Carmakers Count on Customers’ Desire to Stay Connected
<p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="annual">annual</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="Auto">Auto</span> <span word="Show">Show</span> <span word="opened">opened</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="doors">doors</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="general">general</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="Tuesday">Tuesday</span>, <span word="after">after</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="three">three</span>-<span word="day">day</span> <span word="delay">delay</span> <span word="caused">caused</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="snowstorm">snowstorm</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="East">East</span> <span word="Coast">Coast</span>. <span word="More">More</span> <span word="than">than</span> 30 <span word="world">world</span>-<span word="class">class</span> <span word="auto">auto</span> <span word="makers">makers</span> <span word="exhibited">exhibited</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="latest">latest</span> <span word="models">models</span>, <span word="placing">placing</span> <span word="special">special</span> <span word="emphasis">emphasis</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="connectivity">connectivity</span>.</p><p><span word="Coming">Coming</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="heels">heels</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="larger">larger</span> <span word="shows">shows</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Los">Los</span> <span word="Angeles">Angeles</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Detroit">Detroit</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="Auto">Auto</span> <span word="Show">Show</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="carved">carved</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="niche">niche</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="emphasizes">emphasizes</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="technologies">technologies</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="cause">cause</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="damage">damage</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="environment">environment</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="falling">falling</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="prices">prices</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="promotion">promotion</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="thriftier">thriftier</span> <span word="hybrid">hybrid</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="all">all</span>-<span word="electric">electric</span> <span word="vehicles">vehicles</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="somewhat">somewhat</span> <span word="muted">muted</span>, <span word="shifting">shifting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="auto">auto</span> <span word="show">show</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="focus">focus</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="connectivity">connectivity</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="automatization">automatization</span>.</p><p><span word="Automotive">Automotive</span> <span word="engineering">engineering</span> <span word="professor">professor</span>, <span word="Zoran">Zoran</span> <span word="Filipi">Filipi</span>, <span word="says">says</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="technology">technology</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="Mercedes">Mercedes</span> <span word="S">S</span>-<span word="class">class</span> <span word="model">model</span> <span word="shows">shows</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dawn">dawn</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cars">cars</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="drive">drive</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span>.</p><p>“<span word="It">It</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="lane">lane</span>-<span word="keeping">keeping</span> <span word="ability">ability</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="advanced">advanced</span> <span word="radar">radar</span>-<span word="based">based</span> <span word="system">system</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="vehicle">vehicle</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="speed">speed</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="sync">sync</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="vehicles">vehicles</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="completely">completely</span> <span word="alleviate">alleviate</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="effort">effort</span>, <span word="driving">driving</span> <span word="effort">effort</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="stop">stop</span>-<span word="and">and</span>-<span word="go">go</span> <span word="situations">situations</span> <span word="too">too</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="finally">finally</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="collision">collision</span> <span word="avoidance">avoidance</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Filipi">Filipi</span>.</p><p><span word="Very">Very</span> <span word="soon">soon</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="technologies">technologies</span> <span word="trickling">trickling</span>-<span word="down">down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="affordable">affordable</span> <span word="models">models</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="car">car</span> <span word="makers">makers</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="develop">develop</span> <span word="fully">fully</span> <span word="autonomous">autonomous</span>-<span word="driving">driving</span> <span word="cars">cars</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="meantime">meantime</span>, <span word="says">says</span> <span word="Filipi">Filipi</span>, <span word="fuel">fuel</span> <span word="efficiency">efficiency</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="improved">improved</span> 20 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> 10 <span word="years">years</span>.</p><p>“<span word="This">This</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="mostly">mostly</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="achieved">achieved</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="advanced">advanced</span> <span word="engine">engine</span> <span word="technologies">technologies</span> – <span word="direct">direct</span> <span word="injection">injection</span>, <span word="turbo">turbo</span>-<span word="charging">charging</span>, <span word="coupled">coupled</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="modern">modern</span> <span word="transmissions">transmissions</span>, <span word="eight">eight</span>, <span word="nine">nine</span>, <span word="ten">ten</span> <span word="speeds">speeds</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="engine">engine</span> <span word="running">running</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="possible">possible</span> <span word="region">region</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p>
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