AD #3019 – All-New Nissan Qashqai Debuts; New Tech Can Prevent Hydroplaning; Bold New Honda HR-V

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

NISSAN MAKING BIG INVESTMENT IN THE UK
In a massive vote of confidence for making cars in Britain, Nissan announced it will invest nearly $1.4 billion in the UK. When the UK left the European Union, it looked like it was the beginning of the end of the British motor industry. Nissan talked openly of leaving, Honda already announced it’s on the way out, and Toyota said it was considering it. But Nissan’s announcement of new investment suggests it’s going to be around for years. By the way, a lot of that money goes towards making what Nissan calls e-Power hybrids. That uses an ICE to charge the battery, and the car is powered by an electric motor. But there’s no plug. Only the engine charges the battery. Nissan says e-Power allows the use of a smaller ICE engine battery, yet gives customers the instant response and low-end torque of an EV.

ALL-NEW NISSAN QAHQAI DEBUTS
The e-Power system will be available in the all-new Nissan Qashqai, which is also sold in the U.S. as the Rogue Sport. But in Europe it’s Nissan’s best selling vehicle. In fact, it’s one of the best selling vehicles in Europe, period. Nissan just unveiled the third generation, which has a crisper, sharper angled look and is built on what Nissan calls its CMF-C platform. The headlamps are thinner, the wheelbase is longer and you can order 20-inch wheels. Rear seat passengers get more knee room and there’s more luggage space in the rear, yet the overall length of the vehicle is about the same as before. One notable feature is a 10.2-inch head-up display. While it gets the e-Power system, it will launch with a 1.3-liter mild hybrid, and it goes on sale in Europe this summer.

NATURAL GAS SHORTAGE IN MEXICO HITTING PRODUCTION
First it was a shortage of semiconductor chips, now it’s a shortage of natural gas that’s causing production disruptions. General Motors and Volkswagen announced they’re halting production for a few days this week at its plants in Mexico due to the gas shortage. The companies said production will return to normal once supplies are back to adequate levels. Audi also said it will adjust production levels at its plant in Mexico depending on the availability of natural gas.

QUANTUMSCAPE LONE BRIGHT SPOT IN AUTO STOCKS
It was a down day on Wall Street for the automotive industry. In fact, it was a down day for the global automotive industry. The Autoline Stock index was down overall for car companies, suppliers and retailers. But there was one notable exception. Quantumscape. Shares shot up nearly $16, a gigantic 31% increase for the startup that announced a breakthrough yesterday to make solid state batteries for electric cars.

.tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top}

	Current Price	$ Change	% Change
Quantumscape	$66.52	+$15.88	+31.4%

Speaking of startups, we’ve got a great Autoline After Hours coming up this afternoon with Jim Taylor, the CEO of ELMS, or electric last mile solutions. So join John and Gary for some of the best insights into what’s driving the automotive industry.

LORDSTOWN IS TAKING ITS EV SKATEBOARD RACING
Remember how EV startup Canoo stripped its skateboard chassis of all unnecessary parts, dubbed it ‘skatecart’ and took it racing in the desert? It was so cool. Now Lordstown Motors is doing something similar, but it’s going for-real-racing. It’s taking the EV skateboard for its Endurance pickup and entering it in the San Felipe 250, an off-road endurance race that takes place in Mexico. And it should be a good test for Lordstown. It estimates the Endurance will have 250+ miles of range from its 109 kWh battery pack. A loop around the San Felipe 250 is roughly 290 miles. Obviously, with only the skateboard and no body, it will be lighter and have more range. But what role will the terrain and temperature play? It will be interesting to see how Lordstown does.

ACTIVE SYSTEM ELIMINATES HYDROPLANING
Hydroplaning can be dangerous when it’s raining, that’s why Easyrain, which is based in Italy, created the first active safety system to prevent hydroplaning. Bosch and Italdesign also helped with the development and recently tested it in a production vehicle for the first time, an Audi A6 wagon. Here’s how it works. A controlled jet of water is blasted out in front of the tires to break up the water layer on the asphalt that the tires can’t dissipate, which restores grip. The injectors are automatically activated by software when a sensor recognizes the vehicle is starting to hydroplane. The system weighs 5 kilograms or about 11 pounds and uses fluid from the windshield wiper tank. The companies plan to perform more tests over the next several months.

FORD HELPS MAKE VANS MORE VISIBLE ON THE ROAD
Speaking of improving safety on the road, Ford of Europe now offers illuminated safety panels for the back of its Transit and Custom vans. It says the panels make the vehicle more visible compared to reflective tape, especially for vehicles coming around a bend in the road. They’re operated via a switch mounted behind the driver’s seat. Right now the panels are only available in the UK, but Ford is looking at making them available in other European markets as well.

TESAL CUTS MODEL 3 & Y BASE PRICE
Tesla is making the Model 3 and Model Y more affordable in the U.S. The base Model 3 now costs just under $37,000, $1,000 less than before, while the base Model Y’s starting price is just under $40,000, $2,000 less than before. But while the standard models get a price cut, Tesla is raising the price of the performance versions of the Model 3 and Y by $1,000 each. Traditional automakers are ramping up their EV launches, so it’s not surprising to see Tesla make its models more affordable.

TESLA LAUNCHES MODEL Y IN SOUTH KOREA
But this should also help boost sales for Tesla. It just launched the Model Y in South Korea, which is available in three trim levels. The Standard Range Model carries a starting price just over $54,000. At the same time, it’s also bringing the refreshed Model 3 to South Korea, which has been available in the country since 2019. And it announced plans to add 27 supercharger stations and 8 service centers across South Korea by the end of the year.

BOSCH ADOPTS MICROSOFT AZURE TO DEVELOP CAR SOFTWARE
General Motors and Volkswagen already announced they’re going to work with Microsoft to connect their cars to the cloud. And now it’s Bosch’s turn. The world’’s largest supplier is going to use Microsoft Azure to develop software-defined cars, and it wants to offer it to automakers for testing prototypes before the year is out. The idea behind using Azure is to update the software in cars more quickly to provide owners new functions and digital services. And since Bosch’s customers include just about every car company in the world, it will undoubtedly make it available to anyone who wants it.

HONDA HR-V GETS BOLD NEW STYLING
The Honda HR-V is going from looking like this… to looking like this. The next-gen version of the crossover, which is also called the Vezel in some markets, just debuted and is much more coupe-like in appearance. The grille looks like a big departure from anything we’ve seen from Honda before. The other big news is that it’s only announced a hybrid powertrain for the HR-V. It pairs a naturally aspirated 1.5L 4-cylinder engine with Honda’s two-motor hybrid system. Both 2- and all-wheel drive are offered. As for the interior, designers cleaned up the look and note how the air vent appears as one giant piece, which really draws your eye across the entire dashboard. The new HR-V/Vezel will launch in Japan first this April, but the rollout to other markets hasn’t been revealed yet.

OLD WRECK IS AN AUSTIN HEALEY
Well, you all passed our Barn Find test with flying colors. If we were back in school days I might have accused you all of cheating because I didn’t see a single wrong answer. Normally we get at least a few. But we like the detail that Oliver Viitamaki provided. They say it’s a “Austin Healey 3000 BT7 Mk1 1959-1961, assuming it has the original engine.” There you go Alejandro. There’s the answer to your mystery wreck. Thanks to everyone for showing off your classic car knowledge.

But that’s a wrap for today’s show. Thanks for watching.