Posted by
michael
on from the welding-torches-work-both-ways dept.
An Ominous Cow Erred writes "A common argument used by open source advocates (myself included) in favor of open source is the simple question: 'Would you buy a car with the hood welded shut?' According to an article from the BBC, Volvo thinks the way of the future may be exactly that."
Not a new idea
by
Stackster
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
The Audi A2, which actually is _in production_ (and has been for a couple of years) has a "locked" hood/bonnet too. There's just a small hatch where you can fill up washer fluid and cooling water .
--
There are 010 kinds of people. Those who understand octal, those who don't, and 06 other kinds of morons.
Re:It's a car for women!
by
tiled_rainbows
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
Sad but true: this is a Volvo "Concept Car" (ie automotive vaporware) that was designed "for women by women".
However, the whole article does read like something out of the Onion. Changable multi-coloured seat covers to match your clothes? If it wasn't true it would be a sexist joke.
I was talking with my wife about this and she said she likes having a bonnet that lifts up, as it acts as a kind of "distress flag" when she's waiting on the hard shoulder with a knackered car, hoping some good samaritan will pull over and help her out. I know that this, too, sounds like a sexist joke, but my wife said it first, and she's a woman, so that's OK, I guess.
Welded shut in a car designed by and for women...
by
ravind
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
So the question to ask, when queried about the benefits of open source is: "Are you a man?":D
In fact you could also put that on a t-shirt - "Real Men Use Linux"
Car welded shut is illegal in this country
by
EvilTwinSkippy
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
IBM lost several anti-trust cases based on exclusive service agreements with customers, and invalidating warrenties for user-installed parts. (The big three also tried these shenanigans back in the day, AND LOST.)
I don't know what the legal precidents are in Europe, but in the US Volvo would be laughed out of court if someone sued.
-- "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
--Dr.W.Edwards Deming
Only a Volvo mechanic? *snicker*
by
curtisk
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
What are they intending to do, design a custom bolt system and tool that ONLY Volvo can get their hands on? I believe GM has tried that in the past "..only use GM tool #xxxxx to remove"
Please.....if someone wants that hood(bonnet) off , its coming off.....Volvo certified or not
It's amazing what improv tools mechanics can come up with
--
Sehr geehrter Toilettenbenutzer!
This bears watching
by
onyxruby
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
This bears watching, especially since a "special" mechanics tool will be required to remove the one piece front end. Stick a "void if removed" warranty sticker over the "special" tool hole, enlist the DMCA and you've got an engine that can never legally be maintained by the owner. If you really want to go whole hog you call the "special" tool a security device and DMCA the car itself.
Just think, cars of the future could be the permanent property of the automotive world. You wouldn't but them, you would license them. I understand Idrive from BMW has a license sticker installed on the windshield that you are forced to accept (by removing) in some countries in order to use the car. All of this could be done with the law as it is today. Circumvention could be prosecuted under the DMCA.
Manufactures would love this because it would force people to get their maintence, even routine maintenence would have to be done at the dealership at their extremely expensive rates. Rates so expensive an entire industry literaly grew up around alternative service options.
Now for the outlandish. This would be a good thing - because it would show joe sixpack how licensing and the DMCA are uncapitalistic and harmful. Your plumber may not give two hoots about a computer, but you can be sure he'll raise hell if he finds out he can't change his own oil or give the old jalolopee to his kids.
This sounds kinda like OSS vs proprietary software
by
Ride-My-Rocket
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
"If the car says nothing, then everything is fine," said Ms Temm optimistically.
<snip>
"It is minimal maintenance, really, because the customers have limited time and they don't want a car that gives them a lot of hassle," said Ms Christiansen.
I realize this is just a concept car, so I'm not going to get too worked up about this. But this attitude does seems to be an analogue to the open-source vs closed-source software situation.
What this car relies upon is for nothing to go wrong, and for the internal diagnostics to catch any issues or errors that occur. Which is good, because it means most drivers -- who don't know much about how cars work -- will only need to interact with their car in a very cursory way. However, this attitude of welding the hood shut can also work against your average driver. For example, what if you want to add more oil to your car? Even if they redesigned the car so that you could check oil levels or add more oil easily, just as they moved the wiper fluid to more accessible location, what if you wanted to change your own oil, and save $30-$50? You couldn't, and in an emergency, you would need the help of a certified Volve mechanic to remove the hood. To me, this sounds kinda like Windows -- it's really easy to use and designed to take care of most problems, but when things invariably do go wrong, there's not much you can do to investigate (assuming you have the technical expertise, of course).
Right now, cars are kinda clunky and they might not have as much sophisticated diagnostics in place as this concept car, but you can get at everything when you need to. I can't see consumers giving this now that they have it, just as I can't see the open-source movement doing anything but making progress and gaining mind-/market-share in the coming years.
Roadside Breakdown - Hood Up == Distress
by
AgTiger
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Other people have mentioned the Roadside Breakdown aspect, but I don't think anyone's touched on this aspect yet:
Having the hood of a car up is a well recognized sign of vehicle breakdown, and that the driver could probably use assistance.
In my area of the world, if the police see a vehicle with the hood up without their own yellow police tape attached to the vehicle (to indicate they've dealt with this vehicle already), they'll stop and offer assistance.
How, exactly, is the driver of one of these vehicles supposed to use this very simple and well understood signal? Madly flag down drivers and risk getting run over?
And this is only ONE example of what a bad idea this vehicle is.
My thoughts exactly. In fact, it's completely misleading.
The "Hood" is one peice, so there is no "hatch" like a traditional car. But it's still removable for access. The headline suggests the engine is completely sealed off to prevent anyone but the manufacturer from touching the insides.
Also, you make an interesting point about the type of people that would buy this car for the same rasons it was designed this way ("wold never oen the hood anyway"). From the article:
"So we shifted the filling station for washer fluid to the side of the car, next to where you fill up fuel, and we closed the bonnet for good."
Now taking bets on how often gasoline ends up in the washer fuild or vice versa!
The car should be programmed to discover any problems under the bonnet, then send a message to the garage to let them know.
Well that's something I don't particularly care for...
The mechanics would then contact the women directly to invite them over....too easy...:)
"If the car says nothing, then everything is fine," said Ms Temm optimistically....said Ms Temm optimistically, while sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck...
So they have implemented a body scanning system...
The results of which are also sent to the mechanics so they can decide if they need to contact the driver directly and invite them to their shop! =Smidge=
Of course this wouldn't be the case with cars built with plastic frames.
Re:It's a car for women!
by
aspeer
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
Having mis-spent my youth employed as a petrol pump jockey for several years, I can state with certainty that no matter how big the PETROL and WATER stickers are, it will only be a matter of time before petrol goes where the water should and vice-versa.
And I am not singling out females here, it could just be as easily be a male. I once saw a guy who had both the radiator and oil caps off (because they were both low) proceed to put *oil* into to radiator. He (almost) immediately realised the mistake, but it was too late to do anything but flush the radiator.
Also hope they have some sort of interlock where only one can open at a time, or what is stopping you accidentally splashing water into the petrol outlet when filling up the washer tank ?
Not that I really care that much, can't really see this taking off..
Men can have ponytails too.
by
hpulley
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
I'm a man and wore a ponytail for about 8 years or so and I can say that it did get in the way a little when putting my head against the headrest -- a topknot worked fine but doesn't suit me most of the time... Most cars don't put your head close enough to the headrest that this matters (or that they actually prevent whiplash) but in cars like Volvos where they are close, it does matter.
-- $#!^ happens, but why does it always have to happen to me???
Porsche Boxster anyone?
by
OlivierB
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
For the richest ones out there.
Buyingg a POrsche Boxster is surely not the best choice if you want to get a crowd when opening the bonnet.
The ONLY thing you can see is the Oil jauge!
The engine in placed in the center of the car (unlike 911s whose engines are at the back end).
This also means that you cannot easily make some parts replacements yourself.
The best thing for sealed bonnets/ difficult to access engines is not about warranties for the manufacturers but for the servifce they charge.
That's right changing the dyno in a Porsche boxster can only be done by a dealer as you have to lower the WHOLE engine. That means a lot of billable hours for one single part. Thank god Porsches are the most reliable sport cars out there.
-- Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity
Re:It's a car for women!
by
zero_offset
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Actually, if you're in slow-moving traffic, your brakes may not heat up much at all. Most regular brake fluid (e.g. not hi-temp racing fluid) has a wet-boiling temperature in the neighborhood of 300 degrees F -- not much higher than the boiling point of water. Also, even if the temp does peak above 212 F, brakes actually cool down fairly fast, especially at such low temperatures. In regular around-town driving, you may not boil enough water to create any noticable effect.
Where he'll get into trouble is when he needs brakes the most -- a panic stop, or slowing down coming off that highway off-ramp, for example. Temperatures will elevate for an extended period of time, the water will boil, the pedal goes to the floor, and the local mortician scores another $10K for services rendered.
Longer term, that much water in the lines will cause severe corrosion of the brake lines and possibly inside the caliper.
(Personally, I think the whole thing is a troll.)
--
Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005
Re:Maybe it's different in England
by
AlecC
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
I'd be inside it with the doors locked
Current advice in Britain is not to wait inside your car if the weather permits because of the remarkably high chance of getting shunted - hard - by another vehicle. You should get out of the vehicle and as far from the road as possible (e.g. behind the crash barrier). Basically, your chance of getting hit by a massive truck is much greater than your chance of a bad guy spotting you and stopping. I can't remember the fraction of accidents involving breakdowns on the side of the road, but I remember being startled by it. Emergency services now park their vehicle about 20 yards behind the breakdown to ensure that, if there is a hit, it is the empty emergency service van that gets hit. Even so, and despite their being covered with flashing lights, they still get hit.
You need a sense of priorities. Outside know "no go" areas, ordinary "innocent" traffic is a far greater danger than muggers, serial killers etc.
-- Consciousness is an illusion caused by an excess of self consciousness.
Re:Maybe it's different in England
by
rkww
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
You need a sense of priorities.
The Automobile Association (AA) - one of the UK's major roadside assistance organisations - has the following advice:
"There is a perception that a 'lone female' is at risk of being attacked on a motorway hard shoulder. Research shows that the risk of being hit by another vehicle is much greater."
Re:It's a car for women!
by
ultranova
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Steam engines also get vented. Steam trapped in a brake line cannot vent, and therefore will compress. Decrease in fluid volume will result in the brake pedal dropping to the floor and no pressure being applied to the brakes.
Take a kettle full of water. Shut it airtight, preferably welded shut. Put it onto stove. Turn on the stove. Let it boil. Kaboom.
When gas is compressed, it's internal pressure raises. The same is true for fluid, however, with fluid, the internal pressure rises much more rapidly. That is why we can consider fluids uncompressable for practical applications; they compress, but that compression is negligible under "normal" pressures.
When steam is wented, it's pressure *drops*. If it is compressed, it's pressure *raises* (obviously, because otherwise you could compress it infinitely). If you want maximum pressure, take a closed system, fill it with liquid, make sure it has nowhere to expand to, and heat it up till the liquid boils.
Anyway, if your brake fluid would boil (and the brake system could withstand the resulting pressure), the brake would lock on "on". You wouldn't lose pressure, you would have too much of it.
--
Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
Re:It's a car for women!
by
Merk
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
Gas is short for gasoline. Petrol is short for petroleum. You don't put
petroleum in a car, otherwise really bad things happen.
Before cars, there were both boots and trunks.
Trunks were big cases used for storing things, like clothing. Boots were the things you put your feet inside. Which one of those two better describes how the storage area in your car is used?
Hood is the only one that doesn't have a strong case for it. Both hoods and bonnets are typically head coverings. Neither makes much sense when it comes to describing part of a car, but neither is better than the other.
What's wrong with everyone. It's a concept Car.
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
It's not a production model. It's a concept car to test different concepts. There are various good concepts in the car. All the diffirent ways to get more storage room are really great. Hopefully, those storage ideas all make it into some model. The idea of having a separate port for the window washer is great. Why open the entire hood when you just need to refill the window washer.
Some ideas will make it to production cars, some will not. The maintenance free idea is probably everyone's dream. I see it as an extension of the hybrid car. The petrol/gasoline engine doesn't run as much and also runs at it's more efficient setting, so it takes more miles on the vehicle to require servicing. No radiator fluid is needed, because the smaller engine produces less heat. All the other parts probably follow the standard service periods. We all know approximately how long rubber belts will last before they fail. It's practically the same for almost every car. We know approximately how long batteries last. Tires have their own service periods, which is much longer than than the oil change and tune-up. It's a lower maintenance car.
When we get fuel cells and get rid of the petrol/gasoline engine, there will be even less parts to worry about failing. Electric motors last quite a long time. No more sparc plugs or engine oil changes. Just a fuel cell, which has non-moving parts, similar to a battery. Time between maintenance will certainly stretch beyond the 31,000 miles on volvo's concept car.
Re:It's a car for the clueless
by
einTier
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
My 1988 Toyota Celica did the same thing. It had several neat tricks like this.
First, if you had the headlights on and turned off the car, they would stay on until you opened the door. Opening the door with the lights on and ignition switched off caused them to go off. But, this could be overridden by simply switching the lights back on. Then they wouldn't go back off until you turned them off.
Second, if you had the keys in the ignition and the door open, you couldn't lock the power door locks. Well, you could, but they would spring open a half second later, no matter if you locked it manually or with the button. Better yet, you couldn't trick this one. I once had the door open, took the keys out, locked the car, then deliberately put the key back in the ignition. Then I shut the locked door. The Celica detected the locked door, the fact that it was shutting, and the fact that my keys were in the car, and unlocked the door! The only way to lock the keys in the car was somehow lock the door while it was already shut (meaning you were in the car or had an extra set) or by leaving them on the seat instead of the ignition (as I accidently did one wintery night).
I've often wondered why this wasn't implimented in more cars. It was unobtrusive, never interfered with how I wanted to use the car and kept me from hurting myself. That's the epitome of good design.
-- --------------------------------------------------
$665.95 -- retail price of the beast.
Slashdot Mirror
The Audi A2, which actually is _in production_ (and has been for a couple of years) has a "locked" hood/bonnet too. There's just a small hatch where you can fill up washer fluid and cooling water .
There are 010 kinds of people. Those who understand octal, those who don't, and 06 other kinds of morons.
Sad but true: this is a Volvo "Concept Car" (ie automotive vaporware) that was designed "for women by women".
However, the whole article does read like something out of the Onion. Changable multi-coloured seat covers to match your clothes? If it wasn't true it would be a sexist joke.
I was talking with my wife about this and she said she likes having a bonnet that lifts up, as it acts as a kind of "distress flag" when she's waiting on the hard shoulder with a knackered car, hoping some good samaritan will pull over and help her out. I know that this, too, sounds like a sexist joke, but my wife said it first, and she's a woman, so that's OK, I guess.
evil math within Nature's Cubic Creation!
So the question to ask, when queried about the benefits of open source is: "Are you a man?" :D
In fact you could also put that on a t-shirt - "Real Men Use Linux"
I don't know what the legal precidents are in Europe, but in the US Volvo would be laughed out of court if someone sued.
"Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
--Dr.W.Edwards Deming
Please.....if someone wants that hood(bonnet) off , its coming off.....Volvo certified or not
It's amazing what improv tools mechanics can come up with
Sehr geehrter Toilettenbenutzer!
This bears watching, especially since a "special" mechanics tool will be required to remove the one piece front end. Stick a "void if removed" warranty sticker over the "special" tool hole, enlist the DMCA and you've got an engine that can never legally be maintained by the owner. If you really want to go whole hog you call the "special" tool a security device and DMCA the car itself.
Just think, cars of the future could be the permanent property of the automotive world. You wouldn't but them, you would license them. I understand Idrive from BMW has a license sticker installed on the windshield that you are forced to accept (by removing) in some countries in order to use the car. All of this could be done with the law as it is today. Circumvention could be prosecuted under the DMCA.
Manufactures would love this because it would force people to get their maintence, even routine maintenence would have to be done at the dealership at their extremely expensive rates. Rates so expensive an entire industry literaly grew up around alternative service options.
Now for the outlandish. This would be a good thing - because it would show joe sixpack how licensing and the DMCA are uncapitalistic and harmful. Your plumber may not give two hoots about a computer, but you can be sure he'll raise hell if he finds out he can't change his own oil or give the old jalolopee to his kids.
"If the car says nothing, then everything is fine," said Ms Temm optimistically.
<snip>
"It is minimal maintenance, really, because the customers have limited time and they don't want a car that gives them a lot of hassle," said Ms Christiansen.
I realize this is just a concept car, so I'm not going to get too worked up about this. But this attitude does seems to be an analogue to the open-source vs closed-source software situation.
What this car relies upon is for nothing to go wrong, and for the internal diagnostics to catch any issues or errors that occur. Which is good, because it means most drivers -- who don't know much about how cars work -- will only need to interact with their car in a very cursory way. However, this attitude of welding the hood shut can also work against your average driver. For example, what if you want to add more oil to your car? Even if they redesigned the car so that you could check oil levels or add more oil easily, just as they moved the wiper fluid to more accessible location, what if you wanted to change your own oil, and save $30-$50? You couldn't, and in an emergency, you would need the help of a certified Volve mechanic to remove the hood. To me, this sounds kinda like Windows -- it's really easy to use and designed to take care of most problems, but when things invariably do go wrong, there's not much you can do to investigate (assuming you have the technical expertise, of course).
Right now, cars are kinda clunky and they might not have as much sophisticated diagnostics in place as this concept car, but you can get at everything when you need to. I can't see consumers giving this now that they have it, just as I can't see the open-source movement doing anything but making progress and gaining mind-/market-share in the coming years.
Other people have mentioned the Roadside Breakdown aspect, but I don't think anyone's touched on this aspect yet:
Having the hood of a car up is a well recognized sign of vehicle breakdown, and that the driver could probably use assistance.
In my area of the world, if the police see a vehicle with the hood up without their own yellow police tape attached to the vehicle (to indicate they've dealt with this vehicle already), they'll stop and offer assistance.
How, exactly, is the driver of one of these vehicles supposed to use this very simple and well understood signal? Madly flag down drivers and risk getting run over?
And this is only ONE example of what a bad idea this vehicle is.
My thoughts exactly. In fact, it's completely misleading.
...too easy... :)
...said Ms Temm optimistically, while sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck...
The "Hood" is one peice, so there is no "hatch" like a traditional car. But it's still removable for access. The headline suggests the engine is completely sealed off to prevent anyone but the manufacturer from touching the insides.
Also, you make an interesting point about the type of people that would buy this car for the same rasons it was designed this way ("wold never oen the hood anyway"). From the article:
"So we shifted the filling station for washer fluid to the side of the car, next to where you fill up fuel, and we closed the bonnet for good."
Now taking bets on how often gasoline ends up in the washer fuild or vice versa!
The car should be programmed to discover any problems under the bonnet, then send a message to the garage to let them know.
Well that's something I don't particularly care for...
The mechanics would then contact the women directly to invite them over.
"If the car says nothing, then everything is fine," said Ms Temm optimistically.
So they have implemented a body scanning system...
The results of which are also sent to the mechanics so they can decide if they need to contact the driver directly and invite them to their shop!
=Smidge=
According to this article, the metal frame of an automobile acts as a faraday cage and is therefore immune to EMP blasts.o n.htm
http://www.aussurvivalist.com/nuclear/empprotecti
Of course this wouldn't be the case with cars built with plastic frames.
Having mis-spent my youth employed as a petrol pump jockey for several years, I can state with certainty that no matter how big the PETROL and WATER stickers are, it will only be a matter of time before petrol goes where the water should and vice-versa.
..
And I am not singling out females here, it could just be as easily be a male. I once saw a guy who had both the radiator and oil caps off (because they were both low) proceed to put *oil* into to radiator. He (almost) immediately realised the mistake, but it was too late to do anything but flush the radiator.
Also hope they have some sort of interlock where only one can open at a time, or what is stopping you accidentally splashing water into the petrol outlet when filling up the washer tank ?
Not that I really care that much, can't really see this taking off
I'm a man and wore a ponytail for about 8 years or so and I can say that it did get in the way a little when putting my head against the headrest -- a topknot worked fine but doesn't suit me most of the time... Most cars don't put your head close enough to the headrest that this matters (or that they actually prevent whiplash) but in cars like Volvos where they are close, it does matter.
$#!^ happens, but why does it always have to happen to me???
For the richest ones out there. Buyingg a POrsche Boxster is surely not the best choice if you want to get a crowd when opening the bonnet. The ONLY thing you can see is the Oil jauge! The engine in placed in the center of the car (unlike 911s whose engines are at the back end). This also means that you cannot easily make some parts replacements yourself. The best thing for sealed bonnets/ difficult to access engines is not about warranties for the manufacturers but for the servifce they charge. That's right changing the dyno in a Porsche boxster can only be done by a dealer as you have to lower the WHOLE engine. That means a lot of billable hours for one single part. Thank god Porsches are the most reliable sport cars out there.
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity
Where he'll get into trouble is when he needs brakes the most -- a panic stop, or slowing down coming off that highway off-ramp, for example. Temperatures will elevate for an extended period of time, the water will boil, the pedal goes to the floor, and the local mortician scores another $10K for services rendered.
Longer term, that much water in the lines will cause severe corrosion of the brake lines and possibly inside the caliper.
(Personally, I think the whole thing is a troll.)
Slashdot quality declines as the number of hot grits posts decreases. - Provolt's Law, Apr-09-2005
I'd be inside it with the doors locked
Current advice in Britain is not to wait inside your car if the weather permits because of the remarkably high chance of getting shunted - hard - by another vehicle. You should get out of the vehicle and as far from the road as possible (e.g. behind the crash barrier). Basically, your chance of getting hit by a massive truck is much greater than your chance of a bad guy spotting you and stopping. I can't remember the fraction of accidents involving breakdowns on the side of the road, but I remember being startled by it. Emergency services now park their vehicle about 20 yards behind the breakdown to ensure that, if there is a hit, it is the empty emergency service van that gets hit. Even so, and despite their being covered with flashing lights, they still get hit.
You need a sense of priorities. Outside know "no go" areas, ordinary "innocent" traffic is a far greater danger than muggers, serial killers etc.
Consciousness is an illusion caused by an excess of self consciousness.
The Automobile Association (AA) - one of the UK's major roadside assistance organisations - has the following advice:
"There is a perception that a 'lone female' is at risk of being attacked on a motorway hard shoulder. Research shows that the risk of being hit by another vehicle is much greater."
Take a kettle full of water. Shut it airtight, preferably welded shut. Put it onto stove. Turn on the stove. Let it boil. Kaboom.
When gas is compressed, it's internal pressure raises. The same is true for fluid, however, with fluid, the internal pressure rises much more rapidly. That is why we can consider fluids uncompressable for practical applications; they compress, but that compression is negligible under "normal" pressures.
When steam is wented, it's pressure *drops*. If it is compressed, it's pressure *raises* (obviously, because otherwise you could compress it infinitely). If you want maximum pressure, take a closed system, fill it with liquid, make sure it has nowhere to expand to, and heat it up till the liquid boils.
Anyway, if your brake fluid would boil (and the brake system could withstand the resulting pressure), the brake would lock on "on". You wouldn't lose pressure, you would have too much of it.
Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
Gas is short for gasoline. Petrol is short for petroleum. You don't put petroleum in a car, otherwise really bad things happen.
Before cars, there were both boots and trunks. Trunks were big cases used for storing things, like clothing. Boots were the things you put your feet inside. Which one of those two better describes how the storage area in your car is used?
Hood is the only one that doesn't have a strong case for it. Both hoods and bonnets are typically head coverings. Neither makes much sense when it comes to describing part of a car, but neither is better than the other.
It's not a production model. It's a concept car to test different concepts. There are various good concepts in the car. All the diffirent ways to get more storage room are really great. Hopefully, those storage ideas all make it into some model. The idea of having a separate port for the window washer is great. Why open the entire hood when you just need to refill the window washer.
Some ideas will make it to production cars, some will not. The maintenance free idea is probably everyone's dream. I see it as an extension of the hybrid car. The petrol/gasoline engine doesn't run as much and also runs at it's more efficient setting, so it takes more miles on the vehicle to require servicing. No radiator fluid is needed, because the smaller engine produces less heat. All the other parts probably follow the standard service periods. We all know approximately how long rubber belts will last before they fail. It's practically the same for almost every car. We know approximately how long batteries last. Tires have their own service periods, which is much longer than than the oil change and tune-up. It's a lower maintenance car.
When we get fuel cells and get rid of the petrol/gasoline engine, there will be even less parts to worry about failing. Electric motors last quite a long time. No more sparc plugs or engine oil changes. Just a fuel cell, which has non-moving parts, similar to a battery. Time between maintenance will certainly stretch beyond the 31,000 miles on volvo's concept car.
First, if you had the headlights on and turned off the car, they would stay on until you opened the door. Opening the door with the lights on and ignition switched off caused them to go off. But, this could be overridden by simply switching the lights back on. Then they wouldn't go back off until you turned them off.
Second, if you had the keys in the ignition and the door open, you couldn't lock the power door locks. Well, you could, but they would spring open a half second later, no matter if you locked it manually or with the button. Better yet, you couldn't trick this one. I once had the door open, took the keys out, locked the car, then deliberately put the key back in the ignition. Then I shut the locked door. The Celica detected the locked door, the fact that it was shutting, and the fact that my keys were in the car, and unlocked the door! The only way to lock the keys in the car was somehow lock the door while it was already shut (meaning you were in the car or had an extra set) or by leaving them on the seat instead of the ignition (as I accidently did one wintery night).
I've often wondered why this wasn't implimented in more cars. It was unobtrusive, never interfered with how I wanted to use the car and kept me from hurting myself. That's the epitome of good design.
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