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What we bought: Chrysler's Pacifica was the perfect family plug-in hybrid, until it wasn't
The 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid was pretty much the perfect family plug-in hybrid -- until we couldn't charge it anymore.
VW will reveal its production ID.Buzz microbus EV on March 9th
VW now plans to reveal the production ID.Buzz EV, its reincarnation of the microbus, on March 9th.
Honda recalls 608,000 minivans and SUVs over faulty software
Honda has announced a recall of 608,000 SUVs and vans due to faulty software that can cause the instrument display panel to to black out key information and the backup camera to fail.
Toyota’s 2021 Sienna minivans will all be hybrids
Toyota's new, 2021 Sienna is notable for two reasons. In tandem, the 2021 Sienna produces a maximum of 243 horsepower, which is noticeably less than what you'd find in the current crop's naturally aspirated V6 engines. Toyota's answer to all of the above is "Sure, why not?"
Toyota brings Alexa and CarPlay to 2018 Camry and Sienna
Good news: you don't have to buy a brand new Toyota (or score a very lightly used model) just to get modern mobile conveniences. The automaker has announced that you can add Amazon Alexa and Apple CarPlay (sorry, no Android Auto) to the 2018 Camry and Sienna. If you're itching for an upgrade, you can book an appointment for an installation at a dealership. While this isn't going to be much consolation if you're driving another model, this could prove a treat if you've been kicking yourself for buying a Toyota a little too soon.
Chrysler makes a case for the hybrid minivan
No one marvels at minivans. Well, except maybe at car-stereo events (you can get so many woofers in the back of a van). But in real life, on the streets, the world treats the minivan like a defeat: It's what you buy as an adult when you've given up all hope. Your youth has died, the body has been cremated and its ashes have been mixed with Metamucil and spread at the entrance of a chain restaurant (probably an Applebee's).
Waymo will add 62,000 Chrysler hybrid minivans to its fleet
We heard in January that Waymo was expanding its agreement with Chrylser for 'thousands' of additional hybrid minivans, which would start being delivered in late 2018. Apparently, that was an understatement. Today, news emerged that the automaker will supply the autonomous car company with 62,000 its family vehicles.
Waymo starts testing self-driving minivans in San Francisco
Waymo's self-driving minivans are now ready for the road. The company has confirmed to TechCrunch that it's testing its autonomous Chrysler Pacifica vehicles on San Francisco streets, where the "hilly and foggy" environment should give them "even more practice." Suffice it to say the densely packed city could provide a greater challenge than Chandler, Arizona, whose spacious suburban landscape is well-suited to driverless car experiments.
Chrysler's hybrid minivan electrifies grocery getting
The hybrid market is dominated by sedans and compacts. Well, unless you can afford a luxury SUV like the Tesla Model X or Audi Q5 hybrid. For big families that want to lower their carbon footprint or just save a few bucks on gas, Chrysler has your back with its new Pacifica hybrid.
Spy photos capture Google's self-driving Chrysler minivans
Google will soon have self-driving minivans on the roads, judging by spy shots leaked by Electrek. The photos, taken from a Google facility in Mountain View, show a half-dozen Chrysler Pacifica vans being set up with Google's latest self-driving sensors. In total, it will equip 100 such vehicles with the tech, thanks to a deal with Fiat Chrysler.
Google's self-driving tech goes into Chrysler minivans this year (update: official)
That rumored deal between Google and Fiat Chrysler for self-driving car technology? It's reportedly happening... if not quite in the way you'd expect. Bloomberg sources claim that the arrangement will put some of Google's autonomous tech into the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan sometime this year. Just how deep this integration would go isn't clear, but it's not believed to be an exclusive arrangement -- either side could cooperate with other partners. If the leak is accurate, the deal could be signed as soon as May 3rd (if you're reading this in time, today).
Apple is driving camera-equipped minivans around California
Apple technology doesn't normally venture on to the open road outside of CarPlay, but the company is clearly ready to hit the street with something new. Claycord, CBS and others have spotted unmarked, Apple-registered minivans driving around California (and possibly New York) sporting an abundance of cameras and (maybe) sensors. Neither the drivers nor Apple are willing to say what the vans are up to. Some are quick to speculate that these are autonomous vehicle prototypes meant to take on Google's self-driving car, but it's not certain that this is the case. Apple may just as easily be using these vans to add Street View-style panoramas to Maps, improve the accuracy of its existing map data or something else altogether. One thing's for certain: between this and talk of an Apple search platform, the crew in Cupertino is ready to explore unfamiliar territory. [Image credit: Claycord]
Toyota's next minivan will let you shout at your kids without turning around
In an early episode of The Simpsons, Homer is asked to design his dream car. The result is a monstrosity, with a separate soundproof dome for his kids to sit where they can be restrained and muzzled. Two decades later, and Toyota's latest vehicle will now let you scream at your kids without ever needing to turn around. The 2015 Sienna minivan uses the car's built-in microphone to amplify your speech through the rear speakers -- solving the very real problem of parents not paying attention to the road when the little ones are getting unruly. There's no word on if this feature will come across to other vehicles in the range, but it might go well with the kiddie-customizable Camatte that we saw a month back.
The Daily Grind: Should mounts do something other than transport?
While I'm totally rocking the minivan these days (no, I was never cool), I actually love my car. It's not just an object that transports me from point A to B; it's a mobile base of operation. It has hookups for my gadgets, diaper bags, DVD players, and so on. It's home away from home, as it should be. What about our mounts in MMOs? Most of them do nothing other than give us a nice increase in speed, with a select few granting us a pilot's license and clearing us for flight. But do they have functions other than just transporting us? Once in a while I read about a mount that allows you to pick up passengers, or one that offers a vending service, or even one that fights alongside of you. What do you think? Should mounts do something other than just transport, and if so, what? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Honda Odyssey rolls out with a built-in vacuum, almost makes a minivan sound appealing
It's not quite a minivan fit for a technophile, despite the standard lineup of 2014 in-vehicle gadgets, such as HondaLink with a smartphone interface, HD Radio and an updated center stack. But Honda's 2014 Odyssey does ship with one very practical addition: a built-in HondaVAC, designed with assistance from the good folks at Shop-Vac. The integrated vacuum cleaner lets you tidy up around the van and outside as well, and with integrated power, it doesn't need to be plugged in for use. It can suck indefinitely when the engine's running, or for up to eight minutes with the car turned off. It's integrated within the rear cargo area, and includes a replaceable filter and a canister bag, for easy rubbish disposal. The Odyssey just made its debut at the New York Auto Show, and pricing and availability have yet to be announced. You can check it out for yourself this week in NYC, however, or take a closer look in the promo video embedded just past the break.
Toyota turns to Nintendo DS as in-car GPS remote, won't guide you to Princess Peach
Let's say you liked adding GPS to your Nintendo DS. How about adding a Nintendo DS to your GPS? Toyota is trying just that through a new Smart Navi GPS unit in its Estima Hybrid minivan that will let passengers control the mapping system. Load up the Bluetooth-equipped Kuruma de DS cartridge and you can enter directions from the back seat instead of waiting for the driver's next chance at a red light. The automaker is also hoping to cut the "are we there yet?" levels of ennui to a minimum by providing trivia questions, hand-drawn map notes and a surfeit of tourist info. Mii characters speak out text information, and you can even use the car as a speaker system in the event your Starfox game needs that much more audio immersion. Estima buyers can get the new Smart Navi and Kuruma de DS in Japan on June 1st, although the $2,586 equivalent price for the GPS, the $92 cartridge and the cost of the Nintendo console itself might be too rich when you don't need a navigator to tell you that the princess is in another castle.
VW's Bulli van concept does iPad integration right, shockingly
After seeing many atrocious attempts, it seemed factory iPad integration was something that simply shouldn't happen. Now, in Volkswagen's Bulli concept, we're seeing something that makes sense -- something we've wanted to see for a while now. The tablet sits in a custom cradle in the center of the dash, extended on a pivoting arm so that it can turn toward driver or passenger. It then provides center stack duties, letting front-seaters manage the climate controls, play some music, and of course get directions. Naturally we'd like to see something a little more platform-neutral if it's going to be a factory option, but we're guessing that if indeed this new-age Vanagon ever sees production its interior will look nothing like this anyway. So, no point in getting too worked up about it, then.
Chrysler announces battery-free hydraulic hybrid tech, compresses gas to make power
Think of a traditional hybrid and you probably think of a Toyota Prius. Then, after you've woken from your nap, you probably envision some complex system of batteries and electric motors and gears to capture power when braking and spit it back out when accelerating. Chrysler is now looking to deploy a different way, a seemingly much simpler way that's all based on hydraulics. The vehicle is outfitted with a low-pressure reservoir of hydraulic fluid and a high-pressure chamber filled with nitrogen gas. When braking, pumps move the fluid into the nitrogen chamber to compress it and then, when accelerating, that compressed gas is used to push the fluid and drive the wheels. It's a setup that was actually developed by the EPA and is currently in use by some commercial vehicles, most notably UPS trucks, but a hybrid Town & Country minivan could bring it to consumers -- though not until 2012 at the earliest. Now, there's a good chance the idea of a hybrid minivan is threatening to put you back to sleep, so we wish you pleasant dreams.
Tiny, energy-scavenging generators could have big impact
They're far from the only ones working on tiny, energy-harvesting generators, but a group of researchers from the University of Michigan may well be farther along than most. Unlike some similar devices, their generator is able to scavenge even the slightest bits of energy from arbitrary, non-periodic vibrations in everything from bridges to the human body. That may not add up to a huge amount of energy, but the researchers say the generators are able to scrape together enough to keep a wrist watch or a wireless sensor running, or potentially power even a pacemaker by the person's own body movements. Of course, the device likely won't be powering anything beyond the lab anytime soon -- the researchers are still going through various prototypes using different types of energy conversion, and are naturally working to patent it as well.
Chrysler aims to produce all-electric USPS pimpmobiles... er, minivans
Have a look at that sweet piece up above and just imagine your mail being carted around inside. Go ahead, we'll wait. If Chrysler has its druthers (and stays afloat long enough to make good on its good intentions), it'll soon be producing a fleet of all-electric Town and Country minivans for the United States Postal Service. The automaker has voiced its plans to apply for a federal grant in order to get things moving, though it will be looking to utility companies Duke Energy and ConEd to make it all come together. If all goes well, the vans produced will have a range of around 40 miles, though it's expected that they will have a gasoline-powered motor on board in case that last overnight package requires just a few more miles. 'Course, there's no guarantee that the application will result in a grant, but for all those who appreciate comedy, we can only hope it flies though in record time.
