Welcome to the curse of the automotive industry: the lead time on new car designs and manufacturing schedules mean that the technology you’re buying today was developed years earlier. What’s more, that technology effectively becomes locked down in your vehicle. As soon as your drive off the lot the connected car system you have is the one you’re stuck with for years. (For more details on the connected car technology check out our infographic.)

Mobile processor maker Nvidia, however, is proposing a solution to that problem: why not make an upgradable connected car system. We “upgrade” our smartphones and tablets every year or two by buying completely new devices, but that’s not really an option for an automobile.

However, with processors based on its Tegra designs, Nvidia wants to empower automakers to build cars that not only have top-of-the-line computing components when they roll off the lot but also can be upgraded periodically during their long lives.

In short, Nvidia wants to help automakers make connected cars that never become obsolete.

Meet Jetson

According to Nvidia Director of Automotive Danny Shapiro, the company designed its automotive processors, called Visual Computing Modules, around a flexible framework that allows automakers to work future processor technology into what are typically three-year long development cycles. Rather than design a connected car system years away from production using today’s chips, engineers can design tomorrow’s cars using tomorrow’s chips, Shapiro said.

Tesla Model S

That program is already seeing some pretty significant results, Shapiro said. Within a month of shipping in Google’s flagship tablet, the Nexus 7, the Tegra 3 debuted in the Tesla Model S, powering its impressive infotainment system (along with a separate Tegra 2 processor to handle the instrument cluster).

That solves the first problem – making an infotainment system that’s not obsolete before it hits the show floor. Solving the next problem — making a connected car system that keeps up with the pace of consumer electronics innovation — is much trickier.

To tackle it, Nvidia recently launched a new automotive architecture called Jetson, which tries to solve more than just the problem of obsolescence. First, Jetson is powerful, incorporating Nvidia’s pixel-crunching graphics processing units alongside its Tegra VCM chips. Nvidia is hoping that its silicon won’t just be the brains of your infotainment system but an extra set of eyes on the road.

Danny Shapiro

Nvidia wants to power the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) emerging in the next-generation of cars, Shapiro said. Moving beyond adaptive cruise control and proximity detection, cars will eventually sport omnidirectional cameras that will “see” the road in all directions and possibly even scanning lasers that can model a vehicle’s surrounding in 3D. The art of processing image and spatial data just happens to be Nvidia’s sweet spot.

In addition, Nvidia has crafted Jetson to be a development platform that builds on its earlier work with its VCM chips. “Automakers can simulate future designs,” Shapiro said. “They can get their development done now, preparing for the next-generation chips and next-generation car apps.”

Finally, Jetson is modular. The core processing unit is designed to be swappable. That means an automaker can easily incorporate the latest and greatest version of Jetson into their existing connected car and infotainment systems each successive years. It also means, Shapiro said, that one day we could upgrade our car’s dashboard computers much like we’d upgrade an old PC.

Pimp my ride’s CPU

Unless you’re one of those folks that can afford to buy a new car every time the ashtrays get full, chances are any new vehicle purchase is going to be a long-term investment. Six years is not an unreasonable time to spend driving the same car, but that’s an eternity in the world of consumer electronics. Six years ago, what we now think of as a smartphone didn’t exist, and no one had yet developed many technologies we now take for granted such as speech-powered virtual assistants, 3D mapping and location-based social networks.

Many automakers have decided that trying to keeping up with the day-to-day advances of that technology is an exercise in futility and have built their connected car strategies around the smartphone itself. Ford and Chevy, for instance have designed their connected infotainment systems as extensions of the driver’s handset. So as the smartphone becomes more powerful, so do their cars’ dashboards.

An upgradable CPU would solve part of that problem, but not the whole problem. It doesn’t matter if your new car dash computer can process hi-rez images in real time if it doesn’t have the sensors to collect those images.

But the auto industry is trying to solve that problem as well. Ford has launched an open-source hardware program called OpenXC, which could let us upgrade components like heads up displays and sensor arrays in our future cars.

I’m not saying you’ll be able to turn your old jalopy into KITT from Knight Rider, but who knows? One day maybe we could customize our cars so they behave like new even if they don’t look like new.

Mouse car image courtesy of Shutterstock user Mopic

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Karaoke has a new best friend, and its name is LTE. At CES, TouchTunes and Verizon Wireless unveiled its new digital jukebox with a networked karaoke feature, allowing bar and restaurant patrons to not only pull their favorite songs out of the airwaves but also sing along to them as well. No DJ necessary: You reserve your performance slots and pick your songs on a smartphone app, adding another mobile element to the mix. Verizon is not responsible for the heckling you receive when you miss the high notes (or the low and middle ones, for that matter).

Verizon had a few new LTE smartphones to show off at CES, but at the show it seemed absolutely determined to insert its new network’s tendrils into as many non-phone devices as possible. We already know about the connected car, but here are a few of the more interesting examples:

• Diebold showed off a concept ATM, which uses 4G connectivity not only to authorize transactions but also to send detailed diagnostic and trouble reports to the companies that maintain the cash machines. The enhanced connection even allows those companies to fix nonmechanical problems remotely. The ATM could be stuck anywhere, requiring only a power source to operate, and it could even call security if a suspicious character starts fiddling with it. Now if only Verizon could figure out a way to send the actual cash over the airwaves . . .
• In addition to the Karaoke jukebox, TouchTunes showed off its forthcoming LTE-connected photo booth, which allows you to not only capture your evening of drunken debauchery in still images but also to instantly share those images on Facebook and Twitter before the inevitable feelings of shame kick in.
• Alcatel-Lucent’s ng Connect and VisionMax demoed an LTE-connected shopping kiosk that will use near field communication to pull up a 3-D avatar loaded into your phone. You can then dress that avatar up in the different outfits and accessories available at that store. Assuming the avatar is a reasonable facsimile of your body type — sorry, no centaurs — you could get a general idea of what you would look like in the store’s clothes without actually trying them on. You can even use Vidyo’s HD video conferencing technology to connect to an on-call fashion consultant who will praise you on your impeccable fashion sense.
• Verizon embedded LTE into VGo robots, allowing its booth workers to talk up CES attendees remotely using VGo’s remote telepresence capabilities. Many of the robotic assistants available today link to the network through Wi-Fi, which works great if you happen to be in range of an access point. Verizon is betting that these remote physical avatars will want a broader range. Maybe they won’t go to lunch with the boss, but they can at least make it to the water cooler for office chitchat.

Microphone image courtesy of Flickr user LifeSupercharger
Avatar image courtesy of Flickr user Winter Jefferson

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Smartphone applications specific to cars may best illustrate the promise of mobility and connectivity: intelligent, pocketable devices combined with wireless broadband and smarter cars. While there have been a number of in-vehicle applications for years — think of navigation, point-of-interest searches, real-time traffic data and remote automobile diagnostics — most until now have been constrained for use within the vehicle.

By leveraging the ability for a smartphone to be tied with a car, such apps can move beyond in-car use. And as vehicles gain more processors and sensors, especially in greener cars as noted in a GigaOM Pro report, (subscription required), the possibilities for mobile apps will expand.

So what kinds of mobile apps will connect smartphone-toting drivers with their cars? Ford already launched software specific to its all-electric Ford Focus, allowing users to remotely monitor the battery level and even schedule a recharge during off-peak rate hours. Location Labs, in a partnership with T-Mobile, today launched software that can detect when a driver is behind the wheel of a vehicle and automatically shoot calls direct to voicemail or lock down access to text messaging. Focused on driver safety, the new app appears to monitor vehicle movement through GPS, but in the future, could get that data directly from the car.

But these examples, along with streaming music entertainment from Pandora and smarter navigation solutions, are just the tip of the iceberg. Pairing a connected car with smartphone apps is likely to lead to automatic location check-ins, voice-powered Facebook status updates from the driver’s seat, or even shopping list reminders when you’re about to pass a local retailer that stocks items you’re running out of at home. Whatever the application, mobile broadband and smart handsets combined with the cars of tomorrow could give new meaning to the term “information superhighway.”

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Much of the handset application revolves around intelligent power management for Ford Focus Electric car owners. Aside from the basic battery monitoring, My Ford Mobile can be used to schedule vehicle charging, such as during off-peak times for cheaper electric rates. Since the app runs on a mobile device, users don’t need to be near the car to begin the charging process and if the car isn’t charging when it should be, the app can show an alert.

Of course, for a handset to receive data from a car that isn’t necessarily nearby, some connectivity must be in the vehicle. Ford says the Focus Electric will have an integrated cellular connection, which sends vehicle information to Ford’s servers. In turn, that information is fed to handsets via the new MyFord Mobile app, providing vehicle data directly to a remote user. The connection works in the opposite direction too: from the handset, drivers can remotely find their vehicle via GPS or unlock the doors.

Ford is partnering with MapQuest on the new app, to help drivers plan routes that benefit an electric vehicle. Users can locate charging stations with the handset app and have their locations sent to the vehicle for easy navigation. And much like the “miles to empty” feature of a gas-powered car, the app can determine if a specific charging station can be reached based on location and current charge level.

The new app and cloud service that Ford is offering for its all-electric car should take away any potential fear a consumer might have with a battery-powered car and the small-but-growing battery charging ecosystem such vehicles need. By connecting the car to a phone via software, there’s less chance of running down the car’s battery unexpectedly, even on a long trip. And it’s another example of smarter phones helping to make life a simple drive in the park.

For more research on electric cars check out GigaOM Pro (subscription required):

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The French government — which last week unveiled a 14-point plan to accelerate development, production and sales of electric vehicles in the country — along with regional authorities will provide funding for 15 percent of Daimler’s project costs in Hambach.

The Hambach plant already produces Smart vehicles, and Daimler noted in its release this morning that integrating production of the electric version into the operation is a matter of “setting the course both for series production of electric vehicles and for the future” of the plant itself. The first electric Smart cars are scheduled to roll out to drivers for real-world testing by the end of 2009. If all goes according to plan, three years from now the lithium-ion battery-powered model will be just one more vehicle in Daimler’s portfolio.

Daimler isn’t the only automaker to score French support as President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government seeks to build up the nascent electric vehicle market. Last year Sarkozy endorsed a plan by French automaker Renault (half of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which has a goal of dominating the global electric vehicle industry) to develop a massive electric vehicle infrastructure network and so-called “electric mobility operator” in partnership with French utility EDF. The group has plenty of shared interests, with the French government owning 85 percent of EDF and 15 percent of Renault.

Back in July, when Daimler finalized plans to build a lithium-ion battery plant in Kamenz, Germany, with Evonik Industries, the company’s Thomas Weber (who heads up Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development), said, “Even in a few years…many vehicles will have these ‘Made in Germany’ energy storage systems onboard.” But for the time being, Daimler’s electric offerings will be made in France.

Photo: Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG Board of Management and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at Smart plant in Hambach, France, courtesy of Daimler

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Uh-Oh Nano: A new report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says three minicars — the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and Smart Fortwo — fared poorly in 80 mph head-on collision tests with midsize models. Solution: Cut speed limits and reduce horsepower. — New York Times

Offshore Wind Industry Wants You, UK: The UK will fail to meet its legally binding target of sourcing 15 percent of energy from renewables by 2020 and miss out on tens of thousands of green jobs unless the government helps build out the offshore wind industry, according to a new Institute for Public Policy Research report. — Guardian

Brazil Renewable Portfolio Set to Slip: Brazil gets 46 percent of its energy from renewable sources, compared with the average 13 percent for the rest of the world. But new thermoelectric plants are scheduled to come online and increase the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. — Cleantech Group

Fiat + Chrysler = Cars for the Masses?: A Fiat-Chrysler linkup could bolster Chrysler’s lineup with Fiat’s fuel-efficient cars — and give the Detroit company guidance from the Fiat CEO who sees automaking as “a Wal-Mart industry” rather than a luxury business. — Washington Post

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Lured away from an alternate site in South Carolina by $7.5 million worth of state tax credits over the next decade (approved yesterday), and possibly more tax incentives at the local level, the automaker will create more than 450 jobs with the project, according to an announcement from the office of Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm.

Daimler has taken up a series of alt-fuel vehicle ventures in recent months. The luxury automaker hatched a deal with Tesla Motors earlier this year to get battery packs and chargers from the startup for the 1,000 electric Smart cars that Daimler has slated for release in the U.S. in 2010. Across the pond, Daimler partnered with Italy’s largest electricity producer, Enel, late last year to roll out more than 100 electric Smart Fortwos for testing with vehicle-charging stations by 2010. The company has a similar program in Berlin, and plans to launch others throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Don’t expect Daimler to keep all of the systems planned for development at the Michigan lab to itself. Marketing them to outside companies, the company would not be the first to pursue alt-fuel vehicle components supply for extra cash in the early stages of electric car development. Already, Daimler has taken a 90 percent stake in a joint venture with Evonik Industries AG of Germany to develop lithium-ion batteries for its own vehicles — and eventually third-party manufacturers. According to a report in Germany’s Handelsblatt this week (picked up by AFP), the company is now on the hunt for a second partner for the enterprise.

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There are a couple of iPhone apps that attempt to help you find the cheapest gas, wherever you happen to be, by combining pricing information from the internet with the location services of the iPhone. I looked at GasBag, iGasUp, and Where to see which one would help me find cheap gas, particularly when I was in an unfamiliar part of town. In my usage for a week, I found iGasUp to have the most complete and the most current pricing info, even if it was a little glitchy in map mode. It had more stations in my area (Denver, CO) and the pricing was consistently more accurate than the other apps.

The difference is found in the source of the pricing data. iGasUp uses OPIS data, which is compiled automatically from actual credit card transactions. GasBag and Where both rely on user submissions to their web sites (Where uses the data from gasbuddy.com). The data in these two apps was inconsistent and sometimes out-of-date, as you might expect when you are relying on volunteers to take the time to record what they paid. Both apps were also missing a fair number of stations in my part of town, which was frustrating at times.

iGasUp did show some glitches with occassional bad data, which would show up as a outlier in the data with a price drastically below the next lowest station. Usually this was limited to one bad entry and it was fairly obvious that there wasn’t really a station offering gas a full 20 or 30 cents under the lowest price to be found elsewhere. iGasUp was also buggy in map view (the default view is a list of stations sorted by lowest price). I couldn’t get the map to stay at a certain zoom level. I just stayed in the list view to avoid this situation. You can still click on the address of a particular station in list view to get to a map with directions to that location.

iGasUp is available in the iTunes App Store for $2.99. Because the underlying data is not free, iGasUp includes price updates for one year. You’ll have to rebuy sometime next year. Still, you’ll save the $3 pretty quickly if you take the time to check prices when you need to fill up.

If you’re looking for an alternative, Where is a free download, but the underlying gasbuddy.com data may not be as complete or up-to-date.

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We got in touch with Tesla in the hopes of getting more detail, but they declined comment.

The deal is reportedly part of a larger initiative Daimler is reportedly unveiling today with German utility RWE to create a network of some 500 public charging stations around that country’s capital. Daimler has been running a similar pilot project in London where some 100 electric Smarts have been zipping about since late last year. The pilot fleet currently has charge times of eight hours, but Daimler reportedly hopes that with Tesla’s newer batteries and a utility helping with infrastructure, the charge time could be reduced to two or three.

We heard back in June that Daimler and Tesla were getting cozy. At the time, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche wouldn’t comment on the California startup but did announce electric Mercedes and Smart models for 2010. Zetsche also said that Daimler was in talks with Shai Agassi’s electric car infrastructure startup, Better Place. Today’s news of Daimler’s deal with RWE doesn’t rule out a roll for Better Place, but it could mean the German auto maker might be trying to electrify the German autobahn without Agassi.

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The news proves that as the price of gas rises higher, as fears of global warming become more mainstream and as oil reserves dwindle, major car companies are taking the electric car seriously. And we applaud those that do. Japan’s Nissan recently made a significant commitment to alternative vehicles. Nissan says it will launch an all-electric car in the United States and Japan by 2010, will deliver a low-cost, energy efficient car for the Indian market and has also partnered with Project Better Place (but maybe not in Japan). GM is planning on having its electric vehicle, the Volt, ready for production by 2010.

Daimler’s electric vehicle plan is good news for consumers, who, come 2010, will have that many more green car options in a marketplace that is sorely lacking. We’ve personally considered the Smart Car option, but have wanted a more alternative version. And the more big name car companies that sign on with Project Better Place the greater the likelihood the company’s networks will proliferate. That means that we could be getting closer to having Project Better Place networks stateside, in Hawaii or the California Bay Area.

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