On today’s show… the rumor mill says Apple will buy McLaren, but McLaren says it’s not going to happen, ZF develops four wheel steering for full size pickups and we take a look at two new EV startups. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily for September 22nd, 2016.

MCLAREN DENIES APPLE RUMORS
Yesterday the internet lit up with rumors that Apple was going to buy McLaren. Initial reports said Apple was interested in buying McLaren Engineering which is involved in developing all kinds of advanced technology. Later in the day the rumors said it would include McLaren’s automotive assembly operations as well as its Formula One team. It seemed like a matchup made in heaven. We know Apple wants to get into the automotive business and McLaren could be a perfect partner. Or not. This morning McLaren officially denied the rumors, saying “We can confirm that McLaren is not in discussion with Apple in respect of any potential investment.” That’s an interesting choice of words. Apple may not be investing in McLaren but it sure sounds like the two are working together on something.

VACUUM COMPANY EYES EV BUSINESS
Speaking of new companies jumping into the auto industry, last year, the vacuum cleaner company Dyson bought the battery company Sakti3. At the time Dyson said it made the acquisition in order to use Sakti3’s solid-state batteries in its products. But maybe Dyson is also looking to get into the car business. Automotive News reports that Dyson just hired Ian Minards, Aston Martin’s head of product development. Minards was at Aston for a decade and helped develop the DB11 coupe. He is now Dyson’s head of global product development. And that has some speculating that Dyson could be developing an electric car.

AUSTRIAN EV STARTUP
And here’s yet another new company making EVs that we never heard of before. Kreisel Electric was founded by three brothers from Austria who claim their EV system can go faster and further than anything Tesla is making. The company has patented laser-welding and thermal-cooling techniques that they say preserves the full power of the lithium-ion cells. Kreisel makes more than battery packs and electric drive trains. The brothers also design lithium-battery production lines for automakers and produce prototypes as well. And they already have contracts with two unnamed companies, one of which will reportedly make 100,000 cars over the next 2-years.

Still to come…ZF develops a four-wheel steering system for trucks that gives the Ford F-150 the same turning radius as an Escape.

HOW CLEAN ARE EVS?
Electric cars help reduce emissions compared to regular gas-powered cars but how much savings they provide depends on where you live. A new study from Bloomberg found that on average EVs are 40 to 50% cleaner than cars powered by gasoline or diesel. However in China, which burns coal for most of its electric power, the reduction in emissions is only 15%. But more green energy doesn’t necessarily mean EVs will be more efficient. Interestingly in France, which gets 90% of its energy from renewable sources or nuclear power, the gap between EV and ICE vehicles will actually narrow over the next several decades because ICE engines are becoming cleaner.

4WS FOR BIG PICKUPS
Big pickups and full size SUVs can be difficult to maneuver in tight spaces. That’s why the supplier company ZF is developing four-wheel-steering for them. We got to drive this F-150 that ZF is using as its development mule and came away impressed. It was easy to squeeze the big truck into narrow parking spaces and through tight turns. And it noticeably improves emergency lane change maneuvers, even with a heavy load in the bed. This is not the first time someone has tried to use four wheel steering in full size trucks. From 2002 through 2005 Chevrolet and GMC offered four wheel steering on their full size pickups and the Suburban, but it was a pricey option, about $5,600, and it never caught on. ZF thinks it can cut the price of the system and is developing it on its own, not as part of a program with any automaker. This system could definitely open up the market for full size trucks for people who feel they are just too hard to park. It gives a Ford F-150 about the same turning radius as the much smaller Ford Escape.

Coming up next, the classic car market could be headed for trouble.

NHTSA’S AUTONOMOUS POLICY BOOK
Earlier this week we promised to give you the link to NHTSA’s policy towards autonomous cars and we’re publishing that link in today’s show notes. It will take you to the page that let’s you download the policy booklet. This is a must-read for anyone in the industry who’s working on anything to do with autonomous cars. The report is over 100 pages long but is fairly easy to read. One thing that caught our eye is that NHTSA is giving up on its definition of the different levels of autonomy and is adopting the SAE definitions instead.

CLASSIC CAR MARKET COOLING OFF
Back in August we reported that overall sales at the Monterey classic car auction were down, which could be a signal that the classic car market is starting to decline. And now Hagerty, the classic car insurer, may have some evidence to back that up. It measures the confidence experts have in the classic car market and that tally just hit a five-year low. It’s also seeing big drops in prices of other luxury goods like artwork. The good news is, lower prices for classic cars is good news for true enthusiasts rather than those who see classic cars as an investment opportunity.

Don’t forget to join us for Autoline After Hours later this afternoon. We’ll have Leia Horton, the program manager for the Fiat 124 on the show. So if you have any questions about that car and how they worked with Mazda to develop it, shoot us an email or tweet or call in. All that info is in today’s show notes.
Email: viewermail.autoline.tv
Twitter: Twitter.com/Autoline
Call: (620) 288-6546

And with that we wrap up today’s show, thanks for watching and you’re welcome to join us right here again tomorrow.