Car FYI

Great Scott! We've reached October 21st 2015. Where are the flying cars? Why can't I drink a Pepsi Perfect? Why haven't lawyers been abolished? The movie Back to the Future II certainly gave us a wacky prediction of what this day would look like. In late 2015, automobiles are still grounded but that doesn't mean technology has remained trapped in 1985 either. Electrified automobiles existing in many forms is providing a futuristic reality. Even in the movie's version of 2015, Back to the Future II didn't tout alternative vehicle powertrains (Mr Fusion powered by the time circuits of the Doc Brown's modified DeLorean but gasoline was apparently still a mode of propulsion). Hybrid and fully-electric cars are driving the cause but visions of hydrogen being an automotive power source have also given birth to fuel cell research. Toyota has become the latest automaker demonstrating the possibilities of hydrogen fuel cell technology creating the Mirai as a r...

In NASCAR jargon, the term 'fuel cell' is applied to the protective cocoon created in the 1960s to contain fuel. In the scientific and engineering field, a fuel cell is seen as the future powerplant with a keen focus on automobiles. A system of panels that converts the reaction of separated hydrogen and oxygen into electrical energy, the technology has been heavily pursued by some automakers such as General Motors , Mercedes-Benz and Honda. Last year, Toyota introduced to the world their first fuel cell-powered production vehicle called the Mirai (meaning future in Japanese). When the Sprint Cup Series' Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway took place on April 26th, the NASCAR circuit was better acquainted with the science and technology resulting in the future fuel cell. Ahead of its sales introduction later this year (starting in California), the 2016 Toyot...

Late last year, Hyundai pledged to become the first auto manufacturer to offer a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in Canada . An electrified powertrain vehicle already available in the United States in parts of California, the Tucson FCEV is based on Hyundai's conventional gasoline-powered crossover. Capable of driving up to 426 kilometers on a tank of hydrogen fuel, the Hyundai Tucson FCEV is propelled by 134 horsepower driven to the front wheels. This week, the first Canadian-destined models of the Hyundai Tucson FCEV arrived from South Korea on the at a Vancouver port. Sent onboard the "Kaijin" cargo ship, the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicles available Canada are apparently being greeted by an anxious group in British Columbia. Explaining that applications have exceeded the expectations of Hyundai Auto Canada Corporation, President and CEO Don Romano said, "We've seen a tremendous response to our call for applications. Canadians all over the c...

It's almost impossible to isolate the number of patents that have been filed related to automobiles. In many of these cases, those patents are guarded fiercely by the right holders. In the United States, the early days of the automobile was controlled under what was called the Selden Patent . Filed by George B. Selden in 1879, the broad patent established a basis that allows the collection of royalties on any automobile manufactured by an American automaker. It was only when tenacious car pioneer Henry Ford fought and eventually won a court battle against the Selden Patent in 1911 that a four-wheeled vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine could be developed without paying a royalties. Since the Selden patent, the procedure of protecting certain techniques and technologies for financial gain has resulted in steady employment for attorneys. However, as the automobile enters a new stage of life, some auto companies have demonstra...

Photo Credit: CNW Group/Hyundai Auto Canada Corp Canadian motorists have been provided with some relief in the past few weeks as the correction of oil prices is bringing the prices at gas stations to a more tolerable level. While the immediate concerns for energy are being pacified by this drop, our future thoughts envision a world beyond the finite quantity of accessible oil. Hydrogen is seen as the most ambitious energy source. While dispelling safety and efficiency concerns with the plentiful gas, automakers are slowly spoon-feeding the driving public to hydrogen cars. Some vehicles burn hydrogen fuel in an internal combustion engine but a more active vision sees the gas sent through fuel cells creating electrical power. A handful of test vehicles over the past decade have been a prelude what is a limited production run. The hydrogen fuel cell powered Honda FCX Clarity was first sold in 2008 and Toyota is set to produce the Mi...