AD #2918 – Nissan Unveils New Z Prototype; Kia Shares EV Plans; GM Wants to Use Its Batteries in Drones

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

GM SUES FORMER UAW & FCA EXECS
The saga of General Motors’ attempt to prove it was the victim of a conspiracy between UAW officials and FCA executives continues. Yesterday, GM filed lawsuits against former board member and UAW Vice President, Joe Ashton and the former head of FCA’s union relations, Al Iacobelli. GM accuses them of being secretly paid through offshore accounts to spy on the company and pass confidential information to FCA and the UAW. GM is suing to recover an unspecified amount of money from both men. Iacobelli was sentenced to 5 and half years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to stealing money from UAW training funds. Ashton will be sentenced in November for wire fraud and money laundering related to the same scheme. But it’s curious to us that GM is suing pretty much everyone except for the UAW. We think it’s because the company doesn’t want to pick a fight with its own union.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE JOINS SEC INVESTIGATION INTO NIKOLA
Yesterday, we reported that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation into Nikola Motors to determine if the company misled investors about its technology. And now the Department of Justice is joining the investigation. Federal authorities are probing Nikola after Hindenburg Research accused the company of exaggerating the capabilities of its fuel cell trucks.

DAIMLER TRUCKS SHOWS OFF FUEL CELL CONCEPT
And while critics say Nikola is crazy for pursuing hydrogen powered semis, Daimler is also gung-ho about the technology. It introduced a fuel cell truck concept that it says will have a range of 1,000 kilometers or about 620 miles. It plans to make it available for customers to test in 2023 and begin producing it in the second half of the decade. But the company isn’t putting all its eggs in the fuel cell basket. It also revealed a battery electric version of its Actros Longhaul truck that will have a range of 500 kilometers or about 310 miles. The company plans to start producing that model in 2024. In addition to that, an all-electric version of the regular Actros goes into production next year, which will have a range of 200 kilometers or about 125 miles.

 

NISSAN UNVEILS NEW Z PROTOTYPE
Sports cars might be a dying breed but Nissan isn’t ready to let them go extinct yet. A prototype version of the new Z car made its debut yesterday and its styling takes inspiration from the past, present and the future. The Silhouette is nearly unmistakingly a Z, while the shape of the hood, teardrop headlamps and rear taillights also provide nods to past Z cars. We’d love to know your thoughts on the grille, which looks similar to the current car’s grille. In my opinion it doesn’t fit with the rest of the car. It almost looks like an afterthought, like how some of those floating infotainment screens look like an afterthought. But one aspect I really like is the rear end. Designers did a great job of elongating the back of the car. At first glance, I got a bit of an Aston Martin or Porsche Taycan vibe. The interior is also nicely laid out with what looks like a good balance of knobs, gauges and displays. All vital driver information can be found on the large 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, while a decent-sized infotainment screen sets into the dash with the HVAC knobs below it. And another thing Nissan isn’t letting go extinct is the manual transmission. The new Z car will feature a 6-speed unit mated to a twin-turbo V6. No word yet when we’ll see the production version, but development is underway.

SKODA ADOPTS NEW ENGINE MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Skoda is using a unique process to make its 3-cylinder engine more efficient. 1,500-watt lasers rough up the surface of the cylinder walls, then plasma gas melts a powdered mixture of iron, carbon, silicon and manganese, as well as other necessary elements, which is then sprayed into the cylinders and finally that layer is machined. It might sound quite involved, but the process eliminates the need for cylinder liners, while also reducing fuel consumption, emissions and weight. We’re not exactly sure, but it sounds the same as a process we’ve reported on before, called plasma transferred wire arc thermal spraying. Nissan uses it in the Altima’s 2.5L 4-cylinder engine as well as the GT-R and Ford even used it in the GT500.

KIA SHARES EV PLANS
Kia is accelerating its EV plans. By 2027 the automaker plans to launch seven new dedicated BEVs and says by 2029, 25% of its global sales will be electric. The sketch here gives a glimpse at what some of these BEVs will look like, the first of which will be revealed next year and is codenamed CV. Kia says it also plans to help expand EV charging infrastructures. 

GM REVEALS MORE INFO ABOUT ITS EV DRIVE SYSTEM
GM is dribbling out more information about its EV drive system. It’s all about modularity and interchangeability. GM will make five different EV drive systems using three different electric motors that share common components. GM claims these motors will lead the industry in torque and power density. By integrating components, it also cut the mass of the power electronics almost in half, resulting in a cheaper and smaller package, but 25% more capable. GM calls this Ultium Drive and will use it in front-wheel-drive, rear drive, and all- wheel-drive vehicles, from the smallest cars to the most capable off-road and high performance vehicles. In a dig at other automakers, like Ford, who will buy their EV components and batteries from suppliers, GM says that by using vertical integration and in-house manufacturing, it’s going to save on design and production costs. It’s also going to use Ultium Drive in the vehicles it builds for Honda and Nikola.   

 

GM WANTS TO USE ITS BATTERIES IN DRONES
Even more intriguing, GM is looking at using its batteries and Ultium Drive in drones. Speaking at a virtual investor conference yesterday, CEO Mary Barra said GM is looking into the market for aerial mobility. That refers to drones that deliver passengers and packages in cities. Other automakers such as Geely and Daimler have already invested in drone manufacturers, while Audi, Aston Martin and Porsche have designed concepts of what their drones would look like–if they ever make them. If you’d like to learn more about the potential for passenger drones, check out two shows we’ve done about them. Look for Autoline This Week, show numbers 2129 and 2322. By the way, we did that first show three years ago, which demonstrates that Autoline is at the leading edge of covering where the auto industry is headed.

And if you’d like to learn more about where the auto industry is headed, join us for Autoline After Hours tomorrow when we’ll have Jorg Trampler, the head of engineering for ZF North America. It’s working on all kinds of new automotive technology.

Then, next Wednesday, we’re doing a special 1-hour post mortem of Tesla’s Battery Day. And we’re bringing in two of the foremost experts in EVs to help us understand Tesla’s latest technology. Bob Galyen and Sandy Munro will be on the show sharing their knowledge with John and our own Chase Drum. And if you have questions that you’d like to ask Sandy and Bob, send an email to viewermail@autoline.tv or send a tweet to @Autoline.

But that wraps up today’s show, thanks for watching.