AD #1506 – Arizona Sues GM, Tweel Goes Into Production, VW Plans Huge Investment
November 21st, 2014 at 11:59am
Runtime: 7:43
- VW Plans Huge Investment
- Arizona Sues GM
- Michelin Scales up Tweel Production
- Acura Reworks ILX For 2016
- Win a Trip to the Geneva Motor Show
- Parallel Parking Record Set in China
- Are Safety Systems Helpful or Gimmicks?
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Arizona sues General Motors, Michelin invests in an airless tire and one man in China shows off his parallel parking skills. All that and more coming up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily for November 21st, 2014.
VW PLANS HUGE INVESTMENT
Volkswagen is on a quest to become the largest automaker in the world before the decade is over and it’s putting its money where its mouth is. The company announced it’s investing $106 billion dollars over the next five years in new models, technologies and manufacturing plants. And that number doesn’t include its operations in China. VW plans to spend another $27 billion in that market over four years to develop new models and build new plants.
ARIZONA SUES GM
General Motors has been slapped with a number of lawsuits over its ignition switch issues but now Arizona is joining in. Earlier this week, the state’s Attorney General filed the suit which accuses the company of putting motorists in danger and covering up the defect. The state is seeking around $3 billion or $10,000 per every defective vehicle it sold in Arizona. If the state does win the case, the money wouldn’t go to car owners, instead it would go to the state and could be used for funding.
TWEEL SCALING UP FOR PRODUCTION
It was about 10 years ago that Michelin first debuted its airless tire and flexible wheel combination called the Tweel and just last month it announced a partnership with John Deere that will see the Tweel on a series of lawn mower. Michelin plans to invest $50 million at a plant in South Carolina to produce the Tweel, that it claims the tread will last 3 times longer when compared to the standard turf tire. And the company’s chairman and president in North America says one day we may even see the Tweel used on passenger cars, but for now they’re just going to be used in low-speed applications.
Still to come. Acura updates the ILX and George Costanza has some competition in parallel parking.
ACURA REWORKS ILX FOR 2016
It wasn’t that long ago that Acura introduced its all-new TLX and now the automaker is showing off the redesigned 2016 ILX. The front bumper has been massaged with larger lower fascia openings that give it a more aggressive look and all models now adopt the Jewel Eye LED front headlamps that we’ve seen on the RLX and TLX. The 2.0L engine is going bye-bye and it will now be powered, across the line-up, by a 2.4L engine mated to a new 8-speed DCT with a torque-converter. The 2016 ILX is now available in 6 different grades, compared to the 3 before. So as you would expect its gets more premium materials and the latest technologies in infotainment and collision avoidance. Look for the 2016 ILX to be hitting dealerships early next year.
WIN A TRIP TO GENEVA
Would you like to go to next year’s auto show in Geneva? Well, the folks from the North American International Auto Show, Bose and Delta are providing that chance. Just head to www.naias.com/newsflash for a chance to win two tickets to the Geneva show next March, which also includes three nights lodging and airfare. Bose will also award 25 other prizes. Winners will be chosen on January 26th of next year.
And speaking of auto shows, make sure you check out our coverage of the L.A. Auto Show. Just head on over to our website or YouTube channel for a look at the cars revealed at the show and our interviews with top executives.
NOW THAT’S A PRECISION FIT
As much as he likes to brag about his parallel parking skills, I don’t think even George Costanza could have fit into this spot. With just 8 cm or a little over 3-inches of extra space to fit a car into, Han Yue set the Guinness Book Record for tightest parallel park at the China Drift Championship. I’ve seen parking videos like this before but obviously nothing that tight. And for some reason I’m just not surprised that Red Bull was somehow involved.
Coming up next, are safety systems really helping to prevent accidents or are some just gimmicks.
AUTOLINE THIS WEEK
Today’s cars are loaded up with a multitude of safety systems but are they really helping to prevent accidents. That’s one of the topics on Autoline This Week because our guest is Jake Fisher the head of auto testing at Consumer Reports. In the following clip, Jake shares his opinion on which systems are worthwhile and which ones aren’t that necessary.
(The ATW preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)
If you want to learn more about Consumer Reports auto tests and the results from its latest survey of infotainment systems, you can watch that entire show right now on our website. Or if you like, you can always download the transcript. We’re offering a special discount all this month. If you tell us you heard about the transcript on Autoline Daily, you’ll get 50% off the normal price of $1.99. Just click the Autoline Archives link on Autoline.tv to see our full list of available shows.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and have a great weekend.
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Comments (23)
November 21st, 2014 at 12:19 pm
It sounds as Arizona is trying to hop on the ‘gravy train’ in its lawsuit against GM. Reading the charges, it appears to me that they are suing purely on semantics and also ‘could happen’ scenarios or (of which haven’t occurred or haven’t happened to any extent) that ‘real’ damages need to be compensated. If other companies were pursued in this same type of course the courts would be so overburdened that justice (as we think we know it) would be impossible. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail and this will either be dropped or a more feasible suit brought against GM (with more merit). Hey Arizona, while you’re at it, I’ve heard about this airbag company (under scrutiny); go get’m.
November 21st, 2014 at 1:06 pm
It’s worth repeating that many of the so-called safety features are in reality little more than enabling features; enabling to irresponsible, inattentive, and distracted drivers who are too bothered by the hassles of driving themselves. And while not be the worst offender, blind spot monitoring systems are the biggest waste of money. I defy any automaker to prove that simple blind spot mirrors affixed to the side-view mirrors are not far more cost-effective than the electronic monitoring systems. But then again, who would brag about a mirror within a mirror?
November 21st, 2014 at 1:55 pm
Every time I read anything about VW trying to become #1 worldwide, there is never any mention of an all out blitz to improve quality and reliability, which I think it’s the main reason they cannot achieve this goal. there is no question in my mind that their cars are superior to the competition in many aspects, EXCEPT in the reliability and long term quality dept. There are tons of owner’s reviews where they lament about major breakdowns in important components, usually after the warranty expires, if they’re so sure about their cars, then provide a longer warranty than what they currently have.
November 21st, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Regarding the Jake Fisher video, I agree with Jake that Forward Collision Warning systems have great promise. I completely disagree with John – auto raking is not required to fulfill that promise. A driver would have to be comatose to ignore the warnings!
November 21st, 2014 at 5:48 pm
All these gizzmo’s detract from developing good driving practices. They would be even less needed if drivers wouldn’t text or use the phone hile behind the wheel.
The tweel looks kinda niffty, but I doubt they would be practicalwhen the tractors mower deck is replaced with a plow. I can invission the snow packed inbeteen the vanes as I write!
November 21st, 2014 at 6:45 pm
In car tech as seen on Autoline Weekly
I’d make a few points.
-Audi’s Nvidia processors are upgradable, so when a faster SoC(system on a chip) becomes available, you can switch the two.
-Apple’s Iphones are so easy and smooth to use partly because Apple controls the stack. That is, they design their chips, build their own hardware and software and control the apps that get on users phones. This is very hard for carcos to achieve.
-The internet of everything(IoE) is approaching the event horizon. We’re going to be seeing more sensors on our bodies and in the environment. Making them work together meaningfully is where lots of the current engineering development is happening. Cars are a prime target. Don’t get fixated on the 6 inch screen on your dash like the young snotty techy tots.
-check out EETimes automotive section. Take away: intelligence is being pushed out to the periphery of the network.
http://www.eetimes.com/automotive-designline.asp
November 21st, 2014 at 6:52 pm
The Twheel – I wonder if they have considered a snow version? It will be very popular in Buffalo.
I agree with you Pedro.
November 21st, 2014 at 6:55 pm
I wish that fool who fell asleep at the wheel and hit my girlfriend had forward collision avoidance.
November 21st, 2014 at 7:07 pm
We humans are the most sketchy part of the car, it seems.
November 21st, 2014 at 9:22 pm
John,
I often wonder why you allow some, who are here quite often, to continue to offer nothing other than to claim the wonder of old vehicles. Not exactly your regular work it would seem.
November 22nd, 2014 at 12:46 am
Is it just me or does the Tweel remind you of the old solid metal wheels used on tractors or a wagon wheel? Truly what goes around comes (back) around.
November 22nd, 2014 at 9:14 am
oil
A long Bloomberg piece on the oil markets and politics. Infotainment screens, it seems, aren’t the only game.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-20/cheap-oil-era-tilts-geopolitical-power-to-u-s-.html
November 22nd, 2014 at 6:32 pm
HtG, I’m having trouble reaching this article, but I’ve read China is having a lot of troubles drilling as cheap as the US can. And of course, the Saudi’s is doing their best dealing with the demand, just to keep cash rolling in. It’s neighbors, like Iran, are feverish to hold on to its market share. For sure, the US will play a larger roll in setting future prices. As oil prices drop to the point where future drilling becomes questionable, I have to wonder what is gained by the pipe line Canadians wish to cross our lands;esp. when when the tar sand stuff is rather specific in its use when refined.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:22 am
I just got back from my cruise and checked the comments from Nov. 14. It was a Carnival ship, the Liberty, but it didn’t sink or catch fire. I arrived home with a cold, but I don’t think that was Carnival’s fault. I didn’t lose, or win anything in the casino, since I didn’t play.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:24 am
1, I suspect the Obama haters that own the AZ state government are still bitter that GM was “bailed out,” and want to hurt them if they can. There ore probably few, if any GM facilities in the state, except for dealers.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:27 am
3, It seems that VW reliability is “good enough” in most of the world, especially in Europe, when they dominate the market in about every country. It also helps that in most places outside the U.S. and Canada, VW probable has one of the largest dealer networks, rather than the sparse one that we have.
November 23rd, 2014 at 9:36 am
10, I like the refinement, performance and efficiency of new vehicles, but I like the simple, intuitive controls of older ones much better.
As far as stuff like blind spot detection, I like windows that you can see out of, but I suspect the electronic stuff is pretty cheap now.
November 23rd, 2014 at 10:24 am
16 I do wonder if some of VW’s reliability image in the US is due to Americans either not taking very good care of their cars or doing the maintenance soundly and on time.
—–
Well Kit, if you didn’t do any gambling, then I’m not going to ask how much weight you gained at the buffet tables.
November 23rd, 2014 at 11:28 am
18, I tend to drink too much, more than eat too much on cruises, not having to drive. Gambling might be cheaper.
November 23rd, 2014 at 12:29 pm
Welcome back, Kit. Glad you made it back in one piece without any weird bacteria or virus from the always risky Carnival cruise line.
November 24th, 2014 at 1:02 am
@ #18 From the VW’s I have seen, it is not a lack of maintenance that causes oil leaks, worn bushings, electric latch failures, burned out headlamps, etc. One of VW’s most reliable vehicles is the Routan so what does that tell you?
November 24th, 2014 at 7:02 am
21 re 18; I need to work on my provocations a little, C-Tech.
November 24th, 2014 at 1:25 pm
From the article, sounds like the AZ Attorney General is just trying to make a name for himself before leaving office. Here in Indiana, it seems the only lawsuits the Attorney General takes up is for political and Republican social conservative agenda (e.g., anti-same sex marriages, anti-ObamaCare, anti-organized labor, anti-teacher). Most have little merit and never get very far, but that doesn’t stop the AG from continuing to file them.
AZ might also be upset with GM for closing down their Mesa Proving Grounds as part of the bankruptcy activities, but more likely they are just looking for some free money.