TomTom New Speed Camera App (for UK markets)

 
While governments place speed cameras to catch drivers that go over the limit, the private sector has come up with several anti-countermeasures such as radar detectors and jammers, which as most of you probably already know, can be illegal in certain countries. 
 
Adding to the wide selection of solutions for drivers is TomTom's new Speed Camera app for iPhone users in select European markets. 
 
The app, which is powered by the largest European driving community with 1.6 million drivers in 15 countries, gives drivers access to fixed and mobile speed camera alerts by keeping users informed about speed limits during their trip. 
 
"Our Speed Camera service can be of real benefit, helping people to stay focused as they know where the next camera will be," says Gerry Hinds, Vice President Mobile at TomTom. "We all know that confident driving is safer driving. And that’s why we’re so pleased that we can now offer this accessible service to a much larger segment of the driving community."
 
TomTom's app informs drivers of their speed, the speed limit, the type of camera ahead and the remaining distance to reach it, with real-time updates from customer reports in the UK, Ireland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
 
The TomTom Speed Camera app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store, but users are required to purchase a monthly or annual subscription. 
 
In the UK, TomTom is currently offering an introductory price of £1.49 (US$2.4 or €1.8) for one month or £16.99 (US$27.6 or €20.9) for 12 months, with the regular price being £3.99 for one month and £26.99 for a year. 

Source;
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/05/new-tomtom-speed-camera-app-for-iphone.html

Honda named as most pothole-proof brand

I am surprised that the 'luxury' brands didn't fare better than what they did....-Honda tops pot hole list
-Chryslers susceptible to pot-hole damage
-£309 average repair bill because of pot holes

Honda cars are best-equipped to cope with potholes on UK roads, with only 1.4% suffering significant damage as a result of damaged roads.

Honda owners emerged as those least likely to have to make a claim due to suspension or axle damage, with Toyota and Hyundai owners not far behind.

However, the cars most likely to suffer pothole-related suspension damage are Chryslers, which have a 12.2% chance of damage in an average year according to Warranty Direct. Overall, there's around a 6% chance of any car suffering such damage in an average year.

'We've found some cars have an uncanny ability to absorb the jolts from even the most severe road craters, while others aren't so resilient,' said Duncan McClure Fisher of Warranty Direct.

He also pointed out that luxury brands, such as Jaguar, Mercedes and Land Rover all featured in the least-resilient list.

'Particularly surprising is that high-end manufacturers are just as vulnerable, if not more so, than 'value' manufacturers.'

According to Warranty Direct, the average pothole-related repair is £309, but some have been as high as £2420.

Most resilient brands
1. Honda
2. Toyota
3. Hyundai
4. Nissan
5. Kia
6. Mitsubishi
7. Mini
8. Suzuki
9. Ford
10. Mazda

Least Resilient Brands
1. Chrysler
2. Smart
3. Mercedes-Benz
4. Land Rover
5. Jaguar
6. Saab
7. Fiat
8. BMW
9. Seat
10. Vauxhall

Source;
http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/honda-named-as-most-pothole-proof-brand/260541

Nissan, GM Only Manage to Sell ~350 EVs in February, Britain Bans LEAF

EV hopes are weighed down by miserable sales
There certainly seems to be some members of the American public who are enthusiastic about alternative powertrain vehicles. In February, hybrid auto sales soared 39 percent to reach approximately 23.3k units. Leading the pack was the veteran Toyota Prius.

But amid that optimistic figure was a bit of not-so-happy news for a couple major automakers. General Motors only managed to sell 281 Chevy Volts in February, down from 321 in January. And worse yet, the Nissan LEAF only sold 67 units in the month of February.

To date the Volt has outsold the LEAF, 928 units to 173. Neither number looks very promising, at face value at least.

For GM, the issue may lie partially on the supply side. Dealers are trying to gouge on prices of the scarce Volts, but ultimately these tactics may backfire. We saw several eBay auctions (which aren't free, mind you) end with no buyers. In each case, dealers were trying to charge several thousand dollars over the MSRP -- and customers weren't buying.

If GM can pump up its supply, like it's promising, the price may drop to the MSRP and sales may pick up.

With Nissan, the problem and potential solution is likely different. Arguably Nissan's sales are the bigger disappointment, as the company was promising to beat GM in production volume and sales. However, it is currently failing on those fronts, by all appearances. One major issue may be limited distribution. In the U.S., the LEAF only launched in a handful of markets such as California and New York.

Still it's a bit of a mystery how the far-cheaper LEAF has fared so much worse than the Volt. One possibility is that drivers are scared of not having a backup gas engine (which the Volt has). At the very least, expanding sales to most of the rest of the country should help the LEAF catch up -- if only a bit.

To add insult to injury, Britain has temporarily banned LEAF vehicles from being sold. The LEAF contains a noisy backup warning sound to warn pedestrians -- a necessity, given the vehicle's relatively quiet motors. But apparently that warning violates British noise laws, which prohibits loud noises between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Where recent U.S. laws and federal guidelines require these noises, Nissan is having to race to remove them in Britain. Rather than making the noises timing dependent, Nissan is attempting a cruder fix -- removing them entirely. States the company, "The audible system on the LEAF did not allow for [a timing dependent fix], so the beeping sound is being removed entirely before the cars can be driven on roads in [Britain]."

As a result there's a "slight delay" in British sales while the vehicle's firmware is modified in the factory in order to convince Britain to lift the sales ban.

One company that is likely smiling at the sales numbers is Ford. A late-comer to the EV game, Ford will release a plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) next year, and a battery-electric vehicle the year after that. It's clear that even though Ford is coming in a year behind GM and Nissan, that there's plenty of room for improvement in the nascent field.

Another company that is likely pretty satisfied about the news is Tesla Motor Company. Tesla's Roadster sales pace looks pretty impressive given the higher sticker, when compared to the LEAF. Dramatic price difference aside, one key difference may be looks. In an era where the likes of Lady Gaga and Rihanna reign atop pop charts, perhaps the LEAF's bulbous form is a bit too ungainly for a superficial public to bite on. The sexy curves of a Roadster 2.5 EV or a Fisker Karma might be a little bit more pleasant EV pill to swallow, assuming you can afford it.

Source;
http://www.dailytech.com/Nissan+GM+Only+Manage+to+Sell+350+EVs+in+February+Britain+Bans+LEAF/article21068.htm