Geneva2012
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Tata announces Megapixel hybrid EV, alas, it's just a concept
The Geneva Motor Show means one thing: fantastic cars will be dangled in front of our faces, before being snatched away and being told that it'll never see the light of day, as it's "only a concept." The latest vehicle we'd purchase if they'd let us is Tata's Megapixel, a four-seater compact hybrid EV that promises a range of 560 miles (900km) on a single tank of fuel. A hub motor sits atop each of the four wheels, driven by a petrol-electric engine under the cabin, with a wireless inductive charging panel for topping up the batteries at home. It's designed for the city: with a turning circle of 180 degrees in a 2.8 meter space and sliding doors for easy entry. Inside, there's a rear-projected dashboard with a joystick controller (that reminds us of BMWs iDrive) and a smartphone dock for connectivity. Head on past the break to see the vehicle in action and wonder if it'll ever reach the market, like we're doing.
Harman, Rinspeed partner on Dock + Go dashboard concept
Harman is kicking off the Geneva Auto Show by unveiling its new dashboard concept for cars of the future. The Dock + Go system turns your dashboard into a "learning," Aha cloud-connected platform that'll try to eliminate traffic jams, or at least you're kept entertained in line. Your smartphone will connect over NFC and immediately the car will remember your preferred settings and social networks for access. The navigation will learn your driving habits and tweak the GPS settings accordingly and it'll even measure your alertness level and suggest you take a nap, or at least drive down a less busy street. It can recognize gestures and with a wave of the hand, it can start reading your new emails or tweets and, best of all, when driving past a store, the cloud system can show you vouchers and deals for your road-based impulse purchase needs -- after all, there's nothing better than being offered half-price meat while you're cruising down the freeway.
