AD #2263 – Ford F-150 Diesel Details, Continental Creates 3D Touchscreen, Nissan’s Brain-To-Vehicle Technology

On today’s show…Ford says the diesel F-150 will get 30 MPG…Toyota does a better job of hiding its autonomous technology…and how monitoring your brain can improve the driving experience. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.

FORD F-150 DIESEL DETAILS
It’s been about a year since Ford announced it was going to put a diesel in the F-150 and we finally have more to report about the setup. The 3.0L Power Stroke engine produces 250-horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque. Paired with the standard 10-speed transmission, Ford is estimating highway fuel economy at 30 miles-to-the-gallon. Towing capacity comes in at 11,400-pounds and it has a payload capacity of just over 2,000-pounds. Final EPA numbers and pricing will be announced in spring when the trucks start hitting dealer showrooms.

TOYOTA REVEALS NEXT-GEN AUTONOMOUS SYSTEM
Toyota is showing off the next-gen version of its autonomous vehicle technology at CES. Called Platform 3.0, it’s being demonstrated in a Lexus LS hybrid. The LIDAR in the previous system could only look forward, now the LIDAR can scan 360 degrees up to 200 meters or over 650-feet. Engineers also worked with designers to blend the sensors with the design to make the vehicle look more appealing. And while there is still equipment sticking out, it’s definitely sleeker than the previous test car. Toyota also packaged the self-driving equipment to make it easier to build a fleet of vehicles, which it will begin, starting this spring.

Still to come…a look at more new technology from CES.

CONTINENTAL CREATES 3D TOUCHSCREEN
The German supplier Continental is showing off what it says is the world’s first touchscreen with a 3D surface. The screen uses haptic feedback to help distinguish between different virtual buttons without having to look at the screen, and this allows the driver to keep their eyes on the road. And to make sure any functions aren’t triggered accidently, the screen measures how hard the it’s being pressed before a command is executed. The touchscreen features a flexible design, which gives automakers the opportunity to customize the screen for a specific car or brand.

NISSAN’S BRAIN-TO-VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
We’ve heard of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication that will make driving safer, but what the heck is Brain-to-Vehicle or B2V technology? It’s a way to speed up reaction times and make driving more enjoyable and it’s what Nissan is showing off at CES. By using a device that monitors brain activity, the vehicle would “know” when the driver is about to make a maneuver and the driver assist systems can kick in faster. Or if the system detects the driver is uncomfortable, it could automatically change the driving mode or use augmented reality to make the interior a more relaxing environment. Nissan says with B2V the system can take action 0.2 – 0.5 seconds faster than the driver.

And for even more from CES, be sure to check out our coverage of the show starting tomorrow. John will be talking to suppliers and automakers about their new developments in technology. Look for those interviews on our website, Autoline.tv.

Coming up next, how Buick engineers cut weight from the new Enclave, while making it a little bit larger.

NEW BUICK ENCLAVE GOES ON A DIET
Despite being slightly larger, the new Buick Enclave is about 300 pounds lighter. On last week’s Autoline After Hours we were joined by Rick Spina the executive chief engineer of crossovers at GM, and he shared how engineers were able to cut weight without sacrificing its size.

(The AAH preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)

For more about the development of the new Enclave you can watch that entire discussion right now on Autoline.tv or you can find it on our YouTube channel.

But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.