AD #4043 – Ford Makes Battery Breakthrough; Car Imports to China Post Big Drop; California Proposes Heavy-Duty AV Tests

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

FORD MAKES BATTERY BREAKTHROUGH
Ford says that it’s made a battery breakthrough that could make its EVs as affordable as gas-powered vehicles by the end of the decade. It’s piloting what it calls Lithium Manganese Rich or LMR cells at its battery center in Michigan. Ford claims LMR is comparable to LFP batteries in terms of safety, has more energy density than high-nickel batteries and cost significantly less than mid-nickel batteries. The company is currently working to scale up production and hopes to have LMR batteries in its vehicles before the end of the decade. 

CAR IMPORTS TO CHINA DROP SIGNIFICANTLY
Car imports to China fell off a cliff in the first quarter of the year. According to the China Passenger Car Association, only 95,000 vehicles were imported in the first three months of 2025. That’s a 39% drop. Vehicle imports to China have been on a steady decline for years. In 2017, the country imported 1.24 million cars but last year that dropped to 700,000 vehicles. Most of the demand was for luxury vehicles while sales of new energy vehicle imports fell dramatically as well. BEVs slumped 82% and PHEVs dropped 77%. Japan exported the most vehicles to China with more than 30,000 in Q1. It’s followed by Germany, Slovakia and the United States. But with the trade war between the U.S. and China, U.S. exports will probably come to a screeching halt.

CALIFORNIA PROPOSES TO ALLOW HEAVY-DUTY AV TESTS
Speaking of China, there’s a race on between it and the U.S. to see who will dominate the technology for autonomous vehicles. And we’re looking at this next news item in that context. California is proposing to allow tests of self-driving semi-trucks on public roads. Tests would be limited to specific routes that are legal for the size, weight and loading of the vehicle, which would not include most city streets. California is also proposing to update rules for autonomous tests of light-duty vehicles. All companies will initially be required to hold a permit to test with a safety driver on board and then can apply for permits for driverless testing and deployment. To apply for a permit for driverless testing, companies will be required to complete at least 50,000 miles of tests for light-duty vehicles and heavy-duty trucks will have to conduct at least 500,000 miles of self-driving tests. The proposal will require companies to report more data to the state for disengagements, vehicle immobilizations and hard-braking events. California will hold a public hearing in June on the proposal.

RENAULT INTRODUCES NEW TWO-TONE PAINT PROCESS
Two-tone paint jobs seem to have seen a surge in popularity, especially with electric vehicles, but it’s not necessarily an easy process to pull off. You first have to paint the vehicle in one color, then bake that color until it’s dry, then tape off the area where the second color will be applied, then put the vehicle back on the production line again to get its second coat of paint and another round of baking. But Renault says it’s the first full-line manufacturer to use a technique called Jetprint Paint that eliminates most of that process. By taking the typical spray pattern of 30-45 centimeters or 12-18 inches down to 1-50 millimeters or 0.03-2 inches, the second coat of paint can be applied without taping or masking off parts of the body. Nor does it need to be sent down the line and baked for a second time. Renault did have to create a new dedicated paint booth that’s fully integrated into the production line to pull it off but it says it can paint the hood and roof of a car in just 6 minutes. Jetprint Paint will first be used for a two-tone look on the all-electric Renault 4 E-Tech, but says it could be used for custom paint jobs in the future. BMW used the same process for a limited-edition version of the M4 in 2021, but we’re not sure if it’s still using it and Renault should be implementing it on a much larger scale.

ALPINE TEASES FIRST SUV
Speaking of the Renault Group, Alpine says it will introduce its very first SUV, the A390, on May 27th. Right now, camo versions are finishing up their final handling tests on Michelin’s wet track in France. The reveal of the A390 has been timed with the brand’s 70th anniversary celebrations. 

DODGE OFFERS NEW ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM FOR CHARGER
The Dodge Charger was one of the 10 most-stolen vehicles in the U.S. last year and if it wasn’t for Hyundai and Kia not installing engine immobilizers on some of its models, the Charger would have likely ranked higher. So, Dodge is offering owners of HEMI-powered 2018 to 2023 model year Chargers and Challengers a new theft-deterrent system. They’ll be able to set it up so the vehicle won’t start unless the correct sequence of buttons is pressed. And the two-factor authentication could be almost anything. For example, when I was still working as an automotive tech, we had a customer with an old 5.0 Mustang that wouldn’t start unless you pushed in the cigarette lighter and turned on the high beams. Dodge says you can have up to four different sequences for multiple drivers and it’s wi-fi connected so it can be turned on and off remotely. The Start Defender can be ordered now for $700.

CONTINENTAL AUTO NOW CALLED AUMOVIO
Continental Automotive has a new name. Now they call it Aumovio–sort of a combination of automotive and mobility. As we reported earlier, Continental, one of the biggest automotive suppliers in the world, decided to keep its tire business and spin off the rest of its automotive operations. And so the rest of those operations are now called Aumovio. 

GENTEX STOPS SHIPPING MIRRORS TO CHINA
You’ve all heard of the rule of unintended consequences. Well, here’s an automotive example. Gentex is an automotive supplier based in Michigan that dominates the global market for self-dimming car mirrors. But Gentex has stopped shipping mirrors from Michigan to China because Chinese customers are cancelling orders due to the retaliatory tariffs that China put on U.S. products. And so instead of President Trump’s tariffs creating more U.S. jobs, here’s an example of where they’re going to do exactly the opposite.

AUTOLINE YOKE-STEERING WHEEL POLL RESULTS
Ok, time to go over the results of our latest poll. We asked you your thoughts on yoke-steering wheels. Tesla and Lexus have offered them and it looks like Mercedes will offer one starting next year. But so far, they really haven’t been popular with customers. 10% of our members said that they’ve used a yoke wheel and think it’s fantastic. 16% said you haven’t used one but can’t wait. But the overwhelming majority, 62%, said no thanks to a yoke wheel. And the remaining 12% said none of the above. We also had some great feedback.
 
Kyle Robinson had this to say. “I prefer the steering wheel in my cyber truck. It’s a good compromise between a round steering wheel and a yoke. My opinion is, for a yoke or Cybertruck style steering wheel to be effective, variable ratio steer by wire is required.”
 
Keith Mensing said “Had a Hyundai K4 as a rental car this week while traveling across Kansas. Its steering wheel is flat on the top and bottom, and I couldn’t get used to that. I don’t think my mind is ready for a yoke.”
 
Ricardo Rodriguez replied “I think I’d love it when I get a vehicle with digital variable steering. Then there would not be any hand over hand required.”
 
And we’ll give the last word to Tom Cain who said “I’m interested, but, can’t make a call since I’ve never driven with one. I want a center console mounted joystick that can be driven from either front seat!” I like the sound of that too.
 
And we want to thank everyone who participated. And remember that our polls are open to viewers with Autoline memberships on YouTube and Patreon. If you’d like to join just look for a link to Patreon in the description box or you can click the “Join” button on our YouTube channel homepage.

But that wraps up today’s show, thanks for watching.