The discussion covers the UK delaying its ban on ICE vehicle sales until 2035, sparking debate about EV transition pace and infrastructure. Lexus reveals plans for a new EV platform and sporty electric models by 2026. Toyota showcases a breakthrough in teaching robots with generative AI, aiming to expand robotic skills rapidly. Volvo commits to ending diesel production by early next year. The IIHS highlights safety concerns in minivan second-row seats. Russia bans foreign car purchases for government fleets to boost domestic production. Fiat launches the affordable Topolino EV in Italy, already gaining strong interest.
Topics:uk ice sales ban delaylexus electric vehicle planstoyota robot teaching breakthroughvolvo diesel phase-outminivan safety ratingsrussian government car banfiat topolino ev launchelectric vehicle transitionautomotive industry labor deals
- Ford Reaches Tentative Agreement with Unifor - UK to Delay ICE Sales Ban - UK Auto Industry Not on Board with ICE Ban Delay - Lexus Details Future Lineup Plans - Volvo Ditches Diesel Engines - IIHS Says Minivans Need Better 2nd Row Protection - Toyota Claims Breakthrough in Teaching Robots New Tasks - Russia Bans Government Foreign Car Purchases - Fiat Topolino On Sale Now in Italy
"...ng in cars even with battery evs by injecting the spirit of recent concepts like the eighty six RZ Sports ..."
Select text to request an explanation
This was Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
A day after extending the deadline for its expiring contract with the Canadian union, Uniform and Ford announced they have reached a tentative deal. However, no
details were given and the new three year contracts still needs to be ratified by Ford's fifty six hundred Uniform members. But if the deal goes through, it's
a big victory for Ford and will pave the way for new contracts for union members at GM and Stalantis in Canada. So does this have any impact on
the UAWS negotiations with the Detroit Three. We think it would have no matter
what way it went with Uniform. If there was a strike at Ford in
Canada, it would have impacted part supplies in the US, which could have caused shutdowns the UAW wasn't ready for. But now with that avoided and a
tentative deal on the table, puts more pressure on the UAW to get its own deal done. Our most countries rushing too quickly into evs. The current
British Prime Minister seems to think so. According to the BBC, Rishi Sunac
will soon announce that the UK is delaying plans to ban ICE sales by twenty thirty five, which were put into place by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson in twenty twenty. Sunak says people haven't been honest about the costs and other trade
offs needed in the EV transition, and that delaying the plans doesn't mean the UK is quote losing our ambition or abandoning our commitments, but that they should get there in a quote more proportionate way. But not everyone is receiving the
news with open arms. Reuters reports that the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders,
which is the association that represents the UK auto industry, is worried this will hold back and sent a charging infrastructure and any sort of push to get consumers to switch to evs. Ford also said that it undermines the transition to
electric vehicles and could put future investments at risk. As well. As I
said yesterday, Toyota takes a long time to make up its mind, but once it does, it moves pretty quickly. Now we know the modular body
structure for evs that was also part of yesterday's Toyota news will be out no later than twenty twenty six, Lexus revealed that's when it's going to introduce a next Geneve, which will feature the new structure as well as a new software platform. It also wants to quote inspire the love of driving in cars even
with battery evs by injecting the spirit of recent concepts like the eighty six RZ Sports and Electrified Sport into future models. It's near term lineup will include vehicles
like the LM Luxury Van, LBX small crossover, the GX large suv, and the TX three row suv for North America. Lexus is also launching customer
experience programs where people can go off roading in an ROV or side by side concept, which features a hydrogen powered IC engine. We can expect to see
more of Lexus's electric future starting in October at the Japan Mobility Show at Schiffler we pioneer Motion Electrifying Mobility, manufacturing smart, reducing CO two emissions, making energy production clean. Scheffler Pioneer's Motion to advance how the World moves. Volvo
is completely ditching diesel engines. The automaker announced it will end production of all
diesel powered models by early next year. And it has ended all R and
D spending on developing new internal combustion engines. Just four years ago, the
majority of Volvo cars sold in Europe were diesel powered, but by twenty thirty it only plans on selling pure electrics. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or
IIHS, says minivans need better second row protection. It just performed updated moderate
overlap front crash tests on four models, and none of them received good or acceptable ratings. The Chrysler pacifica Kia Carnival, and Toyota Sienna all earned marginal
scores, while the Honda Odyssey was rated poor. However, these ratings don't
apply to kids that are properly secured in a child safety sat. The IIHS
launched the updated test last year because research shows the risk of a fatal injury is now higher for belted second row occupants than it is for those in the front. The IHS says this is because second row seats lack the same safety
technology as front seats, and it's calling on automakers to make the change.
Toyota says it developed a breakthrough to teach robots using generative AI that can be done faster and more accurately than current methods. Those current methods include engineers having
to spend many hours writing sophisticated code and or performing many tests of program behavior, but Toyota says its method doesn't require writing a single line of new code.
It uses camera images, demos from a human, tactile sensing, and a description of the goal. It has already taught robots sixty skills this way,
including pouring liquids, using tools, and manipulating objects. It wants to
add hundreds of new skills by the end of the year and a thousand by the end of twenty twenty four. The company says it's technique will one day
allow robots to support people in everyday situations and in different environments instead of specific tasks in a constrained environment. Russian government officials and heads of state run corporations
prefer to ride in foreign cars, especially BMW's Mercedes and Audies, but now Russia is banning government purchases of foreign made cars to help domestic production. It's
estimated that federal and state government agencies purchase thirty to fifty thousand vehicles a year, valued at three hundred to four hundred million dollars. Most Western brands have
ceased operations in the country after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and car production is plummeted from one point three million units in twenty twenty one to under four hundred and fifty thousand last year. So now the Russian government is looking to Russian made
vehicles to help fill out its fleet, and it's even considering Chinese made vehicles.
Fiat is now taking orders in Italy for the cute little Topolino, which is its version of the satroanamy the small ev cells for between roughly seventy five hundred and ten thousand euros or eight thousand to ten thousand, seven hundred dollars depending on the model, or customers can get a four year lease for thirty nine euros a month with about twenty six hundred euros down. Fiat says it
already has ten thousand orders for the Topolino, which we think makes it quite a bit more popular than the Satroan. But that brings us to the end
of today show. Thanks for making autoline part of your day. Autoline Daily
is brought to you by Bridgestone Solutions for your journey in trepid control systems over the year. Engineering boost your game, Scheffler. We pioneer motion and by
Taging Automotive Technologies the formula for better Mobility. But the Taging Automotive Technologies we
combine world class composite materials expertise with cutting edge designs because frankly, there are better ways to lightweight vehicles, so lighten up with Taging Automotive Technologies the Formula for better Mobility. We want to know what drives your testing. OTA Connected
Car Diagnostics, remote testing and Trepid control systems is here to help you work from anywhere. Intrepid control systems driven by your data
Request an explanation for:
1 cars
1 cars featured
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark.
Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.
