Ubiquitous iPods and Wasteful Teslas
iPod Becoming Standard Auto Equipment
I read an interesting statistic on MacUser the other day. A study be iSuppli reports that 58 percent of new cars in the United States, regardless of trim level, now have iPod integration — meaning the day may come when you don’t have to endanger yourself and others on the road trying to find a clear station on your radio transmitter gizmo to pump your own tunes over the speaker. MacUser figures in the next five to ten years an iPod jack will be standard equipment. (Another interesting sidenote of the same study is that 82 percent of cars have Bluetooth integration — thanks to the need for handsfree calling, no doubt.)
Tesla Wastes Energy When Standing Still?
From Engadget, we have a story that Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard has revealed that the electric car’s ESS coolant pump runs constantly, even when the car is off and has been parked awhile. The net result is that over four days, the Tesla draws off 14 kwh just sitting still. Not only is that a serious detractor from the desired energy efficient image, but it also suggests that the pump and battery might not have the kind of life you’d want on a car that expensive. (See this Engadget entry for the latest on Tesla exec Elon Musk.)