Autoline This Week - Video

Ralph Gilles joined Chrysler back in 1992 and has been with the company – which is now called Fiat Chrysler Automobiles – for more than half of his youthful 45 years. He started in Design Office and has held a number of positions over the years until recently when he was promoted to the top design job in FCA, Head of Design. On this edition of Autoline THIS WEEK John McElroy, Scott Burgess of Motor Trend and Car and Driver’s Eddie Alterman talk to Ralph about his career and the fruits of a life in design.

When you think cars and charity the first thing that usually comes to mind are dealers sponsoring their local little league teams. But truth be told, auto companies have a long history of helping the world’s less fortunate among other worthy causes, yet don’t get to talk about it very much. On this week’s edition of Autoline we look at some of the philanthropic works courtesy of companies like Ford, GM and Nissan.

After 32 years at the Environmental Protection Agency and countless improvements in air quality, Margo Oge knew it was time to retire. But it seems she retired in title only since she appears to be as busy as ever. Ms. Oge is on several energy-related boards and commissions and recently released a book entitled “Driving The Future: Combating Climate Change with Cleaner, Smarter Cars.” This week she joins host John McElroy and Motor Trend’s Frank Markus on Autoline THIS WEEK to talk about her book and time at the EPA.

Many consider today the golden age of design when it comes to cars. From the fantastic look of the Tesla Model S to Ford’s powerhouse the GT and so much more, today’s car designers have almost a rock star quality about them. Perhaps that’s why the design schools are overflowing with applicants. On this edition of Autoline THIS WEEK John McElroy explores the future of automotive design with Joe Dehner, the head of Dodge/Ram Exterior Design and FCA’s intermediary with education; Paul Stanley, the Transportation Design Chair at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies as well as Darby Barber a student at the same school and former contestant on Tru TV’s reality show “Motor City Masters.”

Are you still filling your car with gas or charging it with electricity? Well, don’t blink too soon because before you know it hydrogen may be powering your next car. Automakers have had fuel cells under heavy R and D for a number of years. In fact, some OEMs even have these cars in the hands of customers. But how viable is the hydrogen alternative and what will have to happen for you to be driving one soon? Joining John McElroy to ponder a hydrogen future is Gil Castillo from Hyundai; Chris Hennessy from IAV Automotive Engineering and Prof. Levi Thompson from the University of Michigan.

The auto industry is enjoying a tremendous sales boom. It seems almost everyone is buying a new car these days. But there are all sorts of issues facing dealers as they strategize about the future. For instance who will be buying the cars if Millennials aren’t interested and how will ride-sharing businesses effect business? Joining John McElroy to discuss these topics and much more are Rob Kurnick the president of Penske Automotive Group; Doug Fox, the president of Ann Arbor (MI) Automotive; and Katie Coleman, the co-owner of Sellers Auto Group.

Gone are the days of the AM radio blasting out the day’s pop hits from some 50,000 watt giant. Of course today’s cars still have both AM and FM radio but your entertainment options certainly don’t stop there. And let’s not forget about information: not only from your car but also from your phone. Infotainment in the auto is going places we never would’ve dreamed only a few years back. Bringing us up to speed on where we are with today’s version of the car radio – though it’s so much more – are John Robb from the Hyundai Motor Group, Richard Wallace from the Center for Automotive Research and the Chief Technology Officer from DENSO International America Doug Patton. All three experts join host John McElroy on this week’s edition of Autoline THIS WEEK.

In the old days, when you searched for a used car you were at the mercy of your car dealer; sometimes they were quality vehicles while others were worn out lemons. However nowadays with the success of CPOs, or Certified Pre-Owned, the consumer has a lot more going for him or her than the mercy of some manager. Joining John McElroy to discuss the growth of the CPO business is Jared Rowe from AutoTrader.com, Todd Fites from Ford Motor Company and dealer Sam Slaughter from the Sellers Auto Group.

Looking at Ford Management most experts believe that the Blue Oval has the best bench strength in the business. So when Alan Mulally retired last year and Mark Fields moved into the CEO role, it was no surprise that Joe Hinrichs was promoted to run The Americas for Ford, Mr. Fields old position. Joining John McElroy for his first Autoline interview as the new second in command at Ford is Joe Hinrichs along with journalists Alisa Priddle from the Detroit Free Press and the Wall Street Journal’s Mike Ramsey.

The economy is growing. Automakers are building cars and trucks that customers want. And car sales, in fact, are nearly back to the glory days before the fall as they push 17 million in the U.S. But are things really that great or are we wearing rose-colored glasses? On this week’s Autoline John McElroy is joined by some of the top economists in the auto industry for their perspectives on where we are. His guests include: Dr. Mustafa Mohatarem, Chief Economist, General Motors; Emily Kolinski Morris, Chief Economist, Ford; Charles Chesbrough, Senior Principal Economist, IHS Automotive.