AD #2386 – Nissan & Italdesign Create GT-R Prototype, Dodge’s Most Powerful SRT Hellcat Lineup Ever, Robots Won’t Kill Jobs

On today’s show…Nissan and Italdesign create a new GT-R prototype…Dodge comes out with its most powerful SRT Hellcat lineup ever…and robotics experts explain why robots will not kill jobs. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

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

NISSAN AND ITALDESIGN CREATE GT-R PROTOTYPE
Today’s show seems to be all about piston-engine horsepower and better electric vehicles, so let’s get started. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Italdesign and to celebrate the Nissan GT-R, the styling company and the automaker came together to produce the GT-R50 prototype. Thanks to engine and turbo upgrades the power output is now 710 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque. The design is dramatic, featuring sharp edges with grey and gold panels. The distinctive round taillights now stick outside the bodywork and the third brake light extends from the roof instead of the wing. Let us know what you think of this new design. The GT-R50 debuts in Europe next month.

DODGE’S MOST POWERFUL SRT HELLCAT LINEUP EVER
Yesterday Dodge unveiled the 2019 Challenger and Charger and they’re more muscular than ever. And here’s a new name to learn, the Redeye. The 2019 SRT Hellcat Redeye gets the same 6.2 liter V8 that appears in the Dodge Demon, but the power is rated at 797 horsepower. The Redeye gets a wide body kit and is supposed to be more like a proper daily driver like the Hellcat. The new Hellcat, along with the Redeye, get functional hood scoops and a line-lock function, which will be good for hard launches and burnouts. On the Charger side of the equation, it keeps the 6.2-liter HEMI with 707 horsepower. Chargers will be available for the third quarter of 2018, while Challengers will be ready for the fourth quarter.

NIO DELIVERS FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC SUV IN CHINA
China is the fastest growing EV market and it just got a little bit bigger. Start-up NIO just delivered its first 7-passenger ES8 electric SUV. It’s powered by dual electric motors that combine for 644-horsepower and a swappable 70 kWh battery pack that provides up to 220-miles of range. A couple of cool technology features include wireless in-car charging for the key fob, so no more battery replacements. And it gets a wild artificial intelligence system, called NOMI, which can do everything from changing the radio station to preparing the vehicle as you walk up and even closing the sunroof when it starts to rain. All ES8s will be made-to-order, so customers can customize them to their own tastes.

Still to come, a major supermarket chain is going to test home delivery of groceries using autonomous vehicles.

DELIVERING GROCERIES WITH AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the U.S., is going to test delivering groceries in autonomous vehicles. It’s partnered with a Silicon Valley start-up called Nuro, which was founded by engineers from Google. It’s the first deployment of Nuro’s hardware and software. Customers can order groceries through Kroger’s ClickList ordering system and Nuro’s app, which will then be delivered by a self-driving pod. The service will be launched in a yet-to-be named pilot market this fall.

FREIGHTLINER DELIVERS EV TRUCKS
Earlier this year we reported on how Freightliner would deliver electric trucks to some customers. Well now we know who those customers are. Penske Truck Leasing and a logistics company called NFI Industries. Penske will get ten Freightliner eCascadia heavy duty trucks and ten medium duty eM2s. NFI will get ten Freightliner eCascadia’s, which are Class 8 tractors with 550 kWh battery capacity, a range of up to 250 miles and can charge up to 80 percent in about 90 minutes. The eM2s are Class 6 trucks with 325 kWh of batteries, a range of up to 230 miles and can charge up to 80 percent in about 60 minutes. These trucks will be used as a field test and go into volume production in 2021.   

CHEVY IMPROVES VOLT’S CHARGING TIME
Chevrolet keeps improving its Volt plug-in hybrid. It now has a 7.2 kilowatt charging system available, up from a 3.6 kilowatts. And the change is dramatic. Using a 240-volt Level II charger, the upgraded Volt can be completely charged in under two and a half hours. That’s about half the time it used to take. The new charging system is available as an option on base Volts and comes standard on the LT trim line.

Are robots going to kill off manufacturing jobs? Coming up next, we’ll have robotics expert’s weigh in on that question.

ROBOTS WON’T KILL MANUFACTURING JOBS
The public’s perception is that robots are going to take over manufacturing jobs from humans. But in the following clip from Autoline This Week, our panel of experts, say that robots will actually help create jobs.

(The ATW preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)

You can watch that entire discussion right now on our website, Autoline.tv or you can find it on our YouTube channel.

And a programming note here. Autoline will be off all next week as the entire crew takes a well deserved summer break, but we’ll be back on July 9th. But that’s it for today and thanks for watching.