AD #2799 – OEMs Will Help Make Virus Equipment; Toyota & Hino Making Fuel Cell Trucks; Ways to Pass the Time

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

We were hoping we could make Autoline Daily an oasis from all the coronavirus coverage, but we can’t. The situation is too serious, and it’s turning out that the automotive industry has a major role to play in fighting it.

BMW TO CLOSE U.S. PLANT IN A WEEK
As we reported last week, BMW said it would announce today what it’s going to do with its plant in South Carolina which employs 11,000 people. Not surprisingly, it decided to close it, but not for at least another week. BMW already closed all its plants in Europe.

GM PARTNERS TO HELP MAKE VIRUS EQUIPMENT
President Trump urged automakers to start making masks, ventilators and respirators. But they were actually well ahead of him. General Motors announced its partnering with a company called Ventec that makes ventilators, because that would be the fastest way to boost production. GM is contributing logistics, purchasing and manufacturing expertise. We contacted GM to see if we could interview someone to get more details. GM declined, saying everything is moving too fast, but they have a major announcement coming soon.

HOW GM & FCA ARE KEEPING OPERATIONS GOING
Crain’s Detroit business reports GM is working with one of its suppliers Meridian Lightweight Industries to make magnesium castings. And Meridian put GM in touch with Twin Cities Die Castings of Minneapolis. Another GM supplier in Michigan, the Creative Foam Corporation, is making foam parts for ventilators. FCA is going to convert one of its plants in China to make masks and export them to the U.S.

DETROIT 3 TO KEEP PARTS CENTERS OPEN
Meanwhile, GM, Ford and FCA reached an agreement with the UAW to keep their parts distribution centers open, but only using paid workers who volunteer to stay on the job. Auto parts for vehicle repairs and maintenance are considered critical not just for the public, but especially for police, fire, ambulance and postal vehicles.

It’s really encouraging to see the auto industry rolling up its sleeves and getting involved in fighting the coronavirus. What we’ve reported here is just the beginning and we’ll continue to bring you the latest coverage of how the industry is responding.

TOYOTA & HINO DEVELOPING HD FUEL CELL TRUCK
Toyota is one of leaders in fuel cells and now it’s helping one of its subsidiaries develop the technology. Toyota and Hino agreed to jointly make a heavy-duty fuel cell truck. It will be based on a Hino Profia truck, feature two fuel cell stacks and have a range of around 600 kilometers or over 370 miles. Toyota says it will work toward practical uses through tests and other means.

BENTLEY BACALAR TO INSPIRE FUTURE MODELS
Last week we reported about the limited edition Bentley Bacalar and it looks like that vehicle will inspire future Bentley’s. Autoblog spoke with the company’s lead designer who says the Bacalar was received well by customers and “I feel encouraged to really push the subject of rejuvenating and modernizing Bentley’s design language.” He also said the process of refreshing Bentley’s design will accelerate in the coming years. The company’s CEO Adrian Hallmark has strongly hinted at a bigger and more luxurious version of the Bentayga and its first all-electric model. It’s possible one of those could get the new look.

PETERSEN MUSEUM OPENS ITS VIRTUAL DOORS
The iconic Petersen Automotive Museum in California is closed because of coronavirus. But that doesn’t mean you can’t experience what it has to offer. It’s begun streaming lectures and hands-on activities, twice a day for free. It’s aimed at students 12 and under but anyone can join. The first lecture starts at 10AM pacific time and there’s another at 1PM. Each session comes with downloadable worksheets and coloring sheets. Some of the lessons will include the physics of making a car move, the history of the automobile, propulsion, aerodynamics and racing. This is a great idea and fantastic way to kill time during the shutdown.

PASS YOUR TIME WITH IAN CALLUM DESIGN
We’re seeing a lot of people take unique paths to pass the time while under quarantine. Ian Callum, the former head of design at Jaguar Land Rover, released coloring book pages. The pictures are free to download and feature the Aston Martin Vanquish 25. Coloring is a great activity for any age and if you’re so inclined, you can tag your coloring on social media with #colorwithcallum and Callum Designs will pick its favorites to earn prizes.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON E-RACING?
BMW says its Super Sim Saturday was a success and NASCAR’s eRace came down to a door-banging finish. Both series have quotes from racers that say how interesting they thought it was and how much fun they had. But we’re wondering if any of you took the time to check these eRaces out and what you thought of them?

KEEP THE POWERSLIDES ALIVE!
Last week, we showed you a new electronic parking brake for small, front-wheel drive cars from the supplier ZF. The technology gets rid of the need for a handbrake and cable, in order to free up more room in the interior. But a lot of you weren’t happy about not having a handbrake because that means no more powerslides. That prompted Robert Stewart from Magna Seating to send us this video of a young girl enjoying some powerslides in her toy car. Check it out.

Thanks for sending that Robert and if you have any fun automotive related videos that you think our viewers would enjoy, please send them our way.

That’s it for today’s show. We’ll be right back here again tomorrow.