2005: The Year of 'Automotive Electronic Stability Controls'

NEW YORK, March 1, 2005; An eight-wheeled wonder car, a vehicle with an electric motor for each of its four wheels, and a $700,000 electric super car are all on IEEE Spectrum's annual list of top 10 tech cars.

Among more conventional production vehicles, hybrids are still hot, according to the business technology magazine. But the biggest trend this year will be the auto industry's shift to electronic stability controls, which will soon become standard on big, top-heavy SUVs and passenger cars alike. While hybrid-powered vehicles are and will continue to be a major force for the next few years, the business technology magazine predicts that no single vehicle will make as much of a splash this year as the revamped Toyota Prius did last year.

"Still, even though the hybrid honeymoon is over, the marriage is still in solid shape," said Glenn Zorpette, executive editor, IEEE Spectrum. "One coming trend among hybrids is the increasing use of lithium-ion batteries, rather than the standard nickel-metal hydride."

The catalyst behind this year's focus on the expensive electronic stability control option is due, in large part, to a study released by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The report found stability control technology reduced single-vehicle crashes in SUVs by 67 percent and fatal crashes by 64 percent. Following the release of the report, three leading manufacturers -- DaimlerChrysler, Ford and GM -- announced that stability control will be a standard feature on all their SUVs by the 2007 model year.

  The ten vehicles selected by IEEE Spectrum for 2005 are:

   * The Eliica -- This eight-wheel electric concept car, created by
     students at the Electrical Vehicle Laboratory at Japan's Keio
     University, has a 60-kilowatt motor including the reduction gear, wheel
     bearing and brake, in each of its wheels.
   * 2005 Land Rover Discovery/LR3 -- The new Land Rover offers permanent
     all-wheel drive, with power distribution constantly adjusted among the
     wheels based on traction.  The vehicle also features a new Terrain
     Response system, allowing the driver to select one of five terrain
     types that alter the SUV's subsystems to optimize performance.
   * 2005 Acura RL -- Combining the handling characteristics of rear-wheel
     drive with the traction benefits of all-wheel drive, Acura's electronic
     solution offers smoother power delivery without the occasional
     jerkiness of the mechanical solution.
   * Toyota Vitz CVT4 -- A small, four-door hatchback available only in
     Japan, the Vitz has a continuously variable transmission and a
     14.4-volt, 12-ampere-hour, four-cell lithium-ion battery pack, the
     first in a low-cost production vehicle.
   * 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI -- This 37-mpg (highway) diesel passenger
     vehicle features an electronic engine-management system and common-rail
     direct fuel injection to improve the accuracy of fuel metering,
     allowing unprecedented combustion control that keeps particulate
     emissions within the super strict U.S. standards.
   * 2005 Venturi Fetish -- One of only 25 built-to-order at a cost of
     approximately $705,000 each, this electric supercar from Monaco
     accelerates from zero to 62 mph in 4.5 seconds and has as its sole
     power source a 180-kW electric motor that is powered by lithium-ion
     batteries.
   * 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid -- With its Integrated Motor Assist System
     consisting of a 12-kW electric motor powered by a nickel-hydride
     battery pack, the Accord Hybrid looks and rides exactly like an
     ordinary, non-hybrid vehicle.
   * 2007 Saturn Vue Hybrid -- This sport utility vehicle, which will be
     General Motors' first-ever production hybrid, is scheduled for delivery
     in late 2006.  Its engine will shut off during idling, deceleration and
     stops.
   * Michelin "Concept" -- Featuring new Active Wheel technology, the
     concept car's engine has no mechanical connection to its drive wheels,
     but simply powers a central generator whose outputs to four electric
     motors, one in each wheel, which moves the vehicle.
   * 2006 Infiniti M Series -- These luxury performance sedans offer an
     optional lane-departure warning system to warn, with a buzzer and
     flashing dashboard light, if the car seems to be drifting out of its
     lane.

The March issue of IEEE Spectrum is available by subscription, on many newsstands throughout the Northeastern United States and online at http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/.

About IEEE Spectrum

IEEE Spectrum is published monthly by IEEE, the world's largest organization of technology professionals 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 (http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/). Its content includes numerous news stories and features beyond those featured in the print magazine.