DETROIT Johnson Controls can always be counted on to jump-start the Detroit auto show with its annual take on what vehicle interiors will look like in the future. The auto supplier did not disappoint with its I3 concept vehicle, which includes an advanced lithium-ion battery and an intriguing "Mobile Device Gateway."
"We're providing a view of the future possibilities for vehicle interiors and power solutions," said Jeff Williams, JCI's group vice president and general manager North America for the Automotive Experience business.
Included in these future possibilities is the Slim Seat, as JCI calls it, which remains completely hidden and out of sight until it is set up for use. The concept seating system has a "thin profile" seatback, which the supplier says "provides the same levels of comfort and safety as a conventional vehicle seat."
The Mobile Device Gateway links phones, GPS devices and MP3 players to the vehicle. This allows the driver to use the gadgets "intuitively, safely and easily," Johnson Controls says. Instead of worrying about confusing arrangements of buttons on the console, the MDG activates the devices through a multicontroller or voice recognition, providing quick, convenient access to everything from your Michael Bubl?c) collection to your cell phone's list of contacts.
The I3 gets an advanced trunk-mounted lithium-ion battery that the company says it developed specifically for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. When compared to nickel metal hydride batteries, the battery in the I3 occupies one-third less space, has approximately 50 percent less weight and will last up to 10 years.
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