AD #2358 – Performance Tesla Model 3 Details, Solid State Batteries Decade Away? FCA in Diesel Emissions Hot Water

On today’s show… Tesla unveils upgrades to the Model 3 that push the price sky high… Toyota says solid state batteries for EVs are a long way off… and FCA is in hot water over diesel emissions. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.

PERFORMANCE VERSION OF MODEL 3 IS PLENTY PRICEY
Elon Musk is touting Tesla’s performance version of the Model 3 on Twitter. It includes dual motors, where one can drive the car even if the other gives out, and together provide all-wheel drive. It features 20-inch wheels, a carbon fiber spoiler and a black and white interior. It can hit 60 MPH in just 3.5-seconds, has a top speed of 155 miles-per-hour and has 310-miles of range. All that will set you back $78,000, which is well above its highly-touted $35,000 starting price and still does not include AutoPilot. If you just want AWD on your Model 3, it costs an additional $5,000.

TOYOTA SAYS SOLID STATE BATTERIES A DECADE AWAY
Toyota threw cold water on the idea that solid state batteries are going to be ready for electric cars by 2020. In an interview with Wards Auto, Shinzuo Abe, the head of powertrain for Toyota, said they will not be ready for mass production until around 2030. He said they will begin trial production in 2020, but that 2030 is a more realistic time frame for when they will be ready. EV enthusiasts have been hoping that solid state batteries would help bring down the cost of electric cars much sooner than that.

MERRILL LYNCH ISSUES INDUSTRY WARNING
Merrill Lynch issued a warning that the auto industry in the American market has “entered the early innings of a downturn.” It says the industry faces headwinds from rising interest rates and fuel and raw material prices. It also cites a tsunami of vehicles coming off lease that will flood the used car market, dragging down prices of new and used cars. Merrill Lynch says investors are leery that automakers can sustain their earnings going into this kind of environment.

Raj Nair, the former Ford executive who got fired earlier this year, popped up as the COO of a supplier company and that’s coming up next.

FCA IN HOT WATER OVER DIESEL EMISSIONS
Fiat Chrysler looks to be in big trouble over diesel emissions. First, let’s back it up a bit. By rule, diesels are allowed to exceed emission levels, but only in certain situations, and you have to tell regulators about it. FCA is being accused of installing software in the 3.0L diesel for Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ram pickups that would allow excess emissions beyond those certain situations, but it did not report them. FCA denies using a defeat device, but according to Bloomberg, email records show FCA had concerns over the engine’s software as early as 2010. VM Motori, the diesel supplier owned by FCA, wrote that the software was capable of cycle detection, which means it could know when it was being tested for emissions and could change calibrations.

RAJ NAIR LANDS AT MULTIMATIC
Raj Nair, the former president of Ford North America who was fired earlier this year for inappropriate behavior, was named the chief operating officer of the Canadian supplier Multimatic. The company is famous for its racing expertise, and for making an innovative shock absorber using spool valves that are used in the hard-core, off-road Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 and other applications. The company also manufactures Ford’s GT sports car.

ED CARPENTER TAKES INDY 500 POLE
Qualification for the Indianapolis 500 took place over the weekend and produced a number of surprises. Ed Carpenter qualified fastest with a speed over 229 miles an hour. That’s about 370 kilometers per hour. Carpenter is from Indianapolis and runs his own team. But for this race, he’s driving one of his own cars. Chevrolet powered cars dominated qualifying, taking 8 of the top 10 positions. Danica Patrick, supposedly making her last race appearance qualified seventh. I say supposedly, because if she does well in the race we’d expect her to get other offers to drive. And in a stunning development, James Hinchcliffe, the popular Canadian driver, who sits 5th in the driver’s championship failed to quality.

Coming up next, a look at how 3D printing is being used by automakers.

3D PRINTING REDUCES COMPLEXITY
On last week’s Autoline After Hours we were joined by Jon Walker from 3D printing company EOS North America. And he talked about how EOS helped GM create a seat bracket, that not only reduces its size but also the complexity of manufacturing the part.

(Clip from AAH #421 can only be viewed in the video version of today’s show.)

A programming note here. There will not be an Autoline After Hours this week as the crew is tied up with another video production.

But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.