AD #1578 – Was There a Cover Up at GM? Russia in Tailspin, Citroen’s Eye Catching Design
March 17th, 2015 at 11:50am
Runtime: 6:31
- Did GM Cover Up Ignition Switch Issue?
- Russia in a Sales Tailspin
- Gas to Remain King in China
- Harman’s Other Noise Canceling Tech.
- Truck Sales Keep on Truckin’
- Citroen’s Eye Catching Design
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On today’s show… A lawyer says he found documents that prove a coverup at GM, heavy truck sales are booming like we’ve never seen before, and Citroen creates a sensational styling look. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily for March 17th, 2015.
WAS THERE A COVER UP AT GM?
A lawyer suing General Motors over defective ignition switches says he’s uncovered documents that prove GM executives knew about the defect years ago and covered it up. Bloomberg reports that attorney Lance Cooper says the documents contradict the findings by independent investigator Anton Valukas, who was hired by GM to determine what the company did wrong. Valukas cited corporate bureaucracy and incompetence. Lance Cooper says he has emails and documents not included in the Valukas report that prove it was a coverup. Here’s my Autoline Insight. Of course there was a coverup. Everybody knows that, including GM. That’s why it fired 15 employees, including engineers, executives and lawyers, though GM accused them of neglect and incompetence. But can Cooper prove that GM’s top officers were aware of the problem years ago? I find it hard to believe that Valukas would have missed a bombshell like that.
RUSSIA IN A TAILSPIN
As recently as two years ago the Russian car market was a wonder to behold. Sales were booming and automakers were pouring investments into the country. Not anymore. Ever since the war with Ukraine and the sanctions that followed the Russian car market has collapsed. GM, Ford, and Audi have all temporarily suspended production. And Nissan just announced it’s going to do the same. So far this year sales of cars and light trucks are down 38%, sales of medium and heavy duty trucks plummeted 72% and busses are down 60%, as reported by Wards. Before this all happened analysts were predicting the Russian car market would surpass Germany. But now it looks like automakers will be lucky if it gets back to its previous levels by later this decade.
More news coming up, right after this.
GAS TO REMAIN KING IN CHINA
In an effort to spur the growth of electric vehicles, the Chinese government is offering big incentives. But that will only grow the segment slightly by 2020 according to a study from Frost & Sullivan. It says EVs will reach 4% of the total market by the end of the decade while gasoline powered cars will remain the dominant powertrain at nearly 95% of the market.
SILENCE IS GOLDEN
Last week we showed you technology from Harman that lets everyone in a car listen to whatever they want to at the volume they want to set it at. It’s all based on noise cancellation technology, and Harman is also using that technology to overcome in-cabin noises from lightweighting, because heavier materials dampen noise. And it’s using it to counteract engine downsizing, and cylinder deactivation. But instead of relying on microphones in the cabin to react to noise, they start much earlier in the process. For example, they measure engine rpm, load and throttle position to anticipate noise, and use sound synthesis to improve the quality. They use accelerometers in the shocks to anticipate impacts and road noise, and cancel the noise. Harman claims it can reduce noise by 20 decibels, which is a lot. And they can eliminate low frequency drones that can induce drowsiness on long trips. (There is decent video starting at 2:00)
Coming up next, big truck sales continue to grow in the U.S. and a look at an interesting concept from Citroen.
Be sure to join us for Autoline After Hours on Thursday, the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry. Our guest is Scott Smith the program manager on the new Ford edge, so join me and Gary Vasilash for some of the best insights into what makes this industry run.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN’
Car sales in the U.S. in February weren’t as strong as analysts expected mainly due to the bad winter weather. However sales of heavy duty trucks rocketed upward. Wards reports that class 7 semis were up 11%, while Class 8’s were up nearly 27%. Big truck sales are a leading indicator for the economy, and we’ve never seen such strong growth in this segment, ever.
CITROEN’S EYE CATCHING DESIGN
Tatra had one of the most interesting rear window designs to ever hit the streets, but here’s a concept from PSA’s premium DS brand that caught my eye at the Geneva show. It’s called the Divine and features a checkerboard pattern on the roof that leads into three diamond shaped panels on the back window. While Citroen doesn’t give much information about the car or the panels, it does look like they open and close to help improve aerodynamics. Or maybe this is just one French designers take on the louvered rear windows you can get on a Mustang or Camaro. One thing is for sure, it really catches your eye.
And that wraps up today’s report. Thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.
Thanks to our partner for embedding Autoline Daily on its website: WardsAuto.com
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Comments (20)
March 17th, 2015 at 12:16 pm
I could imagine an attitude at GM that the Cobalt was an un-loved legacy design that made no money therefore was not worthy of constant re-invention and refreshing. Is it possible that there were other marginal parts on the vehicle other than the ignition switch, that could have “issues” that were neglected?
March 17th, 2015 at 12:20 pm
I thought that the GM coverup was a given, this is not surprising in the least, they messed up big time, that’s all. I just hope they learned from this and it never happens again!
March 17th, 2015 at 12:29 pm
I would say claiming ignorance would be much easier for GM’s top brass than it was for Jeffrey Skilling and other like-minded “titans” of industry, but Andrew Fastow might still be a good consultant for Mr. Cooper.
March 17th, 2015 at 12:39 pm
GM cover up, Really? Some Lawyers found some documents not in the published reports? Sounds like they are trying to get some claims rejected approved? You know stupidity is not a right to sue for not controlling the Cars and crashing. One could have put these cars in N to stop take it out of gear. It’s on You to know operate correctly too.
March 17th, 2015 at 1:20 pm
John you mentioned the following tidbit in your broadcast today: “Harman claims it can reduce noise by 20 decibels, which is a lot. And they can eliminate low frequency drones that can induce drowsiness on long trips.” I Wonder how many fatal crashes were caused by these Low Frequency Drones that can induce drowsiness on long trips? Have any automakers ever been sued over these LFD’s?
March 17th, 2015 at 1:37 pm
John,
I have been reading about noise cancellation systems in Popular Science for years. For years I have heard claims that noise cancellation systems are going to make exhaust systems obsolete, but its never happened. What makes this noise cancellation application so much more successful? And what in the world is a “low frequency drone” ? Drone? No way?
Love the show!. Look forward to watching every day. You actually have saved me money from going out for lunch. I love your show so much that I now pack my lunch just so I can watch over the noon hour. You have saved me money!
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Thanks,
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March 17th, 2015 at 1:43 pm
5 Yeah, people should sue car companies over the LFD’s. They sue, and win, because people get killed when they run their Cobalts off the road and hit trees while drunk, and not wearing seat belts.
March 17th, 2015 at 1:51 pm
I am surprised to see so many people load up their car keys with a ton of crap even after all the problems that have been reported, bunch of dummies.
March 17th, 2015 at 2:18 pm
@ Lex: The only low frequency drone from an exhaust system That I have ever encountered was by my own doing,IE aftermarket cat-back duals,( flowmaster 40′s) etc.Never from a stock factory system.
March 17th, 2015 at 2:24 pm
#6. What makes this latest noise cancellation system better is that it’s not waiting for the noise to reach the cabin and than cancel it, it’s using sensors on the engine and the shock absorbers to measure inputs, anticipate noise and cancel it the moment it is generated. It just reacts much faster.
Years ago there was talk of eliminating the muffler, but it was just talk. You’d be surprised how many cars use noise cancellation already, but not to the extent that Harman is proposing.
March 17th, 2015 at 2:46 pm
The first Accord hybrid had noise cancellation. I don’t think they talked much about it, but a friend found out when it failed on his daughter’s car. It wasn’t cheap to fix, but the car was apparently obnoxiously noisy without it working.
March 17th, 2015 at 3:29 pm
I wonder why Honda has had issues with noise isolation even in the “luxury” Acura line, I don’t know much about automotive engineering, but if others can do it, why can’t Honda?
March 17th, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Lamborghini put out this video on Virtual Reality from the Geneve show. ~1.5min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS1ipqOCqaU
March 17th, 2015 at 4:52 pm
Good for Russia sales! Son of bitcher they are dogs! they get whats they deserve for cause all this problem!!!
March 17th, 2015 at 7:26 pm
The Citroën design does catch your eye, but so does a bad accident.
Noise cancellation sounds great (no pun intended) I just wonder how much it costs?
March 17th, 2015 at 9:15 pm
These noise cancellation wizards should try their magic with airplanes. It seems that little, if any progress has made with cabin noise of airliners over the last 50 years.
March 18th, 2015 at 10:34 am
I’m still fascinated by the concept of dynamic sound substitution. Wouldn’t you enjoy it if you could drive your 3-cylinder Fiesta sounding inside like you were driving an Aston Martin Vantage?
March 18th, 2015 at 10:46 am
@ #16 I agree 100% Airplane drone is terrible.
March 18th, 2015 at 1:09 pm
Russia is a ‘soon to be broke’ country and the GM’s,Ford’s and all the European car company’s will be writing off their investments starting in 2016. Putin and all the crooked oligarchs around him have had their out of country bank accounts seized and many country’s won’t give them visas. In 1998 the IMF bailed them out but this time they won’t touch them. The ruble is on it’s way to being near worthless and in the financial industry it’s often referred to as the ‘rubble’
March 18th, 2015 at 7:36 pm
No such thing as a quiet unibody. GM,s got a much bigger deal coming up than switches & unibody natural noises & that’s the china built 2.4 developing a litany of probs. Dumped my 2.4 Terrain today in favor of a cherry ol SportTrac
after the electric throttle caused 2 towing bills,& a brushoff. Drove nothing but GM for over 60 years, until today