In fact, the CODA doesn’t even have a tailpipe. But the advantages don’t stop there. Check it out.

Range. The CODA electric car battery can last for up to 120 miles on a single charge. When compared to all other electric cars, CODA gets anywhere from 20 to 80 more miles per charge.

Full Sized. Many of the electric cars currently available are much smaller than a typical fossil fuel-dependent vehicle. They are often hatchbacks or tiny two-doors. The CODA is a full-sized, four-door sedan with a full trunk – similar in size to a Honda Civic or a Ford Taurus.

Recycled Interior. The CODA is one of two new electric cars that feature an ecologically progressive interior. Our seat material is made from recycled plastics – who knew something made from water bottles could be so comfy?

A smoother, quieter ride. Of all the electric cars coming in 2010, the CODA is one of the few that have really focused on eliminating NVH – noise, vibration and harshness – to make a quieter interior and a smoother driving experience.

Motor Power: 100 kW/134 hp

Motor Torque: 300 Nm/221 lb-ft

Transmission: Single Speed Gear Reduction

Drive Ratio: 6.54:1

Suspension: Four-wheel independent with front and

rear MacPherson strut

Steering: Rack-and-pinion with electric power

steering

Air Conditioning: 2.0 kW cabin cooling

DC:         DC Converter2.2 kW @13 V output

Charger: 6.6 kW / 220VAC Input or 1.3 kW /                                                   110 VAC Input (back-up charging)

Brakes: Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS),                                                        Electronic Stability Control

Air Bags: Intelligent 6 air bag system (two                                                        advanced frontal, two seat-mounted                                                side, and 2 side curtain airbags),                                                      Occupant Detection System

Seat Belts: 3 point

Safety Compliance: All applicable Federal Motor Vehicle                                               Safety Standards

Crash Safety: Anticipated 5-Star NCAP (New Car                                                   Assessment Program)

Connectivity

Standard iPod® dock, MP3 and USB connectivity, and satellite -ready AM/FM/XM radio.

Standard Bluetooth® hands-free phone capability with an embedded microphone speaker in the headliner and touchpad or voice dial capabilities.

Standard touch screen navigation with turn-by-turn directions.

Vehicle range: 90-120 miles (US 06 & UDDS)

Top Speed: 80 mph (Electronically Limited)

Acceleration: 0-60 mph – under 11 seconds

Charge Time: 6 hours from 220V (30AMP)

Occupancy: 4 passengers

Vehicle Warranty: 3 years / 36,000 miles

Battery Warranty: 8 years / 100,000 miles

Wheelbase: 102.3 inches

Track-Front: 66.0 inches

Track-Rear: 66.5 inches

Overall Length: 175.0 inches

Overall Width: 69.0 inches

Overall Height: 57.6 inches

Turning Radius: 17.5 ft (curb)/18.6 ft (wall)

Headroom (front/rear): 36.5/35.0 inches

Shoulder Room (front/rear): 22.0/17.0 inches

Legroom (front/rear): 44.0/31.0 inches

Trunk Space: 14.7 cubic ft

Curb Weight: 3660 lbs

In15 years there, it has sold 30,000 cars so the potential for quality stock is good.

As in other markets, cars sold through the programme would have to meet global standards and would be sold through authorised dealers.

“Comprehensive evaluation and refurbishment criteria, scientific tools for audit and inspection as well as manufacturer-backed warranty go into the making of a certified proven exclusivity vehicle. The dream of owning a Mercedes-Benz thus becomes even more achievable,” said Wilfried Aulbur, MD and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, told the Hindustan Times.

Over 15 years of its presence in India, Mercedes-Benz has sold around 30,000 cars thereby creating a significant potential for its pre-owned car sales.

Maruti plans to launch the ‘Cervo’ in the Indian market in mid 2010. It is expected that this edition would replace the long lasting Maruti 800.  The Cervo has been designed to capture the entry level segment in India. This edition will offer tough competition to the Tata Nano and the upcoming small cars from Hyundai and Nissan in terms of price and performance.

The Maruti Cervo has well defined cabin with semi bucket seats in the front row. The rear seat can comfortably seat two passengers only which means this edition can seat four passengers in comfort.  The Cervo has interiors designed similar to the Maruti swift. There is adequate storage space in the front row and the boot can also accommodate daily shopping bags. The controls and gauges are well placed to offer convenience to the driver.

Power train

The Maruti Cervo will be powered by a 0.7 liter, 660cc petrol engine with VVT and Bluetooth capability. It would generate a maximum power of 60bhp and will be teamed with automatic transmission. It is expected that this edition will be available in All Wheel Drive system also. This peppy engine is designed to offer improved fuel efficiency.

Conclusion

It is expected that this beautifully designed Maruti Cervo will be a success in India. They offer a perfect combination of stylish looks and impressive performance at a decent price. It is speculated that this edition would be the fastest and most selling car in the Indian market.

Suzuki is planning to replace the long lasting master kid “Maruti 800″ with the Japanese Suzuki Cervo which is the latest small car recently launched in Japan, the Cervo is a compact
five door mini, that looks to put the other kids on the block into the shade. This sleek cute car offers 54bhp 660cc engine that boasts to offer peppy performance with great fuel economy.

Suzuki believes that they can price the car in the same amount given by Tata, they can do this by deleting some of the stuff available in the car, or by using a cheaper material to make it cost less, but, we doubt that Suzuki will use such cheap material so long as price is considered. There is going to be a lot of competition between these two in the below 800cc category. The name
Cervo has been a history for jap Suzuki cars mainly used in the Japanese version of alto.

Exteriors

From the outside the Cervo looks like the Honda Fit, but this one looks like its smaller bro. As there is no sight of Tatas 1 lakh car, comparism between these two are not possible , rumors have been spread that Tatas car would be based on the Indiva Concept. Coming back to the Cervo the
lines and cuts of the car are neat and classy and the clean blacky covering at the end of the windows are cleverly made so as not to see too many holes.

The headlights seem too agressive and getting ready to vrroomm and seems confident, well we can hope it really does. The Small mini SUV looks at the back, with an arching roofline, wedgy stance, slanted headlights and stubby bonnet makes out a new shape of itself and bound to be a
great car if its priced is good and if its at 1L, it will be crazy selling.

Interiors

The interiors of this car somewhat looks like that of the much popular Swift. The rectangular air vents in the center and the circle open closed ones on the sides  dont look even and looks a bit uneven. the colors of the controls do look lights up the dash. The boot is very small, but for daily shopping and office stuffs its just OK.

Seats
at the back can seat only two and the third one can cramp up the place. A lot of storage areas are available to keep stuff in the front and find little at the back. Power Windows are airbags are available in the international markets but we doubt that it will come to India at that cost atleast airbags as an option would be better to make the car safe. In the outside markets this car is equipped with front semi-bucket seats, 4-speed auto gearbox a K6A DOHC engine with VVT, bluetooth capability.

Verdict

Cars like these will be a success in India if they are priced well with high profile, the sporty
and agressive exteriors and the classy and swifty interiors are bound to make the young gens and the ladies to force their cash out, the Suzuki’s bet of combining performance with FE, this car will be a hit in Indian roads.

1. Awareness of your own interaction with other people is the first step in improving your communication skills.

Learn to identify which types of situations make you uncomfortable and then modify your behavior to achieve positive results is a critical step in improving your communication skills.

You can learn to become aware of behaviors in other people that prompt you to respond in negative ways and modify your own behavior to turn the situation into a positive experience.

2. You must accept responsibility for your own behavior and do not fear apologizing for errors in judgment or insensitive actions.

Asking others for honest feedback about the way you interact with others can be very helpful. Accept the negative feedback along with the positive and make changes accordingly.

3. Your non-verbal communication is equally as important as the things that you say. Positive body language is extremely important in your interactions with other people.If your words and your actions do not match, you will have a difficult time succeeding in social situations.

4. In order to learn how to improve your communication skills, you must become a great listener. You must fight the urge to respond immediately and really listen to what the other person is trying to communicate.Offering suggestions or criticism before you are certain of the other person’s intent can only lead to frustration for both parties.

5. Improving your communication skills is a process and cannot be accomplished overnight. Trying to improve or change too many things at once will be counter-productive. You will become discouraged and overwhelmed if you attempt to change your entire personality all at once. Choose one or two traits at a time and work on those over a period of time. Learn to take advantage of your personal strengths and make a positive impact on others.

6. Maximize your positive personality traits and use them in your interactions with others. Good communication and great listening skills are the most important tools you can use in improving your communication skills.
You can learn how to improve your communication skills by developing excellent listening skills, learning to resolve problems and conflicts, understanding body language, and accepting responsibility for your own negative behavior.

Determination and self-awareness will make your desire to improve your communication skills a reality.

You can change your life and now is the time to start.

Exceptional communication skills can be Learned…and Mastered!!!

what will happen in future!!!

See below….

When fuel prices go High

A digital image showing thermal plots at the spark plug tip taken from the FEV Apogee Thermal Visualization tool, recently launched at FEV’s Auburn Hills, MI, facility.

The view through the control room safety glass is like any in a typical engine test cell—an organized jungle of wires and hoses connected to an engine humming quietly at 2000 rpm. But the live video running on the control room’s overhead monitors is anything but typical.

It’s a look inside the test engine’s combustion chamber—large, live, and in living color. The resolution from inside this harsh environment is remarkably crisp; it appears you could reach right in and touch the hot spark plug. There’s the plug firing. There’s the cloud of injected fuel curling around the plug tip, a typical issue in direct-injected gas engine development.

On the screens we see the valves opening and closing and the traces of burned gas exiting the exhaust port. Depending on the wavelength the operator selects, we can either look at a gas cloud, or through it. We see flame-propagation sequences, offered in high-speed video, or still images photographed by degree of crankshaft angle.

Captured on video for our small group of observers are highly accurate thermal plots taken at various areas around the chamber, including multiple points on the spark plug electrode. As the operator raises engine speed to 5000 rpm, we see the intake and exhaust valves rotating in their guides, as well as the injection spray flow patterns.

If this was a cable channel called Combustion TV, it would dominate the ratings. But the amazing tool is claimed by its makers to be the first and only Thermal Visualization system of its kind in the world. And OEM clients of FEV (its exclusive operator) are lining up to use it for unraveling various issues within their own engines.

AEI was the first media invited by FEV to see the new tool in operation. It’s installed in a dedicated test cell at the company’s Auburn Hills, MI, facility.

The system, which can be used to view any location within an ICE, was developed by Apogee Scientific, an optical-technology specialist based in Englewood, CO. Apogee and FEV collaborated on applying it to the powertrain-development space, explained Apogee’s Principal Engineer, Jon Lesko.

“This tool enables engine-development teams to visually map out the combustion process and see characteristics, profiles, and phenomenon that previously could not be measured and visualized,” he said. “By employing it at the research stage, you can shortcut any development problems that might occur later on, which can save a fortune.

“Or later on, if you have a production engine with a problem, you can bring it here to FEV for a quick look inside that will help you correct it.”

The visualization system was designed with ample “headroom” to enable FEV to fully explore the higher compression ratios and cylinder pressures, new fuels, direct injection and boosting, additional thermal stress, and other trends driving future powertrain development, said Dr. Dean Tomazic, FEV’s Vice President, Engine Performance and Emissions Division.

“One of the biggest issues involved with turbocharging DI gasoline engines is low-speed preignition,” he noted. “This tool will enable us to go into the combustion chamber and identify where the onset takes place—it could be wall wetting, or piston impingement, anything where visualization and precise temperature measurements will help speed solution.”

Other likely uses include developing engines with higher compression ratios and two-stage turbocharging and dual-fuel arrangements, where nozzle-tip temperatures and mixture preparation, respectively, are critical.

“Depending on how this system is set up, we can visualize the flame and fuel more accurately,” Dr. Tomazic said. “The flexibility of the tool is such that we identify and focus clearly on all these individual issues that are part of any engine-development program.

“It gives us a more simplistic way to approach design of new engines from the very get-go. That’s a big benefit,” he asserted.

With a background in optic physics, Lesko set out to create Apogee’s Thermal Visualization system by specifying the most robust components available. Most of the material used is military-grade, capable of withstanding extreme peak cylinder temperatures and pressures—even during abnormal conditions such as preignition and combustion “knock.”

“The detector originally came from a surface-to-air missile,” Lesko noted. “Some of the lens material came from the nose of a Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder (air-to-air heat-seeking missile). The lens hood itself is capable of withstanding 1800°C. A lot of the optical design work came from the astronomy field.”

Apogee developed the system’s camera and prisms, which allow the viewer to see around corners in tight confines. More than 95% of the system’s interchangeable lenses and components were custom designed for the application. All of the optical equipment is designed to fit through a conventional cylinder pressure-transducer bore.

FEV and Apogee are studying potential applications for the Thermal Visualization system beyond basic combustion engines. Lesko and Tomazic said operation of gas turbine engines, advanced turbocharger systems, and even catalytic converters are logical candidates for what may become the industry’s favorite “insiders” video program.

Simple depiction of BASF’s consolidation of functions within the new “two-brick” diesel aftertreatment system, unveiled last March on Hyundai’s i-flow concept car.

The twin bogies of reducing vehicle mass and reducing tailpipe emissions are driving OEMs and their suppliers to develop solutions that achieve both goals. BASF recently unveiled a new catalyst technology aimed at light-duty diesel engines that the company claims is a significant step toward cleaner exhaust with lower mass, less complexity, and potentially lower cost.

BASF’s innovation consolidates the four major components of a typical diesel aftertreatment system—the De-NOx catalyst, diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), soot filter, and the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system—into two major elements: a DOC/lean-NOx trap (LNT) and an SCR catalyst integrated with the soot filter substrate.

The arrangement requires just two catalyst “bricks,” the substrates coated with precious-metal catalytic material that dramatically lower HC, CO, NOx, and particulate levels in the exhaust stream, prior to exiting the tailpipe. The design greatly simplifies the aftertreatment suite underneath the vehicle and reduces weight, according to Dr. Marius Vaarkamp, BASF’s Global Product Manager, Mobile Emissions Catalysts.

The DOC/LNT is a ceramic monolith with a catalyst coating. The SCR-on-filter is a “wall flow” ceramic monolith with a SCR catalyst coating. The DOC/LNT catalyst traps NOx under “lean” operating conditions. The trapped NOx is released from the catalyst when the engine operation is switched to “rich” conditions.

During “rich” regeneration, the NOx is converted to N₂ (nitrogen), and NH₃(ammonia) is generated over the DOC/LNT and used by the SCR catalyst to remove excess NOx, while the filter removes particulate matter.

“The real innovation here, we believe, is we’ve found a way to generate the ammonia (urea) in situ—we do this with an LNT upstream of the SCR,” he explained in an AEI interview with the BASF team in mid-April.

Vehicles with smaller-displacement engines that do not require high levels of NOx conversion “may not require the SCR/filter brick, needing only the combined DOC/LNT,” noted Dr. Thomas Droege, Global Marketing Director in the Mobile Emissions Catalysts group.

Providing the capability to meet NOx emission standards without requiring the heavy, bulky urea tank, injector, control unit, wiring, and related mounting fitments offers OEMs a significant mass benefit, which will vary per vehicle application depending on engine displacement, Dr. Vaarkamp said. Reduced system mass helps improve vehicle fuel efficiency.

The first vehicle to feature BASF’s two-brick aftertreatment system isHyundai’s i-Flow concept car, which debuted last month at the Geneva Auto Salon. The i-Flow showcases BASF and Hyundai’s collaboration on advanced material applications across the vehicle. The two companies focused on key areas that impact overall operating efficiency, packaging, and emissions reduction.

“This project was a great way to look at the emission-reduction challenges comprehensively with one of our OEM partners, and to optimize the actual system at all levels, from the engine intake through the tailpipe,” Dr. Vaarkamp noted. “We saw the lightweighting and downsizing trend coming, and we prepared ourselves well for these market challenges—to combine the functionality and take it to a market situation. Hyundai was very receptive.”

BASF’s engineering interface with Hyundai is via the company’s South Korea joint venture, Heesung Catalyst Co. BASF began its first experiments aimed at consolidating subsystem functionality around 2000-2001.

“A number of things enabled our R&D group and materials engineers to accomplish this,” Dr. Vaarkamp explained. “The first was our analytical capability, to really understand the individual components, and the catalysis piece, on a fundamental level. In the SCR-on-filter piece, we made really great steps forward in the stability of the SCR catalyst.”

Among the material innovations that enabled BASF’s two-brick architecture was development of what Dr. Mikhail Rodkin, Vice President of Catalyst R&D, described as “an absolutely new SCR catalyst,” the manufacturing of which is very complicated, he said.

On the LNT side, Dr. Rodkin’s team also devised an all-new catalyst composition. “There are new materials to ensure the LNT doesn’t only reduce NOx in certain parts of the drive cycle but also generates ammonia in the appropriate amount to actually help the SCR work correctly. There are material innovations in both areas,” he noted.

The BASF team is satisfied with the two-brick system’s durability and effectiveness as far as it can be tested in the laboratory environment, said Dr. Vaarkamp. He noted that BASF is not unique in developing on-board ammonia generation in an LNT-based system, citing efforts by Hondaand Ford in this area.

“As our collaboration with Hyundai indicates, we’re engaging our customers at this point,” he explained. “Getting this program to a point of sufficient engineering and customer confidence—that’s the next step.”

The quest to boost efficiency and reduce NVH within turbocharger and other vehicle systems is driving use of more powerful computer analysis of subcomponents, as shown by this finite-element rendering of a pump impeller by Concepts NREC.

What do miniature pumps for treating water in a nuclear reactor, “fish-safe” hydroelectric turbine impellers, and axial fans designed to replace helicopter tail rotors have in common with the humble automotive turbocharger?

Much more than meets the eye, because design and engineering knowledge gained from developing advanced turbomachines of all types and sizes is being applied to creating the next generation of turbo systems for gas and diesel ICEs, said Fred Becker, Engineering Sales Director at Concepts NREC.

The 50-year-old Vermont company specializes in turbomachinery design, engineering, and development for a broad range of commercial, consumer, military, and agricultural applications. It has long been involved in automotive turbo systems R&D, prototyping, and testing.

“We’ve seen a steady increase in our engagement with the automotive OEMs regarding the trend to downsized and boosted engines to improve fuel efficiency,” Becker told AEI during the recent SAE World Congress. “They’re trying to expand the operating range and effectiveness of the single turbocharger, and two-stage systems, while also trying to understand what the next generation of turbocharger design and operating characteristics will look like.”

“It’s a paradigm shift, as engine swept volume continues to be reduced,” he said.

Becker noted that the next-gen turbos will be “tailored” to meet the duty cycles of the downsized four-, three, and even twin-cylinder gasoline engines, which powertrain engineers say will feature sophisticated boosting systems which integrate the turbo unit with cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and even particulate filters.

According to Becker, much of the turbo systems development work being done in the auto industry is “evolutionary—a half-point gain here and there,” he asserted. “But in order to achieve the significant gains needed by the powertrain guys, we’ve got to really push the aerodynamics inside the turbo system.”

Automotive OEMs which have engaged Concepts NREC for next-generation turbo systems development stressed that their upcoming smaller engines must deliver driveability and performance characteristics similar to the larger naturally aspirated engines they are replacing, Becker said. But engineers don’t want the parasitic losses and, in some cases, package disadvantages that come with positive-displacement superchargers.

Likewise, the trend toward fewer cylinders with ever-smaller displacements—the list of OEMs with sub-1.4-L gas engine programs is growing—puts a premium on R&D and validation expertise in analytics, fluid mechanics, thermal management, turbomachine structure, component optimization, materials, and system controls, to name a few of the key disciplines in which Becker’s company specializes.

“It’s a difficult challenge, but we’re already way up on the learning curve,” he observed. He said OEMs are changing their view of turbochargers as discrete components to that of integrated multifunctional systems.

The new approach means R&D specialist Concepts NREC, along with turbocharger suppliers such as BorgWarner and Honeywell Turbo Systems (and newcomers including Continental and theBoschMahle joint venture), increasingly are viewing the next generation of technologies as “energy recovery” systems rather than boosting devices. Becker’s company interfaces with the OEM powertrain development teams as well as turbo-system Tier 1s.

Becker said NVH attenuation is one of the hottest areas of development for which Concepts NREC is being asked to provide CAE, CFD, and 3-D analysis support to the OEMs. And quelling turbocharger noise is but one of many targets in this critical area.

“Coolant pumps and compressors are being redesigned for quieter operation and expanded operating range. Cooling fans can be made quieter and more efficient at various speeds. We’re right in the thick of all these areas, in addition to the advanced turbocharger work,” Becker reported.