AD #2537 – Alfa Says It Is Making New Models, Pedestrian Fatalities on the Rise, IndyCar to Try New Driver Safety Device

This is Autoline Daily reporting on the global automotive industry.

ALFA SAYS IT IS MAKING NEW MODELS
Yesterday we cited a report from Autoforecast Solutions that Alfa Romeo had cancelled several upcoming models. Well that prompted Alfa to contact Autoline Daily and deny that report. In fact, Alfa told us to keep an eye on the Geneva auto show where it will unveil a new model.

DON’T STEP IN FRONT OF A BMW X1
When it comes to automated braking with pedestrian detection, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4 and Volvo XC40 get the highest Superior rating amongst compact CUVs. One notch down are the Chevrolet Equinox, Hyundai Kona, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5 and Nissan Rogue. They get an Advanced rating. But the IIHS wasn’t impressed with the Mitsubishi Outlander, and it was downright dismissive of the BMW X1, which bowled down pedestrian dummies in the tests.

PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES ON THE RISE
Pedestrian fatalities are on the rise in the U.S. and the IIHS blames the growing popularity of SUVs and CUVs as the leading culprit. But take a look at this chart from the Institute. It shows pedestrian fatalities falling from 1980 until 2010. That was a time when SUV and CUV sales were booming, so how come pedestrian fatalities were falling? It’s not until 2010 that pedestrian fatalities start climbing. It’s worth pointing out that the first smartphones appeared in 2009, and it would seem that distracted people with their faces in their phones are probably a more likely cause of the increase in pedestrian fatalities.

OK, all you hard core gear heads out there. No doubt you know how to bolt on a blower, slap on a set of headers and advance the timing. But do you know how to get more power and efficiency out of an electric powertrain? That’s the topic on Autoline After Hours today. Plus we’ll have a guest appearance from Jason Vines later in the show. So join us when we go live at 3 pm eastern time at Autoline.tv or on our YouTube channel.

BMW TO OPEN R&D OFFICE IN TEL AVIV
Israel is emerging as a major tech center for autonomy, electrification and mobility. That’s why BMW is going to open an R&D office in Tel Aviv later this year. BMW especially wants to tap into Israeli startups. Some tech experts think Israel is more innovative than Silicon Valley or China. And who knows, maybe the Israelis can help BMW come up with a better pedestrian detection system.

FORD CONSIDERS TRIMMING RUSSIAN OPERATIONS
It seems that every time you turn around another automaker is announcing plant closings and corporate restructurings. Wards reports that Ford is considering deep cuts in its operations in Russia, including closing two of its three assembly plants there. While Ford has the manufacturing capacity to build 340,000 vehicles in Russia, in 2017 it only made 24,000.

AUDI MAKES CUTS IN EUROPE
Meanwhile, Audi is going to get rid of 10% of its executives in Europe, and will drop certain slow selling engines and models. The goal is to cut $17 billion in structural costs in the next three years.

HONDAJET SALES BLAST OFF
It seemed to take forever for the HondaJet to come out, but now that it has, the small plane is proving to be quite popular. Honda announced the jet was the most delivered aircraft in its class in 2018. A total of 37 were sold around the globe for about $5 million bucks apiece.

INDYCAR IMPLEMENTING NEW DRIVER SAFETY MEASURE
Driver safety has been a growing concern amongst racing fans the last several years and we’re starting to see some action. Plastic windscreens were tested and Formula 1 started using the halo. IndyCar considered the halo as well, but it doesn’t fit the current Dallara chassis, so it’s going to use a different solution. And a much simpler one. A three inch tall and three-quarters of an inch wide piece of titanium is bolted along the centerline of the car, just in front of the driver. As you’ve likely guessed, it’s there to deflect debris away from the driver. Versions have been tested since 2012 and the first race we’ll see them on is the Indy 500 in May.

And with that we wrap up today’s show. Thanks for watching.