His title should be Garbage Distributor. Where were the tough questions from your newspaper men? He talked about democracy. Where in a democracy do you destroy a persons capital investment and hand out shares to a union. He talks about seeing the companies prosper. If he believed that, why did they sell off so many of their shares. Next time get some real news people, that really want to get to the truth.

Regards,
Keith McLean

John,

For years the three-speed automatic was the way of the automotive world. Then the 4-speed. With all of the new 8,9,10 speed auto's coming to market why not just go CVT?

David Sprowl

John,

A really interesting show and I have to say that I very much enjoyed the interactions among your guests. Jim needs to tone it down a little and let others speak, but his understanding is impressive and I wish he was on more frequently. One item and this is a matter of usage, Jim said that the trucks had logos that were “obsequiously large”; they are not submissive logos, but rather ostentatiously large logos!

Despite the faux pas, a really good show. Keep up the good work.

Jan Dombrowski
Upstate NY

Hi John,

While watching you, Peter, Jim Hall and Todd Lassa on After Hours last night tear apart the need for a mini van I feel that you all are missing the boat on this type of vehicle. I agree with Jim that the Chrysler van has morphed into a vehicle bigger that a Tahoe and should not be called mini. However, as a GM retiree I am seeing many family members and friends and GM retirees moving to Chrysler because they need a vehicle that they don't have to climb into and that they need sliding doors to get their small children into the vehicle and buckled up safely. Remember, kids and swing doors don't mix. The way I see it, GM is not going to go after a market that is only 3%, but they will sink millions into a vehicle like the Volt where they would sell more mini vans in one week than a years production of Volts. The Pontiac Trans Sport was a great start on this kind of vehicle and it was going to be made even better before the bean counters decided to make a vehicle in America to sell in Europe. I think we sold 2 vans in Europe. The 97 van sold good in the US, but in my mind it was a piece of junk. If GM would put their mind to it they could make a GREAT vehicle that no one else sells. I know that the people moving to Chrysler are not coming back unless Chrysler does something stupid to loose them. By by GM. That's my thoughts and I'm sticking to it.

Al Jadczak

Dear John,

I have a simple question that I still have not found the answer to. Chrysler's minivans the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country have the Stow n Go as a standard feature. My question is why has Toyota, Honda, and Nissan not taken that idea and incorporated it into their minivans? It’s a no brainer! After all Honda did invent the Magic Seat for the Odyssey back in 1998.

Thanks,
Kireeti Ghanta

Hi John,

A court case is about to start up in Canada and it may apply to the U.S. as well.

Most condos charge condo fees that include all the utility costs including electricity, water and sewer. They are not separately metered. An owner in Ontario, Canada has purchased an electric car (they did not say what model) and he is recharging it in his underground parking stall at night.

With this being the case, his condo board is suing him to pay the cost of having his electricity separately metered and billed so that his condo board doesn’t have to pay to recharge his car.

A different wrinkle in the usage of an electric vehicle.

MotorMartycanada

Saw the one on auto driving! That Gary dude was the biggest geek and one smart guy! Keep it rolling.... lol.

Wayne Merry

Mr. McElroy,

When I suggested last week the employment of an unfeasibly small 500cc, so 40 or 50bhp capable, range extender, even for the Tesla Model S - this was not supposed to be used like the version in the Chevrolet Volt/Opel-Vauxhall Ampera i.e. to maintain performance once the battery was depleted.

Think of it more like a spare wheel. Do you know anybody whose car comes equipped with a spare wheel who removes it to save weight, or replaces it with a bottle of tyre-mender?

No, the point was to overcome the problem that all pure electric cars will have for many years - their inability to store more than the equivalent of a few gallons of fuel. Each gallon has 32 or 40 Kwh of energy, so the Tesla has, at most the equivalent of 2 gallons on board.

Now, what happens if you get stuck and have to run the heater for several hours before help arrives, or you get held in a huge traffic jam - or suddenly need, or even want, to make a side trip you had not anticipated? Let alone the problems that will remain for some years of making a road trip away from a few routes equipped with fast chargers at regular intervals.

Then there are the range limitations that occur every time the weather is cold? Battery capacity falls and one needs the cabin heater, maybe 6 Kw, so this hits available driving power from two directions.

Now, a very small range extender could provide heat from the coolant and the exhaust for cabin and battery heating, as required, and could be run at a level to fulfill that that purpose alone if so controlled. This would capture the two thirds of the energy in the fuel that is usually wasted.

However, the fact that it was putting some power into the battery would mean that there was less charging to do next time you stop, or, by speeding up the engine, though heat would now be wasted, you could keep the car going for many hours.

The sweet spot would be running the range extender so that it just make enough electricity to help get you to your destination, while allowing the battery to discharge fully by the time you got there.

So, you would have a working car to deal with emergencies

Further, though 500cc sounds too small, even large cars only need, say, 30 bhp to maintain highway speed, so, like the spare wheel, it is a good thing to know you have got it just in case.

Interestingly, the BMW i3 is to have something along these lines as an option and it will be interesting to see how many take it up. I wonder if they will have a spare wheel!

Peter Bishop

Just wanted to mention that the time factor to fuel with LNG takes four to ten times longer to fuel the tank than LPG. LNG is also more dangerous to use than LPG

I converted my 8-cyl vehicle to LPG/gasoline in Australia for 3000 dollars, reimbursed 1800 by the government. Economy was the same as my 35mpg 3 cylinder charade.

Christine Smith

Ford wanted to make electric cars originally... like Porsche... and ended up taking an advantage created by the booming Rockefeller kerosene industry.

95% of Americans post civil war before the industrial revolution were involved in the farming and agriculture industry.... Alcohol was prevalent.... Alcohol was easy.

Kerosene was displacing alcohol because it freed up agro land for a growing nation and was cheap to mass manufacture from existing reserves below ground.

By the time kerosene was the fuel already being shipped nationally for the gas lamps lighting every home and street....

Gasoline was a large-volume waste product; it was cheap and could quickly be integrated alongside the existing kerosene infrastructure.

Ford and Rockefeller's massive growths during the early 20th century were inexorably linked.

Now only 5% of Americans are involved in farming and agro.

Oil is becoming more expensive to extract, and takes more energy to process than CNG.

CNG depends on automotive grade container production, and now with carbon-wrapped aluminum tanks.... it could be a thing.

Noah Rogers

John, M.,

I appreciated your use of the words Democrat Party instead of "Democratic Party". I contend that if you use the latter, you must also say "Republicanic Party" in order to be consistent. I say Republicanic now, every chance I get. And just to defend myself from the oft-quoted line "Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds", I remind you that the complete line begins: "A foolish consistency. . .", and certainly, I'm not foolish.

Ken S.
Laveen, AZ

Engineering is really about compromise... The Wankle failed because it dropped efficiency and cleanliness for power.... the same thing can be done with any piston engine and any number of strokes.... If the LS3 or LT1 dropped mpg, they could overlap the valves and shorten the stroke to dump fuel and raise rpm.... but that is not a compromise... that is a race car. Chevy sets out to increase mpg AND power AND many other factors wholly.

The crucial point of an opposed piston engine is the quickly-expanding chamber which allows for a relatively high stroke to pressure ratio.... but there is no reason to go back to two stroke architecture.... especially because laser (and hey, plasma) ignition + direct injection will add to the irrelevance of attempting consistent injection mixtures with architecture. So if you're going to add another crankshaft to an engine... making a larger engine with a relatively high displacement to cylinder pressure ratio that can be run lean or turn off cylinders will get you the same result.... GM has played this game for years and avoided costly superchargers...

...Superchargers and turbochargers add to the dynamic capability of an engine's RPM and altitude capability, but for constant RPM applications like planes and trucks, turbines are still the obvious choice. Unfortunately trucks do have to do some around-town type driving and "highway-only turbine trucks" are not YET a thing.

Anecdote: Really tired of people trashing single-cam engines. They are far better EXCEPT when you are varying exhaust and intake cams in separate direction... but with VTEC or sliding cams, or intake-only type vanos single-cam engines weigh less and offer identical results because rockers and pushrods weigh less than three extra cams. Actually a 3 stage VTEC single-cam engine would offer the highest capability of modern design short of cam-less engines with their hydro-electric independently operated valves... ie (multi-air; kinda)

Noah Rogers

I work for a large CNG bus operator and it isn’t cost effective to retank the bus at the end of tanks' life. The operator is scrapping the fleet instead of retanking. Next time I hope you’ll ask about total life cycle, including tank life.

Lummox

Coming from a worker that put in over 11 years at the AAM forge plant in Tonawanda NY, I could write a better book than this piece of CRAP.

Jimmie McDowell

As to the subject and today’s episode: interesting concept. Considering the rear entry, the fact that the rear doors open nearly 180 degrees suggests potential interference with traffic needing to pass by. Why not a strong detent at 90 degrees, or the ability to lock at 90 degrees (optionally), so as to preclude this problem.

Glenn Dunham

Dear John,

I'm a long time fan of your work on radio, the web and TV; please keep up the great work.

I was traveling in Europe last week and noticed that many cars did not have badges indicating the vehicle model (of course the vehicle make badge was there). Specifically, the German automakers, BMW, Mercedes and VW. The lift gates on these vehicles looked naked without the model badge - but very clean. I was interested because I was trying to determine whether most cars were gas or diesel. However, without the model badge it was hard to tell.

Is there a reason the German automakers don't badge their cars in Europe? Am I the only one that notices things like this? Thanks in advance for your insight.

Nick

John,

Enjoyed the show.

I did not see this brought up on Autoline, but Australia is a huge market for LPG (as they refer to it there), here is an article that discusses Ford and how they lost a lot of sales without LPG during their conversion from gas to liquid injection.

FYI, my moms 1953 Dodge Coronet ran on LP-Gas when I was growing up, my Dad and Grandfather were both Dealers in Battle Creek during the 50s and 60s, I had myself several vehicles running on LPG starting in 1973 (Plymouth Fury), also a 75 Chrysler Imperial Crown Coupe then a 76 Volare, 78 Chrysler LeBaron, and an 80 New Yorker. I also had a 1974 Dodge Colt GT that I raced in SCCA Solo II that ran on Straight LPG.

Hal Babcock

The hour is here. Its time has come. After the recent show about LNG and propane, I realize that in a global economy, it's time to call gas "gas" and call the liquid stuff "petrol.” Otherwise, it's too confusing. Join with me, in fact, with your vast influence, you could take the point and bring us into line with the rest of the world.

Today: gas. Tomorrow: kilometers. Just imagine our future filled with Celsius, futbol, meters, and yes, even petrol!

Ken Silva
Laveen, AZ

John,

Fantastic shows on the Achates engine and Propane (kudos to you and your staff). It sure feels like we are on the cusp of a transportation revolution. I have a question about the Achates engine that you may know the answer to. It appears to be a 2 stroke design with compression ignition and I thought that this design had major issues with meeting modern emission standards (especially if using Diesel fuel). I know your guest said their test engines are meeting emission standards, but how? Remember the Trabant? I hope to be able to purchase an Achates powered vehicle soon that runs on CNG. I won't need to worry about valve seat wear with that set up ;-)

Tom Himes
New Orleans, LA

Dear Mr. McElroy;

Your guest Richard Dauch was truly amazing. His attitude is absolutely bulletproof and he delivers!! He appears as a very affable grandfatherly figure but his toughness and grit is refreshing.

Richard Dauch for president.

Gregory Wyatt
Vancouver, BC

Dear Mr. McElroy,

After Hours, April 18, was very good.

Thank you for getting my question answered by your guest, David Johnson from Achates Power.

I got a charge out of that!

Jack Pearson
Fort Worth, TX

P.S. I have to wonder why the Chinese chose EcoMotor's over Achates Power to build an opposing cylinder engine. It could be that all pistons connected directly to the crank shaft as EcoMotors has engineered is a more solid arrangement than the Achates Power design of using gears to get power to the crank shaft (which was wonderfully displayed on your show). The, perhaps, more solid connection which EcoMotors is using between piston and crank shaft may outweigh the power stroke advantages David Johnson was speaking of in the Achates Power design. I think the "old pro" German engineer at EcoMotors, Peter Hofbauer, with decades of engine design experience at Volkswagen probably has..."a better idea."

John,

On Friday's edition, you said China's domestic brands only accounted for 42% of sales in China. What percentage of sales in the U.S. is accounted for by our domestic brands? i.e. GM and Ford? Can't hardly call Chrysler domestic anymore.

HoboBob

John,

I'm glad you had a show dedicated to the discussion of LPG on Autoline This Week. I had a few comments about some of the dialog that I think were omitted during the discussion:

1) LPG is commonly used in forklifts. I ran a forklift fleet in one of my jobs out of college. Most industrial companies that use forklifts have a propane fueling system on-site that is replenished by truck from a local distributor. There are many large companies - FerrellGas, Amerigas - that can provide refueling to these locations and would probably be happy to expand to other locations. So the infrastructure issues aren't a technical or even a cost barrier - just an investment decision.

2) I think it is disingenuous of these companies to state that a hydrocarbon fuel is "green.” Getting 30% reduced CO2 emissions is only "less bad", but it isn't "good.” It's like saying you've stopped stabbing people with a 6" knife and instead will use a 4" knife. That's not improvement. We should all be clear about the environmental benefits/detriments of using propane without being misleading.

3) To that end, it is important to note that automakers are regulated based on *tailpipe* emissions and not on fuel lifecycle emissions. That means the OEMs get no benefit for the CO2 emissions from even cellulosic biofuels (or any carbon-neutral liquid fuel) because it emits CO2 after combustion. Propane gives a little bit of a boost given reduced emissions and Nat gas somewhat less - even though they are inherently non-renewable fossil fuels. They are however, regulatory wise, no better than cellulosic ethanol from an emission standpoint (ethanol is easier to adopt however). The regulations are flawed. I think it's important for companies to know this detail because it can help explain the tradeoffs the automakers have to make.

I've really enjoyed your fuel-related shows, John. I have worked in the biofuels and bio-based chemicals industry for 6 years. I most recently worked for Coskata outside of Chicago. I still see you using B-roll from our Lighthouse facility where I spent quite a lot of time. Candy Wheeler was also a great supporter of ours and I really enjoyed your previous shows with her as a guest.

I recently wrote a short ebook on the challenges facing the Advanced Biofuels industry. In the book I illustrate (with data and references) some of the ongoing challenges with policy, new technologies, and the industry structure that is causing the rather slow pace of progress. I'd like to invite you to read it (it's free if you're an Amazon Prime member) and ask any follow-up questions you may have about its contents.

Have a great week ahead.

Best regards,
Doug

Saw this and thought you might be interested. This is a new modified Li ion battery that might prove a game-changer.

While not ready for prime time (yet), it is an emerging technology (maybe).

I didn't bother posting on the comments section (frankly because it is a little tedious there); no needs to post any names (but the usual suspects). :-)

Yours truly,

Chuck Grenci
Mount Pleasant, SC

John;

On your show from Monday, April 15, 2013, you discussed a recent Autoline viewer poll for how frequently viewers changed their oil. At the end you wrapped by saying the results showed that Autoline viewers took better care of their cars than the general public. However, without results from the same poll with the general public, how does knowing what your viewers do translate to a comparison?

Beth in Farmington, MN

Hi John:

Now that the weather is getting better, I’m ready for another AAH road show.

You have got some really great automotive shrines in your area that should get more notice than they do. Now that the Walter P. Chrysler museum is no longer open to the public, it would be a great place to have another discussion with, say, Ralph Gilles, and look at some cool American iron. The GM Heritage Collection would make a really great location too and would probably get Peter all wound up seeing those fantastic GM show cars from the 50’s. Or wander around the Back to the Bricks show in Flint with all the cruisers and hot rodders. Maybe you could even do a special Sunday edition from the Eyes on Design show in Grosse Pointe. You do work on weekends, right? LOL!

Just some ideas for you in case you can’t get back to NYC and Katz’s Deli!

Regards,

Steve Read
Caledon, ON, Canada

Hi John,

What intrigues me about opposed piston engines, so I hope you bring this up with David Johnson during your next Autoline After Hours, is that there's conceptually an easy way to have a variable compression ratio. (Easier with the Achates Power dual crank engine than the EcoMotors OPOC with the long connecting rods.) Have they considered variably running the cranks out of phase with each other.

In an opposed piston engine if both opposed pistons reach TDC at the same time the compression ratio is at its highest. If one piston reaches TDC slightly after the other the compression ratio is reduced. At during part load operation when BMEP is reduced you should be able to grossly increase compression ratio.

Now I understand that the Achates engine is being developed as a diesel, so a variable compression ratio is less useful than in a spark ignition engine, but maybe there is still some benefit in a diesel.

If you recall, SAAB experimented with a variable compression ratio turbocharged gasoline engine back in the 2000/2001 time frame. (An American invention per Wikipedia. This design was originally patented by Gregory J. Larsen of Lakeland, Forida.) Compression ratio went as high as 14 to 1 at low load, but as low 8 to 1 under high load/high boost conditions. Some (SAAB?) claimed a 30% reduction in fuel usage, although I seem to remember some internet sources say the reduction was only 5%.

I take a issue with your disdain for electric vehicles. I have an older electric vehicle, made by a large American manufacturer in the late 70's, which I've owned since the early 90's. I still use it frequently but never suffer from range anxiety. I'm including a picture for your edification.

I look forward to seeing this weeks Autoline After Hours, and last week's show was great too.

Steve Naugler
Hockessin, DE

Hi again John,

Sorry if I led you to believe that I thought you didn't like EVs. I actually I do get your position on EVs and fully agree with it. Let the market decide!! My evidently confusing intro to the EV subject was intended to be tongue in cheek and to provide an intro to my picture of my EV, the GE Elec-Trak E15.

The GE Elec-Trak is another interesting story of a product failing in the market place. I'm a member of an on line Elec-Trak bulletin board that has sometimes access to former GE employees involved with the GE Elec-Trak, so I've heard some of the story.

There was no government subsidy for the GE electric tractor and lawn mower electric tractor effort. Supposedly GE lost money on every electric tractor or lawnmower sold hoping that volume would increase enough to eventually turn a profit, but due to high selling prices and dealers not pushing them high enough volume sales were never achieved.

The GE Elec-Trak problems included:
1. High purchase price,
2. Few Elec-Trak dealers or owners took the time learn about care and maintenance,
3. The batteries needed frequent replacement if not maintained, which most weren't (I get 6-8 years out of a set),
4. Corrosion (Come on GE, what was with the steel battery boxes for lead acid batteries?),
5. Non intelligent battery chargers. (Which was about all that were available in pre 1980.)

I bought my tractor, two complete parts tractors, two tractors worth of parts, and a bunch of accessories for $500. As much as I like the quiet I never would have paid money for one of these tractors new. When my most recent set of batteries die I'll probably give up the never ending fight against corrosion and give the tractor away.

Have a great week,

Steve Naugler
Hockessin, DE

John,

I’m hoping you can shed some light on how CARB feels the automakers can live up to the artificial demands they’ve instituted. The way I understand how CARB is placing these demands seems untenable. In comparison, to me, it’s like passing a law saying supermarkets must sell 60% of their total products in the forms of fruit and vegetables so that the population eat healthier thus reducing medical costs.

Car companies can only produce, sell, and thus stay alive by making the products people want to buy. To enforce the CARB law, will the dealers have to stop selling less efficient cars until they’ve met their quota of EVs? If I go in to by a pick-up truck is it possible I’ll be told, “sorry, we can only sell hybrids ‘till we meet the right percentages.” I know this may sound silly, but I just don’t understand how simply mandating a sales number will cause the buying public, who are free to purchase what they want, to comply. And on top of that, holding the automakers feet to the fire if the public turns away. Is there some formula that I’m missing that ensures an automaker CAN comply?

Confused in the Heartland,
Mark B.

I have worked in the automobile industry for the past 20 years. As one of only a few female skilled trades, I do not see the industry changing very quickly. Over the past 20 years I have seen the promotion of females and blacks take a turn for the worst.

I was hired as an apprentice electrician in 1993. I have a BBA with a major in accounting. Presently I work as a trades team leader. I enjoy my job as a leader and an electrician. I served 6 years as the recording secretary for my local union and presently serve as chair of the trustees. In 1993 the site was Saginaw Steering Gear, then became Delphi Automotive and now the site is Nexteer Automotive owned by the Chinese.

Sad to say, but I have not seen the advancement of women in this still white male dominated industry. They tolerant women and blacks. The attitude of the present management has actually deteriorated since I started in 1993. The female engineers and foreman are marginalized.

Carol

John,

Pondering the discussion of taxing miles on odometer: I drive near 15000 miles a year. The problem I have is that only about 5000 is driven in Michigan. I generally make three round trips to Florida of about 2800 miles each year. In recent times I have made three trips to the Northwest of over 2500 miles to there. Around 5000 miles round trip. Is Lansing really thinking there won't be kickback for taxes on miles driven out of state. I just did my taxes and with recent changes to the Michigan tax code paid a large income tax increase. Owning property in Florida and being retired is making it very appealing to change home address to Florida.

Bob J

John,

Do you remember a company that sold automotive parts to the manufactures in Detroit by the name of Stubsnuts and Green? This has been 40 to 50 years ago.

Robert Hornbrook

I watched your program today with Richard Dauch. I could certainly tell who pays for this program. Mr. Dauch complaints were the unions, contracts and the government. It is always amazing when people like Mr. Dauch complain about contracts/unions. Who agreed to the contracts and benefits? People like Mr. Dauch did. He acts like management (that he was part of) had nothing to do with the poor contracts that put the auto industry in crisis. He totally neglected mentioning anything about what the financial industry did to the economy and his industry. In the past twenty years, the rich like Mr. Dauch have become super rich at the expense of the middleclass and working poor. They have broken promises to these people and only managed to cause wages and benefits to stagnate or lower. I ultimately believe people like Mr. Dauch would like to have our country to be back in the industrial age when they could do what ever they want; ruin our environment; and have a population of indentured servants to work at their factories.

sbuckles, Indiana

Hi John:

Just wanted to point out, under Ronald Reagan, whose massive tax rate cuts [hint: Obama!] led, literally, to the re-industrialization of the USA - the age of plant & equipment was halved under Reagan - which makes Reagan not only the President who presided of one of the greatest Productivity decades in USA history but also one of the greatest environmental Presidents in history - new plants pollute far less than old ones!

Vincent A. Joy

John,

This was a hell of a show! I love to see an After Hours Show with Dauch and the CEO of Home Depot to talk more on manufacturing and making a successful company. We need these type of people to educate us on the problems of business and manufacturing.

Thanks John,
Spanky

On Friday Green Car Congress posted a story about the new Delphi GDCI system with turbo and supercharger. They estimated the fuel economy for a 1.8 liter engine with this system versus a current 2.4 liter engine and the numbers are stunning! They claim that the city fuel economy goes up by 65%, highway fuel economy improves by 28% and the combined fuel economy improvement is 50%.

This blows away the 25% claimed improvement of Transonic Combustions supercritical injection and combustion and probably at a lower cost. Delphi is scheduled to make two presentations on this system at next week’s SAE show and I see from the brochure that you will be a speaker at the show.

Maybe you could consider having Delphi on Autoline After Hours to discuss the system?

Ray Aurand

Will Autoline ever return to a regularly (weekly) broadcast as it once was on Speed Channel. Now that Speed Channel will be going away and the meteoric rise of auto interest programming, I see the Discovery Networks as a path back to the spotlight.

Thanks,

Steve Spatola,
Stockton, CA

Hi John,

I have noticed recently that almost all of the new cars have no bumpers front and rear. Sure everyone has bumper covers but I thought that the Federal standards called for no damage up to 2.5 or 5 mph to the surrounding body work. The new Lexus, MKZ, all Germans, and many more have grills right up to the leading edge of each make. It seems that even small impacts would send you to the body shop for thousands of dollars in repairs. And with these expensive head and tail lights, it must be ugly.

Thanks for a great show!

Roger

So John, are you saying the Tata Nano is the modern day version of the Yugo?

Will Beck

Hi John,

I saw your report on the new 1.5 liter EcoBoost engine in today's episode of Autoline Daily. I searched for more info about the 1.5 liter EcoBoost engine and it turns out to be a 3-cylinder engine based on the smaller 1.0 liter EcoBoost, and not a 4-cylinder engine.

Here's a photo from paultan.org.

Thanks,

A.M. Guerrero
Metro Manila, Philippines

Last September I purchased a new 2012 Buick LaCrosse with a 3.6L engine and 6 speed automatic transmission. From day one I noticed that the transmission would not shift to 2nd gear until the engine was over 5,000 RPM. Similar high RPM shift points from 2nd to 3rd. I have 3 other GM cars and none of them do this. They all shift at around 3,000 RPM. This is absolutely killing my city and combination fuel mileage.

I have been in contact with Buick customer service that insists that there is nothing wrong, but, when searching the internet I find a whole lot more owners complaining about the same thing. I previously owned a 2011 Cadillac CTS4 with the same engine and transmission that did not to this. Have you heard anything about this? What do I have to do to convince Buick that they must do something to reprogram the shift points in this transmission?

Jack A.

John,

A couple things.

I believe they said they were going to make 2500 Tesla Roadsters.. and they did. and moved on to the Model S.

Gathering the vehicles miles traveled per year for a tax is easy.... In large cities in Texas (DFW, Austin, San Antonio, Houston) we have yearly smog checks through the OBDII port. The inspector interrogates the car with a secure computer system to validate the VIN and logs the info with a centralized computer. This is how CarFax gets the mileage readings for our cars. Then the state could send a bill for the VMT based tax. Perhaps they could even make it easier by also including the yearly registration bill with it.

China and EVs.. watch out for series PHEVs in China.. remember how you were impressed with the Coda EV powertrain? Just wait until they get help making 1Liter 2 or 3 cylinder range extender and poof.. it they have range anxiety fixed.. all they give up is the 15% mpg that GM gained through it's sophisticated Voltec gearbox in Charge Sustaining mode. They could get smooth NVH, modular design..etc. This could be their disruptive technology which takes off in China and helps them penetrate eventually the US market.

Regards,
Dave Tuttle

Maybe I'm paranoid but I like the idea of not getting tickets for going 70 mph in my classic car.... especially next to 180,000lb 18-wheelers who are also allowed to do 65mph with triple braking distances... it just doesn't seem logical.

Road tax = (curb weight) * (average rainfall) * (miles roads) / (capita + tourists) / (x)

..... where x is the federal standard inversely proportional to the importance of roads relative to subjective public demand.

This seems to be the most accurate way to fund the repair of roads without GPSing people and adding it to the equation.

Noah Rogers

John,

I agree whole-heartedly on your thoughts that the regulators who are proposing ratings for “family” and “senior” categories have simply too little to do and are looking to justify their existence.

For instance, what if I’m a 55-year-old, who normally keeps my car 10 years from purchase. I also have 15-year-old twins who will be going to college in three years. Do I buy a car based on the “senior” rating because I’ll be a senior citizen before I give up the car or do I buy one with a better “family” rating as my kids will be driving with me for at least three more years? And what about when the twins turn 16 and start driving on their own? Will they suffer in driving a car that was purchased based on a solid “senior” rating? . . . Over-regulation it is! With no value! And we can’t cut our federal budget WHY!

Mark B.
Waukesha, WI

Hi John,

Great week of shows as usual.

The safety Nazis seem to be looking to find ever-dwindling returns on regulations, so how much more will it cost the motoring public to gain 10ths or 100ths in improvements? Or maybe we should just give up and be “bubble boys” (and girls) across the nation! However, I have a new target for them which I think could result in MUCH improved passenger and road safety, as well as emissions and fuel economy. USED CARS!

Back in the 70’s when I still lived in the UK, I remember seeing a documentary about rust in monocoque (unit-body) cars. They crashed several late-model cars, 3 and 4 years old I think - and were astounded to see how much structural rigidity had already been lost to rust. I know that engineering has probably come a long way since then – and certainly vulnerability to rust has improved greatly, but when I’m sitting in traffic next to a 10 or 12 year old sedan or minivan with more holes than sheet metal, I always wonder - how strong ARE those vehicles? Wet paper bag comes to mind. Typically, these are the same vehicles that are likely to be unsafe in other areas like steering, tires, brakes, lights, glass, wipers etc., as well as less likely to be properly insured, or comply with emissions.

Because of the annual safety inspection (MOT) in the UK, poorly maintained and unsafe cars are forced to be fixed, and every year, thousands of cosmetically acceptable cars go to the wrecking yard because they were not structurally sound, or could not be economically repaired.

Might we not we see bigger gains in passenger and road safety by tackling the national fleet from the other end its lifecycle? It could remove the most dangerous cars from our roads, help the environment, the auto industry, and maybe even help insurance rates. Sure, it may unfortunately impact the poorest among us, but if someone can’t afford to properly maintain a safe vehicle – for the safety of themselves and passengers - as well as fellow road-users, then perhaps they can’t afford a car. Not everyone can.

POLL - I voted – don’t have a favorite team, but can see why some would like it. But why stop at ball sports? I’d like an F1 Vodaphone McLaren special edition Toyota, or how about Boston Pops Orchestra head rests and hood logo on an F150? Red Bull edition Mercedes or Infiniti? THEY might even pay US. They do seem to have a bottomless advertising budget!

All the best,
Chris

John,

I don't think Volvo's decline can be put down to marketing. Volvo did well with the XC90 and XC60 because they were modern expressions of the classic Volvo wagon. The main problem though is there are no new products and not enough investment in new product. That may be down to having to spend money on a new engine family now that they can't use the Ford/Mazda engines, but its crippled sales. What have they got right now? The XC90 is just too old; the V70 is gone; the XC70 is old; the S80 is old and never sold very well; the S40 and V50 are gone; the C70 is getting old; the S60 and XC60 are doing well, but are a couple years old already; and there's still no sign of the V40, which seems to be in perpetual launch model, with no-one seeing actual product. Sure the S60 wagon will be good, but where is the product? Until they address the product drought, with a new XC90, actual V40s on dealer lots, and a large car that appeals to more buyers, sales will continue to slide.

Andrew Charles
AutoReport

Hi John,

I used to own a silver 1999 V70R AWD. Wonderful car, except the headrests were fixed, and thus while I fit well at 6'1", my wife did not, at 5'2". So, I traded it in and bought the 2001 Audi Allroad about which I often write to you.

Anyway, with respect to Volvo's sales slump, I wonder how many prospective buyers are dissuaded, as I am now, by the fact that it is currently a Chinese company.

Regards,
Tim Beaumont

John,

Love the show (as always). I noticed two things I thought I'd share - either as corrections or opportunities for you to correct me!

First was a shot of what you said was the concept for the next Panamera that you showed last week. That was actually the Panamera Sport Turismo - a sort of wagon/hatchback evolution of the Panamera. They showed it at the Paris Auto Show, but the one you showed looked to be an evolution (color was different, and the lights appeared a touch different). The body was otherwise the same as far as I can tell.

The second was on the poll results about the Ram professional sport team addition. You said the 20% interest was higher than the take rate Ram got. I think it was actually the same or lower. Since Ram sold 3k Red Wings units and 20% of total Ram sales would be 70k units, you said the actual was less than the poll suggested. However, those 3k units are only for the subset of Ram buyers who like the Red Wings. If we believe the poll results to accurately represent the population of Ram buyers, that would mean there are 15k brand new Ram Trucks sitting in the driveway of Red Wings fans based in Michigan (I'm pretty sure they didn't offer the package across the country). Somehow, that feels high to me (remember, it's not just what they have on the road, but what they sold while they offered the special edition).

Being from Boston, I've seen Ford offer a Patriots F150 several times in that model's history in Massachusetts, and I definitely saw some on the road from time to time, but very infrequently. And, if you didn't know, Boston sports fans are, shall we say, rabid (to be put it nicely). I doubt Ford got anywhere near the 20% interest the poll suggested.

Thanks!
Bryan in Boston

John,

Love your show! We ordered a dozen propane school buses for our fleet after your last segment on propane/CNG. I'm not convinced CNG is going to be the answer because of the high pressure tank requirements, but propane is big news in the school bus industry.

Your new Barn Finds segment made me think about some of the car questions I have had over the years. Like why do some cars have amber turn signals and other just red? What is the usefulness of marker lights on trucks? Why are marker lights in Europe white? Why are some cars built with the gas filler on the left and some right? Explain some of the differences US and other parts of the world. For example in Europe they allow convex mirrors and hammers to break windows. Just to name a few? Maybe this could be another segment for the show?

Thanks,
Dan

On a recent show you took the position of a panelist instead of a host.

The Volt was mentioned as a possible game changer. I think it really should have been but in my opinion the dealers tried to sabotage it right at the start!

I was very excited about this car. I live in Silicon Valley and I went to see the Volt at a couple of Chevrolet dealerships. This was when the car was just getting started.

As you know the car was not inexpensive to begin with at around $40,000 plus. I understood the price because I am sure the car was and is expensive to produce. But the dealerships were marking the car up an additional mark up of $5,000 or more!!! The car just came out!!! If they had been selling like the Prius when it was first introduced and you had to wait 2 or 3 months to get one I could almost understand it. But when the car has just been introduced and has barely reached the market that is ridiculous.

I sent an email to the dealer asking why they were trying to sabotage the Volt before it started. They said I just didn't understand the business. I wrote and told them that I surely did not understand.

I then sent an email to GM and they said they don't control the dealerships!!!

In my opinion, that is why the Volt has not been as big a success as it should have been.

Steve

Hi Mr. McElroy,

I listen to your program on WWJ every morning on the way to work and learn something each day. It always amazes me how much information you can pack into such a short amount of time.

Today you spoke about hybrid cars and I detected a dislike for them. Definitely a negativity. Your show today would be a turn-off to someone considering buying a hybrid car of any type.

I own a Ford C-MAX Hybrid, SEL, 303A pkg and I love the car. Through the winter my mileage was lower than the EPA ratings, but now that the weather is moderating, I am getting greater than EPA ratings on some days. I didn't really care, because even at the lower mileage I was doubling what I got with my Jeep Liberty. Now I am close to tripling on many of my daily trips to-from work, Milan to Ann Arbor.

I belong to the fordcmaxhybridforum.com which is made up of the obvious. I really would like to recommend that you visit the site, to read various categories from real world people in a variety of situations. We have members all over the US and Canada. There is one thread called the 600 mile club. There are currently 2 members of the forum who have gotten greater than 600 miles per 13 gal. tank on multiple occasions. These are people who don't drive like a grandmother (which I am, BTW.)

We are currently planning a gathering, here in Michigan, this summer.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

I'll be back listening tomorrow morning

Regards,
Adair Renning

Doesn't anyone buy cars to enjoy driving? I'm not trying to say we should switch back to carburetors, but I think most people could take a bus if they want to browse the internet. I would hope most people will opt to save a few thousand bucks and focus enjoying the drive. Fuel in America is cheap, and I'd rather spend one awesome whimsical day on a trip in a car, than three terrible hours on a passenger jet. Driving should be a fun experience... Or maybe I'm just the jaded Miata and Mustang owner, windows down and listening to the radio while missing out on great climate and fuel apps.

Noah Rogers

John,

Interesting article from the DETNEWS.

So, $4k more up front, 10-20% higher fuel costs, higher maintenance costs.. .while the real fuel economy advantages are diminishing.. particularly when there are new gasoline powertrain architectures which will enable HCCI (such as an HCCI eREV which allows the HCCI engine to operate in a more constrained control region.. which helps solve the long problematic HCCI control challenge and deliver diesel efficiencies with gasoline fuel).

I think you also underestimate the acceptance over time of hybrids (particularly start/stop) and in the future PEVs (in particular eREVs or blended mode PHEVs). The Prius is not a driver's car, but its grown to the be the number one selling car in CA (and Japan) and the number 14 in the US. Also, I think we'll see more impressive take rates on Camry, ES300h, and Fusion hybrids as the old paradigm of "it has to look special to show off green credentials with a Prius" phenomenon diminishes as more mainstream adopters feel confident in the hybrid technology, see the payback, and are willing to pay a relatively modest (sunroof + leather equiv premium?) for superb fuel economy. A Camry or Fusion which gets a real 38 to 40mpg is simply amazing.

As far as the PEVs, it took 12-13 years to have the Prius go from a science experiment to the number one selling car in CA.. let's fairly assume that it may take 2011+12 hears for a PEV to do the same... or earlier if we have an oil supply disruption.

Yes, there is a big price premium on eREVs right now, but the price premiums over conventional vehicles will decline over time.. the technology will be proven reliable, and the much lower maintenance costs will become recognized. I just changed my Volt oil for the first time at 2 years and 25k miles! (instead of every 5k miles on my wife's Lexus).. plus brake pads will last forever given regen.

You say that GM will never make its money back from the Volt.. well how much does GM spend each year in advertising?

I had never owned a GM car before my Volt and had never planned to.. they were not even on my consideration list. Now, my view is 180 degrees turned around on GM and I see them as a technology leader. How much is that worth to them? It might be good to watch out to make sure you aren't thinking like a bean counter. Think of the reputational benefits that Toyota has enjoyed from the Prius. Bob Lutz saw this..

What I want to see is a Tesla Model S with a smaller battery and a range extender. I drove one at a ride and drive in Austin and it was an awesome 5-series (or even M5) competitor. Rolls Royce NVH with 911GT3 performance..

Dave Tuttle

Hello,

I enjoy AAH for its in-depth interviews and I’d like to know if you’ll have anyone from Acura/Honda on the show soon? From what I read online and from my talks with car guys, I understand that most people don’t like the direction Acura’s taking with its styling. Will you have anyone from the automaker on the show to discuss that and what are your thoughts on Acura’s styling decisions?

Thank You,
Rafi from Baton Rouge, LA

I am sure the Autoline team has been informed of the refreshed 2014 Chevrolet Camaro, and positive that it will appear on a future Autoline episode. However I could not wait till that episode aired to express my opinions.

Here are my thoughts:

Why must GM tarnish arguably its most soul filled car in decades? The refresh is a major step in the wrong direction. The hood scoop is somewhat ugly, the front grille is less muscular than before, and the taillights are awful. Before the Camaro's taillights were among the most aggressive in the business, and GM went and ruined them. I guess GM set the bar too high at the beginning of the fifth generation that in the process of trying to evolve the design they instead have jeopardized the future success of this iconic muscle car. If this refresh is any indication of what's to come alpha platform or not the future of Camaro looks very grim.

Brent Burrows

Apparently the women executives in these companies are treated a lot better than the women who work in the parts supplies. Female engineers and supervisors are marginalized.

Please take the time to do a segment on the women who do the work in the factories. I think it would be a real eye opener for your audience.

Carol Chisholm

Hey John,

Honestly, I'm not a big Corvette or Viper guy. I totally respect, appreciate and admire them. And I root hard for them when they are on the track.

The Sebring race made me a true believer. To see the 91 Viper leading lap after lap in the middle of the race... Hard to believe this was only the 3rd race for this program - Riley was a great choice to run this effort. This car made Old Man Kendall look fast. Next time you see Ralph Gilles can you give him a big wet one from me? GREAT EFFORT SRT TEAM!!!

And in the end - a true Hollywood story - Corvette pulls out the win...What a sense of pride Corvette Racing provides, time and time again! What a world class race team!

I hope Peter was in the Corvette Pit at the checkered flag! (not over at Turn Ten singing bad Greatful Dead tunes and flashing his boobies)

Done,

The Mayor
Annapolis, MD

ps Maybe it's time to sell a kidney and put a deposit on a Stingray...

Attempting to watch Autoline on KLRU in Austin 3/23/2013 at 10:30 CDT, and the program is advertised as having CC in the guide. There is no closed caption on this program. I cannot watch without, so I will watch another program.

Mike Morse

Hi John:

I always enjoy your superb coverage of China's auto industry.

When it comes to "a's" in Asia, always put an imaginary "h" behind those "a" letters and it will sound pronounced correctly, or close to it.

So it's Rhanz not Ranz, Mr. Wahng not Mr. Wang,...Vietnahm not Vietnam, etc.

Best regards,
Lawrence Driscoll

John,

The automatic rev matching that Corvette C7 uses does not quite make sense, because without properly timed double clutching it really does not have the intended effect. If the desired effect is smoothness, and minimizing wear and tear on the clutch and transmission's syncros. Does the rev match system come with an instructor to teach how to operate the clutch properly (or is clutch operation automatically done with a complex system)?

Hats off to the auto extremist for defending GM's push rod engine architecture.

Conway

Autoline,

This email doesn't represent the views of General Motors as a company...but it is my view.

In regard to last weeks Autoline After Hours, what I personally like about push rod engines is the packaging efficiency. Overhead valve engines take a lot of room "between the rails," either fore and aft, or laterally depending on the orientation. You might remember the 4.6L Northstar and then compare that in your mind to the 5.7L V8 Corvette engine. The Northstar took a lot more plan-view real estate than the 5.7L. I think the overhead valve offers vehicle design flexibility that allows GM to create vehicles like the Corvette with low hood lines and premium suspensions. There is just more room under the hood.

Scott C. Simon

Love your shows. Keep em coming!

Here is a suggestion for a topic to cover on a future show. In this past week's episode, your guest was Pietro Gorlier. I heard him discussing, at length, MOPAR accessories and how important accessories are to not only the manufacturer, but to dealerships as well. I've also noticed, in past episodes, different manufacturer guests discussing OEM accessories and their processes. As a suggestion, I would love it if you would dedicate a show on vehicle customization and how fast it is growing.

For example, GM has jumped in with both feet into the accessories business and has, what I feel, to be the best processes in the industry. Approximately 8 years ago, Accessories Distributors & Installers (ADI) were set up across the country to basically bring the accessories warehouse to the GM dealer's backyard. ADI's are privately owned operations that warehouse, deliver and install GM accessories at the dealerships in their markets. Prior to the existence of the ADI, a GM dealership would have to order GM accessories directly from GM, who would have to then secure them from the supplier. This process time consuming and expensive. Now, the GM dealership orders the accessories directly from the GM ADI who can typically deliver the accessories next-day.....and at a very competitive cost to the dealer.

I work for an ADI - Custom Vehicle Outfitters. We supply the GM dealerships in Upstate/Central NY (Syracuse, Binghamton, Rochester & Buffalo markets), NE Pennsylvania (Scranton, Wilkes Bare) and Pittsburgh/Erie PA. With over 280 GM dealerships, our business has grown tremendously over the years. Vehicle customization is becoming more top-of-mind to the retail consumer and the national GM's accessory sales projections are through the roof over the next 5 years.

Thank you for your time and will continue to be a loyal listener!

Sincerely,
Bill O'Neil

Need some important info on CNG;

1. What is the upfront cost for a CNG system?

2. Are you talking about Bi-Fuel systems, where the engine has to rely on diesel fuel for starting each combustion event and engine “Cold Starting” Etc.?

3. How much does the CNG system weigh?

4. How much payload am I losing to carry the CNG system?

5. Natural gas octane can vary 40 octane numbers as it is produced.

6. What kind of power loss is there when 70 octane CNG is being used?

7. What octane number is the engine designed for?

8. On a CNG “Fast Fill”, How is the 80% refill factor being addressed

9. I’ve never seen any data on LPG use because it is a crude oil product.

Thank You,
tomk1

John McElroy,

A few days ago you were talking about the big semi-trucking outfits.. that if they switched over to engines that would burn natural gas or propane fuel gas they could save up to $300,000.00 per year, per truck? The plot thickens here for me.

It was back in April 2001, on CNN, that Bob Stempel and Carl Ovshinsky had a motorcycle running on Hydrogen Gas in the studio. Bob Stempel said, that if a person had a solar panel the size of a DIRECT TV dish with the equipment needed he could manufacture enough hydrogen fuel gas that would power his car and truck and heat his home also.

He sited that water was every where and it didn't matter what kind of water was used.. water is abundant he stated.

Years ago, on TV, there was Mr. Wizard, the TV show (1951-1965)? or so. Don Herbert was the host then and he showed us how to go about manufacturing Oxygen and Hydrogen gas.. using DC current. He had electric current pass through electrodes placed in water, and spaced 1" apart causing the water to have a fizzing action.

Two tubes... On one side a tube captured Oxygen and on the other side a tube captured Hydrogen gas. These tubes were approximately 2" in diameter with a removable cap on top.

You could see on the gauge, that there was twice as much Hydrogen stored in the one tube as there was Oxygen.

He would heat up a piece of steel wool on a Bunsen burner, holding it with a pair of bacon tongs, then thrust it into the tube with Oxygen and it would burst into blame.

He repeated this again, heating up another piece of steel wool, and then placed it over the tube of Hydrogen and flames shot out.

During his years on the air he repeated this several times.

I have heard that the natural gas companies want in on the action.. they site there is more hydrogen atoms in natural gas. My opinion is they want the money. Natural gas is explosive as well as hydrogen. Schwans trucks already use Propane fuel gas.

WE all could be heating our homes with hydrogen, and powering our cars and trucks with what we manufactured on site.

Did Stempel and Ovshinsky go out of business.. someone get to them.. Threaten them?

Sincerely,

John I. Pyke
Clarkston, MI