Automotive Reporter Biz News for Wk of 8-10-15

 Infinity is defined as “having no end,”and Nissan’s luxury nameplate, Infiniti, is stretching the envelope on that definition with new entries to its line-up for 2016. I’ve always been a big fan of Infiniti’s crossover SUV, and its QX50 gets a longer wheelbase, affording more rear passenger and cargo space. They’re going to dress up this land yacht with new LED lights front and rear, and a standard power moon-roof on all models.
And it comes in AWD.

Infiniti is minding its P’s and Q’s…mostly Q’s…with a new 2-liter turbo-4 engine for its QX50, while planning for a 2017 release of the Q30 Premium compact and QX30 Premium crossover. The ‘30’s will be the replacements for the Q40 and QX40, which ends production with the 2015 model.

Then there’s the ‘50’s…including a sports sedan to be revealed in the winter of 2016.
The Q60 coupe and convertibles are also ending their run in 2015.
Infiniti is working on concept models for their replacements, which will be introduced for the 2017 model year.

The Q70 will be offered in five models in 2016. The QX80 will include a Signature Edition among the three models offered in that line. There could be more surprises in store as Infiniti’s skunkworks continues to work on new designs in the queue.

The little SUV made popular by a pair of hamsters continues to drive success for Kia Motors.  The 2016 Soul acquires features first debuted on Kia’s K900 sedan, and will include standard alloy wheels on all three models.

No alphabet soup at Kia. The trim levels are “Base,” “Plus,” and “Exclaim.” Kia is also offering two-tone paint schemes, and even leather upholstery in the top of the line trim. Kia is adding Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning systems in its premium package for when those wacky hamsters start to get out of control.

I’m still a bit leery of driverless automobiles, and really can’t see myself ever owning one. That may change when I’m 90 and wheelchair bound, but we’ll see. However, if you’re going be driven around in a robot car, might as well make it fast and snazzy…like an Audi A8. Audi has been actively participating in its Ko-HAF research initiative into standards for something they call highly-automated driving. (That’s not what happens when you’re on the tollway at 5pm.)

Audi says it will introduce what it calls “piloted driving” in its next-gen iteration of the Audi A8. This might result in a resurgence of those “God is My Co-pilot” bumper stickers. 

Audi has already remotely navigated an Audi RS-7 around the Grand Prix track in Hockenheim--at race speeds. 

The first piloted Audi should be able to automatically drive you along in rush hour traffic at speeds up to 37mph—that’s like light-speed in drive times on the tollway!

Remember that cool hoverboard in the “Back to the Future” series? Lexus has brought that dream to life in a project known as “SLIDE,” unveiling its Lexus Hoverboard in Barcelona, Spain.

Yes, it’s for real.

The Lexus Hoverboard project is the spawn of scientists from IFW Dresden and evico GmbH, who collaborated to create a working application of magnetic levitation technology. This virtually eliminates all friction between the board and any surface over which it travels.

Okay—here’s the trick: You have to have a magnetic hoverboard track over which the craft will glide. Lexus built a 200-meter hoverboard park—it resembles a skateboard track, with hills and curves and loops, and even a water pond.  

How does it work? According to Lexus, the Hoverboard technology “features two “cryostats”—reservoirs in which superconducting material is kept at -197 degrees through immersion in liquid nitrogen. The board is then placed above a track that contains permanent magnets.”

evico CEO, Dr. Oliver de Haas, says “The magnetic field from the track is effectively ‘frozen’ into the superconductors in the board, maintaining the distance between the board and the track—essentially keeping the board hovering. This force is strong enough to allow the rider to stand and even jump on the board.”

You can watch for yourself here.
I know what I want for Christmas.

Disclosure:   Lexus says its Hoverboard remains a prototype and will not be on sale.
Bummer.

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Automotive Reporter/Biz News for Wk of 6-22-15

If you’ve waited until now to order your Porsche 918 Spyder, you may be out of luck. The last edition of the hybrid sportscar came off the assembly line last week at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, after 21-months of continuous production. While the 918 Spyder built on Porsche’s rich legacy of finely crafted driving machines, the car established a benchmark upon which future automobiles will be based. Even the production techniques of the 918 Spyder revolutionized how cars are designed and built, with Porsche filing patents on myriad processes and specialized assembly tools.

The 918 Spyder was a study in high technology, generating a total of 887-hp from its propulsion systems. The car set a record 06:57 lap time on the North Loop of the Nurburgring for street-legal vehicles running on production tires—which still stands. Oh, and it got 67-mpg with its plug-in hybrid technology.

Automobile manufacturers are making great strides in demonstrating their ability to not only produce more energy efficient cars and trucks, but also more efficiently build their new vehicles. Nissan, in particular, is being recognized for increasing vehicle production while simultaneously reducing CO2 emissions and improving sustainability for fiscal year 2014. The company says it has cut CO2 emissions 22.6% below 2005 levels, exceeding its corporate goal of 20% for the period.

The Nissan Leaf is the cornerstone of the company’s Nissan Green Program 2016, a four-pronged plan addressing zero-emission vehicle market penetration, expansion of fuel-efficient vehicles in its product line, minimization of its corporate carbon footprint, and minimization of new natural resource usage. 

The company says it achieved a 36.4% improvement in CAFE*2 fuel economy standards two years ahead of schedule, and has reduced its corporate carbon footprint by shifting to more rail transports for shipping.

The Diesel Trucking sector is also tooting its air horn over improved fuel mileage and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to newer technology investments. The Diesel Technology Forum is one of those industry advocacy groups tasked with spreading the gospel for its vested interests.

The DTF says more than 37% of all diesel medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks in the US are now equipped with newer technology diesel engines, with 22% operating with the cleanest technology available. 

Allen Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Forum, says, “Our newest analysis of the benefits of the new technology diesel engines conducted by the Martec Group from Detroit found in Classes 3-8 vehicles, that those on the road from 2007 -2014 saved 880 million gallons of diesel fuel, and nine million tons of CO2.” 

Schaeffer says the new technology diesel engines contributed substantially to the nation’s clean air progress, “by reducing 1.45 million tons of NOx from 2007-2014, and 39,500 tons of particulate matter.” Schaeffer says emissions from today’s diesel trucks are near zero, thanks to more efficient engines, better emission control technology, and the abundant availability of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel.

Never discourage your kids from playing video games. David Goss of Missouri, and Colton Miller from Indiana, were the finalists in Mazda’s MX-5 Challenge, co-hosted by Microsoft at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles last week. The competition was a bifurcated contest to push both the all-new Mazda MX-5 Miata, and Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 2 for its Xbox gaming console business.

Goss and Miller spent hours and hours behind the virtual wheel of the new Miata, training for the competition, which promised a new roadster—real, not virtual—for the winner. Goss defeated Colton, but Mazda wanted no one to go home empty handed, awarding both competitors with the keys to their own shiny, new Miata’s.

As a Miata driver, I can confirm there are few things more intimidating than seeing the grille of a large truck looming in the rear view mirror. FCA USA this week is launching production of it’s all new 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel at its Warren Truck Assembly Facility. 

Yeah, it’s pretty intimidating, with the blacked-out grille, billet silver “RAM” letter badge, and a higher ride height.

The Rebel boasts skid plates, tow hooks, 33-inch tires, and a manly interior, starting at under $43,000. 

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Automotive Reporter/Biz News for Wk of 6-1-15

The Great Houston Flood of 2015:
I-45 North at North Main
(Photo Credit: AP)

In the Genesis account of the Great Flood, Noah opens the window of the ark after 40-days and nights, and dispatches a dove to look for land. The dove returns with an olive leaf, indicating something is above water.

Drivers in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio (and many places in between) may have been wishing for similar salvation over the past two weeks of heavy rains in Texas.  The Texas Water Development Board says state reservoirs went from being 73% full to 85% full, thanks to the Memorial Day Weekend deluge of about 8-million cubic feet of water flowing into state reservoirs.

"Scubaru" WRX

Some might have hoped for an amphibious vehicle to navigate flooded streets and highways. Enterprising Aussies sold a “Scubaru” WRX earlier this month in an online auction on TradeMe.co.nz.  The car sold for $620.

A more conventional—and attractive—amphibious car is being produced by the Gibbs company. The British-built Aquada can achieve up to 30-mph on water, and has a top speed of 100mph on land. It’s powered by a 175hp V-6 engine.

Many automakers answered the call for help in Texas last week. Nissan made a $50,000 cash donation to the American Red Cross for relief efforts here, and RAM Truck and the FCA Foundation contributed $100,000 to the First Response Team of America for recovery and relief support in Central Texas. The FRTA uses a fleet of RAM Trucks to provide its services.

Chevrolet is spending $175-million to retool its Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant, and hiring 500-workers for a second shift to build the Gen-6 Camaro. 

Lansing, MI Mayor Virg Bernero quipped, “I may be the luckiest mayor in America today,” as GM announced full-scale production of the car. 

The City of Lansing, the UAW, and Chevrolet have enjoyed an extraordinary relationship for more than two decades. “We build the best car in the world, right here in Lansing,” he said.

Some of the facility improvements will include three new paint systems for Camaro’s unique colors, Summit White, Bright Yellow, and Red Hot. GM is also installing two robotic framers, which will allow better dimensional control, resulting in a more precise driving experience.

So many cliché’s, so little time. Apple and Volvo are two companies appealing to a similar audience. Nothing says “whitebread” like tooling around in your Volvo with anything-i: iPhone, iPod, iPad…and now the Apple Watch. 

In fact, the companies are collaborating on a remote control system whereby you can control your Volvo with your Apple Watch. IkidYouNot. Would that make this an iVolvo, or is that just too weird?

Volvo On Call will release a smart phone app for both Apple and Android users to lock or unlock their car, start it up and cool it down, and even check your fuel level. Volvo boasts the app will even help you locate your misplaced car in a crowded parking garage near the Apple Store.

2015 Ford C-Max Hybrid

What would happen if competing car makers had access to one anothers patents? Ford Motor Company is betting that sharing its electrified vehicle technology patents with other manufacturers could result in the accelerated development of those cars (no pun intended). 

Kevin Layden, Director of Ford’s Electrification Programs, says “Innovation is our goal.” Last year Ford filed more than 400-patents for electrified vehicle technologies—representing more than 20% of the total patents the company filed. The company is making available some of these technologies through AutoHarvest, which is a collaborative innovation and licensing marketplace. Ford is a founding member of the group.

Francis Jehl, Herbert Hoover, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison
inside reconstructed Menlo Park laboratory, Dearborn, Michigan

FoMoCo plans to hire 200 electrified vehicle engineers as the Ford Engineering Laboratory team moves into its new facilities this year, located on the site of Henry Ford’s first laboratories.

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