AD #2195 – Ford Augments Its Design Process, Russian Sales Continue to Rebound, Volvo Introduces All-New XC40
September 21st, 2017 at 11:47am
Runtime: 6:38
To watch this episode on YouTube click here.
- BYD Predicts ICE-Less China by 2030
- Delphi Partners with Blackberry on Autonomy
- Russian Car Sales Continue to Rebound
- Kia Cuts Rio Price
- Volvo’s All-New XC40
- Ford Uses Augmented Reality for Design
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On today’s show… Ford uses augmented reality to help in the design process… Russia continues to rebound… and Volvo shows off the all-new XC40. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.
BANNING PISTON ENGINES
It’s becoming quite popular lately for countries to announce they will ban cars with internal combustion engines in the coming decade. Norway, France, England, India all say they will ban piston engine cars over the next 8 to 13 years. And now BYD, a Chinese electric car manufacturer, predicts that China will ban the internal combustion engine by 2030. In automotive terms, 2030 is right around the corner. If these countries can make these bans stick, it’s going to have a devastating financial impact on most car companies and many suppliers. They have enormous investments in traditional powertrains and need tremendous scale to pay for those investments.
DELPHI PARTNERS WITH BLACKBERRY
As we’ve reported, the giant supplier company Delphi is positioning itself to be a major player with autonomous technology. It wants to sell automakers a turn-key solution, what it’s calling “autonomy in a box.” And now the company has partnered with Blackberry to provide the operating system for its self-driving vehicles. The Blackberry QNX OS will facilitate Delphi’s software algorithms and middleware, to enhance performance and safety. Delphi plans to launch its fully integrated autonomous system in 2019.
Still to come… Kia and Volvo take the wraps off a couple of new vehicles.
LET ME HEAR YOUR BALALAIKA’S RINGING OUT
When Russia was hit with trade sanctions over its annexation of Crimea, new car sales almost collapsed and it’s auto industry was hurt badly. Those sanctions are still in place, but car sales in Russia are on the rebound. They were up nearly 17% last month, and are up nearly 10% for the year. The Hyundai-Kia group sells more cars in Russia than anyone else. Next up is Autovaz, which is best known for selling cars under the Lada brand. Renault-Nissan owns 25% of Autovaz. They’re followed by the Volkswagen group, Renault, and Toyota. Even though new car sales in Russia are growing again, they are still less than half of what they were before the sanctions were applied.
| Largest Automakers in Russia Jan. – Aug., 2017 |
|
|---|---|
| Hyundai-Kia | 213,000 |
| Autovaz | 193,000 |
| Volkswagen AG | 111,000 |
| Renault | 83,000 |
| Toyota | 74,000 |
KIA CUTS RIO PRICE
There are a number of cheap cars for sale in the American market and Kia’s Rio is even less expensive than the outgoing model. The recently refreshed model now starts at $13,900, not including destination charges. As you might expect, that doesn’t offer much in the way of features, like adjustable head rests, cruise control or power windows. A 5-door model now starts at just over $14,000 and top-of-the-line EX trim is a shade under $19,000. The all-new Rio hits dealers at the beginning of next month.
VOLVO INTRODUCES ALL-NEW XC40
Speaking of new models, Volvo is continuing to fill out its lineup. The automaker just released its first compact CUV, the XC40. It’s the first vehicle to ride on the automaker’s CMA modular architecture, which will also underpin all other 40 Series cars including fully electrified vehicles. Styling of the XC40 remains in line with Volvo’s other utilities, but also features a very distinct rear panel that kicks up sharply in the middle of the rear door. It will first come available with either a gas or diesel 4-cylinder engine, but a 3-cylinder, a hybrid and a pure EV will come at a later date. Production for the all-new XC40 will start at Volvo’s plant in Belgium in November.
Coming up next, Ford experiments with augmented reality to enhance its design process.
FORD AUGMENTS ITS DESIGN PROCESS
A couple of years ago, Volvo teamed up with Microsoft to demonstrate how the tech giant’s HoloLens augmented reality goggles, could be used to enhance the dealership experience. And for the past year, Ford has been experimenting with the goggles in its design process. The wireless headsets can project different digital design elements and parts on a physical vehicle, which designers can cycle through instantaneously. With a clay model, design changes can take months but with HoloLens it cuts it down to just minutes or hours. And it can help different parts of the team collaborate more efficiently. For example, designers can show engineers in real-time how a different shape to the side-mirrors impacts the driver’s view of the surroundings. And even better, design studios in different regions of the world can all view the same thing at the same time while wearing the goggles. Design is probably the most important part of the automotive industry. And that’s why making the process more efficient and flexible, is important to a company like Ford.
Be sure to join us for Autoline After Hours this afternoon. We’ll have Rick Spina, the Executive Chief Engineer for Crossovers at General Motors in the studio. Also joining us will be Henry Payne, the car critic from The Detroit News; and Stephanie Brinley, an analyst with IHS Markit. That’s today at 3 pm eastern time, on our website, Autoline.tv.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.
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Comments (15)
September 21st, 2017 at 12:14 pm
Ford’s augmented design is very impressive.
September 21st, 2017 at 2:07 pm
How can any government ban an inte4nal combustion engine. The automotive industry is the hub by which all other industries are derived. Everything is either produced by and r supplied by the auto industry nothing gets sold are moved without them. The government need to rethink an outrageous idea of banning the internal combustion engine.
September 21st, 2017 at 2:53 pm
Love the new Volvo XC40. Outstanding design. I can’t wait for it to come to a dealer near me as I would love one with a diesel as I am a real diesel fan. Had an Eldorado back in 1985 with a diesel,the true diesel block,not the converted gas one that would scatter. On the open road I could easily get 60 MPG’s with cruise set at 70. I just wish the XC40 came in a manual. I am a die hard stick person and am sad to see them almost gone.
September 21st, 2017 at 3:40 pm
I’m one of those old farts when every family had someone working for the Big3, so buying something different was taboo. Never the less, I also find Volvos attractive; Especially the wagons. I could never buy one just because they are owned by the Chinese!
September 21st, 2017 at 4:30 pm
I really do hope other countries do ban the I/C engine.
We didn’t get to I/C engines because of politics. We got there because they were the best engines up to now. If something was better, it would be dominating.
So countries that don’t allow the most efficient engines will only cause more fuel use (hence more emissions), and make their country uncompetitive.
September 21st, 2017 at 5:46 pm
Regarding countries banning internal combustion engines, I guess it is time to bring back steam powered cars since they are external combustion engines, I’m sure that will please the environmental Nazis.
I think the XC40 looks good but I would be worried about losing a semi in that D pillar, jikes!! I hope it comes with a reliable blind spot mitigation system because you’re going to need it with that design.
September 21st, 2017 at 7:30 pm
5 How about setting high but attainable standards and goals for the various vehicle categories and let technology, competition and innovation decide the best powertrain solutions, not politics, not shortsighted bans?
I wish the various governments/environmentalists/politicians would consider the WHOLE package, including manufacturing, disposal/recycling, source of energy (e.g. coal powering EVs) and not just obsess over the tailpipe.
Volvo has come out of nowhere with attractive and fresh designs.
September 21st, 2017 at 8:15 pm
I’ll be very surprised if those countries are able to follow through with tbeir banning ICE-powered cars in 8-13 years. That’s not enough time to tool up to build the cars and batteries, or to prepare the charging infrastructure. A good starting place would be to ban, or greatly limit the number of ICE cars in large cities. That is where tailpipe emissions are a problem.
September 21st, 2017 at 11:34 pm
How about letting the market drive what powertrains people want and not the government.
I guess they figure if they can’t get the public to buy an EV using incentives then just ban the ice.
September 22nd, 2017 at 9:07 am
I’m not a fan of big government or excessive regulations, but this could be similar to gov’t banning incandescent light bulbs. They were in every house and like ICEs, very inefficient due to so much energy going towards heat production. At the time they started banning them, the LED bulbs were very awkward and odd looking. Now, after just a few years, you can’t even tell the difference and they became much cheaper.
September 22nd, 2017 at 9:32 am
As all the light bulbs that are in use drop their energy consumption by around 80-90% with the switch to LEDs, that should free up enough energy for charging electric vehicles without too much added impact on the grid.
September 22nd, 2017 at 9:33 am
Uber banned in London.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/09/22/uber-denied-london-licence-huge-setback-app/
September 22nd, 2017 at 9:34 am
Uknedoit; The biggest difference with your light bulb analogy is that the LED bulbs were not just a new technology that was greener. LED bulbs are safer burn cooler use less energy and last longer. The EV’s are just not on the same playing field as the ICE vehicle (yet).
Having numerous cordless power tools myself I love the advantage they provide. However within the last few years they have gone from 6V to 12V to 18 to 24 and keep changing. Which proves they are still developing the technology. I have Li Ion and NiCad battery packs and they don’t last and are expensive to replace. In fact almost by time the battery pack quits working your better off to toss the drill and buy the new one with the improved higher voltage battery. Not sure many people can afford to do that with their car.
Not to mention that if you need to tow a boat, camper, or need a large SUV there are no EV’s available.
September 22nd, 2017 at 11:50 am
Cordless power tools would be convenient, but not liking throwaway items, I would never buy them. My two 60 year old plug-in drills still work fine, and one of them has a lot of run time.
Yeah, it will be a while before EV’s can do what ICE vehicles do, like go 500 miles non-stop, and then go another 500 miles after a 5 minute stop.
September 22nd, 2017 at 1:26 pm
Geez Kit, 60 year old drills that still work. You don’t do enough screwing around.