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Runtime: 8:21
0:31 BMW Launches Motorcycle Rental Service
1:11 VW Reveals Commercial Version of I.D. Buzz
1:50 Aston Martin Looks For $6 Billion In IPO
3:04 Peugeot Unveils Retro Inspired Concept
4:13 NASCAR Viewership Sliding
5:06 Daimler Tests AI to Help Engineers
6:13 Mobility Poses Threat to Auto Industry
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On today’s show…Peugeot reveals a concept that’s a nod to its past and future…BMW launches a motorcycle rental service…and AlixPartners shares its advice to automakers on how to prepare for the disruption mobility is going to cause. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the voice of the automotive industry.
BMW LAUNCHES MOTORCYCLE RENTAL SERVICE
If you’ve ever wanted to ride a BMW motorcycle but don’t have the means to own one, you’re in luck. BMW Motorrad is launching a new service called Rent A Ride, that allows you to rent one of its motorcycles on a short term basis. You just select what model you’d like from a website, and if it’s available, you pick it up at a participating dealership. The service also includes a training session and any necessary equipment or accessories. Rent A Ride is first being tested in Germany, Austria and France and if everything goes well, it will expand to cover all of BMW Motorrad’s sales network.
VW REVEALS COMMERCIAL VERSION OF I.D. BUZZ
Commercial vehicles could look a whole lot nicer in the future. Volkswagen just showed off this concept for a future panel van, called the I.D. BUZZ CARGO. The automaker projects there would be several battery sizes available with the largest providing 340-miles on the European WLTP cycle. A large solar roof would be able to extend that by an additional 9.3 miles. It would have a maximum payload of a little over 1,700-pounds and have Level 4 autonomous capability. VW says a van like this could be launched as early as 2021.
ASTON MARTIN LOOKS FOR $6 BILLION IN IPO
If you want to be a player in the auto industry you need money, lots of it. So Aston Martin is going to launch an IPO next month to raise money selling stock. According to Reuters there are already orders for all that stock. And that should bring in around $6 billion or more. But some analysts warn that Brexit could hurt Aston’s car sales in Europe, since they’ll now be hit with a 10% import tariff. In any case, it’s really smart for Aston Martin to accumulate a financial war chest before Britain goes off on its own.
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Even though NASCAR is the most watched racing series in the U.S., its popularity is starting to slide. We’ll have more about that, right after this.
PEUGEOT UNVEILS RETRO INSPIRED CONCEPT
Peugeot unveiled a cool looking concept inspired by its classic 504 Coupe called the e-LEGEND. It’s autonomous and when the system is engaged, the steering wheel retracts into the dash, the front seats recline and the side armrests move to free up more space. It’s powered by 100 kWh of batteries, which provide a range of 600 kilometers or about 373 miles based on the WLTP test. The e-LEGEND can move from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in under 4 seconds and can hit a top speed of 220 kilometers per hour or about 137 MPH. One of its technology highlights is a voice-activated artificial intelligence assistant, which the company says a version of it will appear in its production vehicles within two years. And the audio system features technology that allows each passenger to listen to different music without using headphones. The Peugeot e-LEGEND CONCEPT makes its debut at the Paris auto show in early October.
NASCAR VIEWERSHIP SLIDING
Even though NASCAR’s Cup Series is the most popular kind of racing in the U.S., it’s losing viewership while IndyCar and Formula One are growing. Last weekend’s NASCAR race in Las Vegas got 2.1 million viewers. It was the first race in the Chase, which NASCAR calls the playoffs, but viewership dropped nearly 9% compared to last year. Meanwhile, 629,000 people watched the IndyCar finale at Sonoma raceway, an increase of 19% compared to last year. And the Formula One Grand Prix of Singapore got 469,000 American viewers, up 4.2% from last year. NASCAR just named a new president so hopefully that will put the series on the road to recovery. And it sure is good to see IndyCar and F1 gaining in popularity.
| U.S. TELEVISION RATINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| September 16, 2018 | ||
| NASCAR | 2,100,000 | -8.7% |
| IndyCar | 629,000 | +19% |
| Formula One | 469,000 | +4.2% |
DAIMLER TESTS AI TO HELP ENGINEERS
Every car company and supplier we visit complains of not being able to get the engineers they need. But maybe artificial intelligence can help take care of that. Daimler is part of a project that is trying to help machines think more like a human. Called Artificial Intelligence Aided x or AIAx for short, the goal is to have computers evaluate simulation results and make an assessment, giving clear reasons for the results. Humans would still be needed to validate the findings because computers don’t have gut feelings, but the assessment part of the process can be very complex and this would free up time for designers and engineers.
Coming up next, automakers better prepare for the mobility disruption that’s coming….or else.
MOBILITY POSES THREAT TO AUTO INDUSTRY
Automakers, suppliers and tech companies are investing tens of billions of dollars to develop autonomous, connected, electrified and shared cars. But AlixPartners, a global consulting company, says much of that money is going to be wasted. On Autoline This Week, Mark Wakefield of AlixPartners shares his advice for automakers on how to prepare for that future.
(The ATW preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)
For more about how mobility poses a threat to automakers, suppliers and rental companies, you can watch that entire discussion right now on our website, Autoline.tv or you can find it on our YouTube channel.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and have a great weekend.
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John McElroy is an influential thought leader in the automotive industry. He is a journalist, lecturer, commentator and entrepreneur. He created “Autoline Daily,” the first industry webcast of industry news and analysis.
