Runtime: 8:00
0:31 Paris Ride-Sharing Companies in Jeopardy
1:19 Auto Shows Benefit Small Carmakers
1:57 Dana Becomes More Vertically Integrated
2:56 VW Breaks Pikes Peak Record
3:26 Weekend Racing Results
3:57 Ford Turns Train Station into Tech Hub
5:18 Graphene Used to Heat and Cool Seat
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On today’s show…car sharing with electric cars turns out to be a flop in Paris…auto shows are really good for small car companies…and Ford turns one of Detroit’s biggest eyesores into a major destination. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.
PARIS RIDE-SHARING COMPANIES IN JEOPARDY
As automakers, tech companies and startups rush to get involved in mobility services, here’s a word of warning. Bike-sharing took off in Paris in 2007 thanks to a company called Velib. A few years later, Autolib launched an electric car sharing company. They seemed to be an instant success. But now both of them are in serious financial trouble. What went wrong? Well, Autolib’s electric car rentals required expensive new charging stations and took a long time to recharge. And Velib faced aggressive competition from cheaper, bike sharers that did not require you to return the bike to a docking station. The city of Paris is currently holding talks regarding the end dates of both programs.
AUTO SHOWS BENEFIT SMALL CAR COs
Auto shows around the world are in trouble, as a growing number of car companies are dropping out of some of them. But a study from Foresight Research suggests that auto shows are really good for smaller car brands, because they get outsized exposure. Foresight says FIAT only sold 35,000 vehicles in the U.S. market last year, but 1.1 million auto show attendees could remember the FIAT display. It says auto shows increased people’s likelihood to consider brands like Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Smart and Mitsubishi.
DANA BECOMES MORE VERTICALLY INTEGRATED
Dana is a traditional supplier that makes axles, but it’s also getting heavily involved in electrification for trucks. It just bought a company called TM4, based in Québec, that makes electric motors, power inverters, and control systems. Dana has developed e-axles, where electric motors are bolted directly to the axle to eliminate drive shafts. By acquiring TM4, Dana will be more vertically integrated, which will cut costs and boost profitability.
Still to come…Ford is converting an iconic, old train station in Detroit, into a hub for its autonomous and electric vehicle development.
VW BREAKS PIKES PEAK RECORD
There’s a new King of the Hill standing atop Pikes Peak. Romain Dumas, driving Volkswagen’s specially built electric race car, smashed the record to the top of the mountain becoming the first driver in 102 years to get up there in under 8 minutes. He posted a time of 7 minutes and 57 seconds. It’s amazing to think that the car, called the I.D. R, was developed and built in just a little over 8 months.
WEEKEND RACING RESULTS
In other racing news Lewis Hamilton dominated the French Grand Prix with his Mercedes, leading the entire race from pole position and taking a 14-point lead in the championship. In IndyCar, Josef Newgarden did pretty much the same thing in his Penske-Chevrolet, winning from pole position at Road America in Elkhart Lake. And in drag racing, Blake Alexander secured his first-ever win in the Top Fuel category at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.
FORD TURNS TRAIN STATION INTO TECH HUB
You may have heard that Ford bought an old train station in Detroit that’s been an eyesore in the city for years. It’s going to rehab the station and turn it into a center of development for electric and autonomous cars. Ford decided to let the public take a look inside before it starts the renovation, and it was stunned at how many people came out. Thousands of people showed up, even though visitors had to register ahead of time. The lines were so long people had to wait over two hours to get inside. The station, which opened in 1914, was built with impressive craftsmanship, but suffered from 30 years of neglect and vandalism. Ford says it will take four years of reconstruction before it’s ready to use again. Even in its dilapidated state the building is impressive. A couple of years ago it was the site of a drifting competition and we’ll let you watch that up to the break.
Coming up next, graphene is truly a breakthrough material, and one company is using it to keep passengers comfortable.
GRAPHENE USED TO HEAT AND COOL SEATS
On last week’s Autoline After Hours, our special guest was Chuck Cauchy, the President and CTO of a company called Promethient. And he explained how its Thermavance technology uses graphene to make heating and cooling systems for car seats more effective.
(The AAH preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)
If you want to learn more about graphene, you can watch that entire discussion right now on our website, Autoline.tv or just look for it on our YouTube channel.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.
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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.