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Automotive Industry

Going On-Line, On The Road - General Motor's Communiport

Automotive Industries, Sept, 2000 by Dale Jewett

For the new model year, GM brings the Internet into cars for the first time. But other systems will grab greater sales.

The 2001 model year brings new opportunity for automakers and suppliers to inaugurate or expand the use of new systems and technologies. From our vantage point of having examined and driven many of the '01 cars and trucks, and interviewed the people who created them, we'd say interior comfort and convenience features lead the coming season's hit parade.

A full vehicle redesign, such as DaimlerChrysler's new minivans or the Lexus LS430, affords the best opportunity to add new innovations. But remaining competitive also means adapting such features to existing platforms.

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One significant debut is GM's Communiport, the industry's first foray into the automobile-as-Internet-platform. It will be interesting to watch how quickly this technology -- part of the telematics boom -- spreads through the segments and across price ranges.

Interior flexibility is another major trend for the 2001 model year. So is the proliferation of all-wheel-drive systems. Each of these drivelines is tailored to specific vehicle applications. The new systems bring greater capability through increasingly sophisticated electronics. When fitted to the new breed of "crossover" vehicles and awd station wagons, the drivelines give those products the range of most SUVs but without most of their size and fuel-consumption liabilities. (See June 2000 AI, page -45.)

What other new devices and applications are your competitors readying to steal your sales this year? Read on. And note Automotive Industries' humble opinion of each, gleaned from our early exposure to these vehicles.

Communiport

Available on: Cadillac Seville

Supplier. Delphi-Delco Electronics

What it does: Puts a portal to email, Internet and navigation information in the dashboard. Communiport is configured to make it an extension of the personal computer and personal digital assistant. Piggybacking on the embedded cellular telephone in the vehicle for the OnStar service, Communiport enables the owner to retrieve and answer email, as well as receive news updates from the Internet.

The system includes a port for FlashMedia cards, which contain digital music files, as well as an infrared port that enables the unit to exchange data with devices such as a Palm PDA. Users can customize the information available by setting preferences on a dedicated Web site. Voice-recognition technology enables the user to activate features, and respond to emails, without having to take their hands off the steering wheel.

The Alverdict: It's the stuff the Silicon Valley crowd has dreamed of for years. But only a small group of customers is likely to take full advantage of its features for years to come.

Flat-folding Rear Seats/Convenience Center

Available on: GM fwd minivans

Supplier: Johnson Controls Inc.

What it does: Honda's Odyssey pioneered the third-row bench seat that folds flush into a well in the van's floor. It never has to be removed. Neither does the third seat in GM's U-vans. Combined with a plastic storage unit, the new-for-'01 system provides a desirable flat load floor, and a large handle on the seatback makes it easy to fold the seat from the liftgate opening. When folded the seat still stand about four inches tall, reducing vertical storage capcity vs. the Odyssey. The third-row sat is removable as a single unit, but weighs about 110 pounds.

The Al verdict: Families will find the feature useful when hauling kids and gear, but converting to the full cargo mode still requires lifting a heavy seat. Seatback and bottom cushion are thinner so the seat folds flat, which could make comfort over long trips questionable.

Rollover Protection System

Available on: 2002 Ford Explore, Mercury Mountaineer

Suppliers: Visteon (sensor), TRW (airbag)

What it does: A rollover sensor in the sport-utility measures vehicle tilt. When the sensor determines a rollover is imminent, it deploys the side-curtain airbags, which cover the first- and second-row windows and stay inflated for at least six seconds. The airbags are intended to keep occupants from being thrown out the windows, the leading cause of fatalities in vehicle rollover accidents.

The Explorer and Mountaineer will be available with an optional third now of seats, but the side airbags don't cover the rear windows. Ford engineers say the technology is not ready for a side airbag that large.

The Al verdict: Given the most people continue to drive SUVs like cars, despite their truck-like dynamics, this system is worthwhile

Electrically-Cooled Front Seats

Available on: Lexus LS430

Supplier: Amerigon

What it does: Lexus is not the first to offer cooled front seats, but it goes one step further than just embedding a fan in the seat to circulate air. On the LS 430 with the Ultra Luxury package, electric elements are embedded in the front seats. Utilizing the Peltier Effect, a DC electric current is sent across the elements between two different metals. Depending on which way the current flows, the surface of the seat feels cooler or hotter. The cooling comes from electrons being absorbed by the current flow. Seat temperature can range from 86 degrees to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. A fan in the seat system circulates air, which cools the heat sinks on either side of the seat grid system.

Automotive Industry

Going On-Line, On The Road - General Motor's Communiport

Automotive Industries, Sept, 2000 by Dale Jewett

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