Autoline This Week

Joining John McElroy on this edition of Autoline EXTRA is William Santana Li the Chairman & CEO of Carbon Motors, the producers of the world's first purpose-built police car. Mr. Li talks about his time at Ford Motor Co. and what lessons he learned there and how he’s applying them to Carbon Motors. He also talks about how Carbon Motors operates differently from large automakers and also explains what happens to the police car at the end of its use.

Diamonds Are Forever

Fast cars, armed agents and the hardest substance on earth. Sounds like a recap of the celebrated James Bond novel & film about smuggled diamonds. Well, you may be surprised to learn those are also descriptors of a new American car company called Carbon Motors. The corporation, which uses a diamond (as in carbon) for its logo, actually bills itself a "homeland security" company because that's closer to the product it's producing: the world's first purpose-built police car. The E7 -- as it’s called -- is not some retro-fitted OEM mass produced model but an original design low production vehicle that law enforcement professionals around the world are clamoring for.

On this week's show John McElroy goes one-on-one with the auto industry veteran who is a hit in police departments from Miami to Madrid, William Santana Li, the Chairman & CEO of Carbon Motors. During the show Mr. Li discusses everything from the rationale of creating a new car company from scratch, to its challenges and benefits as well. But he not only talks about this unique car, we all get a chance to see it up close and personal, too. Mr. Li takes John to one of the E7's nationwide "Tour Stops," this one at the auto supplier BASF, to get a first hand look at what many believe is a law enforcement game-changer.

On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John McElroy talks with Jim Farley, the Group VP of Marketing and Communications at Ford. Mr. Farley discusses whether or not the American auto market will rebound and what may prevent it from making a comeback. And Mr. Farley also talks about how Ford must respond to start-up companies building purpose built vehicles, such as Carbon Motors police car. Joining John in the discussion are Amy Wilson of Automotive News and David Kiley of BusinessWeek.

Man on Wire

Thirty-five years ago a French daredevil named Philippe Petit walked where no human will walk again. He snuck his high wire to the top of the World Trade Center Towers and strolled solo between the buildings for nearly an hour. He survived, and today is retired and celebrated in an Oscar-nominated documentary.

This impeccable performance is the perfect metaphor for the economic storm swirling around Detroit where high wire walking is the norm, but so far there's very little celebrating.

One of those men walking the tightrope on a daily basis is Jim Farley, the Group Vice President for Marketing and Communications at Ford. For the last fifteen months he's been trying to advance the same type of Toyota/Lexus magic he learned from his years at the World's Largest Automaker. But so far the walk has been rough.

On this week's show Jim Farley joins John McElroy, Amy Wilson from Automotive News and David Kiley from BusinessWeek to discuss everything from marketing vehicles in this devastating economy to the fresh product like the Taurus, Fusion Hybrid and MKZ that Ford is releasing throughout the remainder of 2009.

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.

Guilt-Free

America has a penchant for over indulgence. You can see it with our collective weight, which has ballooned of late and given rise to a cottage industry of guilt-free products that hardly look like diet foods. But we're told that we can have our cake and eat it too. Sound too good to be true? Well in many respects the auto industry has mirrored this individual over-consumption problem. For years it built vehicles that may have been big and comfortable but consumed far too much petroleum and got too few MPGs. Now with our new world financial order it's trying to wean Americans off of our "cheesecake" SUV and into that not-as-satisfying hybrid "sorbet" among other greener "lighter" options.

This week John McElroy is joined by two experts to talk turkey -- tofurkey more appropriately -- about the coming environmental options for the auto industry. John DeCicco is an automotive analyst who works for the Environmental Defense Fund and Paul Eisenstein is a veteran automotive journalist who has brought a special focus to hybrids, diesels and electrics for the last few years. Both have a unique perspective on both the processes and products that we'll be driving and riding in the not too distant future.

On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John McElroy speaks with Daniel Howes of The Detroit News on the floor of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Mr. Howes gives his impression of the show and which automakers made the biggest statements at the show.

On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John McElroy talks with Chief Engineer Pete Reyes the man in charge of creating the 2010 Ford Taurus. Mr. Reyes discusses the development of the new Taurus and how using new design and engineering technologies shaved months off the development process.

As the industry starts to shift from internal combustion to electric power, more and more automakers are racing to develop batteries and EVs, except Mazda. On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John McElroy speaks with Jim O’Sullivan the President and CEO of Mazda North America. Mr. O’Sullivan explains what technologies Mazda will use instead of electric power to reach its goal of increasing its fleet MPG 30% by 2015.

Detroit Duck

Detroit's annual celebration of arguably its most important invention -- the car -- is just steps from the site of another Motor City discovery. Across the street from Cobo Hall and the North American International Auto Show is 234 West Larned, the former site of one of the city's most famous restaurants, the Pontchartrain Wine Cellars. It was there one night in 1937 that owner Harold Borgman thought he would save the red wine left in customers' bottles and combine them with a half bottle of undrunk champagne. It was at this epic moment in American history when the popular adult beverage "Cold Duck" was born.

So, with a nod to Mr. Borgman, we have gathered some of our tastiest interviews yet to be broadcast from the 2009 N.A.I.A.S. and put them in this week's show: a video homage to his famous drink that we'll call "Detroit Duck." Appearing with John from the floor of the show is a perfect Press Days potpourri: one OEM CEO, the Chief Engineer of one of the hottest cars unveiled in Detroit, the Executive Director of the dealer group who puts on the show and then we wrap-up interviewing the only Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive columnist going. All of that this week on Autoline Detroit. Cheers...