AD #2835 – Elon Musk Defies Health Authorities; Toyota Prius Turning 20; Next-Gen Kicks & Frontier Headed to Production
May 12th, 2020 at 11:25am
Listen to “AD #2835 – Elon Musk Defies Health Authorities; Toyota Prius Turning 20; Next-Gen Kicks and Frontier Headed to Production” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 10:16
0:07 Elon Musk Defies Local Health Authorities
0:53 Toyota N.A. Production Cut Nearly 30%
1:26 Toyota and Honda Report Profit Drops
2:06 FCA U.S. Adopts Safety Practices from China and Italy
2:59 Ford Highlights New OTA Capabilities
4:08 Toyota Prius Gets Limited Edition Model
5:11 Next-Gen Kicks and Frontier Headed to Production
5:54 Audi’s Infotainment Updates
6:48 BHTC Develops a 3D Display
9:22 Mystery Car Revealed
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
ELON MUSK DEFIES LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES
Well, Elon Musk defied local health authorities and started bringing line workers into Tesla’s assembly plant in Fremont, California. He said that he would be in the plant and that if anyone was going to get arrested, he wanted it to be him and only him. So far those health authorities have taken no action. And here’s our Autoline Insight. They’re not going to take any action. With just about every other car company and their suppliers starting to reopen plants this week or next, Tesla was not going to get left behind. Besides, the auto industry, including Tesla, started reopening their plants in China almost two months ago, so they know the safety procedures they need to take. And so far those procedures seem to be working.
TOYOTA PRODUCTION CUT BY NEARLY A THIRD
Here’s another example of how hard automakers have been hit by the coronavirus. Reuters reports Toyota expects to build about 800,000 vehicles in North America between April and the end of October. That’s down 29% compared to the same time last year. Toyota actually didn’t build any vehicles in April and it’s only now starting to ramp up production lines. The good news is, production is expected to be back to normal by July and September output should outpace last year.
TOYOTA & HONDA REPORT PROFIT DROPS
And Toyota also said it expects its profit to drop 80% this year, the lowest it’s been in nine years. The automaker is forecasting sales of 8.9 million vehicles compared to about 10.5 million a year ago. Because of that drop in global sales, Toyota expects to take a nearly $14 billion hit. As bleak as that sounds, it still expects to manage a 500-billion-yen operating profit for the year. And Honda reported that its operating profit fell 13%, the lowest it’s been in four years, due to a 28% drop in sales.
FCA ADOPTS SAFETY PRACTICES FROM CHINA & ITALY
FCA is getting ready to resume production in North America and will use practices learned at its plants in China and Italy to keep people safe. More than 57 million square feet had to be cleaned and disinfected, 4,700 workstations were redesigned and thermal imaging cameras were added. Workers will also have to wear masks and safety glasses at all times and FCA is implementing staggered start times as well as longer lunch and break time to help increase social distancing.
FORD HIGHLIGHTS OTA CAPABILITIES
Ford says the Mustang Mach-E can do over the air updates in ways that many smartphones can’t do. Thanks to a new cloud platform Ford says the Mach-E can keep running on its current software until the update is completed. So your car doesn’t have to be parked until the update is done. Ford says the updates are downloaded very quick, in many cases it just takes a couple of minutes. But for larger downloads owners will be able to schedule when they want the update to take place. Like Tesla, the updates will be able to provide performance improvements or add features that were not there when the Mach-E was made. Drivers will be sent alerts in their vehicles to let them know what was installed. Starting this year, Ford is adding over the air capabilities to all its new and redesigned vehicles. All of GM’s new vehicles have it too. It’s amazing how long it’s taken traditional automakers to add OTA capabilities to their cars, considering Tesla had it a decade ago. But in a couple of years they’re all going to have it.
TOYOTA CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF PRIUS
Toyota is celebrating the Prius’ 20th birthday with a special edition model, but Toyota’s going a little heavy with the play on numbers. It’s called the Prius 2020 Edition but will be sold as a 2021 model year vehicle and only 2,020 examples will be made. Moving past that, the car is based on an XLE trim with front-wheel drive and it’s available in Supersonic Red or a new color, called Wind Chill Pearl. Unique touches include black wheel inserts, headlight components, trim, B-pillars, mirror housings. Even the interior is blacked-out on the shift knob, A-pillar and air vents. About the only accent that’s not black is the new rear spoiler, which is body color. There’s also floor mats stitched with “Prius 2020 Edition.” No word on pricing or availability but Toyota did announce that it will livestream the reveal of two all-new hybrids on Monday the 18th.
NEXT-GEN KICKS & FRONTIER HEADED TO PRODUCTION
We’ve got a quick future product update from Autoforecast Solutions. Nissan will start building the next generation Kicks at its assembly plant in Aguascaliente in Mexico starting in December of 2023. The next generation Nissan Frontier pickup truck goes into production at its plant in Canton, Mississippi in June of 2021. Even though the Frontier has got to be one of the oldest models in the U.S. market, Nissan still sells about 70,000 of them a year. Or at least it did in a normal year.
AUDI’S INFOTAINMENT UPDATES
Audi is improving its infotainment system. A new Linux-based operating system is up to ten times faster than previous hardware. It allows for HD voice communication, which is able to understand more natural speech as well as improved Wi-Fi and Function on Demand. That feature lets customers make in-vehicle purchases for things their vehicle wasn’t equipped with from the factory. Navigation is the first upgrade available, but Audi expects to add more features in the future. Wi-Fi, which is designed to be more powerful now comes in two levels, a basic package that allows up to 8 devices to connect and a high-speed option. Map updates are now made monthly instead of quarterly and Amazon Alexa is available in more models. The new infotainment system will be offered in the second half of this year.
BHTC DEVELOPS 3D DISPLAY
And more often these infotainment systems are becoming a main selling point of a vehicle, so we’re seeing more complex systems. I recently talked with Juergen Peters, the GM of a small German company that is making a 3D display that doesn’t require any special glasses and here he highlights the system.
Juergen Peters, GM, BHTC
“So, basically what it does, it provides a very brilliant, high-resolution 2D image and it has several technologies, such as a camera which tracks your eyes. And with the eye tracking and the logic attached to it, the software attached to it, we can switch from a 2D image to a very high resolution, brilliant 3D image. And that’s basically what this demonstrator is all about. And the other main enabling technology we have integrated is what we call a mid-air haptic. How it’s working, there’s an array of ultrasonic transducers integrated into the console and time-of-flight camera, which detects the motion of your hand towards the display. And then depending on which screen you are (on) you are basically have the ability to touch certain functions of the or trigger certain functions on the display without touching the display. And that’s pretty cool. And on top of that, it gives you a sensation in your fingers, based on the transmission of the ultrasounds towards your fingers, and in the moment you are actually touching a certain button or a slider or whatever it is, you will then feel in your fingers the sensation of actually touching something. And that’s sensational. And we believe that with this display that we have revolutionized, once again, the in-vehicle HMI (Human Machine Interface) technology.”
To learn more about BHTC and its 3D display, you can watch that entire interview right now on our YouTube channel.
Here’s a reminder to tune into Autoline After Hours this Thursday afternoon. We’ve got strategist Paul Eichenberg coming back on the show, along with Jamie Butters from Automotive News. So, join Gary Vasilash and me for some of the best insider discussions in the automotive industry.
MYSTERY CAR REVEALED
Yesterday we showed you this picture of an old car that our viewer Paul Digney asked to see if we could identify. We knew there would be a number of you who would quickly identify it and we have to give a shout out to Nick Thomas, Todd Crews, Barry T, Sam Fiorani, Chip Caruana, Frank Coffey and Greg Raley, who identified it as a Chandler 6. The badge on the radiator grille is the give away. It could be a 1927 or ‘28, but kudos to you guys for figuring it all out.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and we’ll see you again tomorrow.
Thanks to our partner for embedding Autoline Daily on its website: WardsAuto.com
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Comments (30)
May 12th, 2020 at 11:58 am
Musk’s defiance of health authorities seem to have Auto Lines approval. Just because they adopted safe practices that have worked elsewhere and others have begun to open it is still against the law! The country must have a good reason for the delay, yet is working on an agreement to open in a matter of days.
Musk’s beliefs, like Trump, who thinks they are above the law just doesn’t bode well with the majority of the population.
May 12th, 2020 at 11:59 am
“Supersonic red “ for the Prius? Really? One of the last vehicles you think of when someone says supersonic
May 12th, 2020 at 11:59 am
the county… not country has reason….
May 12th, 2020 at 12:11 pm
Autoline after hours tommorow? Is that Thursdays show or Wednesdays? Just curious and thank you in advance
May 12th, 2020 at 12:13 pm
Black wheels on a Prius! That is the automotive equivalent to a mustache on Cyndi Lauper.
May 12th, 2020 at 12:16 pm
Trump endorsed it which proves even a blind hog finds an acorn.
Personally I suspect screening at Fremont is better than being isolated at home. If they can do testing at the gate, even better. Nasal swabs at first with antibody shared with the county health office, everyone wins.
May 12th, 2020 at 12:18 pm
That Prius is way-too busy in its styling; two thumbs up to #5, Drew; nailed it.
May 12th, 2020 at 12:26 pm
Between Elon Musk’s actions and deranged tweets, he has reduced the chances I will buy a Tesla, even if/when there is charging available at my condo.
May 12th, 2020 at 12:28 pm
That Prius reminds me of when cars were shipped to dealerships with items for the dealership to install, like wheel covers, chrome trim pieces, etc. It just doesn’t look finished. Hope you don’t have to pay more for those wheels. The whole thing is just pretty underwhelming, at least to me.
May 12th, 2020 at 12:32 pm
I will be watching news reports carefully to see if Elon follows through on his vow to move the company HQ to Texas. Even though there would be some tax advantages, I don’t think a lot of the current employees that have been living in the Bay area for many years will want to move to Texas. I sure wouldn’t. Toyota lost at least 1/3 of its employees in its move to Texas. Nissan did a little better with its move to TN.
May 12th, 2020 at 12:32 pm
5. My Toyota corporate metallic red 2012 Prius had black wheels. It came with plastic wheel covers which were removed most of the time I had the car. That made the car look “different,” and not too bad, with the mostly black trim on the car.
7. Yeah, the styling of the current Prius is generally too “busy.”
May 12th, 2020 at 12:37 pm
10. I suspect Tesla will lose some of their huge number of California sales if they move to Texas. Being a CA company has helped their sales in the state.
Within a few years, Tesla will probably be mostly a Chinese company, so that will be irrelevant anyway.
May 12th, 2020 at 1:06 pm
@Jonathan – Must have been a slip of the tongue. After Hours is Thursday at its normal time, 3PM EST.
May 12th, 2020 at 1:08 pm
1. agreed. I understand why no one is arresting Elon on the factory floor–even Electrek thinks he was trying to be a martyr–but he’s supposed to obey the law like everyone else. Yes, other plants are opening but not all at once and every other automaker is following local regulations. It’s just being obnoxious for the sake of being obnoxious.
12. That’s a good point, although California did represent a lower % of total Tesla sales last year, still no other state comes close. Elon’s behavior might be more of an issue with buyers; Toyota didn’t lose much when they moved their HQ
May 12th, 2020 at 1:41 pm
14. Elon’s behavior is more of an issue with me.
Regarding Toyota, their moving their HQ didn’t affect me much. I’ve bought two of them since they moved. It seems like a lot of car companies are moving their US headquarters to places with more open space, and maybe closer to areas where you can drive without constant traffic jams, like Porsche and M-B’s moving their US headquarters outside Atlanta. Atlanta, itself is a traffic mess, but some nearby areas are not bad.
May 12th, 2020 at 2:18 pm
@1 Mandate maybe Law no. Laws have to be generated in federal or state congresses Not by dictator governors or better yet a health department that is even going against the governors suggestions. That has been a on going debate of what is a law and what are strong suggestions. but unless congress writes and passes a law and the executive branch signs it it’s not a law officially as far as I’ve been led to believe.
May 12th, 2020 at 2:44 pm
Rules don’t apply to the Musks of the world. It’s all
About them and their profits. He disgusts me. Another one with a total lack of compassion.
May 12th, 2020 at 3:04 pm
#5,7,9,11 I wholeheartedly agree. I’m not a fan of black wheels anyway. And the Prius is no exception to my rule. UGGHHHH!!!!
Can’t tell you how many Maserati’s, Tesla’s, and even a Rolls Royce Phantom I’ve seen roll by with black wheels that (in my eyes) instantly knock at least 50% off the perceived value of said luxury automobiles. They make most cars look cheap. Especially in matte finish.
May 12th, 2020 at 3:22 pm
18…I’m likely one of the few who thought, even back when the show was brand new, that KIT (the car in the ’80s show, Knight Rider) looked horrible with those black wheels (which I believe were actually just hubcaps back then).
May 12th, 2020 at 4:31 pm
Back in the ’60s, when you saw black wheels, it meant the wheel covers had fallen off, or been stolen.
May 12th, 2020 at 4:59 pm
Hertz’s inability to replenish an aging fleet that won’t see much use anyway will disproportionally impact Detroit automakers, as they’re the models most prevalent in its existing lineup. Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, and Nissan will also take a hit. Thetruthaboutcars
May 12th, 2020 at 5:14 pm
So over Elon [spoiled child] Musky. Him and the company will be forgotten a decade from now.
May 12th, 2020 at 7:31 pm
Relax friends about Musk. I’m used to doing a requirements analysis: mandatory, and; optional. A former Prius owner, 14 years, I traded in my last one for a Tesla Model 3 when it became clear Toyota had a different customer in mind compounded by Southeast Toyota Region that drove me to fly to Rhode Island to buy my last Prius. I never took their decisions personal as much as observing my requirements were not addressed.
Mandatory requirements: most efficient (i.e., lowest cost per mile); seats for two adults and three dogs; minimum 750 mile range in 12-14 hours, and; lowest maintenance cost. Both our Tesla Model 3 and BMW i3-REx meet these mandatory requirements.
Optional requirements: advanced driver assistance (i.e., dynamic cruise control, lane keeping); online repair manuals; OBD data, and; serious ‘scoot’ across intersections and in traffic.
I care about the quality of products and services. I’ve never been ‘friends’ with any CEO including those I’ve worked for. As for Musk, he is just leading a “work-in” like the “sit-ins” of the 1960s. “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.”
May 12th, 2020 at 9:13 pm
23. Yeah, the Southeast Toyota bunch are disgusting crooks, with about $800-1000 of extra add-ons on the sticker on all the cars. I think the add-ons have more “discount” than the rest of the car, so can partly be negotiated way, but still. I’ve bought one Toyota in Florida, but if I buy another, it will probably outside the Southeast Toyota Crooks region.
May 13th, 2020 at 5:47 am
Some F1 news: Sebastian Vettel To Leave Ferrari At The End Of The Season Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckQJj8w0b2c
May 13th, 2020 at 8:13 am
25. Interesting. I hadn’t thought much about next season, when there may not be a this season. Well, I guess they tentatively plan to start with Austria in Early July, but nothing is official.
Maybe Vettel should try the Indy 500, if he can get a deal with a top team, which I’d think he could.
May 13th, 2020 at 8:16 am
https://europe.autonews.com/sales-segment/electric-car-sales-europe-jump-still-just-4-market?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20200513&utm_content=article7-headline
4% is a HUGE share for BEVs not only for Eurpe, but also for the USA, where even in the best pre-CV markets, they got less than 2%.
I cannot read the full article above, just the lengthy title
May 13th, 2020 at 8:45 am
17 ABSOLUTE GARBAGE. Your hate screed shows that you have NO IDEA who Musk is and what he has accomplished. IF as you falsely accuse he was all about profits, he would NEVER had introduced the Model S in 2013 when batteries were still VERY expensive but, as I would have done, he wouyld have WAITED foer their inevitable price drop.
May 13th, 2020 at 8:46 am
6 Trump is far smarter than you give him credit for. He is not an engineering GENIUS like MUSK, of course, but both have a lot of common traits. AND both understand that we NEED to get WORKING AGAIN, and not be a welfare state paid by the “Dollar Fairy” until we go BANKRUPT.
May 13th, 2020 at 8:50 am
29. Are you saying that they are both arrogant, lying, deranged fools?