Autoline This Week - Video

The Button

iPhone this. Touch screen that. Today we find ourselves in the middle of a design metamorphosis.

The conventional button, which used to be king from kitchen to computer to car, is increasingly becoming the 21st century's version of the dinosaur replaced by so many touch pads and Sof-touch photoelectric switches.

But this week's Autoline spotlights two men and their organizations who are bringing the button back into vogue, at least in the car.

The first is that little blue button on the rearview mirror of so many General Motors vehicles which, of course, is for OnStar. OnStar is the subscription-based communications service that caters to a car and its driver in a variety of ways. Chet Huber, the company's president, sits down with John to discuss the technology, services and as well as its budding competition.

Meanwhile, there's a button that's changing car audio as we know it and it belongs to someone named "Bongiovi." No, not the rock star Bon Jovi but his second cousin who kept the original family name and became a famous record producer in his own right. After nearly forty years in the music business, Tony Bongiovi is brining his engineering prowess to the car with a revolutionary breakthrough that uses software to transform the standard radio in a car into a premium sound system. He talks to John about his new product which you can also see and hear work in a short demonstration in Autoline EXTRA.

And to hear more about Tony Bongiovi's fascinating journey through the music industry of the '60s and '70s with Motown, Record Plant, Media Sound and his own Power Station studios, click on Autoline EXTRA.

Join Autoline correspondent Isaac Bouchard on this edition of Autoline Extra as he reports from Tesla headquarters in Menlo Park, California. Isaac will take you around the company’s campus, its sales showroom and where the electric vehicle is manufactured. Then Isaac takes the Roadster around for a spin and he shares his driving impressions of the vehicle.

On this edition of Autoline EXTRA John McElroy sits down to talk with Diarmuid O'Connell, Tesla’s VP of Business Development. Mr. O’Connell discusses why and how much the company is seeking, of the $25 billion the government set aside to provide manufacturers, to help fund alternative vehicle development. Also discussed is how Tesla will grow its business and what the future goals for the company are.

Fork in the Road

It's one thing to sing about electric cars like Neil Young is doing on his new concept album (Fork in the Road), it's another to actually design, build and sell them like Tesla motors is doing.

Started from scratch six years ago, this small California startup is producing one of the few road-ready electric car currently available to the public -- its luxury two-seater roadster. That car will soon be joined by not only a sport version roadster but also a new more affordable sedan called the model S.

This week on Autoline Detroit meet the team behind Tesla.

During January’s North American International Auto Show John McElroy sat down with the braintrust of this electric car company to find out what it was like to create a car company, especially one with such a specialized and dare we say "expensive" product.

Joining John from the Tesla stand at N.A.I.A.S. are Chairman & CEO Elon Musk, Executive Vice President and former Chrysler honcho Mike Donoughe, Senior VP of Global Sales/Marketing Michael van der Sande, as well as Chief Designer -- by way of GM & Mazda -- Franz von Holzhausen. Diarmuid O'Connell, Tesla’s VP of Business Development joins John on Autoline Extra.

Meanwhile, for an insider's tour of Tesla’s Northern California campus including its headquarters, sales showroom as well as the final assembly point of its luxury roadster, join Isaac Bouchard on Autoline Extra as he reports from Menlo Park, California.

GM and Chrysler submitted their viability plans to the US Treasury, so what’s next for the two automakers? On this edition of Autoline EXTRA, John McElroy and three of his journalist colleagues not only discuss GM and Chrysler’s plans they also discuss the overall health of today's auto industry. Joining John in the discussion are Jim Hall from 2953 Analytics, John Stoll of The Wall Street Journal and Tom Walsh from the Detroit Free Press.

'Auto' Asphyxia

There's a disease running rampant around America. It's not new, we've seen it before - just never such a virulent strain. It attacks the breathing, or as some describe it the lifeblood of our economy, the auto industry. Its symptoms can be seen in not only the board rooms around the country, but in the design studios, factory floors and dealer lots alike. And despite the billions in monetary oxygen that's been pumped into them recently, the companies cannot yet wean themselves from the government's ventilator.

Given what we've seen the question needs to be asked, is today's auto industry -- the manufacturing giant that reshaped our lives -- on its last breath? If annual sales of 10 or 11 million are any indication certainly the industry of the last decade is gone; and given the economic times, perhaps gone for good.

Joining John McElroy to discuss the stability, viability & health of the auto industry are three of the foremost automotive journalists/analysts in America today: John Stoll from The Wall Street Journal, Tom Walsh of the Detroit Free Press and Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics.

So take a deep breath and don't be afraid to exhale as our Autoline panel explores this "Auto" Asphyxia phenomenon this week on Autoline Detroit.

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.