AD #2373 – Continental Creates Morphing Technology, Ford Upgrades the Shelby GT350, Trump Tariff Threatens Car Sales

On today’s show…President Trump’s tariff threat could cripple car sales…Ford improves the aerodynamics of the new Shelby GT350 Mustang…and Magneti Marelli develops a unique solution to replace headlight lenses. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.

TRUMP TARIFF THREATENS CAR SALES
As part of his protectionist policies, President Trump has threatened to slap a 25% tariff on imported vehicles. But a new study from LMC Automotive says that would put a huge dent in car sales in the U.S. If automakers absorb half of the cost of the tax, LMC says car sales would drop by one million units. If the full cost is passed on to consumers, the market could shrink 2 million units. If the tariff is implemented, LMC says consumers would respond by either turning to the used market, buying a vehicle built in the U.S. or just hold-off buying a new car altogether. Nothing is set in stone yet and the tariff threat could just be a negotiating tactic but the potential harm to car sales has got to scare automakers and dealers.

ADIENT RUNNING INTO TROUBLE
Two years ago, Johnson Controls wanted to get out of the automotive seating business, so it created a publicly traded company called Adient. But now the spin-off is running into trouble. Bloomberg reports its stock fell 17% yesterday, after the company announced its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization will be just $1.25 billion this year, down from an earlier $1.45 billion projection. Its expecting lower earnings due to botched product launches. Because of these issues, the company’s CEO, Bruce McDonald is stepping down from that position immediately, and is being replaced on an interim basis by former GM CEO Fritz Henderson. Analysts say it likely won’t be a quick turnaround for the company.

AUTOPILOT GETS AN UPDATE
Tesla’s Autopilot system has been in the news for the wrong reasons lately. But today, there’s good news for owners. CEO Elon Musk tweeted that Autopilot will get full self-driving features with a software update in August. But Reuters reports it’s still not clear what features will be included in the update, since the autonomous capabilities will be dependent on local regulatory rules.

Still to come…Continental develops technology that can make buttons appear out of nowhere.

CONTINENTAL SHOWS MORPHING TECHNOLOGY
The supplier Continental is showing off what it calls “Morphing Technology,” which helps get rid of buttons on the dashboard to make it look sleeker. The material has the look and feel of artificial leather and as soon as the hand of the driver nears the surface, illuminated, 3D buttons literally pop-up. Capacitive proximity sensors under the surface of the dash material recognize your hand and reveal the controls. The buttons provide a brief pulse to confirm the function and disappear after the driver pulls their hand away. The Morphing Technology is a combination of sensors, electronics and electromechanics.

MAGNETI MARELLI DEVELOPS OPTICAL SILICONE
We love to highlight new technologies from suppliers and Magneti Marelli, the 2nd largest supplier of headlamps and taillights has come up with a unique replacement for plastic or polycarbonate lenses. It’s developed optical silicone and it’s quite wild. You can dig your fingernail into the lense and feel it deform but it doesn’t scratch and springs right back into place. Magneti first showed the lenses on a couple of off-road lighting solutions that were featured on Jeep Moab concepts. At the moment, optical silicone is not ready to replace the outer cover of a headlight, which has a tendency to dull or yellow over time, but Magneti says it would be a good replacement for those thick coke-bottle-like projector lenses that sit just behind the cover. Not only do the silicone lenses have better optic qualities in some cases than polycarbonate, but they’re made using low-pressure injection molding, instead of high-pressure, and the cycle times are lower as well. And I’m all for cutting time and energy spent making some of these headlamps because it should mean the cost will start to come down.

Be sure to join us this Thursday for Autoline After Hours when we’ll take a deep dive into an electric Ford Transit developed by a company called Lighting Systems. So if you have any questions send them our way to viewermail@autoline.tv. And join us for some of the best insider discussions in the automotive industry.

Coming up next, a look at the updates to the new Shelby GT350 Mustang.

IIHS CRASH TESTS REVEAL MIDSIZE SUV SAFETY ISSUES
According to a new study from the IIHS, bigger may not always be better. During recent
crash tests, the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 2018 Ford Explorer performed rather poorly in passenger-side collisions. IIHS called what happened to the Grand Cherokee’s passenger dummy “alarming,” saying that it smashed its head through the airbag, slammed the dashboard hard, and partially exited the Jeep afterward because the door failed and opened. And the Explorer dummy didn’t fare any better. The passenger-side structure was “severely compromised” and a real passenger would likely face severe hip and lower leg injuries. Ford  has said it is already working on improving these flaws, though Jeep has not commented yet. The IIHS also reviewed six other mid-size crossovers. The Kia Sorento, VW Atlas and the GMC Acadia received Good overall ratings, while the Toyota Highlander, Nissan Pathfinder and Honda pilot earned Acceptable ratings.

FORD UPGRADES THE SHELBY GT350
Yesterday, Ford unveiled an upgraded 2019 Shelby GT350. The new Shelby will come with GT350-specific Michelin tires; a new rear spoiler with an optional Gurney flap or wickerbill, which is a small tab projecting from the trailing edge of a wing, along with other aerodynamic and suspension improvements. The vehicle’s exclusive heart, a naturally aspirated V8, will make 526 horsepower and rev past 8,000 RPM. Every new GT350 will come with a “Track Attack” driving school program from Ford Performance, which should help drivers get accustomed to what Ford calls a confidence-inspiring driving experience. The new Flat Rock-built Shelby will be available in early 2019.

But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.