Cadillac drops Night Vision on DeVille, no new system planned
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Cadillac drops Night Vision on DeVille, no new system planned
Cadillac drops Night Vision on DeVille, no new system planned
JENS MEINERS | Automotive News Europe
Posted Date: 11/16/04
DETROIT -- Cadillac has dropped the Night Vision option on the 2005 DeVille luxury sedan and will not offer it again.
Jay Spenchian, Cadillac marketing director, says the division might offer an alternative infrared vision system. Cadillac's Night Vision was a passive infrared vision system.
"If we bring a Night Vision system again, it would be an active system," Spenchian says. "But there are no plans for that at this point."
Cadillac began offering the Raytheon Co. system on 2000 model DeVilles.
Initially, there was high demand. For the 2000 model year, about 7,000 buyers equipped their cars with the option. Cadillac had anticipated sales of about 2,000 units.
Since then, demand has fallen, and only 600 units were sold for the 2004 model year. It had been offered as a $2,250 option on 2005 models, and 145 units were sold before it was dropped in September.
Passive infrared vision systems display the thermal energy emitted by obstacles, enabling the user to see them on a display. Active systems emit an infrared ray that illuminates the area in front of the car. It is invisible to the eye but is captured by an infrared camera and displayed to the driver.
The effect of an active system can be compared with the effect of high-beam headlights. Passive systems often show a "negative" picture. Higher-temperature items such as exposed body parts - but also tires and exhaust systems - are highlighted. When it is warm outside, the picture turns to a fuzzy gray. Both systems use screens or head-up displays.
The usefulness of infrared vision systems has been questioned, and word-of-mouth evidently has not helped Cadillac.
Passive systems are about twice as expensive as active systems. Companies such as France's Valeo SA and Germany's Automotive Lighting and Hella KG Hueck & Co. are developing active systems.
While Cadillac is dropping Night Vision, Honda Motor Co. will offer a passive system next year in Japan.
The Raytheon Commercial Infrared division, which developed the Cadillac system, was sold last week to L-3 Communications, a technology supplier. An executive says the company is pursuing other automotive business.
Kay Kitchens, marketing director of the new L-3 infrared products division in Dallas, says, "We are in communication with virtually all carmakers, and we are at various stages." She did not confirm any definite contracts.
JENS MEINERS | Automotive News Europe
Posted Date: 11/16/04
DETROIT -- Cadillac has dropped the Night Vision option on the 2005 DeVille luxury sedan and will not offer it again.
Jay Spenchian, Cadillac marketing director, says the division might offer an alternative infrared vision system. Cadillac's Night Vision was a passive infrared vision system.
"If we bring a Night Vision system again, it would be an active system," Spenchian says. "But there are no plans for that at this point."
Cadillac began offering the Raytheon Co. system on 2000 model DeVilles.
Initially, there was high demand. For the 2000 model year, about 7,000 buyers equipped their cars with the option. Cadillac had anticipated sales of about 2,000 units.
Since then, demand has fallen, and only 600 units were sold for the 2004 model year. It had been offered as a $2,250 option on 2005 models, and 145 units were sold before it was dropped in September.
Passive infrared vision systems display the thermal energy emitted by obstacles, enabling the user to see them on a display. Active systems emit an infrared ray that illuminates the area in front of the car. It is invisible to the eye but is captured by an infrared camera and displayed to the driver.
The effect of an active system can be compared with the effect of high-beam headlights. Passive systems often show a "negative" picture. Higher-temperature items such as exposed body parts - but also tires and exhaust systems - are highlighted. When it is warm outside, the picture turns to a fuzzy gray. Both systems use screens or head-up displays.
The usefulness of infrared vision systems has been questioned, and word-of-mouth evidently has not helped Cadillac.
Passive systems are about twice as expensive as active systems. Companies such as France's Valeo SA and Germany's Automotive Lighting and Hella KG Hueck & Co. are developing active systems.
While Cadillac is dropping Night Vision, Honda Motor Co. will offer a passive system next year in Japan.
The Raytheon Commercial Infrared division, which developed the Cadillac system, was sold last week to L-3 Communications, a technology supplier. An executive says the company is pursuing other automotive business.
Kay Kitchens, marketing director of the new L-3 infrared products division in Dallas, says, "We are in communication with virtually all carmakers, and we are at various stages." She did not confirm any definite contracts.
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Re: Cadillac drops Night Vision on DeVille, no new system planned
Originally Posted by Darth Xed
I think this is excellent technology... I just think it was too pricey, even in the luxury segment. 
They'll have to bring the price down, and the only way i can think of is to make it more widely available and instead of doing that, Cadillac is dumping it alltogether.
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Re: Cadillac drops Night Vision on DeVille, no new system planned
Whilst it may make economc sense to drop it... how anyone can say it's usefullness (in principle) is questionable is beyond me?
I'm generally against the techno creep of incar gadgetry... but this is one thing I'd willingly pay for if it worked well.
Esp. considering what happens when it's wet out and glare from road and headlights goes way up. Any low visibility situation basically. Not so you can drive recklessly but to be informed of what's out of sight.
I too have to drive narrower backroads where deer cross the road and sometimes people (and often people not wearing bright/reflective clothing) will walk at the side of the road. Normally I drive the speed limit (45) on these roads with brights on wherever possible. When I cannot use my brights because of oncomming traffic I would love to have the ability to see what's out there with an i/r setup. Typically I slow down a little when it gets hard to see ahead cuz of glare from oncomming headlights and not being able to use brights... but then I sometimes some get selfish, irate a**hole driving up my a$$ (these folk don't often seem to care about seeing what's ahead).
I'm generally against the techno creep of incar gadgetry... but this is one thing I'd willingly pay for if it worked well.
Esp. considering what happens when it's wet out and glare from road and headlights goes way up. Any low visibility situation basically. Not so you can drive recklessly but to be informed of what's out of sight.
I too have to drive narrower backroads where deer cross the road and sometimes people (and often people not wearing bright/reflective clothing) will walk at the side of the road. Normally I drive the speed limit (45) on these roads with brights on wherever possible. When I cannot use my brights because of oncomming traffic I would love to have the ability to see what's out there with an i/r setup. Typically I slow down a little when it gets hard to see ahead cuz of glare from oncomming headlights and not being able to use brights... but then I sometimes some get selfish, irate a**hole driving up my a$$ (these folk don't often seem to care about seeing what's ahead).
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