autoline

On this edition of Autoline EXTRA John and his panel discuss the nominees for the North American Car of the Year and share their opinions about the vehicles. Joining John for the discussion are fellow jurors Michelle Krebs from Edmunds.com and Mark Phelan of the Detroit Free Press.

On the broadcast version of the show, John and his panel discussed the big news of Chrysler revealing its turnaround plan. But that wasn’t the only bombshell dropped this week in the auto industry. On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John and his panel discuss how Ford shocked just about everyone, reporting a $1 billion profit for the third quarter. The conversation then moves to October sales and what the big surprises were from those results. And finally the panel talks about GM’s decision to keep Opel and whether or not it was a good move. On the panel with John McElroy is Aaron Bragman from IHS Global Insight, Erich Merkle from Autoconomy.com and Michael Robinet from CSM Worldwide.

On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John McElroy talks with Mark Vann, the Project Manager of GM’s fuel cell program, called Project Driveway, which gave customers the opportunity to drive a Chevy Equinox equipped with GM’s fuel cell stack. Mark discusses how customer feedback helped improve the vehicle and he also talks about GM’s 2nd generation fuel cell stack and how it differs from the original.

On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John and his panel sit down to talk with Dr. Michael Leiters, the Program Manager for the Porsche Cayenne. They discuss the hybrid version of the car and how Porsche’s hybrid system differs in design from the others already out on the road. Dr. Leiters also talks about Porsche’s collaboration with Audi on the hybrid and also what changes they made to the Cayenne in order to fit the hybrid in the vehicle. Joining John in the discussion are Todd Lassa from Motor Trend and Joe DeMatio from Automobile Magazine.

Hangover

How many summer hangovers can you handle? You may personally know your own limit, but now the country is about to find out just how many it can take. Over the past few months we've collectively already survived one in entertainment -- the popular hit comedy by the same name which grossed nearly $300 million domestically.

Meanwhile, on the durable goods front we had the "Cash for Clunkers" program which sold nearly 700,000 cars and trucks. And now as it fades in the rearview mirror, experts are wondering just what will happen with automotive sales over the last four months of 2009.

Will the public be suffering from "Clunker hangover" -- with no cash incentive to sweeten the deal will customers continue to visit dealerships and more importantly buy cars?

That's one of the many sales questions that this week's Autoline experts grapple with. Joining host John McElroy on the panel are Rebecca Lindland from industry research giant IHS Global Insight, Keith Naughton from Bloomberg News and Drew Winter from Wards.com.

Now that the American auto industry has restructured and gotten rid of most of its legacy costs, are they at a competitive advantage over the foreign nameplates? That’s the topic of discussion on this edition of Autoline EXTRA, as John and his guests talk about whether the German, Japanese or Korean automakers will need to restructure in order to compete with Detroit’s new business model. Joining John for that discussion are Dr. David Cole from the Center for Automotive Research, Tom Krisher from the Associated Press, and Edward Lapham from Automotive News.

On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John McElroy is joined by Mark Fields, the president of all of Ford’s operations in the Americas. The cash for clunkers bill that’s currently being debated in Congress is discussed and Mr. Fields gives his opinion on the proposal. Also talked about is the need for a national energy policy so not only Ford but all automakers can better plan products without worrying about fluctuating gas prices. Joining in the discussion are Jean Jennings the editor in chief with Automobile magazine and Bryce Hoffman with the Detroit News.

With General Motors and Chrysler eliminating thousands of dealers last week, will those dealers turn to foreign manufacturers to put product in their showrooms? On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, Joe Serra, president of the Serra Automotive Group joins John McElroy and his panel, to offer his insight on the issue. Mr. Serra also talks about his decision to start selling Fisker electric vehicles in some of his showrooms. And also discussed is the new fuel economy regulations and how it will affect the mix of vehicles in the United States. Also joining in the discussion is Neil Boudette from the Wall Street Journal, and auto analyst Aaron Bragman from IHS Global Insight.

David Kiley from Businessweek and Paul Eisenstein from the Detroit Bureau join John McElroy in this edition of Autoline EXTRA to discuss the latest news. They talk about GM CEO Fritz Henderson hinting that the company could move its world headquarters out of downtown Detroit and whether or not it’s a possibility. And they talk about Fiat’s plans to take a stake in Opel and how that would work with the company just completing its alliance with Chrysler.

People

When you talk cars, ask any executive, engineer or even dealer and they will all probably tell you that they're in the auto business. But ask arguably the most successful car salesman in history, Jim Dollinger, and he tells you that he is in the "people" business. That's because he targets building a relationship with a customer rather than just "moving metal," and it's worked pretty well for him; six straight years as the number one Buick salesperson on the planet. Of course with those sorts of credentials you'd think he'd be a beloved figure within General Motors. Well you'd be wrong. Over the years, internal GM descriptions of Dollinger have ranged from gadfly to thorn-in-the-side to today's PG-13 branding of pain-in-the-a**. He describes himself as a shareholder activist who believes that GM has been on the wrong path for years. And he says he knew that by talking to "the people." Joining John on this week's panel to discuss where GM went wrong is David Kiley of BusinessWeek and Paul Eisenstein of The Detroit Bureau.

Bulking Up

When athletes look to add body mass many turn to an increase of their carb intake. When the largest car market in America looks to "bulk up" vehicle emissions, it turns to a different kind of carb, the California Air Resources Board. Known around the industry by its acronym CARB, this influential board's mission is to reduce air pollutants which of course affect drivers and automakers alike. This week in an Autoline Exclusive, John talks to CARB's Deputy Director Tom Cackette from his office in Sacramento via the Internet communications tool, Skype. Dominating the discussion is the future of auto emission regulations not only in California but across the country and throughout the world.

Afterwards, John is joined back in the Autoline studio by Jim Harbour to discuss his career in the auto industry that's captured in the new book, "Factory Man." Mr. Harbour, who in addition to his role as a Big Three auto executive, is also the founder of the influential eponymously-named manufacturing analytic, "The Harbour Report."

Last week the government provided $3.5 billion in aid to auto suppliers that will be funneled through General Motors and Chrysler. But what about Ford’s suppliers, are they in just as much trouble as GM’s and Chrysler’s? On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John McElroy sits down to talk with the voice of the supplier industry, Neil De Koker from the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA). They discuss the health of Ford’s suppliers and if they need financial aid, how the downturn is affecting suppliers R&D budgets, and also if Chinese suppliers are interested in joining the OESA. Joining John in the discussion are Jewel Gopwani from the Detroit Free Press and Tom Murphy from Ward’s Auto World.

Soon after Barack Obama was inaugurated he paved the way for California and other states to set its own emission standards for automobiles. But for automakers to meet the standards California wants its going to need alternatively powered vehicles to do so. But there are still a lot of question marks around this future technology. On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John McElroy and his guests talk everything electric. They discuss the infrastructure for EVs and whether our electric grid can handle vehicles plugging in to it. And they also discuss the many battery challenges automakers face. Joining John for the discussion is John DeCicco from the Environmental Defense Fund and Paul Eisenstein of The Detroit Bureau.

The industry downturn looks to be turning into a problem for the entire globe, not just the United States. On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John McElroy and his panel discuss how Europe, China and emerging markets are being affected by the downturn in the auto industry. Joining John in the discussion are Paul Haelterman from CSM Worldwide and Rebecca Lindland from IHS Global Insight.

Scramble

If only describing a local golf event, a pressured quarterback or your morning breakfast, then "scramble" is a rather innocuous term. But when examining today's topsy-turvy automotive industry, where down is up, left is right and you may never know the players again with or without a scorecard, the word "scramble" takes on a darker connotation thanks to the worldwide financial meltdown. The credit and cash crunch may have started with banks but it quickly filtered its way to all businesses, especially the tenuous auto industry. Things were iffy before September when everyone was still hoping for somewhere around 13 million in sales. Now who knows how low the number could go? And then there's Chrysler, which, using Greek Mythology as our guide, seems in search of its own Hercules (see GM) to escape from Hades (see Cerberus -- the three-headed dog & the company). Confused yet? Well you're not alone. That's why John McElroy has invited these two top industry analysts to "unscramble" the situation on this week's Autoline.

And don't forget you can watch the latest edition of Autoline right now at our website (http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/) along with our Internet-only Autoline EXTRA segment and any of our archived shows 24/7.

Watt's Next?

Even as oil prices continue to drop, everyone from consumers to the cognoscenti understand that the genie is finally out of the bottle: fossil fuels are not the future. The question becomes, what is? We all know the roulette wheel of options, but at this point everything is a gamble and manufacturers are wondering where to put their chips.

Well Chrysler, which has been quiet up to now, is betting on electric which some consider a surprise. Despite the fact that for more than a decade it has owned an electric car unit that builds neighborhood vehicles, the company sent shock waves through the industry when it recently unveiled three electric prototypes. That's because few experts considered Chrysler a major player in the electric game.

Joining John McElroy on this week's Autoline are the two men leading the electrical charge at Chrysler. Lou Rhodes is the President of ENVI, a special team within the company that oversees the R & D of alternative drivetrains, while Bruce Coventry is the CEO of GEM, the makers of those neighborhood electric vehicles. Among the topics these executives tackle are Chrysler's electric strategy, the models and options they're working on, and when they expect it all to be delivered.

And don't forget that you can watch this latest edition of Autoline along with our Internet-only segment Autoline EXTRA as well as our brand new global automotive newscast Autoline Daily at our website right now by clicking here (http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/)

So if you're looking to get a charge out of some provocative television, tune into Autoline and its lineup of automotive information.

Joining John McElroy on this edition of Autoline EXTRA is Joe Hinrichs, Group VP of Manufacturing at Ford Motor Co. and Jay Baron, President of the Center for Automotive Research. They continue their discussion from the broadcast about manufacturing in the 21st century. Mr. Hinrichs and Mr. Baron explain how last years agreement with the UAW will help lead to better technology to manufacture with and a more highly skilled workforce.

"Mass" Exodus

Each time a dealer makes a sale and a car drives off the lot, along with it goes a few thousand pounds. And depending on the number of sales, those pounds can add up. But imagine losing one and a half billion pounds. Crazy? Well, that's just what America's largest automotive retailer AutoNation does every year. The company with nearly 250 dealerships across the country sells more than 500,000 units each year, which means more than 1.5 billion pounds of vehicles drive off its lots every twelve months. When it comes to the automotive retail world, all three of those numbers are staggering.

On this week's Autoline, AutoNation Chairman and CEO Mike Jackson joins John McElroy to talk about the industry, sales and how they're both reeling amid the economic disaster that is 2008. After that, they'll turn their attention to product. As a retailer who deals with nearly every OEM selling almost every kind of car and truck, he has unique insight into each manufacturer, its performance and its products. Plus, with dealerships throughout the United States, there isn't a demographic or geographic group he doesn't know or sell to. Joining Mr. Jackson and John McElroy on the panel are Bill Vlasic from The New York Times and Steve Finlay from Ward's Dealer Business.

As a reminder, you can now watch the latest Autoline immediately after receiving this email. Just click the link, http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/ and you'll find yourself at our website where you can watch this week's program, Autoline EXTRA or any of our archived shows 24/7.

So if you really want to know what's going on behind the curtain at your local dealer, check out this week's Autoline for the inside scoop.

Natural Number

The number three has a unique heritage. From time, to matter, to grammar, for years humans have naturally divided elements and categories into three. That may be because it's a natural counting number or the first odd prime number. Then again it may be as simple as sets of three, for whatever reason, just feel right. Take this week's Autoline for instance. John McElroy interviews three separate guests discussing totally different topics related to today's auto industry.

The first, Tim Leuiliette the new CEO of auto supplier DURA, offers his observations on the poor state of business for everyone automotive these days, especially the Detroit Three. He even dares to mention the "B word" as in bankruptcy and how that may be a factor in the near future.

Meanwhile, joining John to discuss the new spinoff from ArvinMeritor is its President & CEO Designate Phil Martens. Arvin Innovation, as it is called, takes over the company's light vehicle systems business and will be looking to grow its existing 2.3 billion in sales (2007) in a U.S. market that hasn't had much positive news for OEM or supplier alike.

Finally, as we pass the one-year anniversary of Cerberus buying Chrysler, John talks to private equity expert Frank Dunne from the national law firm Dykema. Mr. Dunne, a long time General Motors veteran, chronicles the movers and shakers from these high stakes financial groups and shares with John his impressions for the future of Chrysler and if private equity as a whole is getting what it wants out of auto.

And remember, you no longer have to wait to the weekend to view this latest episode of Autoline. Just click on our link, http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/ , and you can watch it immediately at our website along with our Internet-only Autoline EXTRA segment and any of our archived shows.

On this edition of Autoline EXTRA John McElroy talks with product planners at Nissan and General Motors. John gets their insight into what they believe will power our vehicles in the future. John Smith, Group VP, Global Product Planning, at General Motors and Larry Dominique, VP, Product Planning, of Nissan North America, share their expertise on E-85, electric vehicles and even T. Boone Picken’s energy proposal.