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TECHNOLOGY A23
Friday 24 April 2015
Drivers want new safety technology, but it will cost them
DEE-ANN DURBIN the most — an average of In this April 2, 2015 file photo, the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is presented at the New York Interna-
AP Auto Writer $3,703 — for new technol- tional Auto Show in New York.
DETROIT (AP) — Drivers ogy. Generation X buyers
want more collision-pre- would spend $3,007, while Associated Press
vention technology in their Baby Boomers are willing to
cars, but there is a limit to fork over $2,416. Pre-Boom- RAV4 SUV. Right now, the rear-mounted camera that tive director of driver inter-
how much they will pay. ers, or those born before company offers automatic projects images onto the action at J.D. Power, said
Blind spot detection, night 1946, would spend $2,067. braking on the Prius hybrid, rearview mirror, aren’t yet prototype technologies
vision and collision avoid- That might not be enough but only as part of a $4,320 commercially available. were included in order to
ance systems — which to get them all the features package. Another technology that help automakers and sup-
automatically apply the they want. High-tech safe- For the study, which took appealed to respondents pliers decide what sorts of
brakes if the driver doesn’t ty features are often pack- place between January — a paint that repairs small features to prioritize.
react in time — are the top aged together, and may and March, J.D. Power scratches itself — is uncom- “The auto industry is stand-
three technologies drivers only be available on more asked 5,300 recent car mon but available on a ing on its head to keep
want on their next cars, ac- expensive trim levels. buyers to rank 59 separate handful of models from Nis- technology up to con-
cording to a study released To get blind spot detection technologies. Some, like san, Infiniti and Lexus. sumers’ new standards,”
Wednesday by the consult- and emergency automat- the wellness car seats or a Kristin Kolodge, the execu- Kolodge said.q
ing firm J.D. Power. ic braking on the $94,000
Drivers are much less ex- Mercedes-Benz S Class, for
cited about fuel-saving example, buyers must first
features, like solar roofs or upgrade to a $4,500 pre-
active grille shutters, which mium package and then
open and close to improve spend $2,800 for a separate
aerodynamics. They also safety package. A night
show little interest in well- vision system, which uses
ness gadgets, like seats sensors and heat-seeking
that measure your blood cameras to warn drivers of
pressure, or sensors that let obstacles in the road, is an
drivers use hand gestures extra $2,260.
to control the car’s func- Prices are rapidly coming
tions. down, however, as cam-
Navigation systems also eras get cheaper and
weren’t popular. automakers spread out
As the age of the driver their costs by adding safe-
goes up, the budget for ty features to more and
new technology goes more models. Toyota said
down. Generation Y buy- last month that automatic
ers, who are 38 and young- braking will be a $300 to
er, say they would spend $635 option on the 2016
As PayPal split looms, eBay plans to think small
AP Technology Writer long been EBay’s fastest- lars. “We are deeply com- This July 16, 2013 file photo shows an eBay sign at eBay head-
NEW YORK (AP) — EBay growing segment. mitted to setting up eBay quarters in San Jose, Calif. EBay plans to grow by thinking small
plans to grow by thinking CEO John Donahoe said and PayPal to succeed as it prepares for life apart from PayPal.
small as it prepares for life Wednesday the compa- and to deliver sustainable
apart from PayPal. ny is moving toward the value to our sharehold- Associated Press
The company says it is fo- spinoff with “clarity and ers,” Donahoe said. The
cusing on getting more speed.” EBay’s first-quarter e-commerce company
people, as well as small- to earnings may have miti- is seeking to reinvigorate
mid-size businesses, to buy gated investors’ concern its marketplace business,
and sell items on its popular somewhat. The results beat which includes the e-
online marketplace. expectations and revenue, commerce arm of eBay. It
The effort comes as it at- excluding the impact of stumbled last year when it
tempts to address inves- the stronger dollar, grew had to deal with a change
tor concerns about how it in both segments. A stron- in Google’s algorithms
will fare later this year after ger dollar cuts into revenue that made eBay products
it spins off its PayPal pay- generated overseas when come up in search results
ments division, which has it’s translated back into dol- less often. q
