AAH #193 – The Rise and Fall of Henrik Fisker

April 26th, 2013 at 5:01pm

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Sometimes it’s good to hang out with “just the guys.” That’s why on this week’s Autoline After Hours, we’ll be eschewing our normally scheduled guest segment for a longer discussion about the news of the week and other hot topics that need talking out. Ford reports a record first-quarter profit with North America providing a strong contribution, Buick takes the wraps off a Riviera concept in Shanghai and Fisker goes under the gun of the U.S. Congress. Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production and AAH alum David Welch from Bloomberg Businessweek.

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AAH #192 – Wow! Achates Opposed Piston Engine Design

April 19th, 2013 at 2:58pm

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There is no shortage of innovative thinking when it comes to internal combustion technology. And, as this week’s guest will demonstrate, Achates Power is no exception. David Johnson is the President and CEO of the company, which is developing an innovative opposed-piston engine that will be more fuel efficient and less expensive to produce than conventional power plants. But, we’ll be asking him, is the world ready for such a radical new design? Will a mainstream automaker take a chance at adopting an untested technology? Plus we’ll get into the news of the week including the game of musical chairs going on amongst the executive ranks of Chrysler and Nissan. And, Edmunds projects that 40-50 percent of new car sales will be hybrids… in the year 2040. Joining John McElroy in studio to discuss this and a whole lot more is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production.

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AAH #191 – Superchargers Stage a Resurgence

April 12th, 2013 at 7:49pm

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What do the Nissan Micra, Chery Tiggo and Audi Q7 all have in common? While one of these things is not like the other, all have engines with Eaton superchargers. And, like turbochargers in recent memory, get ready to see superchargers in cars you would have never expected. This week’s guest is Grant Terry, the Business Development Manager for the Eaton Supercharger Product Line. We’ll be asking him what advantages superchargers have over the ever-more ubiquitous turbocharger technology. Plus, we’ll be discussing the news of the week including a tale of two startups: EcoMotors and Fisker. And, which is really the best seller, the Ford Focus or Toyota Corolla? Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Lindsay Brooke from SAE.

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AAH #190 – A Bridge in a Backpack for Tomorrow’s Roads

April 5th, 2013 at 2:44pm

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Why is it that everyone wants better roads to drive on, but no one wants to fix them? If only we’d build them like the German autobahns, nary a pothole there’d be … right? It may not be so simple. Kirk Steudle is the Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation and one of the foremost road experts in the country. We’ll be asking him about what it takes to build highways and byways that last, and we’ll discuss how we’re going to pay for it one way or the other. We’ll have plenty of news on tap as well including the latest car sales breakdown. Also, the long-forgotten Detroit Electric has been revived in the form of a sporty Tesla-like model. Plus, the latest news on GM’s full-size trucks: do they have what it takes to compete? Joining John McElroy in studio is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production.

Thanks to our sponsor who makes Autoline After Hours possible: Bridgestone.

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