Getting2Work

Traffic congestion is not really a big problem in a mid size town like Rochester NY where I live. However, I do listen to the traffic report on the radio to see what is in front of me as I get onto the highway. Unless the highway is totally blocked off, I usually do not make any adjustments to my route. Most of the time I do not have any idea of how bad the congestions are and do not know how the situations of the other roads.

Last week, I saw a recording of a talk from the PARC Forum “Mobile millennium: using smartphones to monitor traffic in privacy aware environments” by Alexandre Bayen. You might have seen reports of the Mobile Millennium project on CBS, NBC, ABC, CNET, NPR, KGO or BBC. This presentation gave a more in depth discussion about the details and the description of experiments that were performed. For the techies, this gives us a better understanding of the thoughts and the algorithms being used. It also addresses some of the security concerns and how the mobiles devices enables “crowd-sourcing” to provide a “give and take” fair sharing of information. Since the concept relies on mobile devices, this technology can potentially be applied to third world countries where there are not a lot of build-in traffic monitoring infrastructure while mobile devices are the prevalent communication device. It turned out that to get enough information, only a small percentage of mobile users have to sign up to the Mobile Millennium project.

I can’t wait for the day when one can get constant bird’s eye view of the traffic conditions on all the possible routes that one can take. Currently, the pilot is being conducted in northern California only. Details can be found on the Mobile Millennium website. It appears that there are still some limitations. For example, one cannot differentiate the traffic on the HOV lanes and regular traffic. Also, the traffic lights can provide misleading information. But, even with these limitations, I would be willing to try it out. Too bad I do not live in the northern CA area and the SW does not work on the iPhone yet.

A description of the presentation and the recording of the presentation can be found at: http://www.parc.com/event/896/mobile-millennium.html.

I am not sure if I am ready to buy the new Insight yet.

Honda Insight - Source: http://automobiles.honda.com

My Hybrid Civic is still running just fine.  Definitely reading good stuff about the Insight thought.  But I would like to see how it really does before I switch.  Maybe wait and read some owners reviews.  I know that Honda supposedly based the Insight’s design on other hybrid and electric cars’ body features, but I wish the Insight’s body looks a bit different.  It reminds me too much of the Prius.  Or … I could wait till this slick little sporty, Honda CR-Z

Honda CR-Z - Source: http://www.hybridcars.com

or … the FC Sport!!!

Honda FC Sport - Source http://www.hybridcars.com

I was doing my Friday morning reading when I came across an article titled, “10 Cars That Get More Than 40 mpg“. This was an interesting list of cars.  The first 2 listed were hybrids.  The first named (of course) was the Toyota Prius and the second (my kind of car) was the Honda Civic Hybrid and they were the only two that are available in the US.  The rest of them are not available for sale in the US.  Three of them are not diesel while the rest of the five are not sold in the US because they are diesels.  Guess who is the maker of two of these fuel efficient cars … FORD!!!!  One is the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic that I mentioned in one of my articles and the other is the Ford Ka.

So it seems to me that Ford could save itself without all this bail out.  Maybe we are putting some of these bail out money in the wrong place.    Are we really too stupid to learn about the new cleaner diesel fuel?  Don’t you think that we will buy one of them if they show the same product quality, fuel efficiency and greener.  I am driving a Honda Civic Hybrid.  I am driving it because it’s reliable, more fuel efficient and greener.  Not just because it’s a Honda!

I had mentioned that I used to drive a stick shift.  I also know that the number of stick shift cars are diminishing.

Back in 1980, more than 35 percent of all cars were sold with a stick. … By 2005 only 6 percent of all buyers bothered with a stick.

With the advance in development, the new automatics actually are more fuel efficient and can switch faster than the manuals.  I can believe that with everything being computer controlled.  Sure some of the sport’s car makers said they will always have manual shift.  But if they are the only ones left, what difference does it make for common folk like myself.  I can’t afford them sports cars!!!

Even though I had the link to the article where I quoted above, here’s the title of the article about “The End of Manual Labor? The stick-shift is a fast-fading icon” and Lawrence Ulrich is one luck guy to get to drive some of these great sports cars.  So jealous!

The headline “The 65 mpg Ford the U.S. Can’t Have” at businessweek.com caught my eyes.  Okay, so this was not today’s headline, hot off the press but it’s still warm enough for me to notice.  How could it not?  It’s an American car that gets 65mgp!!!!  Oh but wait … we’re not getting this in the US!!!!

Here’s a few points mentioned in the Business Week article as to why the Ford management feel that they can’t make a business case in the US:

1. Ford’s 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic runs on diesel … diesel as old-tech … whether the U.S. ever will embrace diesel fuel
2. the engines are built in Britain, so labor costs are high
3. price of the Fiesta to around $24,400 … Ford doesn’t believe it could charge enough to make money on an imported ECOnetic

So what’s up with us?!!!  Are we really that narrow minded in the US.  I would like to think not!  I’m a pretty average individual.  If I come across a topic that hit home for me, I would certainly hunt down more information so that when I have to make a decision, it will be a more informed decision.  Fuel price and clean air certainly are hot topics right now.

Yes, Toyota and Honda made and still is making the most noise in hybrid and fuel efficient cars.  But has there been any campaign for the new diesel?  Anyone care to point out …

• the new diesel vehicles are as clean or cleaner than gasoline
• 30% or more fuel-efficient

Here’s one from Honda.  The video/song is a bit child like and cute but you’ll get it.

As for the cost … I can understand that diesel engine is very different and we don’t have any plant here.  Okay, as Business Week’s follow up article’s point #5 pointed out, it’s not that easy.  But I am sure we would love the possibility of more jobs here in the US.

Here’s more points made in the follow up article from Business Week.  Yes, it’s not so simple … state taxes, regulations, prejudice, cost, etc.  But other car companies such as Honda, Nissan and Hyundai have diesel cars for the US in their plans.  Volkswagen and Mercedes both had cars approved by California and will be coming next year.  If we associate diesel as dirty and polluting, then use some other name like what VW (Jetta TDI) and Mercedes (Bluetec) did.  If we don’t think ahead and work together, we’ll be playing catch up again.