AD #2454 – Tesla Scolded Over Safety Claims, 4-Cylinder Silverado Details, BMW Takes Controlling Stake in China JV

On today’s show… NHTSA scolds Tesla for saying it has the safest car… we’ve got new details on the 4-cylinder engine going into the Silverado… and BMW becomes the first automaker to take a controlling stake in its Chinese joint venture. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily the voice of the automotive industry.

VW MAKES MANAGEMENT CHANGES
Volkswagen is making some management changes in North America. Scott Keogh, who’s currently the head of Audi of America, is being promoted to President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, as well as the head of the VW brand in North America. He is succeeding Hinrich Woebcken, who will remain with the company as an advisor. Taking over Keogh’s role of head of Audi of America is Mark Del Rosso, who’s currently the President and CEO of Bentley in the Americas.

NHTSA SCOLDS TESLA OVER SAFETY CLAIMS
Tesla is being chastised by NHTSA over safety rating claims. Over the weekend, the EV maker published a blog post boasting about the Model 3’s safety and that NHTSA tests showed it’s the safest model its ever tested with the best overall score. That claim prompted NHTSA to issue a statement saying that the five-star rating is the highest a vehicle can achieve and that it doesn’t distinguish safety performance beyond that rating. Therefore, there isn’t a “safest” vehicle for models that achieve a five-star rating. NHTSA guidelines also warn that it’s misleading for automakers to use terms like “perfect” or “safest” in advertisements or commercials that cite its crash test results.

The Jaguar I-PACE sounds like it should have been featured in The Jetsons. More on that, right after this.

4-CYLINDER CHEVY SILVERADO DETAILS
We’re getting some of the specs for the 4-cylinder engine in the new Silverado pickup and they’re pretty impressive. The 2.7L turbo produces 310-horsepower and 348 lb-ft of torque, which is available from 1,500 to 4,000 RPM. That provides performance of 0-60 in 6.8 seconds. Maximum towing capacity is 7,200 pounds and payload tops out at just under 2,300 pounds. And thanks to technologies, like cylinder deactivation, the 4-cylinder Silverado is able to return an EPA-estimated 20 miles-per-gallon in the city and 23 on the highway. But if a 4-cylinder is not your style, the Silverado will have a total of 6 engine/transmission combinations.

JAGUAR I-PACE SOUNDS LIKE IT’S FROM OUTER SPACE
Because they’re so quiet, vehicles that run solely on electric power will be required to emit some sort of sound at low speeds in order to protect pedestrians or the visually impaired. And now Jaguar is detailing the noise that will be generated by the I-PACE. Take a listen for a moment… It almost sounds like something from outer space, like you would have heard in The Jetsons. But what’s unique is it’s not just a flat sound, it changes with speed and direction, giving a better indication of what the vehicle is doing. I know I love to try and guess a vehicle by the sound it makes starting up or the revving of the engine and now I’ll probably do the same with EVs.

Coming up next, Ford introduces new technology that will make stopping at red lights a thing of the past.

BMW TAKES CONTROLLING STAKE IN CHINA
China recently lifted rules that forced foreign automakers to form a 50-50 joint venture with a local Chinese company. And now BMW is the first carmaker to take advantage of the change. It’s spending $4.2 billion to increase its share in its joint venture with Brilliance Automotive from 50% to 75%. This will allow BMW to have more say over its business in China and let it keep more of its earnings. It also helps to shield the company from the brewing trade war between the U.S. and China. And we expect to see more automakers follow suit and gain more control of their business in China.

FORD’S INTERSECTION PRIORITY MANAGEMENT
Wouldn’t it be nice to never have to stop at a traffic light or intersection ever again? Ford is testing new technology, called Intersection Priority Management that uses Vehicle to Vehicle communication to provide a driver with the optimum speed to travel to safely pass through an intersection with another vehicle without either needing to stop. And as you can see from the video, they are able to pass quite close to each other. Not only would a lot less fuel be used, but intersections are a very common place for accidents to occur. And if the system was also able to communicate with traffic lights, you might never have to stop for a red light again.

And speaking of Ford, you won’t want to miss Autoline After Hours this afternoon. The show will be all about the new Edge ST, which is the first performance crossover in its line-up. So tune in today at 3PM eastern time on our website, Autoline.tv to learn all about that vehicle.

But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and join us again tomorrow for the latest news in the global automotive industry.