AD #2599 – USPS Tests Autonomous Truck, GM Introduces All-New Electrical Architecture, R.I.P. Niki Lauda

This is Autoline Daily reporting on the global automotive industry.

TESLA’S STOCK TAKES A HIT
Yikes! Tesla stock is going from bad to worse. In January the stock was trading at $347 a share. Now it’s barely hovering around $200. And Morgan Stanley says in a worst case scenario the stock could drop to only $10. It all has to do with weak sales. Morgan Stanley says there just isn’t enough demand for electric cars right now. And that could be an ominous sign for all the other car companies rushing to come out with electric cars.

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE TESTS SELF-DRIVING TRUCK
The United States Postal Service is kicking off a test today, to deliver mail with self-driving trucks. It teamed up with TuSimple, a startup based in San Diego, which has equipped autonomous technology into a Peterbilt semi-truck. The truck will deliver letters and packages between two facilities in Phoenix and Dallas and will make five round trips over a two-week period. A safety driver will be behind the wheel to take over if necessary. Once, the trial is over it will decide if it wants to continue working with TuSimple. The Postal Service spends $4 billion a year on highway trucking with outside contractors. So, if it can switch to autonomous trucks making long-haul deliveries, it could save boatloads of money, since you won’t have to pay drivers and the trucks can operate around the clock.

FMCSA CONSIDERS ALLOWING TEENS IN TRUCKS
And speaking of trucking, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is proposing a pilot program to allow drivers between 18 and 20 years old, to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. Currently, you have to be 21 to get a license. This would be an expansion of a program from last year that allowed 18 to 20 year olds with military service to drive commercial vehicles interstate. The trucking industry is facing a shortage of drivers and this proposal is aimed at helping the problem. However, not everyone is on board. The Teamsters released a statement saying that there’s safety risks with allowing teenagers to drive trailers long distance. It says poor working conditions and low wages should be addressed if the trucking industry wants to attract more drivers.

SLOW TRUCK ROLLOUT CLOUDS GM’S COMPETITIVENESS
GM was lambasted for falling behind the Ram pickup in sales and not putting a big screen on the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, which are both legitimate criticisms. But GM is staggering the launch of those trucks and a lot more is yet to come. It launched last year with the crew cab versions and the double cabs are just now in showrooms. This quarter come the regular cab and commercial sales, next quarter come the all new heavy duty pickups. So GM really won’t have its full lineup of pickups available until the end of this year. That’s when we’ll know how it stacks up against the competition. Because right now it’s kind of fighting with one hand tied behind its back.

GM INTRODUCES ALL-NEW ELECTRICAL ARCHITECTURE
And speaking of GM, it has introduced an all-new electrical architecture for its vehicles. It’s capable of managing up to 4.5 terabytes of data processing power per hour, which is 5-times more than the current system. And provides more rapid communications within the vehicle and to outside sources thanks to faster Ethernet connections. The new architecture allows for features like an electric drive system, Super Cruise and other safety systems to all run at the same time. It also allows for over-the-air or OTA updates and is better protected from cybersecurity attacks. The new electronic architecture will go into production later this year and should be in most of GM’s global lineup by 2023. Some experts believe the rollout of new electrical architectures that allow OTAs have been delayed by dealers that are afraid of how it could squeeze their margins. Because you don’t need to take your car in for service, the main source of income for dealers, if it updates in your driveway.

We’ve got a great Autoline After Hours this week for all you gear heads. Our special guest is Carl Widmann, the head of Ford’s performance division, who will also be bringing a Mustang GT350 to the studio with him. So if you have any questions about that muscle car or any other of Ford’s performance vehicles, send them our way to viewermail@autoline.tv. That’s this Thursday at 3PM eastern time.

CITROEN HELPS CURE MOTION SICKNESS
Do you remember these anti-motion sickness glasses from Citroen? They’re said to reduce motion sickness by giving your eye an horizon to look at. I remember some people scoffed at the glasses and their $115 price tag when we reported on them nearly a year ago. But it turns out the glasses, called Seetroens, were so popular, it sold 15,000 in just a few months, that the automaker is now coming out with a limited-edition pair. They cost 99 euro and orders are open now.

R.I.P. NIKI LAUDA
And we end on sad note. Formula One lost a legend yesterday. Niki Lauda died at the age of 70. The Austrian is considered by some to be one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. He is a 3-time champion and is the only driver to win championships with both Ferrari and McLaren. Lauda might be best known for a crash at the German Grand Prix in 1976 that nearly took his life after suffering severe burns and inhaling toxic fumes. A priest was even brought to his hospital bedside. But Lauda recovered, raced in the Italian Grand Prix just 6-weeks later and only narrowly lost the championship that season to James Hunt.

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