This is Autoline Daily reporting on the global automotive industry.
FCA MANAGEMENT CHANGES
Jeep has a new leader. It just named Christian Meunier, as its new Global President of the brand. Meunier was Chairman of Infiniti before joining Jeep. FCA CEO Mike Manley had been running Jeep prior to poaching Meunier. Christian Vandenhende, Nissan’s Chief Quality Officer, will run Infiniti until a new chairman is named. In other FCA management news, Steve Beahm, the head of the company’s passenger car brands in North America, announced he’s retiring from the automaker.
CRUISE NOW VALUED AT $19 BILLION
GM’s autonomous unit, Cruise, just received another big investment. It secured $1.15 billion from a group of investors including T. Rowe Price and current partners Softbank and Honda. The new investment brings Cruise’s valuation to $19 billion. Cruise plans to launch an autonomous ride-hailing service sometime this year.
PORSCHE FINED OVER DIESEL CHEATING
Another brand in the VW Group is being fined over diesel emission cheating. German prosecutors just imposed a nearly $600 million fine on Porsche for selling diesel powered vehicles that exceed emission standards. VW and Audi have already been fined 1 billion and 800 million euros respectively by German authorities.
FCA SETTLES DIESEL LAWSUIT WITH OWNERS
In related news, FCA just settled a lawsuit to compensate owners who bought vehicles that violated diesel emission regulations. Owners of Ram 1500’s and Jeep Grand Cherokee’s with a 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 engine from model years 2014 to 2016, are eligible to get up to $3,075 in compensation. FCA will update the emissions control software and provide an extended warranty covering up to 10 years or 120,000 miles. Owners have 21 months to file a claim with a deadline of February, 2021.
Make sure you tune into Autoline After Hours tomorrow afternoon. Joining John and Gary is Ryan Eustice, the senior VP of automated driving at the Toyota Research Institute. He’ll be bringing a modified Lexus LS equipped with its self-driving technology to the studio. So, if you have any questions, send them our way to viewermail@autoline.tv. That’s this Thursday at 3PM eastern time.
NEW DRIVING MODE FOR GOOGLE ASSISTANT
If you wish your car had Android Auto but it doesn’t have that capability, you may be in luck. Google has announced a new driving mode for Google Assistant. It has a very similar layout to Android Auto and performs many of the same functions. As it’s a driving mode, the system is mainly controlled through voice commands that are prompted by saying “Hey, Google.” Most people will use it for navigation, which also includes traffic warnings, but you’ll also be able to call and text people using your voice. Google improved the interface between Google Assistant and compatible vehicles as well. It now takes fewer words and/or steps to execute a command. An update should be coming this summer.
FORD EXPANDS MEDICAL TRANSPORT BUSINESS
Ford is expanding its non-emergency medical transportation business, called GoRide Health. It’s starting with Ohio and will move into major cities in Florida later this year. By 2020 it plans to add North Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, and California to the list of states it operates in. GoRide Health will also assist city transit agencies in parts of Ohio for residents who are unable to access other transportation options or need first- and last-mile solutions.
MACK TRUCKS UNVEILS ELECTRIC GARBAGE TRUCK
Mack Trucks unveiled a fully electric garbage truck based on its LR model. It’s powered by two 130-kW electric motors along with four lithium-ion batteries. The truck also features a copper colored bulldog hood ornament to signify that it’s an electric vehicle. The company has partnered with New York City to test the truck starting next year. A garbage truck is a perfect application for an electric drive. The vehicles travel on a fixed route, so range shouldn’t be a problem and the fleet can be charged in a central location. On top of that, the electric garbage trucks will help cut noise pollution, which could allow them to operate at night.
C-CLAMP DESIGN CUE MAKES PICKUPS LOOK TOUGH
Designers like to incorporate design cues that convey what a vehicle is all about. And for full-size pickups they’ve designed the headlamps to kind of look like a c-clamp, or a vise. Ford was the first to come out with a c-clamp design, on the 2015 F-150, and now Chevrolet and Ram have picked up on it. But Chevy and Ram wouldn’t be caught dead copying Ford, so they have their own design variations on it. The whole idea is to convey that these are tough work trucks, and incorporating a vise or a c-clamp into the design does exactly that. One more point, Toyota and Nissan don’t use this on their trucks, and their sales have never gone anywhere. Who knows? Maybe people don’t think their trucks look tough enough.
But that wraps up today’s report, thanks for watching and we’ll see you again tomorrow.
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Comments (25)
May 8th, 2019 at 12:16 pm
The Mack Electric garbage truck is a great idea and use of EV technology. However I’m not sure they needed to change the bulldog to copper to let people know. I think the 12″ lettering on all sides that says FULLY ELECTRIC is sufficient.
May 8th, 2019 at 12:27 pm
Headlamps; I just sort of figure what else can be done with headlights? They have done the top bottom arrangement, side by side when the low and high beams were separate. Then when the lamps became fixed and you only replaced the bulbs they went through the same thing going wide then stacked and now stacked with a separator giving the C-clamp look. Honestly I’m not a big fan and actually do not like GM at all. Plus I’m not even seeing it on the Dodge. (Which is a good thing) I doubt it has been much of a factor in sales.
May 8th, 2019 at 1:18 pm
I don’t know. I think these C-Clamp turn signals look pretty tough
In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is where what inspired Ford on it’s F150 C-Clamp headlights. This is, after all, a Ford LTD Custom Wagon underneath it all.
https://coolmaterial.com/rides/a-national-lampoons-vacation-station-wagon-is-going-to-auction/
May 8th, 2019 at 1:30 pm
Can’t even see the bulldog in the lead picture.
I still call the FCA pickups Dodge too. What’s wrong with Dodge RAM?
If one has a Jeep or Dodge RAM diesel, why not keep it for the utility and economy? Does the owner have to give it back to get the compensation? Seems as silly as VW getting back their cars.
With a new head of Jeep, maybe they could come up with something radical like an AWD sedan-like vehicle. Remember the AMC Eagle station wagon? First crossover if one looks back on the design. The Subaru Outback is similar. Maybe the hint could be the need to cut back Cherokee production by cutting the third shift at Belvedere. Saturation of the brand? Would like to see something since FCA only has one sedan, the Dodge Charger.
May 8th, 2019 at 1:48 pm
Certain Ram 1500 and Grand Cherokee owners are eligible for up to $3,075 in compensation. That means those who file a claim might get around $5 – $10 perhaps. The lawyers will celebrate with a nice dinner at a high-end restaurant and move on to find the next corporate boo-boo that might make for a major inconvenience/cost to you and a banner year for them.
May 8th, 2019 at 2:04 pm
5 Jon I totally agree and wish some legislation would be introduced to limit what is paid to the lawyers in these class action suits. Maybe if they knew they would only get 25% of the settlement they might not be so eager to file suit. This bologna of winning million dollar settlements to line their pockets and give a measly few bucks to the actual consumer affected is just wrong. Just costs us all more money in the long run.
May 8th, 2019 at 2:08 pm
Have heard that the new Ford Ranger is suspected of altering fuel economy numbers. Initial sales seem to be something of a disappointment. It is not the simple little fuel efficient truck that it once was. My ’11 with a manual 5 spd and a 2.3L 4 cyl. does about 28 mpg. A full 5 mpg better than the best claimed number for the new truck.
May 8th, 2019 at 2:22 pm
The copper bulldog is a totally idiotic idea. Who will connect THAT with the truck being an EV? The sanitation workers who will be in it or the janitors/housewives who will put the trash on the curb? AND 100% REDUNDANT too, as the truck has foot-high “EV” painted on its sides.
Instead of that nonsense, they should tell us how MUCH the truck sells for, and if they will make ANY profit at that price. I read the link-article and there was NOTHING about this MOST important info.
May 8th, 2019 at 2:24 pm
7 it seems the Ford MPG guys learned NOTHING from their (and their predecessors, and above all the fired VP Nair MPG High Lama’s mistakes) in their older and ludicrous 47-47-47 MPG PHONY MPGs for the C Max and Fusion Hybrid, where nobody was even getting 32, let alone 47 mpg!
May 8th, 2019 at 2:57 pm
Copper bulldogs are commonly used to designate electric power in Turkey and the middle east. Looks like Mac is going global for their inspiration.
May 8th, 2019 at 3:28 pm
Oh look, the chrome has already come off the Bulldog’s hood ornament………..oh, you mean that copper color is to denote the truck is green; how foolish of me. Ha! Yeah, I pretty much got the electric feature from all the lettering.
Then you’ve got the “C-clamp” stuff (headlight treatment); more semantic allusions in my opinion.
May 8th, 2019 at 3:29 pm
#4 “FCA only has one sedan, the Dodge Charger.
Huh??? The Chrysler 300 is a sedan.
May 8th, 2019 at 3:32 pm
2 I like 7 inch round H4 headlights. The best headlights I ever had were the Hella ones I had on my 1977 Plymouth Duster. They’d look good on a properly designed pickup truck, as with a Jeep Wrangler.
May 8th, 2019 at 3:36 pm
12 Because it was announced that the 2020 MY would be the last for the 300.
May 8th, 2019 at 3:50 pm
Kit, my H4 lamps on my Wrangler are dismal!
In other news:
C-Clamp headlight == marketing wankery.
May 8th, 2019 at 3:53 pm
13,15 I meant aftermarket 7 inch round H4 headlights would like look good on a Wrangler. I didn’t know about how the OEM lights work, but apparently not very well.
May 8th, 2019 at 4:01 pm
14 Has Chrysler announced that they are dropping the 300? There were rumors about a year ago that the Chrysler, and maybe Dodge brands would be dropped, but I haven’t heard anything lately about the brands, or the 300 specifically. Maybe I’ve missed something, though.
May 8th, 2019 at 5:44 pm
I have Ford/Linc. actual fuel MPG down to a science. Over the years and 4-5 vehicles, based on winter gas, real mpg’s are 3.6 mpg lower on winter stuff and 2.8 on the other compared to claimed mpg’s city. Highway driving has averaged around 1.3 mpg difference.
May 8th, 2019 at 6:23 pm
Turkey & the middle east may be exotic, but they aren’t into copper bulldogs, at least as far as I know. Looking for a rise but you guys properly ignored it.
May 8th, 2019 at 8:53 pm
18 not for the HYBRIDS, which is what the big scandal 47-47-47 nonsense was about. Everybody got 30s instead.
May 9th, 2019 at 9:11 am
https://europe.autonews.com/frankfurt-auto-show/vw-reveals-id3-fight-topple-tesla-ev-leader?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20190509&utm_content=article3-headline
“…VW said the most important markets for the ID.3 will be Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, France, the UK and Austria….”
Really? And Austria, but not the top two EV giant markets in the WORLD, CHINA and the USA?? LOL. SO much for a VW “Tesla Fighter”.
May 9th, 2019 at 10:25 am
Mike Dale, There is a pretty big reason why the new Ranger and the old have a difference in mileage. It’s nearly twice as heavy. The current Ranger is nearly as big as my 1998 F150 standard cab. short bed. My sister’s 016 Civic gets much less mileage than a 20 year older Civic for the same reasons, It’s bigger and heavier.
May 9th, 2019 at 10:40 am
21 VW seems to now know that Americans buy trucks and SUV/CUVs, not hatchbacks that look like a Golf or a Bolt, electric or otherwise. The same applies to China, except that sedans still sell well there. They have already announced that they will have ID something CUVs and sedans for China and the US.
May 9th, 2019 at 11:45 am
23 look at the ludicrous claim in the link (the link iteslf, let alone the article it goes to) in 21. This is what I found to be laughable and ridiculous, given their admitted very limited ambition re EV markets, which does not include the (by far) no 1, China, and no 2, US.
May 9th, 2019 at 9:32 pm
I predict that the copper bulldogs will become collectors items and will very quickly disappear from the fronts of the New York trucks