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Runtime: 8:18
0:30 SEC Sues Musk for Fraud
1:14 Volvo Trucks to Test Electric Trucks in CA
1:53 Valeo’s Smart Cocoon Technology
3:17 Mercedes Names New Hypercar
3:56 Infiniti Develops Car with F1 Tech
4:36 Kia Introduces the New K900
5:59 Millennials Do Like Cars
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On today’s show…Elon Musk is in serious hot water…Mercedes and Infiniti are developing vehicles with Formula 1 technology…and contrary to popular opinion, millennials do want to buy new vehicles. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the voice of the automotive industry.
SEC SUES MUSK FOR FRAUD
Uh oh! Could this be the end of Elon Musk’s reign as CEO of Tesla? Yesterday the Securities and Exchange Commission sued him for fraud and is looking to ban him from serving as a officer or director of any public company, including Tesla. It stems from Musk’s tweet in early August that he was thinking about taking Tesla private and had secured the funding to do so. The SEC says that was false and misleading. Musk released a statement saying he did nothing wrong and more importantly he still has the backing of Tesla’s Board. But if Elon is removed, it leaves the future of Tesla in serious doubt, since he is so interlinked with the company.
VOLVO TRUCKS TO TEST ELECTRIC TRUCKS IN CA
Volvo Trucks is gearing up to introduce all-electric commercial trucks in North America beginning in 2020. But before it sells them, it will demonstrate the technology in California next year. It’s a public-private partnership in which Volvo will deploy eight electric Class 8 trucks, plus an additional 15 commercial trucks in the test. Smart technologies will also be used, including geofencing and smart diagnostics, to help monitor and maximize the vehicles. It’s estimated that the project will reduce around 3,000 tons of greenhouse gases annually.
VALEO’S SMART COCOON TECHNOLOGY
One of the ways to extend the range of electric cars, is to reduce the electrical load from the heating and air conditioning system. To that end, the supplier company Valeo developed what it calls the Smart Cocoon. When you get in a car, infrared and biometric sensors scan your body. They measure your heart rate, body temperature and other factors. And that can activate heating or cooling panels in the door and roof that are close to your body, which use far less energy than a traditional HVAC. If someone else gets in the car who may have been running and is hot, it scans their body and sets their temperature accordingly. Interestingly, Valeo also found that if you use red lighting inside a car, people will perceive the interior being warmer. If you use blue lighting, they will think it’s cooler. And that perception can be by a couple of degrees. Valeo says we could see something like the Smart Cocoon in another 3 to 5 years.
Still to come…Kia reveals the new K900.
MERCEDES NAMES NEW HYPERCAR
Mercedes has dropped the word ‘project’ from its upcoming hypercar and the production version will officially be called the Mercedes-AMG ONE. The name, in part, comes from the fact that it will feature Formula 1 hybrid technology, like its 1.6L turbocharged V6 engine and four electric motors. The company also announced the ONE will have active aerodynamics, a technology it’s been honing since the 1950’s. A multi-part, two-stage extendable rear-wing provides maximum downforce in race mode. The Mercedes-AMG ONE will be shown at the Paris auto show.
INFINITI DEVELOPS CAR WITH F1 TECH
And speaking of Formula 1 tech at the Paris show, the Infiniti Project Black S will showcase how F1 dual-hybrid electric powertrain technology can be deployed in a road car. The prototype fuses a 3.0L twin-electric turbo V6 with three motor generator units and an energy recovery system, which combines for over 560-horsepower. The Project Black S will be able to do 0 to 100 kilometers an hour in under 4-seconds and Infiniti says this car will be forging a path towards performance-oriented vehicle electrification.
KIA INTRODUCES THE NEW K900
And while we’re on the subject of reveals, Kia just introduced the second-generation K900. Styling has been updated with a new grille design that looks wider and narrower than before. The lower fascia has been reworked and the side fenders no longer feature exhaust ports. You will also notice the headlights and taillights, which don’t cut into the decklid, are blockier compared to the outgoing model. The reworked interior is highlighted by a 12.3-inch display screen and Kia says the ease of operation was improved by reducing the number of interior switches and controls from 91 to 73. Power will come from the same 3.3L twin turbo V6 found in the Stinger that produces 365-horsepower and gets mated to 8-speed automatic transmission. The new K900 goes on sale later this year.
There’s a perception that millennials don’t like cars but that’s not the case. We’ll have more about that right after this.
MILLENNIALS DO LIKE CARS
There’s a perception that millennials don’t want to own a new car. But Professor Mike Bernacchi from the University of Detroit-Mercy, has data that refutes that. He’s our guest on Autoline This Week, and he talked passionately about how millennials’ car buying habits differ from older generations.
(The ATW preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)
You can watch that entire discussion right now on our website, Autoline.tv or you can find it on our YouTube channel.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching, have a great weekend and we’ll see you back here again on Monday.
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John McElroy is an influential thought leader in the automotive industry. He is a journalist, lecturer, commentator and entrepreneur. He created “Autoline Daily,” the first industry webcast of industry news and analysis.