2004 Chrysler Sebering Convertible With A 2.4l. Engine on 2040-cars

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Google's deal with FCA is the 'first phase' of partnership

Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles confirmed a partnership Tuesday in which the two companies will collaborate on creating autonomous minivans. The two companies will work together to build and test approximately 100 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivans, and they first of the bunch could hit the road by the end of the year. This marks the first time Google has worked with a traditional automaker in designing a self-driving car since the start of its autonomous project in 2009. "FCA will design the minivans so it's easy for us to install our self-driving systems, including the computers that hold our self-driving software and the sensors that enable our software to see what's on the road around the vehicle," Google said in a written statement. "The minivan design also gives us an opportunity to test a larger vehicle that could be easier for passengers to enter and exit, particularly with features like hands-free sliding doors." "Those of us in the tech industry recognize how hard it is to build cars." – Jennifer Haroon. That could be particularly important if Google and FCA intend to launch the autonomous minivans as a competitor to traditional public transportation options. Chris Urmson, the director of Google's self-driving car project, indicated that may be a potential business model during a public meeting on autonomous operations last week. "Public transit executives could be buying autonomous minivans rather than expensive buses," he said. "Federal standards determine what kinds of vehicles cities can use for transit. This needs attention." In the Pacifica, Google's engineers get an all-new minivan. Chrysler showcased the vehicle for the first time in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and sales of the non-hybrid versions of the vans went on sale last month. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne says further collaboration between his company and Google is possible. "This first phase of the operation is very targeted. It's designed to take Google technology into the minivan. It's very, very focused," he said, according to Automotive News. The collaboration won't be Google's first experience with hybrids. The Lexus RX 450h SUV is one of the two cars in its current test fleet, which consists of approximately 70 vehicles. With roughly 100 autonomous minivans slated to be part of the collaboration, Google's test fleet will more than double.

Chrysler patents smarter minivan folding seats

It's frightening to think of how quickly the mice would have overtaken us if we hadn't stayed one step ahead of them with better mousetraps. We'll never have to worry about that in our relentlessly re-engineered world, though. Case in point: Chrysler has been granted a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office for an improved design of the already wondrous Stow 'n' Go seating found in the automaker's Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans.
Introduced in 2005, the Stow 'n' Go was improved in 2008, and based on the drawings of this third-generation improvement, the new design appears to allow stowage of the second row of seats without having to move the front-row seats forward as much. It look like it also involves fewer operations and moving parts, with a portion of the seatback being incorporated into the flat floor when the seats are stowed, as opposed to having a completely separate cover.
It's possible that the innovation may appear on the next-generation minivans expected in 2015, but Chrysler isn't commenting on the patent.

Automakers want to stop the EPA's fuel economy rules change, and why that's a shortsighted move

With a Trump Administration looming, the EPA moved quickly after the election to propose finalizing future fuel economy rules last week. The auto industry doesn't like that (surprise), and has started making moves to stop the EPA. Ford CEO Mark Fields said he wanted to lobby Trump to lower the standards, and now the Auto Alliance, a manufacturer group, is saying it will join the fight against cleaner cars. The Alliance represents 12 automakers: BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, VW, and Volvo. Gloria Bergquist, a spokesperson for the Alliance, told Automotive News that the "EPA's sudden and controversial move to propose auto regulations eight months early - even after Congress warned agencies about taking such steps while political appointees were packing their bags - calls out for congressional action to pause this rulemaking until a thoughtful policy review can occur." The EPA was going to consider public comments through April 2017, but then said it would move the deadline to the end of December. That means that it can finalize the rules before President Obama leaves office. The director of public affairs for the Consumer Federation of America, Jack Gillis, said on a conference call with reporters last week when the EPA originally announced its decision that it is unlikely that President Trump will be able to roll back these changes. Gillis also said on the same call that any attempt by the automakers to prevent these changes would be history repeating itself. "These are the same companies that fought airbags, and now promoting the fact that every car has multiple airbags," he said. "These are the same companies that fought the crash-test program, and now are promoting the crash-test ratings published by the government. So, it's clear that they're misperceiving the needs of the American consumer." There are more reasons the Allliance's pushback is flawed. Carol Lee Rawn, the transportation program director for Ceres, said on that call that the automotive industry is a global one, and many automakers are moving to global platforms to help them meet strict fuel economy rules around the world.