Supply chains are how car parts and materials get from factories to the place where cars are made. If something goes wrong, it can slow down making cars.
Solid state batteries are a new type of battery for electric cars that can store more power and charge faster, but they need more time to be ready for sale.
An internal combustion engine is the usual type of car engine that burns fuel to make the car move. Even though electric cars are growing, many companies still work on making these engines better.
A variable geometry turbo is a special turbocharger that changes how it works depending on how fast the engine is running, helping the car perform better and use fuel more efficiently.
A maintenance schedule tells you when to take your car for checkups and servicing to keep it working well. This engine needs service every two years or about 15,500 miles.
The FTC is a U.S. government group that makes sure companies are honest with customers, like making sure car dealers show all prices and fees clearly.
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Speaker 1: This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry. The war and Iran is really
starting to have an impact on the auto industry. German
chemical companies are cutting production as oil and natural gas prices go up, as shipping costs rise, and as supply chains are starting to choke. Automakers and suppliers rely on
those chemical companies for their plastics to make parts for cars, so we could see shortages, which has the potential to cripple automotive production within weeks. Meanwhile, Bahrain is shutting down
the world's largest aluminum smelter, which produces one point six million tons of aluminium a year. The price of the
metal was already rising all last year, but the war has pushed prices up to levels that we haven't seen since the COVID pandemic, and even motorsports are being impacted by the war. Formula one announced its can races in
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which we're supposed to take place next month. At first, f one thought it would just
be able to postpone the races, but the war looks like it could drag on longer than many hoped for, so it decided to cancel them. There are two more
F one races scheduled to take place in Qatar and Abu Dhabi in November and December, but Formula one is hopeful they'll still take place. The Conservative Party in Canada
is proposing a different approach to automotive trade with the United States. They call it the dollar for dollar rule.
Every automaker that manufactures a car in Canada would be able to import a comparable cost car that's made in the US or Mexico without paying any tariffs. The Conservative
Party also wants cybersecurity regulations for cars to be harmonized across North America, as well as legislation that bans vehicles that use connected car technology from China or Russia. It's
trying to differ rentiate itself from the Liberal party that's currently in power, and says it's a mistake to shift away from the US. As Canada's main export market, evis
startup VinFast experienced big growth in twenty twenty five. The
automakers sold nearly one hundred and ninety seven thousand vehicles globally last year, up one hundred and two percent compared to twenty twenty four, it also sold over four hundred thousand e bikes and scooters, which was up a whopping four hundred and seventy three percent. Thanks to that success,
VinFast revenue skyrocketed one hundred and five percent in twenty twenty five to three point six billion dollars. However, the
company lost one point four billion last year and doesn't expect to break even this year because it's burning through cash to expand and develop new products for global markets.
Part of that expansion includes resuming construction of its assembly plant in North Carolina, which it delayed in twenty twenty four.
The plant is now expected to start operations in twenty twenty eight.
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Speaker 1: There's a number of automakers developing solid state batteries who are aiming to offer them before the end of the decade, but a renowned scientist at China's Academy of Sciences says that technology still needs two to three more years to mature, that solid state batteries shouldn't be rushed into the market, and that development should proceed in a step by step manner.
While solid state offers higher energy density, faster charging times, and lower fire risk, producing the batteries at scale is difficult and expensive. The Chinese scientist says that current battery
technology is already very good and that consumers shouldn't wait around for evs with solid state batteries. Mercedes is holding
talks with Gili to expand their partnership. Bloomberg reports the
discussions involved Mercedes using Gili technology for its next gen electric vehicles and China, which it would do in an effort to shorten development times and reduce engineering costs, but no formal agreement has been made yet. GILI currently owns
a nearly ten percent stake in Mercedes, and the two automakers run a fifty to fifty joint venture of the Smart brand, with Mercedes responsible for the design while Gili handles the engineering and manufacturing. With EVY growth slower than
expected and relaxed emission targets, automakers have more incentive to keep improving their internal combustion engines. Last week we reported
how Chinese automaker chan Ghan is coming out with a new hybrid that was developed specifically for low speed efficiency, and now Pougeot is launching the third generation of a three cylinder engine that will first be used in the two O eight and two thousand and eight. Most of
the main components are new, including the cylinder block, pistons, timing chain, direct injection system, and variable geometry urbino. The
one point two liter unit makes one hundred horse power or seventy four kilowatts, and engineers were even able to reduce the maintenance schedule. It surprisingly only needs one service
every two years or twenty five thousand kilometers, which is about fifteen thousand, five hundred miles. The setup is available
now in the two eight, while the two thousand and eight gets it in May, ever, felt duped by a car ad that had a deal that you really liked, only to find out there's extra fees, you didn't qualify or the dealership didn't have that exact model in inventory.
While in the US, the Federal Trade Commission or FTC is trying to crack down on that. It's worn ninety
seven car dealer groups that their advertised prices need to be more transparent. For example, prices have to feature all
required fees, any rebate or discount must be available to all customers, Additional down payments need to be listed, and a price can't be featured only if you sign up to use dealer financing. Experts are urging dealers to make
sure their ads follow state and federal laws to avoid an FTC investigation, which could result in fines or even being banned from the industry. But that brings us to
the end of today's show. Thanks for making autoline a
part of your day.
Speaker 3: Auto Line Daily is brought to you by alex Partners.
When it really matters CSP, the Composites Solution Partner, Intrepid Control Systems, Over the Air Engineering boost your game and thanks to the following YouTube and Patreon members.
Speaker 4: At CSP, we work with OEM engineers across the country on their journeys to lighter, safer, and more eco friendly vehicles.
Learn more at VCSP dot com.
Speaker 5: The automotive and industrial sectors are undergoing a historic transformation electrification, digitalization, supply chain reinvention, regulatory shifts. The pace is accelerating and
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About this episode
Rising geopolitical tensions and the Iran war are disrupting the automotive supply chain, with German chemical firms cutting production and Bahrain closing a major aluminum smelter, causing material shortages and price spikes. Formula One canceled races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to the conflict. Canada’s Conservative Party proposes new trade rules and cybersecurity measures for vehicles. VinFast reports rapid growth but continues to lose money while expanding globally. China advises caution on solid-state battery rollout, while Mercedes explores deeper ties with Geely. Peugeot launches an efficient new 1.2L turbo engine with extended service intervals. The US FTC cracks down on deceptive car advertising practices.
