Listen to “AD #2780 – Automakers Hit Hardest by Coronavirus; Polestar Reveals Precept Concept; Wireless Charging Breakthrough” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 8:30
0:23 Automakers Hit Hardest by Coronavirus
1:43 Polestar Reveals Electric Precept Concept
2:37 Renault Twingo Gets First EV Powertrain
3:20 Mercedes Winter Testing Electric EQA Crossover
3:53 BMW Teases Electric i4
4:08 WiTricity Makes Wireless Charging Breakthrough
6:05 Volkswagen Touareg Gets Plug-In Powertrain
6:44 Audi A3 Using Material Made from Recycled Bottles
7:34 Nissan Updates Roox Minivehicle
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
AUTOMAKERS HIT HARDEST BY CORONAVIRUS
The corona virus is affecting or will affect every automaker in the world as supply chains get disrupted by efforts to contain the disease. But obviously the biggest impact is in China, where the virus first appeared. Michael Dunne, the head of the consultancy ZoZoGo, says these are the OEMs feeling the biggest impact. First is Nissan, which has its China headquarters in Wuhan, where the disease broke out. He says China is Nissan’s largest and most profitable market globally. It’s stock shares are down so much that it is now worth less than Subaru. Next is Hyundai which buys large quantities of parts from China and was forced to close its plants in Korea earlier this month. Then come Mercedes and BMW, which sell twice as many cars in China as in the U.S., and now stand to see their profits get hammered. They’re followed by VW, which depends on China for 40% of its global sales. And then there’s General Motors who was counting on a big comeback in China where sales were down 40% before the outbreak began. As the virus continues to spread around the world 2020 is going to turn out to be a lousy year for the automotive industry.
| OEM Stock Performance YTD, 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Nissan | -24.6% |
| Hyundai | -8.6% |
| Daimler | -23.8% |
| BMW | -20.1% |
| Volkswagen | -14.2% |
| General Motors | -11.4% |
POLESTAR REVEALS ELECTRIC PRECEPT CONCEPT
Polestar, the premium electric brand from Volvo and Geely, took the wraps off its Precept concept. Instead of traditional side mirrors it features camera-based units and it doesn’t have a conventional rear window. The glass roof extends behind the rear seats and the tailgate is designed with a larger opening and higher-mounted hinges to allow access to the trunk. The interior is made from a number of sustainable and recyclable materials. For example, the flax-based composites for interior panels and seatbacks cut weight by 50% and reduce plastic waste by 80% compared to conventional materials. The interior also features a 15-inch touchscreen and a 12.5-inch driver display. No powertrain details were shared but we’ll learn more when it debuts in Geneva next month.
RENAULT TWINGO GETS FIRST EV POWERTRAIN
For the first time Renault’s small city car, the Twingo will come with an all-electric powertrain. That setup, including the motor, which is 60 kW, the reduction gear and charger are based from the new ZOE electric. The motor is mounted in the rear and is paired with a 22 kWh battery. It provides up to 180 kilometers of range on the WLTP test cycle, which converts to about 90 EPA miles. The battery does not negatively impact interior space. The Twingo Z.E. also gets a number of unique features, including blue accents and a bunch of Z.E. badging, which signifies it’s an electric model.
MERCEDES WINTER TESTING ELECTRIC EQA
In other EV news, Mercedes is conducting winter testing of the EQA. This is the all-electric version of the GLA compact crossover and will make its debut before the end of the year. The automaker says engineers are keying in on thermal management of the battery and interior, charging in the cold as well as traction and energy recovery on the ice and snow. Mercedes also announced it will unveil new plug-in hybrid versions of some of its compact models at the Geneva auto show, which kicks off early next month.
BMW TEASES i4 ELECTRIC VEHICLE
Speaking of Geneva reveals and EVs, BMW had this teaser of the i4. The head of BMW design calls the sleek, 4-door sedan “a perfect BMW that happens to be zero emission.”
WITRICITY MAKES WIRELESS CHARGING BREAKTHROUGH
A startup that was formed by physics professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they’ve come up with a breakthrough in wireless charging for electric cars. Their system uses magnetic induction and resonance and they claim it’s just as efficient as plugging in with any Level II charger. They say it will be a key enabler for widespread adoption of EVs, as well as autonomous electric cars since they won’t have a driver to plug them in. It can even work even when covered by snow or ice. Here’s Morris Kesler, the company’s CTO:
“I would like to show you the components of an electric vehicle wireless charging system. On the wall we have the electronics which are used to drive the system. They convert the energy to the 85 kilohertz, which are used to transfer the power. We have the ground unit which contains the resonator which creates the magnetic field used to create the energy. On the bottom of the vehicle is a similar resonator captures that energy shown here. The output of that resonator is connected to some electronics on the vehicle which convert that energy back to DC to be able to charge the battery. This system is designed to work in a variety of parking conditions and a variety of vehicle types.”
Witricity says its working with most major automakers and several Tier 1 suppliers and will be market ready in 3-4 years. By the way, we’d like to thank Autoline viewer Norm Duncan who made us aware of this breakthrough. So if you come across something that you think we ought to be looking into, let us know.
VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG GETS PLUG-IN POWERTRAIN
Volkswagen introduced the new Touareg R, which is now available with a plug-in hybrid for the first time. It’s powered by a turbocharged V6 gasoline engine, which is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain also consists of a 100kW electric motor and a 14.1 kWh lithium-ion battery. The company didn’t reveal the electric range of the plug-in but says the SUV can travel up to 87 MPH in pure electric driving. The Touareg R is the first R Line model to offer a hybrid and it will make its debut at the Geneva auto show.
AUDI A3 WILL USE MATERIAL MADE FROM RECYCLED BOTTLES
Earlier this month, Audi shared details about the new A3 and now we’re learning a bit more. For the first time, the seat upholstery will be made from recycled materials. Up to 89% of the textile used consists of recycled plastic bottles. Audi says this fabric has the same quality in terms of look and feel compared to conventional upholstery. The company is working on making the seat material completely recyclable and is close to achieving this. In addition to the seats, the carpet is also made from the recycled plastic bottles and other components in the car are made from recycled materials, including the insulation, the side panels of the trunk and the floor mats. The new A3 debuts at the Geneva auto show next month.
NISSAN UPDATES ROOX MINIVEHICLE
Nissan updated the Roox minivehicle it sells in Japan. The ‘super-height’ kei car features a more boxy design with Nissan’s signature V-motion grille. Other upgrades include a more powerful engine, a quieter cabin and Nissan’s ProPilot driver assistance system. The new Roox was developed under the joint venture between Nissan and Mitsubishi and it goes on sale March 19. And before we end the show, do vehicles like this make anyone else miss the first generation Scion xB? I know I sure do.
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.
