The wish for increased vehicle security may be granted in the not-so-distant future. By 2025, experts predict at least one billion vehicles will be on the road, ramping up the urgency to develop more advanced vehicular safety. Rumors of everything from foam-filled airbags capable of expanding throughout the vehicle, to talking, self-guided, Knight Rider-like coupes hitting the market abound. What is actually happening in the engineering world, though, may be even better.

The reality of vehicular technology capable of reaching the masses is that it must be cost-effective, innovative and reliable in addressing actual roadway situations. While cars with star personality are, indeed, being made, automakers and engineers are setting up a network that will allow millions of these smart autos to not only talk with us but talk with each other. By communicating at speeds far greater than human reaction time, vehicles may soon be able to coordinate their own internal systems to mitigate crashes, as well as communicate with other vehicles to avoid them altogether. Such onboard computational power makes multifaceted risk-assessment and advice possible in real-time.

Most modern cars are now fitted with a low maintenance battery and these either require little electrolyte topping up and in some cases, none at all. This is a result of advances in automotive technology where alternators ensure that the battery is not subjected to an abnormal voltage charge.

The battery charger that you use in your workshop needs to be as versatile as your vehicle’s charging system to ensure that your battery’s life if not cut short by a defective process.

The big problem encountered with maintenance-free or sealed batteries is gassing, this is where electrolyte is lost as a result of too high a charge. Battery chargers designed to deal with these maintenance-free batteries are referred to as automatic and they cut off the voltage between around 13.8v and 14.5v to prevent gassing taking place. Some of these automatic chargers allow the battery to be permanently connected, topping up the charge when necessary. This float charge is very useful when you have a motor caravan or a car that is laid up for a length of time. CTEK and some of the Gunsons range of chargers are designed with this function. These chargers also have reverse-polarity protection with a built in cut-out feature and are supplied with a decent length of cable and obviously, a decent pair of clips. CTEK produce a lead where the charger can be fitted to the engine compartment of a vehicle and plugged into the mains when required.

Today’s automotive engineers are focusing their attention on improving the way we drive — and the way we live. Some automotive improvements make life easier to navigate, like GPS systems with visual and voice-guided turn-by-turn directions. Other innovations help protect vehicle occupants and save lives, such as “active safety” technologies, which warn drivers so they can take action to avoid an accident. Of course, yet another focus of automotive engineers, garnering much attention today, is improved fuel efficiency. Green vehicles are catching the attention of consumers rapidly. To meet this demand, nearly every automaker in the world is expanding with clean, fuel-efficient models in their lineup.

Automotive engineering today focuses on utilizing a range of technologies to improve fuel economy. Not a day goes by when automotive engineers are not working toward the development of new and improved fuel technologies. As part of the quest for fuel-efficient technology, current hybrid vehicle systems are constantly being evaluated and expanded. For example, many automakers are now creating integrated high-tech hybrids.