AD #2743 – FCA Previews CES Vehicles; Rivian Demonstrates “Tank Turn” Feature; Update on Ghosn’s Flee from Japan

This is the first Autoline Daily of 2020. And welcome to our brand-new set. As you can see, there’s a lot of cool artwork behind me, which we’ll talk about over the next several weeks. But now on to the news.

UPDATE ON GHOSN’S FLEE FROM JAPAN
We felt like today’s show had to start out by saying something about Carlos Ghosn. I’m sure most of you have read that the former chairman of Nissan and Renault pulled off a pretty daring escape from Japan to flee a number of criminal charges. He’s now in Lebanon where he has citizenship and is a wanted man. Here’s an update on some of the latest news in the story. Ghosn says his family was not involved in his escape, he’s now free to talk to the media, which has got to worry some folks at Nissan and we even saw reports that Ghosn may not be safe in Lebanon because a group of Lebanese lawyers have filed a charge, that visits he made to Israel while chairman of Renault and Nissan constitute a crime. Obviously, there’s a lot going on with this story and there will be more to come.

FORD SHARES MUSTANG MACH-E RESERVATION DETAILS
Ford’s Mustang Mach-E electric vehicle received a lot of fanfare when it was introduced in November. And now the company is sharing some info about the variants customers are ordering. Reservations for the First Edition are full but other models like the Premium and GT are still available for pre-order. Carbonized Gray is the most popular color, with 38% choosing it, followed by Grabber Blue Metallic and Rapid Red. More than 80% of U.S. customers are opting for the extended battery range, nearly 30% of U.S. customers are choosing the GT version and more than a quarter of all reservations are coming from California. 

OPIOID DEATHS HIGHER IN TOWNS WITH CLOSED AUTO PLANTS
Here’s a story we always suspected was true and now we have the grim facts. A study by the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine shows that opioid deaths are 85% higher in towns that had automotive factories which closed, compared to similar towns where auto plants remained open. The study found that opioid deaths really start to increase about 5 years after a plant closes. In the U.S., opioid deaths now greatly outnumber people killed in motor vehicle accidents. More than 47,000 died from opioid overdoses versus about 36,000 in motor vehicle accidents. The study found that declining economic opportunity plays a major role in opioid abuse. Though the study did not address it, suicide rates in the industrial Midwest are higher than in most of the country. 

HYUNDAI PARTNERS WITH CUMMINS ON FUEL CELLS
The Hyundai Group has big plans to introduce fuel-cell powered vehicles to the market. And it’s partnering with Cummins to create them. The two companies will jointly develop electric and fuel-cell powertrains combining Hyundai’s fuel-cell system with Cummins electric powertrain, battery and control technologies. Hyundai will start exporting its fuel-cell systems to Cummins and enter the U.S. market this year, followed by Europe next year. By 2030, Hyundai plans to sell 200,000 fuel cell systems annually, which includes both the transportation and power generation sectors.

RIVIAN DEMONSTRATES “TANK TURN” FEATURE
You may have seen this video that Rivian released the day after Christmas called “Tank Turn.” It shows how its truck can turn within its own wheelbase, just like a tank can do. The secret is four electric motors, one for each wheel.  So on one side, the wheels can turn forward, while on the other, they turn backward. We’d love to learn more about the system, because theoretically Rivian could get rid of the steering column, the steering rack and the tie-rods and just steer using the motors. That would cut cost and reduce weight. But we also wonder, what that would do to tire wear?

RIVIAN RAISES MORE CASH
Speaking of Rivian, did you see that it just raised another $1.3 billion? All together it’s now raised nearly $2.9 billion. Funny, some automakers and suppliers believe they’ll never get good stock multiples if they are located in the Detroit area or have the word “Automotive” in their company name. Remember Delphi Automotive? It’s now Delphi Technologies. TI Automotive is now TI Fluid Systems. And yet, here’s Rivian Automotive, located in metro Detroit, and is having no problems raising billions. It just goes to show that if you have a cool product with cool technology, investors will beat a path to your door.

CES kicks off next week in Las Vegas and automakers and suppliers are already showing off what they’ll have on display.

JEEP PREVIEWS CES VEHICLES
Jeep has set a goal to offer an electrified option for all its models by 2022 and will show off three of them at CES next week. The Wrangler, Compass and Renegade 4xe will all make their debut. 4xe is how all electrified Jeep models will be badged. Jeep says it will use the benefits of electric power to offer a more fun-to-drive experience on road and more capability than ever off road. That’s not all FCA will have at CES. Chrysler is also reviving the Airflow name from the 1930’s for a new concept that looks into the future of mobility. The Airflow Vision Concept uses the dimensions and flat load floor from a plug-in Chrysler Pacifica to create a large interior for passengers. Users interact on individual and customizable display screens where the experience can be tailored to their own needs or information can be shared with other users. We would also say, take note of the front and rear styling, especially the lighting signatures. The concept is said to hint at the future of premium design.

BOSCH INTRODUCES PRODUCTION READY LIDAR
To help autonomous vehicles become a reality, Bosch is introducing long-range LIDAR sensors that are production ready, which it claims is the first system suitable for automotive use. The LIDAR system works in conjunction with cameras and radar to provide SAE Level 3 to 5 autonomy. Bosch says it’s working on reducing its price through its economies of scale, to help bring it to the mass market.

And speaking of CES, be sure to watch our coverage of the show starting next week, which is being brought to you by Magna, Gentex and Bose. John will be talking to automakers and suppliers about the new technology and gadgets they’re showing off. Look for those interviews on our website, Autoline.tv.

But that brings us to the end of today’s show, thanks for watching, we hope you like the new set and have a great weekend.