with a small footprint. Company sources also added that a prototype will be completed in the first quarter of calendar year 2011. This product will be suitable for both the OEM and aftermarket automobile industry.In a release Ronald A. Durando, CEO of mPhase Technologies, Inc., We have kept this product under wraps for competitive marketing reasons and look forward to unveiling this advanced battery automotive product this spring.Also it was revealed that mPhase Technologies will be introducing an optimized Smart Surface technology that is enabled by breakthroughs in nanotechnology, MEMS processing and microfluidics.The companys Smart Surface technology has potential applications within drug delivery systems, [Read more...]
Expert: Automotive Electronics Market And Semiconductor Technology Innovation Trends – Car
by RDECOM
2009, China Car Automobile production and sales volume of over 1,300 million, the summit the world’s largest auto market. Huge market demand to the local automobile Electronic Design team is no longer satisfied with a lower threshold field of technology, and expect to enter the high technology content Infotaiment, and even security, Telematics and other fields. I held in 3.15 days IC -China Shanghai Station, automotive electronics expert forum attracted a large number of professional audiences, from iSuppli, Altium, Infineon and Freescale’s guests on China’s auto electronics market and Semiconductor Technological innovation and the audience in-depth discussion and analysis.
Speaker: iSuppli’s Issac Wang
IssacWang said that with the TM, cars to the countryside and the consumption tax / road maintenance / purchase of tax incentives to promote, in 2009 China’s auto market has grown substantially. In the automotive electronics field, China’s design team has been to mimic the main, but with the market expansion, current design thinking is constantly [Read more...]