Advanced Technology SuperHighway educates and fascinates Auto Show visitors
The Advanced Technology SuperHighway (ATS) drew special interest this year as a signature feature of Washington as the public policy auto show, with scores of showgoers interested in the latest developments in energy efficiency, fuel economy and safety.
To help showgoers understand what they were looking at in the ATS, veteran automotive journalist Warren Brown created a booklet that was given out at the show, Advanced Technology Systems: A Walking Tour of the New World in Driving. Effectively illustrated with photos of current models and specifically written for non-experts, the booklet describes the latest design innovations put forth by the industry. It also includes a helpful glossary of terms that explains concepts from active safety systems to telematics.
When Brown led VIP tours through the ATS, he says, I tried to show them how the cars before them differ significantly from cars 10 and 20 years ago. Telematics and computer control are very important to safety and fuel economy.
The finalists for the Green Car Technology Award, bestowed by Ron Cogan, publisher of the Green Car Journal, were displayed in the ATS pavilion throughout the show. (The award recognized technology, not vehicle models, per se.) The 2013 Washington Auto Show winner was the Mazda SkyActiv system, which is engineering and manufacturing processes that produce lighter weight components. Finalists for the award were the Fiat MultiAir; the Fisker Automotive extended-range plug-in powertrain; Fords Energi plug-in hybrid, EcoBoost direct injection system and Stop-Start hybrid system; Honda Eco Assist, Nissan Easy-Fill Tire Alert system; Tesla Model S, and Toyota RAV4 battery-electric.
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