The UAW once had a monopoly on automotive labor in the United States and Canada but not anymore. Obviously the union has to do something because it’s only a matter of time before the union runs out of money.
Why take the risk? What makes you think it would work this time? We’re asking, of course, about GM’s relationship with the long-embattled diesel engine. Decades after the General killed diesels in passenger cars, Chevrolet is counting on a reversal in fortunes as it offers the Cruze with a modern diesel powerplant. This week as Mike Siegrist, Assistant Chief Engineer of the Chevy Cruze Diesel, joins us in studio with an engine in tow, we’ll ask him why the company is putting its faith in diesel once again. As usual, we’ll get into the latest news including Viper returning to Le Mans and Renault entering Formula E. Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production.
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Everybody in the auto industry is looking to lose weight these days. With CAFE requirements creeping ever closer, all manufacturers want to improve their miles per gallon average. And the best way to do that is by lightweighting – finding lighter materials that are just as safe to use in production. And since everyone is doing it, John McElroy has put together the perfect panel to touch on the topic. Joining him is Carla Bailo the head of R&D for Nissan Americas, the CEO of CSP Plastics Frank Macher and Rose Ryntz from International Automotive Components.
The Kia Forte debuted in the U.S. a little over three years ago. For the 2014 model, the company updated its styling, added new technology and upgraded the powertrains. Here’s Autoline Daily correspondent Sean McElroy with al the details.
Tesla Motors announces its paid off its government loan, and ticks off another automaker in the process. A new study highlights how car dealers need to do a better job on the internet. After nine decades of making cars in country, Ford announces it will end production there. All that and more, plus the debut of Design Handbook with the encyclopedic automotive expert, Jim Hall.
The Mazda CX-5 is a terrific vehicle but some think it’s a bit under powered. Well, Mazda seems to have the answer for those complaints, as Autoline Daily correspondent Isaac Bouchard reports.
In a historic move, General Motors is going to move its Treasurer’s office from New York to Detroit. With new car sales running strong in the American market, Ford chops its summer vacation in half. Mitsubishi announces its next-generation global compact sedan, called the Attrage. All that and more, plus host John McElroy responds to your comments and questions in this week’s edition of You Said It!
Trade groups that represent the major automakers push for the U.S. and the European Union to harmonize safety and emission regulations. Did you know that the U.S. imports cars from 12 different countries, not counting Canada or Mexico? Hennessey takes one automaker’s high-performance pickup, caps the bed and turns it into an SUV. All that and more, plus John McElroy asks whether the 2014 Chevy Silverado can take on the Ford F-150.
John McElroy has his first impressions of Kia’s new full-size sedan, the Cadenza, which is a stretched version of the Optima. For the first time in two years, GM’s stock closes above its IPO. According to Bank of America Merrill Lynch light vehicle sales will smash the all-time sales record in the U.S. by 2018. All that and more, plus a look at how augmented reality can make race car driving safer.
Car sales did something in Europe last month that they haven’t done since September 2011 — go up. The reason Kia believes its car sales will rebound all starts with the number seven. Porsche introduces its plug-in hybrid, the 918 Spyder. All that and more, plus GM CFO, Dan Ammann explains what the company is doing to make Opel profitable once again.