AD #2444 – Ford in Talks w/ VW & Mahindra, Cadillac Moving Back to Detroit, Drivers Need More ADAS Education

On today’s show… Cadillac is moving back home to Detroit… drivers need more education about driver assistance features… and Ford is in talks to partner up with Volkswagen and Mahindra. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily the voice of the automotive industry.

FORD PARTNERING WITH VW & MAHINDRA
In order to improve its profitability, Ford announced a five year $11 billion restructuring plan earlier this year. And now Reuters reports the company is in talks with Volkswagen and Indian automaker Mahindra to develop and produce vehicles together. VW and Ford are already working on commercial vehicles but they’re also looking to co-develop other types of vehicles. And Mahindra and Ford are developing a new platform, which could see its first vehicle as early as 2020.

FORD SAYS TARIFFS CUT INTO PROFITS
But at the same time the company is trying to save cash, Ford says the Trump Administration’s trade war is cutting into those savings. CEO Jim Hackett revealed that the tariffs on steel and aluminum implemented earlier this year, will cost the company $1 billion in profits. Honda also revealed that the tariffs have resulted in “hundreds of millions of dollars” in new costs. Even though both companies source most of their steel from the U.S., the tariffs have allowed American companies to increase their prices.

CADILLAC MOVING BACK TO DETROIT
It seemed a bit odd when Cadillac moved its headquarters to New York four years ago, but now it’s headed back to Detroit. The Wall Street Journal reports the move was confirmed with new head of Cadillac, Steve Carlisle. Carlisle says he wants the brand’s leaders to be closer to the automaker’s design and engineering centers in the Detroit area, especially as it prepares several new models.

Still to come… Hyundai reveals its i30 Fastback N performance vehicle.

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FORD, UBER & LYFT COLLABORATE ON MOBILITY
Ford, Uber and Lyft announced they will collaborate on SharedStreets, a new data platform designed to make it easier for companies to work with cities and improve mobility. The partnership gives cities even more access to road traffic data, allowing them to better plan and make investment decisions for shared and autonomous mobility. It will also provide mobility companies with a common standard for sharing data across all cities. Follow the link in the transcript or description box to learn more about what each company brings to the table for SharedStreets.

HYUNDAI REVEALS i30 FASTBACK N
Hyundai just pulled all the camouflage off its latest N performance vehicle, the i30 Fastback N. As you would expect, styling was copied from the hatchback version of the i30 N, which is already on sale in Europe. The 2.0L turbo engine comes in two power outputs, 250- and 275-horsepower with both hitting maximum torque of 260 lb-ft. The 250-horsepower version goes from 0 to 100 kilometers an hour in 6.4 seconds, while the one with more horsepower does it in 6.1 seconds. The i30 Fastback N will make its official debut at the Paris auto show. And while it’s only been announced for sale in Europe, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the performance sedan make its way to the U.S., since the i30 is the same as the Elantra.

Sun glare on display screens can be really annoying but the supplier OSRAM has come up with a solution to fix that. We’ll have more about that, right after this.

OSRAM MAKES DISPLAYS EASIER TO READ
Some display screens can be really hard to read if they’re hit by direct sunlight, so supplier OSRAM has developed a new ambient light sensor that will automatically adjust the backlight of a display depending on the amount of light outside. It’s the companies first integrated circuit based component, meaning it does not require a separate power supply and the sensor can even be mounted behind dark glass or semi-transparent plastic covers.

DRIVERS NEED MORE EDUCATION ON ADAS
A new study from the AAA highlights the need to do a better job educating drivers on vehicle assistance systems. A third of owners with Automatic Emergency Braking did not know the system used sensors and/or cameras that could be blocked by dirt, snow or debris. Nearly 30% of people said they at least occasionally felt comfortable doing other things while driving with Adaptive Cruise Control. The same amount said the same about not checking next to them when changing lanes with Blind Spot Monitoring. And a quarter of owners with Rear Cross Traffic Alert reported at least sometimes backing up without looking over their shoulder. Part of the problem is that only about half of people who purchased their vehicle from the dealership were offered training on the technology. But it’s not like they don’t want it. Nearly 90% that were offered took advantage of the training.

And just a reminder, there isn’t a new Autoline After Hours today, but John and Gary will be back next Thursday, October 4th, with some of the best insider discussions in the automotive industry.

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