AD #2782 – Pedestrian Deaths Rise; Tesla Refuses to Release Autopilot Data; Details on New Volkswagen Golf GT Models
February 27th, 2020 at 11:52am
Listen to “AD #2782 – Pedestrian Deaths Rise; Tesla Refuses to Release Autopilot Data; Details on New Volkswagen Golf GT Models” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 9:07
0:23 Pedestrian Deaths Rise in the U.S.
1:30 Tesla Refuses to Release Autopilot Data
2:32 U.S. SAAR to Top 16.5 Million
4:02 More Passenger Cars Come with AWD
4:47 Details on the GT Versions of the VW Golf
6:31 DS Shows Wild Aero Concept
7:30 Ford Expands e-Scooter Startup
8:06 Last Chevy Impala Rolls Down the Assembly Line
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
PEDESTRIAN DEATHS ON THE RISE IN THE U.S.
The number of pedestrians killed in car crashes is on the rise in the U.S. A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association says that 6,590 pedestrians died on or along roads in 2019, which is up about 5% compared to 2018. It’s the highest total since 1988. Pedestrian deaths now represent a higher percentage of all car crash deaths, from 12% In 2009, to 17% last year. Part of the reason they’re on the rise, is the consumer shift from sedans to trucks and SUVs. According to NHTSA, pedestrians are two to three times more likely to die from being struck by a pickup or SUV than a passenger car. Other factors include alcohol, distraction from smartphones and more pedestrians dying at night. This problem is why automakers must equip vehicles with pedestrian protection systems in order to earn a Top Safety Pick Plus from the IIHS.
TESLA REFUSES TO RELEASE AUTOPILOT DATA
There’s a fascinating court case involving Tesla that is going to end up setting a legal precedent. It involves a Tesla owner who had Autopilot engaged, when he says it suddenly veered left, crossed the oncoming lane and crashed into a ditch. The driver blames Tesla, while Tesla blames the driver. Here’s where it gets interesting. The LA Times reports that Tesla has all the data that can prove what happened, but it refuses to release the data. It told the driver and his lawyer to get data from the black box, or event data recorder. All car owners have legal rights to black box data. But on Tesla’s it does not record data from Autopilot. Only federal safety regulators have access to operation information from a corporation. But several people have been getting killed in Tesla’s with Autopilot engaged, and it’s likely the courts are going to step in at some point to make safety-related data more accessible.
U.S. SAAR TO TOP 16.5 MILLION
Ward’s Intelligence is forecasting that the SAAR in the U.S. market will come in at 16.6 million. A year ago the Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate was slightly lower at 16.5 million. Ward’s says it expects Ford and Nissan to post lower sales, but that just about every other automaker will see an increase. Of course, this does not take into account any production delays or stoppages due to the spreading coronavirus.
The fastest way to develop new automotive technology is to develop it on the race track. Motor racing engineers are some of the best and brightest, and have to find solutions immediately. And on Autoline After Hours this afternoon we’re going to be talking about a new series that’s all about racing autonomous cars. John Waraniak from SEMA will be on the show to talk about what the cars will be like and where they’ll race. And we’ll also have the Autoextremist, Peter DeLorenzo, who proposed a hydrogen racing series some years ago and knows all about the struggles and issues with trying to start a new series. So join John and Gary for a great discussion on how competition can improve the breed.
MORE PASSENGER CARS COME WITH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE
Wards points out that more automakers are adding all-wheel-drive as an option on their passenger cars. Five years ago there were 55 cars with all-wheel-drive in the U.S. market, today there are 75. A key reason why is that automakers with passenger sedans are trying to entice customers who otherwise want a crossover or SUV because they offer AWD. Nissan already offers all-wheel-drive on the Altima, Toyota is adding it to the Camry and Avalon and Hyundai is expected to add it to the Sonata next year. The expected take-rate isn’t that great, about 15-20%, but they’re hoping this will help slow the downward slide in sales of passenger cars.
VW DETAILS NEW GT VERSIONS OF THE GOLF
Volkswagen revealed the new GT versions of the Golf, including the GTI, GTE and GTD. The automaker has previously shown the new Golf, but the sporty models have their own unique touches. A colored line runs across the top of the headlamp assemblies and through the grille. It’s red on the GTI, blue on the GTE and silver on the GTD. This line is mirrored by an LED strip in the headlamps and grille. The lower air intakes are larger and feature a honeycomb pattern, the calipers are painted red, the fenders are wider, the rocker panels or lower sils are black, there’s a front splitter design element and they all have a spoiler that extends from the roof. As for the interior, the GT models have a sporty steering wheel, golf ball shifter knob and seats with plaid inserts. Under the hood of the GTI is 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder that makes 245 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque and can be mated to either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual clutch transmission. The GTE pairs a 1.4L turbo engine with an 85 kW electric motor, which combine for 245 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. A 13 kWh battery provides up to 60 kilometers or 37 miles of electric range. And lastly the GTD features a 2.0L 4-cylinder diesel with 200 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque matched with a 7-speed dual clutch trans.
DS SHOWS WILD AERO CONCEPT
PSA’s luxury brand DS is showing off a pretty wild concept, called the Aero Sport Lounge. It features a powertrain setup based on the one it uses in the all-electric Formula E racing series, which results in some impressive figures. A 500 kW electric motor produces 680 horsepower and would rocket this concept from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds. And a floor mounted 110 kWh battery pack would return more than 650 kilometer or over 400 miles of range. While that does sound impressive, as its name suggests, this concept is more about improving aerodynamic efficiency while still providing a striking design. For example, the winglets on the hood are functional and the large side air curtains get highlighted by a thin LED strip.
FORD EXPANDS E-SCOOTER STARTUP
Ford is expanding its electric scooter startup, Spin, outside of the U.S. The company will launch the dockless e-scooters first in Cologne, Germany this spring, and roll it out to other cities in Germany after that. It’s also eyeing France and the UK to introduce the service as well. Spin currently operates in 60 cities and 25 universities across the U.S. And if you’d like to learn more about e-scooters and micro-mobility, check out our Autoline This Week that dives into the topic. Just look for the link in the transcript or in the description box below.
LAST IMPALA ROLLS DOWN ASSEMBLY LINE
The last Chevy Impala will roll down the assembly line today at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which is being converted to build electric vehicles. The sedan was first introduced in 1958 but GM decided to axe the model, along with most of its passenger car lineup, back in 2018. Over the course of its run Chevy sold nearly 17 million globally but last year, sales dropped to just under 45,000. It’s sad to see an iconic nameplate go away but with the dramatic drop in sedan sales, it’s not surprising to see GM walk away from that segment.
But that wraps up today’s show, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.
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Comments (40)
February 27th, 2020 at 12:24 pm
Tesla refusing to provide auto-pilot data doesn’t bode well for the appearance or perception of innocence. Makes ya think it must be incriminating otherwise it would be a key defense.
AWD is a nice feature especially with the weather we had yesterday and today, but I doubt if it will do much to sway people back towards sedans.
Sad to see the last Impala’s built today. They’ll be back, maybe not as a sedan. 45K units a year is still more than most of the Cadillac models.
Ford scooters; the new model T handle? wonder if you’ll be able to buy them too in addition to renting?
February 27th, 2020 at 12:29 pm
Tesla should never have called its system an “Autopilot” because it never had full such capabilities and some buyers who (like most ICE buyers) never read the manual or the e-manual, had no clue of its limitations.
Clueless Hackett still has his bald head on his shoulders because he is best pals with clueless Bill Ford Jr. Hackett and Farley will not ‘fix’ Ford, they will ruin it.
February 27th, 2020 at 12:33 pm
The Impala is a mass market cheap model. One Impala is not equal to one Caddy. even the most successful luxury cars have much. much, lower sales than mass market cars like the Accord or the Camry, which used to sell 400,000 and 450,000 a year.(now compact crossovers sell this kind of numbers)
GM’s mistake is to offer too damned many car models in a market that does not care for cars. It was truly RIDICULOUS, to offer the Spark, the Sonic, the Cruze, the Malibu AND the Impala (and if you add Buick and caddy models, many many more car models)
The current Malibu even looks like an Impala twin (15/16 scale). It is truly ridiculous and the pruning of the model range was LONG overdue.
.
February 27th, 2020 at 12:39 pm
The abysmal ignorance of the Tesla autopilot could be resolved IF the agencies bought one or more Tesla and tested them at Idaho, Argonne, and other government labs. But the current administration shutdown those programs. Willful ignorance comes to mind.
But lessons learned, individuals can install their own cabin dash cams and Tesla monitors. It is defensive monitoring.
February 27th, 2020 at 12:40 pm
With regards to Chevrolet’s declining passenger car sales namely Impala and Cruise the main reason being MARKETING.In today’s automotive marketplace if you DO NOT ADVERTISE you will not sell your product.Proof fact Toyota,Hyundai,KIA,Volkswagen,Volvo and others are constantly running ads in the mass media about their passenger portfolio along with their CUV and SUVS.Ford and FCA have done the same.Reason being,their Pickup Truck sales are hauling away HUGE Truckloads of Cash profits to their bottom line.In the meantime the Japanese and Korean manufacturers have taken over the passenger car segment Big Time.It is only a matter of time when the cost of gasoline will go back up and the Big Three will suffer.
February 27th, 2020 at 12:48 pm
4 if it is NOT a true Autopilot, it is very dangerous, not to say inappropriate, to call it that. Tesla Owners have lost their lives assuming it is a real Autopilot.
February 27th, 2020 at 1:08 pm
I like Cadillac’s name for their semi-autonomous driving system, “super cruise.” As others have said, “autopilot” is not an appropriate name for such a system, but I suppose Tesla might have a hard time changing the name at this point, and might open themselves up for even more law suits if they did.
Impala is/was genuinely competitive with Avalon, etc., but none of those cars have been selling at all well, so it’s not surprising that Impala is being dropped.
February 27th, 2020 at 1:12 pm
Almost no one needs AWD in a front-drive based car. I drove front drive cars in Indiana for about 40 years and, with regular all season radial tires, any of them would go through snow, until is was deep enough that the front end of the car was plowing snow, and it got compacted underneath the car. You can certainly accelerate better on ice with AWD, but you can’t decelerate any better.
February 27th, 2020 at 1:22 pm
3 The current Malibu is a nice car, and I think looks better than my Camry, but the hybrid version was not competitive with the Camry in mpg. Also, the Malibu lost truck space to the battery, while 2018 and later Camry hybrids do not. If I’d been shopping for a non-hybrid 4 cylinder sedan, the Malibu would have been higher on my list, but in that case, I probably would have bought an Accord.
In reality, the Impala is a better car relative to its direct competition, than the Malibu, but the “mid-size” sedan market is higher volume than the large sedan market, so they kept Malibu, at least for now.
February 27th, 2020 at 1:42 pm
9 The problem which is typical of most all car makers is they launch a decent vehicle and with each refresh they grow in size. The Malibu was similar in size to the grand-am a much smaller car than its latest version. It grew so much, the Malibu and Impala were almost the same car. GM did the same thing with the CTS and STS. The CTS grew to a point it made the STS obsolete. They do the same thing with the trucks as the S-10 and Ranger are far smaller than the Colorado and current Ranger. As is the full size. Not sure why the size needs to grow with each redesign but for some reason it seems to be common practice.
February 27th, 2020 at 1:43 pm
9 nice does not cut it. I would never choose the Malibu just because its styling is marginally better than the Camry, when it not only lags in efficiency but most important in RELIABILITY AND interior quality. Not that I care about that market segment anyway, when I did I got an Accord 5 speed coupe.
February 27th, 2020 at 1:46 pm
10 that’s not a problem, if the Malibu is too big for you, you get a Cruze, if you insist on a Chevy. The problem is too many car models in Chevy Alone, CANNIBALIZING each other. People here only see things from the viewpoint of the buyer and his convenience, and not the maker who will go Bankrupt AGAIN with this kind of policy of a RIDICULOUS number of car models, even in Chevy only.
February 27th, 2020 at 1:56 pm
GM logic. Kill off the Chevy Impala even though it outsells 10-1 the number of electric vehicles that will be sold at the plant, AND is more profitable than the electric models which manufactures still lose money on every one they sell.
February 27th, 2020 at 2:01 pm
11 I haven’t seen the interior of the current Malibu, but I might like it as well or better than the Camry, for styling. The “quality” of the Camry interior is a mixed bag. Those two rattles I fixed do not exude quality. The fit and finish is excellent, though, but the interior styling is a little “busy.”
Overall, after two years, I am very satisfied with the car, especially the mpg, and the seamless way the powertrain works, and the seats are very comfortable to me. Also, the controls are much more user friendly than in many recent cars.
February 27th, 2020 at 2:03 pm
12 It is a problem! As they probably contributed to the drop in sales of the Impala by making the Malibu so close in size and yet its a cheaper vehicle. Its exactly why the STS was killed. They grew the CTS to almost similar size and it was 10K cheaper. Buyers then wonder is that extra inch here and there worth 10K? Overwhelmingly not and the sales of their larger car suffers.
The Impala was only 0.3″ longer in WB than the Malibu had the exact same width 73″ and was only 1.6″ taller. Biggest difference was the overall length of 8″. That’s how you kill your large car segment.
February 27th, 2020 at 2:14 pm
You know this whole tesla autopilot situation could be easily solved by just banning it. If you don’t want to drive take a Uber/Lyft, a taxi, the bus or train. All this tech is only as good as the programmer and the end user keeping it up. How accurate will all these sensors be , when people are too lazy to clean snow off the vehicle. How will even minor damage affect the system? I just think it is more problems waiting to happen. Also why is it even needed? It’s just that much more to go wrong and cost the owner a small fortune to get fixed .
February 27th, 2020 at 2:14 pm
“Autopilot” has the same performance characteristics as they do in private aviation: heading, altitude, and speed. To blame the word for bad behavior of the operator is as misleading as calling a crash an accident. Someone was responsible, the operator. Still, what else could it be called?
How about “Twice As Safe” after the one accident “every 3.07 million miles” on Autopilot versus “1.64 million miles” without from the Tesla safety report (see web link.) As the “LA Times” article points out, no one else is even trying to capture autopilot or other driver assist system performance metrics.
My hands-on, “lying eyes” show daily Autopilot usage is much safer than without. The 8 cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors, Autopilot changes lanes better than 2 eyes, 3 mirrors, and head swivels. It measures the gap and relative speed and adjusts the car to fit in the adjacent lane better than any human outside of a NASCAR driver can accomplish.
So when a bad driver causes an accident, do we blame the car? The same is true with any technology including Autopilot. Personal experience has shown it is much better than not having it.
February 27th, 2020 at 2:16 pm
15 The Impala offered a V6, which differentiated it from Malibu, but there was probably too much price difference between the two, even for people who’d rather have more cylinders. In 2019, Malibu outsold Impala about 3 to 1.
February 27th, 2020 at 2:18 pm
#12 Chevy also killed the Cruze. #10 the reason they get bigger is content. They can shove more crap in people will barely use if ay all and then charge twice as much for. When midsize trucks are bigger than my 20 YO full-size you know something is wrong. also they cost almost as much as a full-size does.
February 27th, 2020 at 2:49 pm
17 The auto-pilot probably is better than not having it with one huge caveat. Is it being used properly? Just as you mention about the similarities of it in the aviation industry. You don’t have pilots turning it on and expecting it to land the plane. It has its limitations. So the big difference is pilots get a much more involved training about the system where as anyone can go buy a Tesla with a standard drivers license and no further training and flip this system on. Know whos what their expectation is and if they use the system properly.
I remember the old story or maybe it was a big hoax but I remember hearing about the middle eastern oil tycoon who bought a very expensive motorhome set the cruise control thinking it was an autopilot like his planes and went to the rear to make a drink. Of course the RV crashed and the rest of the story was not really important.
Point being that AVs can be a great assistant and create safer roads if used properly but without proper training they will be misused and not safe and give AV a bad reputation.
Personally I feel they are making a huge mistake offering these systems when they are not 100% reliable and open themselves up for lawsuits like the one Tesla is in now.
February 27th, 2020 at 2:59 pm
17,20 Autopilot is much, much easier to do with airplanes, than with cars, because most of the time, there is nothing nearby to run into with an airplane.
I’ve read reports that Tesla Model S has about 4 times the fatality rate of competitive cars, like S-Class, 7 series, and LS. If that’s true, it is probably the driver, not the car. I remember years ago, I think in the 1980s, a Camaro or Mustang cost more than twice as much to insure as a Corvette, not because the Corvette would be safer in a crash, but because mainly older people could afford to buy ‘Vettes, while young, often drunk and stoned kids were driving often “well used” Camaros and Mustangs.
February 27th, 2020 at 3:55 pm
dramatic drop in car sales….I recently swapped my pickup and the wife’s suv for a mid size and a small size car,and couldn’t be happier.
February 27th, 2020 at 4:50 pm
22 I’ve done my share of buying cars, not trucks, over the last few years, but I won’t be buying any soon, having lost about 10% of my wealth over the last three days, with the market crash.
February 27th, 2020 at 6:43 pm
Kit, I’m really sorry about your investment loss. Knowing you are retired and, thus, not taking high risks, how is it possible to loose 10%? You do have a financial advisor, right? But do not fear your loss. The down turn has nothing to do with any virus,…it’s a long over- due market correction. Thus far the correction is about 14%. It sounds like a large number but in reality we are still in a bull market. Just remember, in 2009(?) we had a correction of 20% without panic. The market trend indicates we should level off, for about a year, but move upward after. You will regain your losses during that time.
Your investments are long term or should be, so don’t look at them more than every month or three. You will go bonkers if you do.
February 27th, 2020 at 7:14 pm
24 About 2/3 of my assets are in mutual funds. Actually, after checking, I only lost about 7% over the last 3 days. No, I’m not worried about it, but I won’t spend money I don’t need to, that would involve cashing in investments. As far as cars, I have a nice, varied variety right now.
February 27th, 2020 at 7:21 pm
Damn Kit, I feel really bad for you. My advisor just left the house after dinner. If you don’t have one, you should get one!
I am of simple means much like you but I am told to be well off, yet maybe some of the direction given me will help you as well. More of my cash reserves are again being invested in stocks but ones that have a growing potential of quarterly returns.
I also have a smaller IRA that was more risky. It tripled its value in three years. If the market proves to level off as history shows, it should regain momentum for maybe 2 years. If indicators show different, then shift to higher risk bonds. You should still see 8-9 % annual yields.
Just don’t put any of your money in the auto industry!
February 27th, 2020 at 7:33 pm
Kit, do you have an advisor? I don’t think you do…..No, I am assured of it! Find one! I will offer to guide you to get the help you need if you ask. My heart goes out to you… really!
February 27th, 2020 at 7:48 pm
26,27 I have an advisor, sort of, with a large investment company. My assets have grown an average of about 11% a year over the last 20 years, so I am not concerned about the last 3 days. If that slide continues… For now, I’m not concerned.
February 27th, 2020 at 8:50 pm
Autopilot needs driver training to recognize the risk areas: (1) poor lane lines; (2) curved lane lines in an intersection, and; (3) lane encroachment by other vehicles. So I’ve documented one reproducible limit (see web link.)
Rather than add another game, Tesla would do itself a lot of good by releasing a video about Autopilot short comings. But having documented the problem areas, I have more confidence in how to use it safely.
February 27th, 2020 at 11:26 pm
Whether or not it is legally required, if Musk doesn’t release that information, I think it makes him a fraud.
February 27th, 2020 at 11:31 pm
The Dow dropped another 1200 pints. today because of the virus; don’t believe it for a second!
The market has been prime for a correction for a long time and this virus is the immediate excuse. The market has been over extended and over valued for a long time. This is the reason! Greed is being replaced by caution, market values will re-adjust then level off. Then, because of the lower prices, people will start buying again thus causing prices to increase once again.
Look at the graph starting from 2009 to present. The pattern has repeated itself again and again.
This correction is a good thing. Despite the 14% correction, we are still in a bull market and gains should continue for at least 18 months.
I don’t know the reason, but every time the market becomes askew, they always try to find some excuse, like a flu, for an adjustment that’s just common sense and needed.
February 28th, 2020 at 1:42 am
I’m sad to see the end of the Impala line. We currently have a 2015 Impala and it’s the best vehicle we’ve ever owned. We bought it, as we always do, as a certified used car. It’s got about 65,000-miles on it and hasn’t had any problem yet that wasn’t due to operator error. All we’ve replaced so far is oil, filters, and tires and those all at less frequent intervals than previous models. We tend to keep them a while; still driving a ’97 Dodge pickup and the Impala replaced a 2000 Buick LeSabre. At our age, it’s possible the Impala will outlast us, but if autonomous vehicles become a reality, we might consider buying our 3rd brand new car.
February 28th, 2020 at 6:27 am
“Part of the reason they’re (PEDESTRIAN DEATHS) on the rise, is the consumer shift from sedans to trucks and SUVs.”
I missed this paragraph yesterday.
Seriously?
I am on the record in this forum, past months, commenting on all our students and others who walk without seeing where THE HELL they are going, NOT BECAUSE my neighbor drives a Subary and my other neighbor always drove RAV4s, but because they have their noses and faces buried in their GOD DAMNED i-phones.
Sorry for the rare profanity, but it is and has been an EPIDEMIC as is this damned coronavirus.
February 28th, 2020 at 7:31 am
33 Not only testing while walking, but also, testing while driving the RAV4, or F150, or Corolla would contribute.
February 28th, 2020 at 7:33 am
34 texting, not testing. How did I do that twice?
February 28th, 2020 at 8:55 am
There should have been millions of pedestrian falls, not involving vehicles, just because these lunatics are not looking where they are stepping their feet in.
February 28th, 2020 at 11:03 am
AWD Benefits – While it’s possible to survive without AWD. I purchased a 1970 Corvette when I got out of school in 1969, & it was my only vehicle. I survived & got where I needed to go.
Today we have two vehicles with AWD (one with winter tires & the other with all season) & I consider it a good winter when the tractor with snow blower sleeps in the pole barn all winter. We’re in south east Michigan & tractor stayed in the barn yesterday.
As #8 said, stopping is not any better with AWD compared to FWD or RWD (winter tires are better).
February 28th, 2020 at 11:26 am
I have driven RWD cars in MI the last 15 years and the tire condition can make all the difference.
I never used winter tires or chains, always all-season tires, but when they are close to replacement time, the car can easily slip.
A brand new set of all-season tires makes all the difference.
February 28th, 2020 at 11:41 am
My 1974 Plymouth Duster came with 70 series Goodyear Polyglass bias belted tires, which lasted about 30K miles, and weren’t too bad in snow until they were about worn out. The Michelin X tires that replaced them were much better in ice and snow, and had less road noise. At the time, there was a lot of BS floating around that you shouldn’t use radial tires on cars like that Duster, but the Michelins made it a different car, in a good way. I suspect it would not have been good to mix bias or bias belted with radial tires on the same car.
February 28th, 2020 at 1:42 pm
Yes, definitely never mix radials and bias plys on the same car. That was lesson #1 when I worked at Sears.
I had a 73 Valiant Scamp with Sears Roadhandler tires, made by Michelin. But I had snow tires too, which went religiously on the back two wheels each of the 5 winters I owned the car. I was a new driver at the time and I managed to make it through those years with no problem.