On today’s show…Fisker is making a comeback, GM finds a unique way to use Volt batteries and Jaguar Land Rover can read your mind. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily for June 17th, 2015.

BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED
Yesterday we reported how Nissan is using old LEAF batteries as stationary storage devices and now GM is doing the same. The automaker is using five used 1st-gen Volt batteries mounted in parallel, to help keep the lights on at its Data Center on the Milford Proving Grounds in Michigan. If needed, the batteries are able to provide the building up to four hours of back-up power. Along with solar panels and 2 wind turbines, the entire system is capable of generating enough energy annually to power 12 average households.

FISKER MOUNTS A COMEBACK
Fisker is making a comeback. The company, which makes the Karma plug-in hybrid, filed for bankruptcy in 2013 and was bought by Chinese company Wanxiang last year. But now Fisker is gearing up to re-enter the market. The company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jim Taylor, a former GM executive by the way, announced plans to open a manufacturing plant in California. The facility will produce the Karma for worldwide sale but the company did not reveal when production will kick off.

KIRK KERKORIAN PASSES AWAY
Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian passed away a few days ago, he was 98 years old. While he made most of his money owning hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, he became well known in the auto industry. He twice tried to buy Chrysler, once in 1995 and again in 2007, but was ultimately rebuffed each time. In 2006 he bought a nearly 10% stake in GM and tried to force a merger with Renault-Nissan but obviously that didn’t happen. His last foray into the auto industry was buying a 6.5% stake in Ford in 2008 but dumped those shares less than a year later for a massive loss. And while he never did acquire a car company, he did have a big impact on the industry.

And we’ll be back with more right after this.

TOYOTA CONDUCTS i-ROAD TRIALS
We’ve reported how Toyota is testing out its ultra-compact i-Road in France and Japan and now it may be coming to a road near you. The automaker held a focus group in Dallas last weekend where 65 participants gave their feedback on how the vehicle could fit into their daily lives. A similar program was held in California in February. While Toyota says there’s no specific plans for U.S. i-Road demonstration programs or sales, this is how it started out in Japan, where i-Roads will be loaned to individual drivers starting next month.

BUICK CASCADA DETAILS
Next year, for the first time in a quarter century, Buick will offer a convertible in the U.S. If the Cascada looks familiar, that’s because it’s sold in Europe as an Opel. But we’re starting to learn about some of the features on Buick’s new drop-top. The top only takes 17 seconds to lower and can be done at speeds up to 31MPH. The body structure is designed so the top and roll bar can be stowed below the belt line under a hard tonneau cover. That roll bar, which is located behind the front seats, is spring loaded, pyrotechnically activated and is combined with the airbag system. When deployed the bars are about 14 inches long to match the height of the windshield. The Buick Cascada goes on sale early next year.

Coming up next, Congress wants to lower federal vehicle maintenance costs and how monitoring brain waves can help reduce accidents.

YOU READ MY MIND
There are many factors that cause accidents, but drivers who are stressed, distracted or not concentrating on the road would be some of the most common. And now JLR is working on a series of research projects that would improve driver concentration and reduce accidents. One of the safety technologies is called Mind Sense, where sensors embedded in the steering wheel monitor brain waves to determine if the driver daydreaming or tired. Haptics or vibrations could be used in the accelerator pedal to warn or alert the driver. The automaker is also testing out medical-grade sensors in the seat that can detect things like serious illness or stress levels. This could be used in autonomous applications to see if a driver is fit to take over a vehicle. It’s also working on reducing the amount of time a driver has to take their eyes off the road by trying to predict what button they’re going to press on the infotainment screen. The system uses cameras to track the driver’s hand and user trials show it increases the speed of button selection by 22%. I think all of us can agree this last technology would be very useful, as long as it’s accurate.

REMANUFACTURED PARTS BILL PROPOSED
An interesting new bill is making its way through Congress. The Detroit News reports that the U.S. Senate just passed a measure that would encourage the use of remanufactured parts for federal vehicles that need repair, as long as it does not impact safety. The U.S. spends around $1 billion a year to repair and maintain the nearly 590,000 vehicles in the federal fleet. A study from the Government Accountability Office found that the measure would help reduce those repair costs. The bill still needs to be approved by the U.S. House before President Obama can sign it into law. I’m kind of surprised they weren’t already doing this because in my personal experience, remanufactured parts are perfectly fine as long as you’re using a reputable rebuilder.

And don’t forget to tune into After Hours this Thursday. Our special guest is Craig Metros, the exterior designer of the Ford GT. So if you’ve got any questions send them our way at [email protected]. So join John and Gary Vasilash for some of the best insider discussions in the industry.

But that brings us to the end of today’s show, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.