In the News – Page 27 – RPM News Weekly

All-Star Hyundai VP Michael O’Brien Moving On

Hyundai announced today that Michael J. O’Brien, Vice-President of Product, Corporate and Digital Planning, will be leaving the brand in early February. The automaker explained in their statement on the departure that the executive elected to leave “to pursue other interests.”

O’Brien was recently named a 2019 Automotive News All-Star in product development and is well-regarded by members of the automotive industry.

In 2017, RPM News Weekly spoke with O’Brien following a product presentation at the New England Motor Press Association headquarters in Middleboro for the debut of the then-all-new Hyundai Ioniq.

Here’s a look back at our 2017 Interview with Mike:

O’Brien’s career at Hyundai Motor America spanned nearly two decades, in which he was instrumental in the automaker’s extraordinary growth, including the expansion of its lineup, implementation of quality initiatives and the evolution of its connected-car technologies. O’Brien will officially depart on Feb. 3.

“I would like to thank Mike for his tremendous contributions to Hyundai’s success. It’s impossible to quantify the impact he made in getting our business and product portfolio to where it is today. We all wish Mike clear skies and tailwinds on the next leg of his career journey.”
Brian Smith, COO, Hyundai Motor America

A 30 year industry veteran, O’Brien first joined Hyundai in 1987 and played key roles in product planning and safety equipment and technology standardization. In addition, he was instrumental in advancing product refinement and quality, and spearheaded programs to improve dealer profitability and customer loyalty. Hyundai’s first-ever motorsports program in ProRally is among his other accomplishments.

O’Brien left Hyundai in 1996 for a 14-year stint at Toyota where he oversaw the company’s U.S. product strategy including van, truck and SUV lines as well as powertrain, advanced technology vehicles and regulatory planning.

He returned to Hyundai in 2010 to guide the strategic development of the brand’s entire model lineup for the U.S. market. He also led Hyundai’s corporate planning effort including market research and analytics, and pricing.

More recently, O’Brien led Hyundai’s IT business strategy making Hyundai the first automotive brand to offer Android Auto, and oversaw the launch of some of Hyundai’s advanced technological innovations, such as the Digital Key.

An active search for O’Brien’s replacement is underway, according to Hyundai.

Production-Ready Lucid Air EV Headed For NYC Auto Show

Commentary:

Our friends at the New York International Auto Show have announced that EV startup Lucid Motors will debut the production-ready Lucid Air mid-size electric sedan in New York City this spring.

We had an opportunity to check out two Lucid Air concepts at the 2017 NYIAS, one dressed in normal street trim, the other a track-focused, rolling-test bed dubbed the Lucid Air Alpha that was used to shakedown the upcoming vehicle’s powertrain in cold-weather and performance tests.

Lucid Air Debut 2017 NYIAS with CEO Peter Rawlinson

While undergoing high-speed testing at the Transportation Research Center in Ohio, the Lucid Air Alpha ultimately set a 235 mile-per-hour benchmark. Of course, this was an unrestricted, track-ready car with no interior – we’re confident the production version won’t have the same top speed. But it does show the potential performance capabilities of the model’s powertrain.

In December 2019, Lucid began construction of its first production facility located in Casa Grande, Arizona. The factory is scheduled for completion in late 2020 with production possibly starting at the end of the year, or in early 2021.

With the construction of their production facility underway, Lucid announced on January 22, 2020 that they have begun accepting reservations for the Lucid Air in select European countries.

“This is an exciting time for Lucid. We’ve been moving at an incredible pace, with the completion of our factory and the first production Airs expected in late 2020,” said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Motors. “With deliveries in Europe expected just a year from those milestones, we felt the time was right to open up reservations in a region that has truly embraced the core tenets of environmentally-friendly transportation, and one that we expect will be a major market for Lucid.”

Residents in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland will be able to place a reservation equivalent to $1000 USD.

Further expansion into Europe is expected, including a right-hand-drive model for the UK. According to the company’s website, specific markets were selected due to a combination of charging infrastructure and market acceptance and size.

We’re not sure if Lucid may have missed its intended market by launching an all-electric EV sedan at a time when CUVs and SUVs are all the rage.

While sales of the groundbreaking Tesla Model S sedan – arguably the Lucid Air’s closest competitor at launch – have been dropping steadily over the years, sales of Tesla’s latest and lowest priced entry, the Tesla Model 3 sedan, have been skyrocketing. But, as the Model S did when the Model 3 arrived, Tesla’s youngest sedan will be facing competition from within its own family with the upcoming Model Y SUV.

It remains to be seen whether the Model Y will steal sales from the Model 3, or attract SUV buyers from other brands.

I’m guessing that Lucid has a crossover version in the planning stages somewhere, and that’s the beauty of a purpose-built, all-electric vehicle platform. Once they have the first vehicle / platform design locked down, it’s not too difficult to adapt it to fit other body styles.

When designing the Model Y, Telsa used the Model 3 as a starting point. This makes good business sense. Not only does it cut costs, it also cuts down on development time.

Speaking of developments, we’ll keep an eye on Lucid and the Lucid Air as more information becomes available. Until then, we look forward to seeing the production version this spring at the 2020 New York International Auto Show.

If you’re an EV fan and plan on checking out the Lucid Air in person, the NYIAS runs from April 10th through the 19th. In the meantime, check out our coverage of the Lucid Air debut at the 2017 New York International Autoshow.

Lucid Air Debut NYIAS 2017

Formula E Santiago Delivers A High Voltage Finish

Midway through a spirited race for the top seat on the ABB FIA Formula E Santiago podium, pole leader Mitch Evans, driving Panasonic-Jaguar’s all-electric E-Prix racer, succumbed to the ATTACK MODE* powered BMW i Andretti Motorsport vehicle driven by Max Guenther, giving up the lead that the Julius Baer-Pole Position had provided from the start of the 45 minute contest.
But that was just the beginning of a three way jostle for the finish that saw Evans eventually losing ground to DS Techeetah driver Antonio Felix da Costa who traded places with BMW’s Guenther back and forth into the final minute where Turn 9 of the Parque O’Higgins Circuit offered up the opportunity Guenther needed to overtake da Costa and ultimately snatch victory.
“For all of us, it was about managing the race in hot conditions and it was a straight fight to the finish,” explained Guenther. “Having not made a great start on the dirty side of the track, which actually cost me position, we used the extra power for ATTACK MODE very cleverly. That ultimately allowed me to take the lead.”
With its second victory in this third race of the season, the BMW i Andretti Motorsport team is off to a good start, finishing on top of team standings with 60 points. Guenther picked up 25 of those points in the victory moving him into fourth place in driver standings on the season.

Maximilian Günther, BMW I Andretti Motorsports driver, celebrates victory at the Santiago. Chile Formula E-Prix
*(Photo by Sam Bagnall / LAT Images; Courtesy of Formula E)*

Evans and da Costa are tied in 7th position with 21 points, picking up 19 and 18 points, respectively, Evans having earned extra points in the Qualifying Rounds coming out on top for Pole Position and fastest lap time.
Battling it out around the 11-turn, 1.42-mile (2.287km) counter-clockwise Antofagasta Minerals Santiago E-Prix course, 24 drivers representing 12 teams took to round three of the 2019/20 ABB FIA Formula E Championship with hopes of leaving their mark in the record books.

“For all of us, it was about managing the race in hot conditions and it was a straight fight to the finish.”
– Max Guenther, BMW i Andretti Motorsport Driver

Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver Mitch Evan leads at the start of the race during the Santiago Formula E-Prix.
*(Photo by Alastair Staley / LAT Images; Courtesy of Formula E)*

The setting, surrounded by Chile’s Andes mountains, proved both inspiring and challenging. Exhaust fumes and industrial pollution, coupled with green firewood being used for heating create a toxic environment over the country’s cities. To counter these issues, 100 electric buses have been imported to refurbish fleets in the capital Santiago, with an additional 100 planned. In addition, Chile is developing an electric corridor and aims to have electric vehicles account for 100% of public transportation by 2050.

* ATTACK MODE: additional power available to all vehicles at Turn 3 by going wide on the turn and risking a loss of position in exchange for a power boost.

All Photos in This Article – ‘Courtesy of Formula E’

RPM News Podcast: Charged Up By 2020 Boston Auto Show

The New England International Auto Show creates the foundation for this episode of the RPM News Weekly Podcast, where a conversation builds that allows the next-gen Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and the all-new Ford Mustang Mach-E all electric crossover utility vehicle to take center stage. Viewed through the eyes of RPM Podcasters Peter Ciani and Rich Taber, the auto show taking place in Boston through Monday, January 20, 2020 seems to have crossed a bridge, giving the next wave of alternative vehicles a clear channel to the New England automobile market.

RPM News Weekly Podcast 1/17/20

Tech Talk On RPM: Kia Soul Shows Grace & Gravitas

1-07-20 Tech Talk

~ Recorded Live from KOWS FM 92.5 ~

It’s not everyday that one tosses the word gravitas into the description of a compact utility vehicle, but that’s just what Tech Talk commentator Rick DeMeis saw fit to do for the Kia Soul X-Line. With good reason as he explains. Have a listen.
That’s not all he covers this week, though. There’s mention of autonomous driving LiDAR from Robosense, also an interesting survey of the most popular vehicles around the country and a bunch more.

Tech Talk is a weekly feature on KOWS 92.5 FM radio Newtopian Dream program hosted by RT Newt.

Ride of the Week:

2020 Kia Soul X-Line

tiled photos courtesy of Kia media

2.0L I-4, Multi-Port Injection (MPI) Engine
147 horsepower / 132 lb-ft Torque
Intelligent Variable Transmission (i-IVT)
Idle Stop & Go
Unique 18″ Alloy Wheels
Rugged Black Exterior Body Trim w/ Silver Accents
Auto-On/Off Headlights
Front Fog Lights
Silver Outside Mirrors
Roof Rails
Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel/Gearshift Knob
7-in. Touchscreen Display / 6-Speaker Audio
Android Auto / Apple CarPlay Smartphone Integration
Remote Keyless Entry
Lane Change Assist
Blind Spot Collision Warning
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist
27 City / 33 Highway / 30 Combined MPG
$21,490 Starting MSRP (X-Line)

Automotive News:

Most Popular New & Used Cars

Going clockwise starting at top left, photos provided by
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RoboSense LiDAR Vehicle Control

Musk Minute:

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Starship Launch Imminent… Two to Three Months?

Other Tech News:

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Goodbye Grand Caravan, Hello 2020 Chrysler Voyager!

Good-bye Grand Caravan, Hello 2020 Chrysler Voyager!

Back in July of 2019, Automotive News Canada reported that the Dodge Grand Caravan was forecasted to finally head for retirement, with production coming to an end on May 22, 2020. In its place, parent-company FCA would release the all-new Chrysler Voyager.

Aside from the resurrected Voyager name, foreseeing the demise of the Grand Caravan might have been sad news for minivan aficionados. After all, it was the Dodge Caravan (alongside its Plymouth Voyager twin) that got the whole minivan movement rolling in the first place back in 1984. But, finally shelving the model after the 2020 production cycle is not exactly an unexpected move considering the current generation Grand Caravan made its debut for the 2008 model year and really hasn’t seen many updates since then.

The Dodge Grand Caravan (left) may bow out to an all-new 2020 Chrysler Voyager (right).

Not that the lack of updates or restyling has been a problem for the Grand Caravan, which remains the sales leader at Dodge, outselling the Durango and the Charger. Even with an all-new Chrysler Pacifica minivan hitting the market in 2017, the Grand Caravan still holds its own, and then some.

While a bit of the Grand Caravan’s continued success may be based on price (a top-rated Grand Caravan SXT costs about the same as the entry-level Pacifica Touring), a large portion of its sales comes from fleets, especially rental car companies.

Anecdotally, when this author rented a Grand Caravan in Orlando over the summer the rental company had so many on the lot, he basically had his choice of colors, ending up with a black on black GC SXT – quite sporty for sure.

As for the Chrysler Pacifica, it might cost a bit more, but what you get is a vehicle that is light years beyond the Grand Caravan in every respect, from styling and safety to available technology. Not to knock the Dodge GC, but overall, the Pacifica is simply a generation ahead.

It’s no surprise that the Pacifica has become the best seller over at Chrysler. Of course, becoming the best selling Chrysler isn’t necessarily a challenge, considering that Chrysler only makes two vehicles.

Until now, that is.

Enter the all-new Chrysler Voyager. We say ‘all-new’, but it’s quite clear from whence this Voyager evolved. Although, we’re not sure why Chrysler dusted off an old nameplate from Plymouth’s history instead of creating a new (Pacifica-based) Grand Caravan. Perhaps this is a signal that things will be shaking up over at Dodge and a minivan doesn’t quite fit in with the ‘next generation’ of the Brotherhood of Muscle.

One might consider the Voyager a ‘low cost’ Pacifica, but even if it is, it’s still a significant advancement over the trusty Grand Caravan.

While mulling all of this over, have a quick look at this video coverage of the new 2020 ~~Plymouth~~…, er Chrysler Voyager:

2020 Chrysler Voyager