IEEE Spectrum Welcomes the 'Year of the Hybrid Electric Car'
 Hyundai HCD-8 Sports Tourer |
| Business Technology Magazine Selects Top Ten Tech Vehicles For 2004 |
IEEE Spectrum has issued its annual top ten tech cars report, highlighting the march of technical advances in automotive progress.
"These ten cars are production vehicles, available for sale this year or next, somewhere in the world. These design technologies point the way forward," said Glenn Zorpette, executive editor, IEEE Spectrum. "This will be the year in which hybrid cars usher in the dawn of a new automotive age."
The ten vehicles selected are:
-- Hyundai HCD-8 Sports Tourer - One of a handful of concept cars unveiled in recent years that put high-brightness, white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in front. It is one of the first vehicles to emerge from Hyundai's brand-new Design & Technical Center in Irvine, Calif.
-- Volvo XC90 - Volvo's tall SUV XC90 does not roll over, because it adjusts brake torque individually at each wheel with its proprietary Roll Stability Control (RSC).
-- BMW 5-Series - The first manufacturer to offer an electronic "active steering" system, giving the driver more responsive steering by varying the steering ratio to suit the car's speed.
-- Lexus RX 400H - This fall, Toyota will offer a hybrid-electric version of its Lexus RX SUV, the most popular Lexus in the U.S. market.
-- Toyota Prius - The 2004 Prius hybrid benefits from a major redesign. It is bigger, faster and even stingier with fuel.
-- Ford Escape Hybrid - The Escape will be the first mass-produced hybrid SUV, as well as the first hybrid built in North America.
-- Ford Hydrogen Hybrid Research Vehicle - Hydrogen-powered but without a fuel cell.
-- Honda Inspire and Accord - These cars offer an optional Lane-Keeping Assist System (LKAS). The Honda system is a step beyond lane-departure warning systems now offered by other manufacturers, mainly for trucks and other commercial vehicles.
-- Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid - A pickup truck offering 110-volt alternating current. A mild-hybrid, the Silverado has a battery under the hood and three more under the rear seats.
-- Toyota Crown Royal -The world's first 42-volt electrical system in a production car.
The March issue of IEEE Spectrum is available by subscription, on many newsstands throughout the Northeastern United States and online at www.spectrum.ieee.org.
About IEEE Spectrum
IEEE Spectrum is published monthly by IEEE, the world's largest organization of technology and business leaders. Over 385,000 executives, engineers, and computer scientists at the world's largest companies and universities look to IEEE Spectrum each month for the latest news and most accurate information about new important technology developments. IEEE Spectrum readership comprises the largest concentration of high-tech professionals and senior managers of any publication in its niche. IEEE Spectrum also communicates through its Web site, IEEE Spectrum Online, whose content includes numerous news stories and features beyond those featured in the print magazine.
This press release is available on the KCSA Web site at www.kcsa.com. All product names used are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
