This is Autoline Daily reporting on the global automotive industry.
CHINA PLANS TO SUBSIDIZE EV CHARGING COSTS
When China recently announced plans to slash subsidies for electric vehicles, analysts worried this could put a huge dent in demand for EVs but the government has a new plan to spur EV sales. Instead of subsidizing the purchase of EVs, Bloomberg reports that China is planning on using that money to subsidize the cost of charging EVs. In addition to making it cheaper to charge an EV, the plan includes expanding the number of charging stations and to increase the capacity of chargers to 350 kilowatts, which would make re-charging nearly equivalent to filling a regular gas tank. The new policy is expected to go into effect within a year. And for more about China’s EV ambitions, check out our recent Autoline This Week with Michael Dunne, an expert on the Chinese auto industry. That show is jam packed with great insight.
NEW JLR STEERING WHEEL HELPS KEEP EYES ON THE ROAD
Distracted driving is a big problem and Jaguar Land Rover has a hot new idea that may help. The automakers are testing out a steering wheel that can rapidly heat or cool the left and right side of the wheel, as a way to relay information to the driver. The technology is primarily being billed as a navigation tool, a quick temperature change on the left to turn left or on the right to turn right. But it could also be a less intrusive way, compared to vibrations or audio warnings, to get the driver’s attention. JLR applied the technology to the shift paddles as well as a way to indicate when the switchover from driver to autonomous car is complete.
INFINITI MOVES HQ FROM CHINA TO JAPAN
Nissan has tried to rid itself of all things Carlos Ghosn and now that includes the location of Infiniti’s headquarters. In 2012, the former CEO moved Infiniti’s headquarters to Hong Kong, China as a way to better tap into the Chinese market. It never really worked out all that well, so now Infiniti will move back to Japan. Infiniti says the move, which will happen in the middle of next year, “will provide greater efficiencies and enhance collaboration with parent Nissan.”
OPEL CREATES VAN INSPIRED BY THE A-TEAM
I pity the fool who doesn’t like this van. To celebrate the German premiere of the Opel Zafira Life the automaker, for reasons that just don’t matter, used The A-Team van, yes from 80’s cult TV show The A-Team, as inspiration to create the O-Team Zafira Life. It’s even got the front bumper guard, rear roof top spoiler and paint job to match. Except the red accents have been swapped out for a neon-yellow. And while it’s powered by a 177-horsepower, 2.0L diesel engine, a special sound module makes it sound like it has a V8 under the hood. Opel says all the modifications have been certified by German authorities, so it’s possible it could actually make these vans for sale in the country.
HONDA E TO USE DIGITAL SIDE MIRRORS
Automakers typically save their latest, greatest technologies for their luxury brands, but Honda is taking a different approach. The digital side-view mirrors that we saw on the prototype version of the Honda e will make their way into production as standard equipment. The cameras don’t extend outside the body panels, meaning it’s going to be a whole lot harder to bust your mirrors off in the drive-thru of your bank. The feed plays on two 6-inch display screens at either end of the dashboard. Drivers will be able to choose from a normal and wide view. The normal view reduces the blind spot by 10%, while wide reduces it 50%. Honda also says drag is 90% less compared to traditional mirrors, which will help improve the range of the little EV as well. And on top of the digital mirrors, the pop-out door handles seen on the prototype were approved for production too.
Have you ever heard of Yanfeng? It’s one of the world leaders in automotive interiors and you’ll get to learn all about them on this week’s Autoline After Hours. I think it will be very interesting to see what it’s working on for future autonomous cars. But if you have any questions of your own, send them to viewermail@autoline.tv, then make sure to mark your calendar for tomorrow afternoon at 3PM eastern time when we go live.
AUTONOMOUS TAXI MARKET COULD BE WORTH $2 TRILLION BY 2030
Autonomy could be the most transformative technology to hit the auto industry in 100 years. And it seems that everyone wants to get in on the action. And here’s a great reason why. A new study from UBS says that the autonomous taxi industry could be worth at least $2 trillion by 2030. Yes that’s trillion with a T. That number includes revenue streams from making the vehicles and tires, providing electricity, building charging stations and the semiconductors needed to make the AV systems work. UBS based the estimate on a simulation of an autonomous taxi fleet in New York and says that the number of taxis operating in the city could be cut by two-thirds once they are fully autonomous, since routes can be optimized.
And speaking of autonomous vehicles, we still want your feedback on whether NHTSA should allow GM to operate a fleet of self-driving cars that don’t have a steering wheel or pedals. Give us a call at 620-288-6546 to leave a comment, along with your name and where you’re from, and we’ll share those in an upcoming episode. We look forward to what you have to say.
But that brings us to the end of today’s show, thanks for watching and we’ll see you again tomorrow.
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Comments (16)
May 29th, 2019 at 12:07 pm
Two trillion by 2030, I don’t think so; maybe the 2 trillion eventually but I wouldn’t bet on it in ten years.
May 29th, 2019 at 12:26 pm
It would seem that JLR could better use their resources to, say, improve quality, rather than come up with absurd gimmicks like non-uniformly heated steering wheels. Actually, what Jaguar has lacked recently is “traditional luxury,” with attractive use of wood and leather. Special interiors are what used to help sell Jaguars over other, better, similarly priced cars.
May 29th, 2019 at 12:57 pm
Note to future self: when evaluating older used vehicles in search of a fun car in the year 2035, avoid Jaguars as they will all have dried, cracking or disintegrated sections on their steering wheels.
May 29th, 2019 at 1:02 pm
2) I couldn’t agree more. JLR seems to have wanted to shake the old man image and become a “youthful sporty” brand. They went too far and lost the only value proposition that they had. Used to be the prettiest car on the tow truck. Now it is just another car on the tow truck.
May 29th, 2019 at 2:21 pm
This is totally unrelated to today’s show, but someone here might be able to answer a question. Who are the suppliers of electric power steering units, and is there a web site listing which OEMs use what suppliers?
The reason I ask? A friend has a Hyundai Elantra hatch, and a Kia Cadenza. I’m not sure of the years, but both are 2010 or newer. Also, both had the same failure of a rubber coupler thing between the motor and the “works” of the electric power steering. Does Hyundai make their own, substandard units, or might one expect the same problem with a Toyota, Chevy, Ford, or whatever? Thanks for any info available.
May 29th, 2019 at 2:37 pm
Kit, I did a search for Hyundai electronic power steering and found some recalls; link: https://www.aboutlawsuits.com/elantra-steering-recall-78843/
May 29th, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Nissan leaving Hong Kong, sounds like the original move was for a corporate “vacation office”, No Pedals or Steering Wheel?? think jumping out for your life when the car is “hacked”.
May 29th, 2019 at 3:02 pm
@ Phred: The hacker would probably disable the doors so they couldn’t unlock/open at speed.
The move back to Japan,kinda like Caddy moving out of nyc. I wish I had money to just flat out waste.
May 29th, 2019 at 3:03 pm
6 Interesting. That is a different problem, but likely the same steering gear. This is what my friend had with both of his cars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxTcFnykutc
The issue is described at about 1:00-1:20 in the video.
May 29th, 2019 at 3:11 pm
… followup from yesterday. English is what they speak in England. “Murican” is spoken in the US. :>
May 29th, 2019 at 3:36 pm
I challenge the claim that a 350 kw charger is “nearly equivalent” to filling a gas tank. A friend of mine who is doing deep work for our company on electric drive for construction equipment, notes that to provide as much energy for filling an EV as you would for filling a gasoline car tank, would take 15 minutes with a 450 kW charger. With a 350 kW charger as mentioned in the article, that would be over 19 minutes. And that may not even be a full battery, since the charging rate must drop off when you get to 80% of battery capacity. 19 minutes (or more) is not even close to the 5 minutes it takes for putting in the necessary gasoline for a fill. Now maybe 19 or more minutes might be acceptable if you are going to pee out your previous soda and buy a new soda and wander around the store. But it isn’t equivalent to gasoline.
May 29th, 2019 at 4:37 pm
350 kw would provide 58 kWh of charge in 10 minutes, if conversion efficiency is 100% (it’s not). Yeah, to be equivalent to filling a gas tank, you’d need to charge in about 5 minutes, so you’d need a 3/4 megawatt charger to do that for a Tesla Model 3. If you did that, though, your batteries would be destroyed after about one charge.
May 30th, 2019 at 9:24 am
LMAO at anyone that believes driverless vehicles will be a reality on the roads anytime in the next twenty years. The technology and roadwork infrastructure is not developed enough to accomplish this for a long time out.
May 30th, 2019 at 9:33 am
What happens to vehicles with [lame duck] pop out door handles [Honda E, Range Rovers] when it’s winter and the car gets covered in a sheet of ice?
Maybe in the owners manual it suggests pouring some of your morning coffee on the door to thaw it out so you can get inside your car.
May 30th, 2019 at 10:21 am
Hope Nissan finally gets rid of Carlos; now how about those SORRY CVT transmissions next!!
May 31st, 2019 at 4:26 am
“A new study from UBS says that the autonomous taxi industry could be worth at least $2 trillion by 2030″
And you believe it I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you at a great discount.
Throw this worthless fortunetelling report in the same wastebasket you threw the reports with all the other ridiculous claims that never materialized. And remember Nuclear power has not resulted in free electricity for all yet, so you better pay your utility bill.