Friday, September 26, 2008

Desirable features in Mass Cars

Have you ever felt that if only there were things in your car which actually wouldn’t cost earth to manufacturer yet provide so much relief to passengers? I have felt so time and again and am sharing some of these features here. Do share your thoughts about them and also any other stuff that you think should be there in any car by default.

Collapsible head-rests: As someone driving my own car alone during office-time and with family during evenings and holidays often feel frustrated about head-rests blocking rear-view. Even though these head-rests can be pushed up-or down or taken out but we all know that it is not something that can be done in few seconds and very often. I think, they should come as easily collapsible items in front or back so that backseaters can pull them up when needed and collapse them when they get-off.

Clutch-assist pedal: This is something all Hyundains continue to enjoy for almost 10 years now but no other carmaker has replicated it yet. I wonder if there are patent issues involved or is it just that other car makers don’t want to laud Hyundai for it. I find it of great value as not having it is a greater pain than driving a geared vehicle in city traffic.

Blind corner pillar: Blind corner is the view blocked by pillars in corners of windscreen which sometimes block a complete human being especially at turns and you narrowly miss an accident or almost get into one. I have missed some narrowly and am fortunate to not have got into one. I think companies should have fibre glass pillars developed for this given the safety compromise involved here. It may cost good money to come out with such a material but that’d be a one-time expense.

Electric assist for traffic jams: Have you ever calculated how much time you spend in jams traveling at speeds less than 10 kmph or 20? Not only the fuel losses compound for the economy as a whole but also the pollution hazard cuts you much more than you think. If only cars can be assisted with a system whereby at speeds of less than 20 kmph, one could switch to battery power, this pollution will be killed and metros will become better places to breathe especially at corners. The battery can then get charged while you drive at normal speeds and use the energy dissipated during braking which is already happening with Toyota’s or Honda’s new technology. I think this one could be a real “take the cake” feature once perfected and launched, fetching a lot of value in terms of saving costs as well environment and maybe even earning carbon-credits for reducing pollution at least in habitat areas.
I invite your views on above suggestions as well those you might have as well. Do rate the article as well.