Autoline This Week

As the consumer appetite grows for more luxury vehicles, automakers are trying to differentiate themselves from the competition. One addition that’s been successful is turning the car into a rolling concert hall with the help of high-end audio systems. On this week’s show, representatives from HARMAN Audio and Lincoln Motor Company discuss why this option seems to be working for the buyers of today’s upscale autos, and how the two companies work together to pump out the jams.

It’s not just urban planners who are looking at the layout of the city of tomorrow. It’s also companies like Ford. On today’s show, two futurists from the Ford Motor Company are joined by a University of Michigan engineer to explain how they are working together to make sure the transportation fits the future urban landscape.

When it comes to alternative powertrains, over the last few years most automakers have been concentrating on electrics or hybrids. But the question is what happened to fuel cells? Early on it seemed like hydrogen was going to be the fuel that most cars would feature. This week our expert panel discusses if fuel cells are still a viable alternative.

Each year automakers continue to introduce several new products containing new materials, processes and technologies. But will the lack of skilled talent and manufacturing constraints slow new cars and trucks getting to dealer lots? On today’s show John McElroy talks with two OEM executives and an auto expert on where we go from here.

The new administration in Washington, D.C. means lots of changes; and some of those changes impact consumers. On today’s show the CEO of the American Financial Services Association talks to our panel about how President Trump will affect the car industry especially the loan process.

As the number of electronics continue to grow on cars one of the biggest concerns is cyber security: how to keep a car safe from hackers. This week three experts discuss the latest in protecting a vehicle’s software including: Karl Heimer from Autoimmune, General Motors’ Jeffrey Massimilla and SSA Thomas Winterhalter, FBI Cyber Division.

Just because you don’t see any Chinese automakers in America doesn’t mean they aren’t here competing. In fact, they’re already here in a big way. Chinese auto expert Michael Dunne joins host John McElroy with panelists Michelle Krebs from Autotrader and Reuters’ Joe White to discuss where they are and where they aren’t…just yet.

It’s almost like the film classic Godzilla versus Mothra only this time car shows are the antagonists. On one hand is CES, the largest convention in the city of conventions, Las Vegas, Nevada; on the other there’s the long-running champ from Detroit, the North American International Auto Show. With CES fast becoming a destination for car companies to show their latest, and NAIAS – the first auto show of the year -- only days afterward, something has to give. This week a debate on what should happen with the 2017 Chairman of NAIAS, and three attendees with different views.

It used to be that the CES convention in Las Vegas was a big electronics show. But since the automakers started coming a few years back it’s looking more and more like a car and technology show. Join host John McElroy from the floor of CES 2017 with his guests from the cutting edge software firm Mobileye, luxury electric carmaker Lucid Motors as well as the futurist from Mercedes-Benz.

It may be hard to believe but the historic Willys Jeep wasn’t created by an automaker but rather an independent manufacturer, that today goes by the name of AM General. As the only full-scale contract assembly facility in the U.S., the company currently produces everything from the military’s HUMVEE to the Mercedes-Benz R Class Crossover. Joining host John McElroy and his panel in studio to discuss his company and what it creates today is Chief Executive Officer Andy Hove.