Taiwan university works on 'smart' electric cars

Engineers at a Taiwan university and a private group have launched a cooperative research center to make electric cars more eco-friendly and "smart." The team includes engineers from the National Taiwan University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Hua-chuang Automobile Information Technical Center Co. Professor Chang Shuo Hung said the center aims to apply academic theories to add more features to current electric cars, according to a report on Taiwan's Central News Agency. He said they are initially eyeing an integrated navigation and entertainment systems that can synchronize with smartphones. Other ideas being processed include systems for pedestrian detection, collision warning, and in-car temperature control. The team has a prototype with a dashboard that shows the driver how much carbon dioxide the car reduced - and how many polar bears were saved. — TJD, GMA News