AD #3117 – Mercedes-AMG Reveals New SL Interior; Santa Cruz Pricier Than Maverick; Can Tesla Survive Without Musk?

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

EU ICE BAN LOOMING
The drumbeats are getting louder to ban internal combustion engines. Europe is considering legislation to ban the sale of all ICEs in 20 years. While certain countries and automakers have announced similar moves of their own, a legislative ban across the continent would be a significant development. And the EU is looking well beyond just autos. The New York Times reports It wants to cut all CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Meanwhile the U.S. wants to cut them 43%, while China only expects emissions to hit their peak by that time.

VOLKSWAGEN BOOSTS OPERATING PROFIT TARGET
Volkswagen AG is boosting its target for operating profits to 9% of sales. Bloomberg reports that one of the ways it expects to boost them is by greatly increasing software sales and over-the-air updates to customers. VW believes the total market for those services will hit 5 trillion euros by 2025, and it wants to capture over a trillion euros of that new business segment. 

VOLVO & GEELY CREATE JV FOR POWERTRAINS
Volvo says it will only sell electric cars by 2030. So what’s it going to do with its ICE and transmission plants? It’s going to dump them into a separate company. Volvo and its parent company Geely created a joint venture called Aurobay. It also gets all of Volvo’s engine engineering and R&D people. Volvo will continue selling ICE engines and hybrids until 2030 and Geely will be using them in China beyond that. They also want Aurobay to sell engines and transmissions to other automakers.   

NISSAN STUDIES RACE CAR DRIVER BRAIN FUNCTIONS
Nissan wants to improve the performance of its Formula E race car drivers by studying their brains. Called Brain to Performance, the program will use advanced brain imaging and analysis to monitor and record brain activity. This will be compared to non-race car drivers, to see how they differ. Nissan will use these results to create a training program to enhance speed, reaction and consistency of its race car drivers.

AUDI SHOWS OFF FUTURE DESIGN DIRECTION
Audi teased where its future design direction is heading with the Grand Sphere concept. The wheelbase looks exceedingly long with a short overhang at the front and a sweeping roofline that leads into a fastback rear end. Passengers are welcomed in through suicide doors and a pillar-less opening, which leads way to individual seats up front and a bench in back. With the amount of legroom and the lounge-like interior, we’re guessing that some level of autonomy is baked in. And also note the lack of screens. The Grand Sphere is expected to make its debut at the Munich auto show in September and will be followed by concepts, called the Sky Sphere and Urban Sphere. 

MERCEDES-AMG REVEALS NEW SL
Speaking of reveals, Mercedes is showing off the interior of the new AMG SL. The dash features a multi-layered look that flows into the doors and is accentuated by shapely air vents that are meant to look like turbines. The 12.3-inch instrument cluster is fully digital and customizable to the driver’s taste, but an optional head-up-display will reduce the need to take their eyes off the road. A large center console flows into the 11.9-inch center display screen that’s hinged and can be adjusted electronically to reduce sun glare when the top is down. 

MITSUBISHI ADOPTS MERCEDES ELECTRIC TRUCK APP
Sticking with Mercedes, it’s expanding the use of its eTruck Ready app, which helps operators determine if an electric truck will work for them. The app is free and it records speed, acceleration and altitude while using an ICE truck that’s already in their fleet. The operator can then go back and add more information like payload and outside temperature. After that the app will spit out the range needed and expected power consumption of an electric truck. Along with the Mercedes-Benz eActros truck, the app will now include the Mitsubishi FUSO eCanter as well. It’s available for use in many major European countries and works with both iOS and Android phones.

If you’d like to learn more about the kind of progress fuel cells are making, be sure to join us tomorrow for Autoline After Hours. Charlie Frieze, who heads up GM’s Hydrotec operations, will be on the show. So join John and Gary as they give you access to the insiders who are working on the future technology that drives the automotive industry.

PORSCHE SEES POTENTIAL BUT MANY HURDLES FOR VTOLs
We’ve seen a number of automakers invest in VTOLs or vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Many see potential for them to be used as air taxis to help ease traffic congestion. And Porsche just released a study about what the market for them could be in the future. While it does see potential over the next 15 years, there are still a lot of hurdles. The market for VTOLs in the U.S. could reach $32 billion by 2035. But that will require an investment of at least $20 billion. However, before VTOLs can begin operating, regulations and infrastructure are still needed. At least half a million passengers a day will need to use air taxis for it to become a viable market by 2035. That means up to 2,500 take-off and landing spots are needed in as many as 60 cities worldwide.

GM INVESTS IN NEW ADVANCED DESIGN CENTER
General Motors is interested in designing more than cars. It’s building a new Advanced Design Center in Pasadena, California that will work on designing new vehicles for BrightDrop, the commercial delivery and logistics business. It’s also going to design Cadillac’s personal autonomous concept vehicle and its VTOL. And it’s going to develop a lunar rover concept together with Lockheed Martin. 

HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ PRICIER THAN FORD MAVERICK
Pricing for the Hyundai Santa Cruz was released and it’s a bit pricier than its main rival, the Ford Maverick. The Santa Cruz starts just over $25,000, while the Maverick starts at about $21,500. A top of the line Santa Cruz starts just under $41,000 compared to the Maverick which tops out at $27,600. All prices we’re reporting here include destination charges. 

CAN TESLA SURVIVE WITHOUT ELON MUSK? 
Elon Musk is being sued by union pensions funds and investment companies that own Tesla stock. They claim that when Tesla paid $2.6 billion for Solar City, the solar panel company, it hurt their investments. Tesla paid for the acquisition with stock. Under cross examination, Musk said that Tesla would die if he was not the Chief Executive Officer. What do you think? Would Tesla go under without Elon Musk? Or is the company strong enough to power on without him?

And that wraps up today’s report. Thanks for watching.