AD #2437 – Audi Reveals e-tron, Elon Musk Sued Over Pedophile Comment, BMW May Bring Diesels Back to U.S.

On today’s show…we’ll give you another reason why Elon Musk needs to learn to keep his big yap shut…Hurricane Florence slams into BMW, Daimler and Volvo…and thanks to the move to trucks, Americans have to remodel their garages. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily the voice of the automotive industry.

RENAULT-NISSAN-MITSUBISHI ADOPT ANDROID OS
Looks like the tech industry just won another automotive battle. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi just announced they’re going to embed the Android operating system in their cars. While many automakers already provide Android Auto in their cars, you have to connect a phone to the car to use it. By embedding the Android system directly in cars, no phone is needed. Drivers will be able to search for information using voice commands. They also have to opt-in to use the service because Google will monetize that data including where people are, the routes they drive, what they shop for online and the kind of infotainment they listen to. The Android system will not be connected to any operating or diagnostic systems in cars. Volvo is also going to use this system starting in 2020, while the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance will get it in 2021.

ELON MUSK SUED OVER PEDOPHILE COMMENT
Well here’s another example of why Elon Musk should keep his big mouth shut. No doubt you all know the story of how Elon accused a British diver who helped save the 12 boys trapped in a cave in Thailand as being a pedophile. The diver had said that Musk’s attempts to rescue the boys was nothing more than a PR stunt, so Elon called him a pedophile. That caused an uproar, but Elon couldn’t let it go. He later tweeted out that the story must be true or the diver would have sued him. Well now he’s getting sued. The diver is seeking at least $75,000 in compensatory damages in addition to unspecified punitive damages.

HURRICANE FLORENCE DISRUPTS PRODUCTION
Hurricane Florence is having an impact on the auto industry. AutoForecast Solutions reports that BMW’s, Volvo’s and Daimler Trucks assembly plants in South Carolina shut down when the storm hit. They should re-open this week but could face parts shortages as the major ports in North and South Carolina and Virginia were affected as well.

As more Americans buy trucks they’re discovering they don’t fit in their garages. That’s coming up next.

BMW MAY BRING DIESELS BACK TO U.S.
Last week, BMW said it will no longer offer diesels in the U.S. starting next year. Belay that order! BMW’s head of powertrain for the X5 now tells WardsAuto that they’re developing new diesels in Europe and that we might see them in the U.S. in the future.

GERMANY WANTS OEMs TO OFFER INCENTIVES FOR OLD DIESELS
Speaking of diesels, Germany’s transport minister is calling on automakers to offer incentives to customers to exchange old diesel-powered cars for new ones. In the near future 1.3 million old diesels could be banned in the country due to new environmental rules. But the government won’t use tax money to offer incentives.

U.S. GARAGES BECOMING BIGGER BECAUSE OF TRUCKS
The growing popularity of full-size pickup trucks and SUVs is having an effect on American households. They’re remodeling their garages so these big vehicles can fit inside, like ripping out 7-foot tall doors and replacing them with 8-foot or even 12-foot doors. Others are moving a wall out several feet to accommodate extended cabs and long beds. These remodeling jobs can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $12,000. Obviously building contractors love the fact that more consumers are abandoning passenger sedans for trucks and SUVs.

Coming up next, we’ve got details on Audi’s first fully electric vehicle.

SCHAEFFLER’S INTELLIGENT CORNER MODULE
The German supplier Schaeffler has come up with an intriguing combination of steering, suspension, braking and motor in one corner module. They call it the Intelligent Corner Module and the idea is to use it in autonomous pods for personal transportation in cities. It incorporates an electric hub motor with integrated brakes, steering and suspension. And the steering can turn the wheel up to 90 degrees. By mounting the modules at each corner of a car, it provides tremendous maneuverability, even allowing the vehicle to move sideways. One of the problems with hub motors is that they add a lot of unsprung weight, which adversely affects the handling of a vehicle. But by using this in a low-speed urban pod, that’s really not an issue. So far this is just part of a feasibility study by Schaeffler, but it is continuing to develop the concept.

AUDI REVEALS E-TRON
After months of teases, Audi finally revealed its fully electric model, the e-tron. The mid-size SUV is powered by a 95kWh battery and two electric motors, which help move it from 0 to 60 MPH in just 5.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 124 MPH. The company did not reveal its range and U.S. horsepower and torque numbers will be revealed closer to its launch. The e-tron will be built in Brussels and deliveries to European customers start at the end of this year. It won’t be available in the U.S. until the second quarter of 2019. However, customers can configure and reserve a model right now with a fully refundable $1,000 deposit. Pricing for the e-tron starts at just over $75,000. There are a lot more details that we don’t have the time to get into now but just look for the link to the press release in our transcript to learn more about it.

Don’t forget to join us for Autoline After Hours Thursday, when our special guest will be none other than Bob Lutz. Always insightful, often controversial and plenty entertaining, Lutz still has a lot to say about where the automotive industry is headed. Join us here live Thursday afternoon.

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