Converting to LNG and CNG

June 29th, 2013 at 7:01am

Commercial truck fleets in the United States are getting very interested in converting to natural gas or propane because prices are so low. Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner and Thomas Built Bus have jumped into the market. Here’s a look at what it takes to use these fuels.

AAH #202 – A Peek Inside Ford’s PR Strategy

June 28th, 2013 at 2:00am

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He’s been in the auto industry for almost 25 years having worked at all of the Detroit Three. Most notably he was President of OnStar; but if that wasn’t glamorous enough for you, he also logged time as the “handler” for “Maximum” Bob Lutz. Today he finds himself at Ford as the head of Communications for the Americas and global product. The man behind that rather weighty resume is Chris Preuss. This week he’s our guest in studio for AAH joining McElroy, co-host Peter De Lorenzo and Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production discussing all things Ford…and maybe we’ll wrangle some opinions out of him on the competition as well.

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AAH #201 – opoc Gets the Green Light from Red China

June 21st, 2013 at 6:25pm

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Try you might, the internal combustion engine just won’t die. And, that’s partly thanks to innovative designs that keep cropping up like the opoc (opposed piston opposed cylinder) engine from EcoMotors. For several years now, we’ve been following the progress of this startup on AAH. This week CEO Don Runkle joins us and we’ll be asking him about the deal to fund a $200 million opoc engine factory. We’ll also be getting into the big news stories of the week: Chrysler caves to NHTSA’s recall demands after previously refusing, but why? EVs and plug-ins are depreciating much faster than other cars. And with Bosch’s new eClutch anyone can drive a stick! Joining John McElroy to discuss all this and more is Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and Chris Paukert from Autoblog.

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AAH #200 – Inside Lincoln Design

June 14th, 2013 at 11:05am

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For too long, Lincoln has been forgotten. Once a symbol of American luxury, the brand had devolved into a vector for rebadged Fords in recent decades. Now, with new product like the MKZ, there is hope on the horizon. On this week’s show we’ll talk to two of the people helping the Lincoln Motor Company navigate its way back to true luxury status. Janet Seymour is the Colors & Materials Design Manager for the brand and Susan Lampinen serves as Group Chief Designer of Color & Material Design for both Ford and Lincoln. We’ll be asking them, among other things, what design trends will be most important to embrace as a luxury marque. And, while there’s a lot to get into on that subject alone, we’ll also be delving into some of the latest auto news. Joining Peter De Lorenzo in studio is Jim Hall, the Majordomo for Life of 2953 Analytics.

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2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Design Walkaround

June 10th, 2013 at 7:01am

The head of Jeep design takes Autoline on a walkaround of the 2014 Grand Cherokee to highlight the styling changes made to the new model.

First Look: 2014 Chevy Impala

June 8th, 2013 at 7:01am

The 10th generation Impala is all new, with a fresh design, new powertrains and a combination of features Chevrolet hopes to attract new customers to the car. Here’s Autoline Daily correspondent Seamus McElroy with all the details.

AAH #199 – Chrysler Tells NHTSA to Go Pound Sand

June 7th, 2013 at 2:45pm

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Chrysler is going out on a limb. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has ordered the company to recall 2.7 million Jeeps, but they aren’t budging. The problem is that even if Chrysler wins in court, it may tarnish its safety record in the public eye. We’ll be debating that hot topic along with a raft of other items. May car sales look to be back on trend, the Chevrolet Malibu gets a quickie redo, plus the sporty SS gets priced out just below $45K. Joining John McElroy in studio to talk it all out is co-host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, Gary Vasilash from Automotive Design & Production and Todd Lassa of Automobile.

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Autoline Premium – Driving Mercedes R&D

June 7th, 2013 at 8:00am



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These days when it comes to automobiles technology is everywhere. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a $12,000 Nissan Versa or a $190,000 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG…though auto experts might expect to find a little bit more in the Mercedes. But how does it get there and who decides what car gets what? Those are questions that this week’s Autoline guest deals with on a daily basis. Joining John McElroy for the entire show is Johann Jungwirth, the President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development in North America along with our panelists the former head of Car & Driver Csaba Csere and Mike Austin of Popular Mechanics.

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First Look: 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

June 7th, 2013 at 7:01am

The Hyundai Veracruz is being replaced by a seven passenger version of the Santa Fe. Autoline Daily correspondent Seamus McElroy has all the details for what’s new for the 2013 model.

Carbon Fiber Supply Chain

June 6th, 2013 at 7:01am

Automakers are making important improvements to slash the cost of using carbon fiber in their cars. They are especially focused on developing cycle times that are well under 5 minutes, a key enabler for mass production.