In addition to features that appeal to the connected generation, like Smart Start and Honda Link, the cloud-based infotainment system, Honda has introduced an idea that really sucks. The company showed off the 2014 Honda Odyssey Minivan at the New York International Auto Show this week, and the stand-out feature is a built-in vacuum.
It’s called HondaVAC and it’s the world’s first in-car vacuum, says Tami Giammarco, lead design engineer for the car’s interior. She tells Mashable it’s great for families who spend a lot of time in the car.
It was developed in conjunction with Shop-Vac and is basically a vacuum hose tucked behind a side panel in the rear cargo area. Got a Cheerios spill way up front? The hose reaches all the way to the front driver’s seat, so there’s plenty of flexibility, and it comes with two attachments; perfect for reaching those crevices in between seats.
The vacuum is powered from the car’s battery, so you can use it for up to eight minutes when you’re parked, or just turn on the engine and vacuum up all those crumbs.
While some are thinking, “Great idea, why didn’t I think of it?” Giammarco tells us the idea didn’t come from a highly paid designer or engineer. In fact it came from the daughter of a Honda engineer who finally told her dad — who kept getting frustrated by the mess the kids made in the van — “Dad, you need a vacuum in here.”
The HondaVAC is part of a refresh of the Odyssey and will be on sale this summer.
Source : Mashable