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Runtime: 8:57
0:31 VW Drops the Beetle
1:22 Illuminati Motor Works’ Wild EV
3:16 Car Sales Strong in Europe
3:59 Big Truck Sales Soar in August
4:39 Daimler and Bosch Test Automated Valet Parking
5:40 Building Trust Between Humans & Automated Systems
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On today’s show…Volkswagen is squashing the Beetle in the U.S. but it’s sending it off with a couple of special models…big truck sales in the U.S. show no signs of slowing down…and we’ll tell you all about this wild electric car we spotted recently. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the voice of the automotive industry.
VW DROPS THE BEETLE
Back in April of 2016, we got word from Autoforecast Solutions that Volkswagen would end production of the Beetle and the automaker has finally confirmed there will not be a 2019 model. As we said at the time, sales of the Beetle in the U.S. have dropped off steeply over the years. VW sold 109,000 in 2013, 64,000 in 2015 and so far this year just over 11,000 have reached customer hands. But the automaker is sending the iconic car off with a couple of special models, the Final Edition SE and Final Edition SEL, which feature a number of unique touches. And as the CEO of VW points out, the I.D. Buzz is a modern interpretation of the Bus, so never say never with the Beetle.
ILLUMINATI MOTOR WORKS’ WILD EV
Here’s something fun before the weekend. Check out this wild EV we saw the other day. Its name is Seven and was designed and developed by Illuminati Motor Works for the Automotive X Prize, which was a set of competitions put on by Progressive Insurance in 2010, that aimed to inspire a new generation of fuel efficient vehicles. Power comes from a 40-kW electric motor and 99 lithium-iron-phosphate batteries sitting in the center tunnel that add up to 33 kWh. It has over 200 miles of range and received an EPA mileage rating of 207.5 miles per gallon equivalent. For the competition, Seven featured a foam and fiberglass body, but in 2013 it switched over to carbon fiber and Kevlar. It now sits at 17.5 feet long and just over 2,900 pounds. While it has a number of parts and pieces from other vehicles, I’m sure you can guess where the headlights and door handles came from, we’re really impressed with how well the styling came out. I think jsegaldesign on Instagram summed it up the best, it looks as though a Karmann Ghia and a Buick Riviera had a baby.
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Still to come…Daimler and Bosch show off automated valet parking in China.
CAR SALES STRONG IN EUROPE
Car sales in Europe are going strong. According to WardsAuto, automakers sold more than 1.6 million light vehicles in July, which is up 6% compared to a year ago. And through the first seven months of the year, sales hit 12.5 million units, which is nearly a 4% gain. Volkswagen is having a strong year so far, with an 11% increase in sales. Peugeot Citroen is behind VW and though sales are up, it’s below the overall market, which means it lost some share. And it’s the same story with PSA’s French rival Renault. Ford and FCA round out the top five, and they’re down about the same percentage so far in 2018.
2018 EUROPE LIGHT VEHICLE SALES | ||
---|---|---|
July | 1,646,046 | +6.3% |
YTD | 12,535,165 | +3.7% |
YTD TOP OEMs | ||
Volkswagen | 2,214,666 | +10.8% |
PSA | 1,943,062 | +1.7% |
Renault | 1,033,485 | +2.5% |
Ford | 912,353 | -1.5% |
FCA | 835,891 | -1.7% |
Source: WardsAuto |
BIG TRUCK SALES SOAR IN AUGUST
And speaking of sales, the medium and heavy-duty truck segment in the U.S. continues to soar. WardsAuto reports that big truck sales were up nearly 19% in August compared to a year ago. And that’s nearly all because of the Class 8 segment, which was up a whopping 40%. Class 4 through 7 saw just a 1.7% increase last month. But overall, it’s been a great year for big trucks. They’re up 18% so far in 2018 and as we keep saying, this is great news because this segment is a leading indicator for car sales and the economy. It suggests we won’t see a slowdown in growth.
DAIMLER AND BOSCH TEST AUTOMATED VALET PARKING
Daimler and Bosch demonstrated automated valet parking in China for the first time. The technology allows the vehicle to park itself. To use it, the driver parks the car in a designated drop-off area, then sends it to an assigned parking spot using a smartphone app. Sensors in both the parking garage and car guide it to its spot. Then when you’re ready to pick up the car, you just summon it with the app and it will automatically return. The companies say parking garages equipped with this technology can accommodate up to 20% more vehicles because they can park closer together.
And speaking of autonomous driving, coming up next, a look at how trust can be built between humans and technology.
BUILDING TRUST BETWEEN HUMANS & AUTOMATED SYSTEMS
Automated driving systems are starting to make their way into vehicles. But many studies show drivers are still reluctant to give up control of the car. On Autoline This Week, Jada Smith the VP of Advanced Engineering at the supplier Aptiv, shares how trust can be built between humans and the vehicle.
(The ATW preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)
For more about the role Aptiv is playing in bringing driver assistance and automated systems to market, you can watch that entire discussion right now on our website, Autoline.tv or you can find it on our YouTube channel.
But that wraps up today’s show, thanks for watching and have a great weekend.
Thanks to our partner for embedding Autoline Daily on its website: WardsAuto.com
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.