AD #1856 – Ford Tests Mobile Wind Tunnels, U.S. Sales Growth Slows Down, Barn Find Revealed!
May 4th, 2016 at 11:44am
Runtime: 7:01
To watch this episode on YouTube click here.
- FCA & Google to Make Autonomous Hybrid Pacificas
- 2017 F-150 Gets New Engine & Transmission
- Ford Tests Mobile Wind Tunnels
- The Pressures of Being a Supplier
- U.S. Market Starting to Tighten Up
- Barn Find Revealed!
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On today’s show… car sales are showing signs of slowing down in the U.S., the F-150 is getting a new powertrain setup and we reveal the answer to this week’s Barn Find. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily for May 4th, 2016.
AUTONOMOUS HYBRID MINIVANS
FCA and Google officially announced their partnership to develop autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivans yesterday. And here’s a few important things to note. First off, they will use the hybrid version of the Pacifica. So, not only is Chrysler the first to have a hybrid minivan, but it will be the first to have an autonomous hybrid minivan. I find that to be fairly significant. Secondly, both companies will move part of their engineering teams to a facility in southeastern Michigan to design, test and manufacture of the vehicles. With the first applications of autonomous vehicles likely to be transport vehicles in geo-fenced areas, a people hauler that can travel 25-30-miles on battery power sure makes a lot of sense to me.
THE POWER OF 10
Ford is offering a new powertrain setup for the 2017 F-150. It’s now available with a 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine that’s mated to an all-new 10-speed automatic transmission. The updated engine cranks out 450 lb.-ft. of torque which is 30 more compared to the first-gen 3.5L EcoBoost. And it’s the first Ford engine to feature a dual-direct and port fuel-injection system. Fuel economy ratings were not revealed because it still doesn’t have EPA ratings. The 2017 F-150 goes on sale this fall.
FORD TESTS MOBILE WIND TUNNELS
And in other Ford news, the automaker is stepping up its interior quietness game. Testing for wind noise inside a vehicle’s cabin is normally done in high-tech $50 million wind tunnels, but Ford is now using mobile aeroacoustic labs to get the job done. These mobile wind tunnels don’t require many of the large expensive instruments, but still can use the high-tech, in-cabin noise sensors and a steady stream of high-speed air. The patent-pending system allows the automaker to use it in early production vehicles to identify and develop solutions for unwanted wind noise faster. Ford says the mobile units can be broken down within a day and be shipped by truck to any facility in North America. Once there it only takes a few hours to assemble.
Still to come… an inside look at the pressure suppliers face from OEMs.
PRESSURES OF BEING A SUPPLIER
Suppliers face huge pressure from OEMs to not only keep costs down but also deliver quality products in a timely fashion. On the most recent Autoline This Week, Steve Miller, the CEO of interior supplier IAC Automotive, shared just how intense that pressure can be.
(Clip from ATW #2014 can only be viewed in the video version of today’s show.)
You can watch that entire discussion with Steve Miller right now on autoline.tv or you can check it out on our YouTube channel.
And you won’t want to miss this week’s Autoline After Hours with our special guest Don Panoz. His company, Deltawing Technologies is coming out with some really innovative products, including an electric motor that is only 7-inches by 7-inches, but is able to crank out 340-horsepower. So to learn more, tune in this Thursday at 3PM eastern time for some of the best insights into the automotive industry.
Coming up next, despite a strong April, the U.S. car market is showing signs that its hit its peak.
U.S. GROWTH SLOWS DOWN
New car sales came in strong last month in the American market though the rate of growth seems to be slowing down. The SAAR hit 17.3 million vehicles, up from 16.7 million a year ago. Sales hit 1.5 million cars and trucks, but on a daily selling rate basis that was half a percentage point lower than a year ago, according to WardsAuto. Even though there was one more selling day and an extra weekend in April of this year. Amongst the full line manufacturers General Motors posted a 7% decline, Ford dropped about half a percentage point, and Toyota posted no change at all. Fiat Chrysler was up 1.6% while Honda shot up 10% and Nissan was up more than 8.5-percent. Among the smaller automakers, Volvo posted the biggest increase of all, up 28%, and Mitsubishi was up by more than 13%. Tesla posted the biggest drop of any automaker, down 33%, while VW, Hyundai and BMW also posted double digit drops. All in all it was a very strong month but these numbers show the market is starting to tighten up.
| U.S. April, 2016 New Car Sales | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2015 | April 2016 | DSR Change | |
| SAAR | 16.7 Million | 17.3 Million | |
| Sales | 1.44 Million | 1.49 Million | -0.5% |
| Full Line OEMs | ||
|---|---|---|
| General Motors | 259,557 | -7.1% |
| Ford Motor Company | 224,308 | -0.6% |
| Toyota | 211,125 | 0.0% |
| FCA | 198,177 | +1.6% |
| Honda | 148,829 | +10.2% |
| Nissan | 123,861 | +8.6% |
| Biggest Gainers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Volvo | 6,169 | +28.1% |
| Mitsubishi | 9,674 | +13.4% |
| Biggest Losers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tesla | 1,384 | -33.2% |
| Volkswagen | 27,112 | -13.0% |
| Hyundai | 62,213 | -11.9% |
| BMW | 29,747 | -11.7% |
DESORTOF LOOKS LIKE A DESOTO
Well, it’s time to reveal Monday’s Barn Find. You know, some of these we’ve done have seemed pretty hard to identify, but this was another easy one for ya. Many people correctly guessed a 1957 DeSoto. And I’ve got to say, I absolutely love this picture. I find it to be beautiful the way the morning light rolls over the frost-covered moss creating these contrasting shadows. Thanks to Peter Legg for sending it in. And if any of you come across an interesting car or anything related to cars, please take a moment and shoot us a picture.
But that wraps up today’s show, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.
Thanks to our partner for embedding Autoline Daily on its website: WardsAuto.com
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Comments (16)
May 4th, 2016 at 12:02 pm
Got an appointment yet for an implant Sean?
May 4th, 2016 at 12:16 pm
@Ron – Yup. Should be back to normal Thursday afternoon.
May 4th, 2016 at 12:22 pm
Sean, why not keep the money in your jeans? It gives you character and when you visit Canada, you’ll fit right in. Canadian women find it attractive as it’s a symbol of virility. Lol
May 4th, 2016 at 12:41 pm
What is it with the auto makers and transmissions with all the gears? If your driving a semi truck and pulling a 50,000 pound load its needed, but in a pick up truck ?
after all isn’t anything past 5th or 6th gear overdrive? Just looks like when driving in town going 2 blocks and stopping for a traffic light you have a hard time getting past 3rd gear.
May 4th, 2016 at 12:56 pm
I can’t think Ford is going to get any significant data with an outdoor wind tunnel. Won’t there be too many variables that will influence the numbers. Head, tail, & crosswinds will influence the test results.
May 4th, 2016 at 1:11 pm
3 ……..and they are using that 10-speed with a torque monster turbo. The main point of having lots of gears, is that you can have a wide range of gears, like 7 to 1. With a small engine that needs to rev to make power, having very low gears at the bottom is good for getting a quick launch from a standing start. With the 450 lb ft of torque from that 3.5 turbo, the only reason for very low breakaway gearing would be to lay rubber with all four wheels of a 4WD truck.
May 4th, 2016 at 1:13 pm
Here is information about the new transmission:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/12/exclusive-inside-look-fords-new-10-speed-transmission/
May 4th, 2016 at 1:40 pm
Ford’s dual fuel injection set up finally fixes the dreaded intake valve carbon build up that comes with DI engines. Catch cans and head replacements may become a thing of the past.
May 4th, 2016 at 3:15 pm
I am not an engineer, nor do I play one on the internet, however, it seems to me that the 10spd tranny, with closer ratios (including 3 overdrive gears) is going to give the truck improved fuel economy – both under heavier loads (like towing – ie, getting the mass up to cruise and once it gets up to cruise – to maintain it)as well as in normal driving. In short, even w/controlled accel (w/o hvy load) FE should improve.
Think of it as in w/ CVT’s – which tend to produce improved FE – but this one is capable of handling the much higher torque (which CVT’s can’t handle to date AFAIK).
The dual injection setup might also be aimed at better particulate control with a PFI (requires less pressurization) for cold starting, at idle, and at cruise. Whereas the DI would be an improvement (over PFI) in delivery for higher load conditions.
No doubt, much more complicated than that tho’ . . . and like the TTAC article . . . some guesses included therein. May even narrow some of the remaining gaps with diesels for those that do not require (or want) diesel – with its up-front and long-term costs?
May 4th, 2016 at 4:04 pm
It seems that much of the reason for the 10-speed transmissions is a “race” for the most ratios. The Ford 10-speed has about the same ratio spread, about 7:1 as the ZF and GM 8-speeds. The ratios of the 10-speed would be slightly closer spaced, which should help fuel economy and performance, ever so slightly.
My Corvette has the 8L90, and it doesn’t really need that 7:1 ratio spread, at least for performance. Acceleration would probably be traction limited, starting in 3rd gear through the torque converter. Having the higher gears more closely spaced might be good for fuel economy, though. The slowest speed for 8th gear is about 60 mph, and the gap between 7th and 8th is about 30%. It’s safe to assume that the mph is better at 60 mph in 8th, than at 58 in 7th. Actually, 7th should probably be taller, as it is only an ~18% gap between 6 and 7. An extra gear between my 7th and 8th might be a good thing.
This summer, I’ll try to find out how big the mpg difference actually is between the minimum speed for 8th gear, and slightly slower in 7th.
May 4th, 2016 at 4:24 pm
#10 Oops, typo.
“It’s safe to assume that the mph is better at 60 mph in 8th, than at 58 in 7th.” should be “It’s safe to assume that the MPG is better at 60 mph in 8th, than at 58 in 7th.
May 4th, 2016 at 6:23 pm
Sean, what did the other guy end up looking like?
May 4th, 2016 at 6:25 pm
I just finished watching today’s show. Is there any way I can get a HD JPEG of the De Soto featured today?
May 5th, 2016 at 8:25 am
Pressures on suppliers;
Steve Miller is right that when a plant opens up many suppliers need to also move to the area in order to deliver parts as required by the OEM. So when cities are bidding for a plant the impact is often times much more than just the assembly plant alone.
Even when suppliers do not open a nearby plant they often contract a warehouse in the area to sequence parts into the plant based on production broadcast.
May 5th, 2016 at 9:10 am
@Robert Sauter – I can send you the image that was sent to us. You can contact me at [email protected]
May 5th, 2016 at 11:17 am
I have the ZF,(fca built) 9 spd in my 4 cyl van.It really shines when going up all the mountain passes that I have to do.The gearing keeps me at near max torque at around 32 to 3500 rpms.The transaxle has a 3:73 to 1 gear ratio.It works great,and keeps me in the 25mpg range.I can’t see the need for anything above 10 spds.