Autoline Daily - Video

Dan Akerson, Chairman and CEO of General Motors, adds Tesla to the list of companies he’s bashed. Goldman Sachs says EU car sales are set to rebound in the near future. Honda finally puts a price to the hybrid version of the Accord. All that and more, plus John McElroy talks to Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top about his love for cars and the origin of “Cadzilla.”

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has tapped Ron Bloom to advise him on buying the rest of Chrysler from the UAW’s VEBA health care trust fund. And speaking of Chrysler, it’s taking a more “hands on” approach to boosting engine output. Johan de Nysschen, the head of Infiniti says the company needs to “de-Americanize” its cars in order to boost sales globally. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week all about converting fleet vehicles to run on propane.

Valeo, the French supplier company, just unveiled a low cost lidar system that is significantly smaller and can be packaged into the front grille of a car. GM can drop a diesel in its full-size pick-ups if it wants but that’s not the interesting part. Automotive supplier Faurecia makes your car sound more powerful. All that and more, plus Design Handbook’s Jim Hall takes us on a field trip to learn about “MMI.”

PSA, the parent company of Peugeot-Citroen, is considering selling a stake in the company to its Chinese partner Dongfeng. Volkswagen said it will only offer turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines within the next 3 to 4 years. A new report says, the number of people using car sharing services will increase 6 fold by the end of the decade. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in You Said It!

After it looked like car sales in Europe were starting to recover in Jul, they slid back down again in August. Consumer Reports names the Chevy Silverado the number one pick-up truck. A group of California car dealers are asking the state to investigate fraudulent advertising by Tesla. All that and more, plus John shares his impressions of the electric version of the Volkswagen Golf.

Valeo uses its 12-volt electronic supercharger in a very unique way. Ford announces a number of key management changes due to one VP retiring. Largely because of one company, sales of medium and heavy duty trucks fell last month. All that and more, plus how Chevy’s Corvette was designed to make anyone drive like a pro.

Ford of Europe has bumped its new product initiative to a whopping 25 models. Nissan will start offering the LEAF as a certified pre-owned vehicle, and the deal looks pretty good. Jeep’s Dragon Edition concept becomes a reality. All that and more, plus John McElroy has a preview of Autoline This Week all about cars and personalities.

GM unveils its all-new lineup of full-size SUVs. According to a report, Volkswagen is considering selling CNG powered cars in the U.S. market. Hankook reveals its air-free wheel and tire combination, called i-Flex. All that and more, plus the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo shares his thoughts on how American car culture is changing.

As its sales turn around in Europe, Ford says it will break even there in the next two years. According to a report, Volkswagen is considering selling its commercial vehicles in the U.S. Nissan unveils its new 2014 Rouge. All that and more, plus we look at one Japanese automaker’s month long company celebration.

Jaguar unveils its crossover concept called the C-X17. BMW shows off the production version of its plug-in hybrid sports car. Audi says its new nanuk quattro concept is for both the track and for off-road. All that and more, plus we get to the bottom of the case of the missing dipstick.

Volkswagen unveils a concept that’s a combination of a compact car and a minivan. Mercedes says it has successfully completed a long-distance autonomous drive using a near-production sensor system. Nissan announces that it’s in the final development phase with the electric version of its NV200 small commercial van. All that and more, plus how subcompact cars are getting bigger while more fuel efficient.

Despite rumors, two high profile executives say they’re not going anywhere. Honda announces that the 2014 Accord Hybrid is the most fuel efficient gasoline-powered four-door sedan available. Daimler announces it stop building vans for Volkswagen in 2016. All that and more, plus we share a close look at the design elements of the new Infiniti Q50.

The smart brand reveals a new four-seat concept for Frankfurt. Volkswagen’s XL1 carries a price tag that’s just as eye-popping as its fuel economy number. Autoline takes a look at the sales figures for August in the U.S. market. All that and more, plus in the newest edition of Design Handbook, Jim Hall ponders the difference between styling and design.

According to a report, UAW president Bob King met with VW officials last week about letting workers vote on a “works council” for its Tennessee plant. Lexus will show off a concept in Frankfurt with what it calls its L-finesse design language. Ford unveils a unique upscale product and ownership experience called Vignale. All that and more, plus John McElroy responds to some of your questions and comments in this week’s edition of You Said It!

General Motors promotes Michael Dunne to president of GM Indonesia. Jaguar hints at its future design with a concept that will debut in Frankfurt. Fleet sales account for 19 percent of total sales in the U.S. and can be quite profitable for a car company. All that and more, plus we look at the next-gen smart fortwo EV.