On today’s show… one supplier creates a new brake rotor that can significantly reduce brake dust… a look at which automakers are gaining and losing market share… and ZF shows how it would be easy to electrify existing cars. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.

U.S. MARKET SHARE WINNERS AND LOSERS
One of the best ways to track how each automaker is performing is to measure their market share. Through the first ten months of the year, the US market is down 1.8%, but some automakers are faring better than others. General Motors is up 1.1% this year, while Ford is down by 0.6%. Toyota is up 2.8% while FCA is down nearly 7%. Honda is up 2% while Nissan is up over 3%. GM’s gain is important to note because the company has cut the number of fleet cars that it sells. And Honda has always avoided fleet sales.

In the luxury segment Audi is running away from the field with an 8% gain in market share. In fact, it is the only luxury brand to gain share this year. BMW and Lexus have each dropped more than 5%, while Mercedes, JLR, Cadillac and Porsche have seen no change in market share so far this year.

THE mSTARS ARE SHINNING
I bet there are a number of automakers that wish they could just electrify an existing vehicle to help meet emission targets rather than design a whole new vehicle. Well, the supplier ZF has a solution. mSTARS stands for modular Semi-Trailing Arm Rear Suspension and is a modular axle system that combines the electric motor, gear drive, differential, power electronics and control software into one package. Shown here in a Volkswagen Touran, you can see that the modular axle takes up no more space than the conventional axle originally installed. ZF was able to squeeze rear-wheel steering into the set-up as well. You may remember the Advanced Urban Vehicle from the supplier we highlighted a few years ago that had front wheels that could turn at extreme angles for good maneuverability. Well, ZF says it would even make sense to combine mSTARS with rear steering and the extreme turning front wheels for the ultimate turning radius in an urban vehicle.

Particulate matter created by brakes is a big health hazard and coming up next we’ll look at a new brake that reduces that risk.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST
When it comes to reducing emissions most of the focus is on improving the engine. But there’s another area of the car that contributes to poor air quality. Brakes and tires are responsible for 32% of driving related particulate emissions and half of that is brake dust. That’s why Buderus Guss, a subsidiary of the German supplier Bosch, has developed the iDisc. It generates up to 90% less brake dust compared to a conventional disc. The friction rings of the disc are mechanically, thermally and galvanically treated before being covered with a tungsten-carbide coating. Not only is brake dust greatly reduced, the iDisc has similar performance to a ceramic brake, doesn’t wear as fast or corrode and has up to twice the service life of a normal brake. Currently the iDisc is three times more expensive than a normal cast iron brake rotor but three times less expensive than a ceramic one. And the price will likely drop once production increases. A European automaker will start using the iDisc starting this month.

FCA TO TEST ALTERNATIVE FUEL
And speaking of reducing emissions, FCA and Italian energy company ENI, just formed a partnership to develop technology for compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas powered vehicles. The two companies will also test a new alternative fuel, which is made up of 15% methanol and 5% bioethanol, in 5 Fiat 500s in ENI’s car sharing service. The fuel can reduce carbon emissions by 4%.

THE FIRST QUICK-RELEASE STEERING WHEEL?
What’s the first thing a Formula One driver does after they get out of their car? They put their steering wheel back on. And for good reason too. It’s a hefty fine if they don’t. Today quick-release steering wheels are common across most levels of racing and it’s a technology that can be traced back to the early days of hot rodding. An article in the October, 1957 issue of Rod & Custom magazine highlights aircraft machinist Jack Friedland of California who realized it was going to be awfully cramped getting into his nearly finished slingshot dragster. So, Jack turned his attention to the steering wheel. Using a precision lathe he designed a mechanism that would make it easy to take off the steering wheel, yet be foolproof and safe. His solution was a new gadget, called the quick-release steering wheel. Who knows if this is the first application of a quick-release steering wheel in a race car, but it would be cool to know that technology designed for dragster 60 years ago is still relevant today.

Coming up next, John responds to your questions and comments in You Said It!

Now it’s time for You Said It! Where I get to answer some of your questions and respond to some of your comments.

Mark sure does not like the buying cars. “I’ve always detested new car shopping. The dealership is a high pressure nightmare. That is why we loved our vehicle purchase made at Saturn. Super casual environment, friendly, with zero sales pressure.” I could not agree more. Sales people have forgotten how to sell. In my experience most of them are just clerks who know how to fill out the forms and tell me where to sign.

Lisk saw our report on Ford experimenting with exoskeletons that line workers wear to make their jobs earlier. He has a conspiracy theory. “Maybe the “testing” of the exoskeletons are for the evil overlords to gather data on the movements required for tasks so humans can be replaced by robots?” Someday robots will take over most the jobs in a factory. But so far humans are more adaptable and innovative.

kurt w says: “Would be great if some future Autoline After Hours discusses where all these recent supercars (Dodge Demon, Jeep Trackhawk, Corvette ZR1, etc) can be driven in ways that make sense. Track stars, yes, but on local roads???” Kurt the days of driving ten tenths on local roads are pretty much over. There are 120 million more people in the US today than when I was a crazy teenager doing four wheel drifts in my dad’s station wagon out on back roads. Today those back roads are major arteries that are choked with traffic.

Ken Foster is not very impressed with his plug-in hybrid. “I’ve owned a 2013 C-MAX Energi since new and have monitored battery capacity over its 4 years and 40,000 miles. I have already lost 25% capacity. Needless to say, this is very disappointing to me and will probably make this car the last hybrid I own until the technology improves.” Well, my advice is don’t buy any electrified car. Just lease it. The technology is changing and improving so fast that whatever you get today will be obsolete by the time your lease is over.

Jim Simons wants to know why European regulators are mad that German automakers colluded to use small tanks for urea fluid for diesels. “What impact would the capacity of the AdBlue tank have on the performance of the emissions system? A smaller tank would just require more refills at shorter intervals.” Jim, the German automakers violated the spirit of the law. They are accused of colluding to inject less AdBlue into diesel exhaust, so that a smaller tank would last longer. Diesels in Europe pump out much higher levels of NOx than regulations call for. And by doing this they have created a massive backlash against diesel engines.

And finally, like the old saying goes, if they give you lemons, make lemonade. Eduard Arakelyan wrote in to say, “Hi Autoline Network! My Fiat has has been rocking a hybrid sound system since day one! All of the panels vibrate on poorly paved city roads creating a beautiful symphony of rattles.” Well Eduard, I have to say, you made me laugh out loud with that one.

A programming note here. Autoline will be off the air tomorrow and Friday. No After Hours tomorrow either. We’re all going to be celebrating Thanksgiving. But we’ll be back on Monday, and I’m headed out with part of the crew to cover the LA auto show. So be sure to tune in next week as we bring you the news, the information and the access to the people who make this automotive industry run.