“FIRST IN THE HEART OF...

®Detroit AutoScene®

VOL. 86 NO. 6 FEBRUARY 19, 2018ESTABLISHED 1933 AS NEW CENTER NEWS AND 1983 AS OAKLAND TECH NEWS

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“F IRST IN THE HEAR T OF DETROIT”

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U.S. Black Engineer & Informa-tion Technology magazine award-ed its 2018 Black Engineer of theYear (BEYA) Edward WelburnLegacy Award to Eric Burnett,Automatic Transmission chiefengineer at FCA US.Burnett joins a long list of FCA

US technical business leadersrecognized over the years fortheir technical achievements,management skill, leadershipand community service, said FCAspokesman Mike Palese.Burnett received his award at

the Historically Black Collegesand Universities (HBCU) Engi-neering Deans Power Breakfaston Feb. 10 in Washington, D.C.,attended by distinguished HBCUengineers, deans and otherprominent leaders from industry,academia and the military. Theawards breakfast was part of theBEYA Global CompetitivenessConference that took place Feb.8-10.“Eric has made significant con-

tributions to the research anddevelopment of automatic trans-missions during his 23-plus-yearcareer at our company,” saidMichael Solt, director, AutomaticTransmission Engineering at FCAUS.“He is a highly respected tech-

nical leader who consistently

makes tough decisions. Eric in-spires and motivates others toachieve a higher performance ofthemselves and for our products.He demonstrates the highestcharacter and integrity in every-thing he does and is a true assetto the company.”Burnett was named to his cur-

rent post in 2017, Palese said. Inthis position, he is the singlepoint of contact in the develop-ment of 8-speed rear-wheel-drivetransmissions used in FCA US ve-hicles sold in North America. Pri-or to his current role, Burnett

was chief engineer, PurchasedLight Duty Transmissions at FCAUS.Burnett graduated from Oak-

land University with a Bachelorof Science in mechanical engi-neering in 1994 and entered theChrysler Institute of Engineering(CIE) program, a two-year techni-cal leadership development pro-gram at FCA US.While in the CIE program,

Burnett earned his Master of Sci-ence in mechanical engineering

FCA Engineer Burnett Receives Ed WelburnLegacy Award for Technical Achievements

FCA engineer Eric Burnett

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Folks don’t need a car in Toronto now that Maven is there.

Maven is making car sharingeasier for Torontonians by givingthem a smart, simple way to re-serve a car when they need one.They can, as of Feb. 13, quickly

and easily sign up to use MavenCity roundtrip car sharing forgetting to work, hanging out withfriends in Dundas West, brunch-ing in Leslieville or escaping thecity in Prince Edward County orcottage country.Car sharing reduces conges-

tion and helps everyone getthere faster, said Julia Steyn, vicepresident, General Motors Urban

Mobility and Maven. Each sharedcar takes about 10 private carsoff the road, and thanks toMaven, car ownership in Torontois no longer necessary.“Toronto has a unique spirit.

Residents are constantly on thego and want more sharing andmobility options,” said Steyn.“Maven offers cars Torontonianswant to drive to help them bethere for the moments that mat-ter.”“Bringing Maven car sharing to

GM’s Maven Service GoesInternational in Toronto

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

GM Korea Company will ceaseproduction and close its Gunsanplant by the end of May 2018.The Gunsan facility has been in-creasingly underutilized, run-ning at about 20 percent of ca-pacity over the past three years,making continued operations un-sustainable.The Feb. 12 announcement oc-

curred after a careful review ofthe company’s operations,which have sustained significantlosses for the past several years,said GM spokesman DavidAlbritton.“This is a necessary but diffi-

cult first step in our efforts to re-structure our operations inSouth Korea,” said Kaher Kazem,president and CEO of GM Korea.“We recognize the contributionand support of our employees,the wider Gunsan and Jeonbukcommunities and governmentleaders, particularly through themost recent difficult period. Weare committed to supporting allof our affected employeesthrough this transition.”GM has been aggressively ad-

dressing underperforming busi-nesses globally, Kazem said, andis now focused on finding a solu-tion for its South Korean opera-tions.The company has proposed to

its key stakeholders – includingits labor union, the South Koreangovernment and key GM Koreashareholders – a concrete planto stay in the country and turnthe business around that re-quires the full support of all par-ties, Kazem said.The proposal includes signifi-

GM Closing itsGunsan PlantLater This Year

On a day when people tradi-tionally demonstrate their lovefor another person, consumers’affection for their three-year-oldvehicles is equally apparent inthe J.D. Power 2018 U.S. VehicleDependability Study (VDS),which was released Feb. 14.Overall vehicle dependability

improves 9 percent from 2017,the first time the industry scorehas improved since 2013, saidJ.D. Power spokesman ShaneSmith.The study, now in its 29th year,

measures the number of prob-lems experienced per 100 vehi-cles (PP100) during the past 12months by original owners of2015 model-year vehicles, Smithsaid. A lower score reflects high-er quality, and the study covers177 specific problems groupedinto eight major vehicle cate-gories. The overall industry aver-age improves by 14 PP100 to 142PP100 from 156 PP100 in 2017.“For the most part, automotive

manufacturers continue to meetconsumers’ vehicle dependabili-

ty expectations,” said Dave Sar-gent, vice president, Global Auto-motive at J.D. Power.“A 9 percent improvement is

extremely impressive, and vehi-cle dependability is, withoutquestion, at its best level ever.For people looking for a new orused model, now is a good timeto find that special vehicle.”Some of the study’s key find-

ings, Smith said, showed that in-vehicle technology continues tobe most problematic:Audio/Communications/ Enter-tainment/Navigation (ACEN) re-mains a troublesome categoryfor vehicle owners, receiving thehighest frequency of complaints.The two most common problemsrelate to built-in voice recogni-tion (9.3 PP100) and built-in Blue-tooth connectivity (7.7 PP100).Additionally, Smith said Mass

Market brands continue to closethe gap with Luxury brands. TheMass Market average (143PP100) is now just 7 PP100 be-hind the Luxury average (136PP100). This is a result of many

high-volume vehicles rewardingtheir owners with excellent long-term dependability.Smith said J.D. Power finds

that vehicle residual values canbe significantly affected by betterlong-term quality.“Strong dependability scores

not only improve demand forused vehicles, but also are a con-tributor to higher residual val-ues,” said Jonathan Banks, vice

president of Vehicle Analysis andAnalytics at J.D. Power. “Improv-ing dependability ultimatelysupports new vehicle sales andprovides a better perception ofthe brand.”Buick ranks highest in overall

vehicle dependability amongMass Market brands with a scoreof 116 PP100, Smith said. Fiat is

Detroit Automakers Do Well in J.D. Power Vehicle Study

More robots will help production at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant.

The 2015 LaCrosse received the highest score in its vehicle category.

Sometimes success has itsdrawbacks. Like if you’re a Fordemployee who wants to drive thecompany’s extremely popularnew editions of the Lincoln Navi-gator or Expedition SUVs.Because of public demand,

CEO Jim Hackett has bannedFord employees from orderingNavigators or Expeditions forpersonal use, according to Auto-motive News. Typically, employ-ees who get vehicles through thecompany’s manager lease pro-

gram can have their pick of thelineup, excluding some high-per-formance models. Restrictionson mainstream vehicles are rare,if not unprecedented, the sourcesaid.In a Feb. 12 announcement,

Ford said it’s increasing produc-tion of two popular full-size SUVsto meet surging demand for bothall-new models.The company is using advanced

Demand for Ford’s Big SUVsDrives Up Plant Production

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manufacturing technologies andan upskilled workforce to in-crease line speed at its KentuckyTruck Plant to build even moreLincoln Navigator and Ford Expe-dition SUVs, boosting productiontargets approximately 25 percentsince last fall when the SUVs hitthe market.“The response from customers

regarding our new full-size SUVshas been exceptional,” said JoeHinrichs, president, Global Oper-ations. “Using a combination ofFord’s advanced manufacturingand American hard work and in-genuity, we’ll deliver more high-quality Lincoln Navigators andFord Expeditions to customersthan originally planned.”A new $25 million investment

for additional manufacturing en-hancements brings Ford’s totalinvestment at Kentucky TruckPlant to $925 million and allowsthe company to increase manu-facturing line speed, Hinrichssaid.This investment and advanced

manufacturing upgrades, he said,are examples of the company’squest to improve its operationalfitness.Upgrades include 400 new ro-

bots, a new 3D printer that en-ables workers to make parts andtools more quickly and cheaperas well as enhanced data analyt-ics to keep the assembly linemoving as efficiently as possible.Surging customer demand has

meant that Lincoln dealers sim-ply can’t keep the entirely newNavigator on dealer lots, Hin-richs said. The luxury SUVs arespending an average of just sev-en days at the dealership beforethey’re sold.That’s not all, Hinrichs said.

Customers are trading in LandRover and Mercedes vehicles inexchange for a Navigator, and

nearly 85 percent of all Navigatorbuyers are choosing high-endBlack Label and Reserve models.Customer demand for the high-

ly-equipped Black Label and Re-serve series contributed to anaverage transaction price in-crease of more than $21,000 inJanuary versus a year ago. Navi-gator retail sales were up tripledigits in every region of the coun-try last month.Navigator sales more than dou-

bled last month, thanks togrowth in key markets, includingFlorida, Texas and California, acompetitive conquest rate of 40percent and new interest fromyounger consumers, Felker said.Expedition also is off to a

strong start, with the top-of-the-line Platinum trim models repre-senting 29 percent of sales –pushing transaction price in-creases up $7,800 in January. Ex-pedition retail sales were upnearly 57 percent last month andvehicles are spending just sevendays on dealer lots.To ensure customers can get

vehicles as quickly as possible,Hinrichs said that KentuckyTruck Plant assembly line em-ployees are working overtime

and voluntary weekend shifts.Kentucky Truck Plant’s advancedmanufacturing technologies andtools are helping Ford upskill itsworkforce and deliver betterquality vehicles to customersmore quickly.More than 400 new robots – in-

cluding collaborative robots –were added to the facility duringlast year’s transformation, main-ly in the body shop, Hinrichssaid. The robots enable the plantto increase the line speed whilekeeping employees safe fromrepetitive-motion injuries.The plant also added a robot

lab, where employees can testout software tweaks or troubleshoot issues away from the facto-ry floor – in both instances, sav-ing valuable time.Data analytics have helped the

plant identify and address thou-sands of concerns in near-realtime, Hinrichs said. A data ana-lytics hub includes seven big-screen TVs that provide minute-by-minute updates, letting plantofficials know whether produc-tion is meeting hourly targets orwhether there is a concern onthe line that should be immedi-ately addressed.

Data updates also allow work-ers to be proactive, alerting themto instances of pending partsshortages so they can arrangefor a new batch to be deliveredto a work station before partscompletely run out. An enor-mous spare parts “vending ma-chine” allows workers to morequickly locate a necessary partwhile automatically keeping in-ventory at optimal levels.The plant recently installed a

3D printer onsite to print individ-ual parts for tools necessary tokeep the plant running.Manufacturing a prototype

part using traditional methodscan take eight to 16 weeks at acost of more than $250,000 intooling alone. Producing thesame part using 3D printing cantake days – and sometimes justhours – and can be done for afew hundred to a few thousanddollars.Kentucky Truck Plant opened

in 1969, Felker said. It currentlyemploys more than 8,400 people,including approximately 8,100hourly employees. The plantbuilds the Ford Expedition, Lin-coln Navigator and Ford SuperDuty.

PAGE 2 FEBRUARY 19, 2018DETROIT AUTO SCENE

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Demand for Ford’s Big SUVs Drives Up Plant Production

Toronto not only reduces con-gestion, but also represents thelatest step in the development ofGeneral Motors’ mobility foot-print in Canada,” said SteveCarlisle, president and managingdirector, General Motors ofCanada.“The launch of Maven follows

the recent opening of our Canadi-an Technical Centre-MarkhamCampus, the largest automotivetechnology development centreof its kind in Canada, and fur-thers our ability to bring newsolutions to existing problemsand redefine the future ofmobility in Toronto and be-yond.”On average, people who use

roundtrip car sharing are more

likely to leverage transportationoptions, including bus, rail, walk-ing, biking and carpooling, saidSteyn.Maven removes the barriers to

sharing with a simple, intuitiveapp.A broad vehicle portfolio is

available on-demand and locatedaround the corner from wheremembers live, work and play.There are no signup or mem-

bership fees, so members onlypay when they’re in a car, Steynsaid.Rates start as low as $9 per

hour (CAD), including gas and in-surance (minus a deductible).And Maven will offer 40

vehicles initially, includingChevrolet Cruze, Malibu, Tahoe,Trax and Volt; GMC Acadiaand Yukon; and Cadillac

ATS and XT5, Steyn said.Maven carefully selected park-

ing locations convenient towhere members want to be, in-cluding Bloor West Village, Liber-ty Village, King West, The Enter-tainment District, City Place,Yonge/Eglinton, Leslieville, Ryer-son University, The Danforth, Fi-nancial District, Little Italy andEaton Centre.Maven cars are packed with

technology, including OnStar,Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto, as well as SiriusXM Radio.“Toronto has a unique spirit.

Residents are constantly on thego and want more sharing andmobility options,” said Steyn.

GM’s Maven Service Goes International

HELENA, Mont. (AP) – TheMontana Supreme Court letstand a decision to deny aBillings dealership the right tosell Chryslers and Jeeps basedon the protest of a competitor.Rimrock Auto Group lost its

Chrysler dealership along withabout 700 others when ChryslerCorporation filed for bankruptcyin 2009. The new Chrysler com-pany soon awarded a Chrysler-Jeep franchise to Lithia MotorsInc., in Billings. Lithia alreadysold Dodge vehicles.Rimrock challenged the loss of

its franchise and was awarded aletter of intent to establish aChrysler-Jeep franchise inBillings. However, state law al-lowed Lithia to oppose it.In 2012, a state hearings exam-

iner didn’t find good cause to re-establish Rimrock as a Chrysler-Jeep franchise in Billings. TheSupreme Court ruled Feb.13 thata state judge was correct in de-ciding there weren’t grounds tosecond-guess the hearings exam-iner.

Supreme CourtRules on DealerSales Decision

the most improved brand, withowners indicating 106 fewerPP100 than in 2017.General Motors models re-

ceive five segment awards forthe Buick LaCrosse, ChevroletEquinox, Chevrolet Malibu,Chevrolet Traverse and Chevro-let Silverado.The 2018 U.S. Vehicle Depend-

ability Study is based on re-sponses from 36,896 originalowners of 2015 model-year vehi-cles after three years of owner-ship. The study was fielded inOctober-December 2017.The 2018 VDS report has the

Chevrolet Equinox as the highestrated Small Premium SUV, Smithsaid. The GMC Terrain and theFord Escape rounded out the topthree spots.The Chevrolet Traverse was

highest rated in the Midsize SUVcategory, Smith said. The FordExpedition finished first in theLarge SUV category, with theChevrolet Tahoe finishing sec-ond.The highest ranked Large

Light Duty Pickup was theChevrolet Silverado, followed bythe Ford F-150, Smith said. Onthe other hand, the Ford SuperDuty was highest ranked in theLarge Heavy Duty Pickup catego-ry, followed by the Chevrolet Sil-verado HD.The Dodge Challenger was

highest ranked in the MidsizeSporty Car category, Smith said.Chevy Camaro finished second.The Buick LaCrosse ranked

first in the Large Car category,followed by the Chevrolet Impalaand the Ford Taurus.

Detroit OEMsDo Well in

J.D. Power Study

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1


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Fiat Chrysler Automobilesmade some changes in the com-pany’s leadership in early Febru-ary.Tim Kuniskis was named head

of Alfa Romeo and Maseratibrands globally. Kuniskis, a 26-year veteran of FCA, most recent-ly served as head of PassengerCar Brands in North America,which includes Chrysler, Dodge,Fiat and SRT. Prior to that role,he held a series of positions inthe U.S. sales business centers,as well as in the Dodge and Fiatbrands.In a related move, Steve Beahm

was named head of PassengerCar Brands in North America, re-placing Kuniskis. Most recently,Beahm served as head ofMaserati North America, and pre-viously led the Supply ChainManagement group in NorthAmerica. He also held a series ofpositions in the U.S. sales organi-zation.Reid Bigland, who was former-

ly Head of Alfa Romeo andMaserati brands globally, willcontinue serving as head of U.S.Sales, as well as president andCEO of FCA Canada.The changes were effective as

of Feb. 5.“With the launch of the Alfa

Romeo Giulia and Stelvio and theMaserati Levante complete, wemust now intensify our focus onthe commercial elements thatwill drive global growth for thesebrands,” said Sergio Marchionne,CEO, FCA.“As Reid has established the

commercial foundation for Alfaand Maserati, today’s announce-ment allows Tim to dedicate hisefforts solely on the next chapterof these storied brands. In NorthAmerica, with the execution ofour industrial plan now well un-

derway, shifting from cars toSUVs and trucks, Reid’s completeattention will be placed on accel-erating sales growth in the U.S.and Canada.“This is an important year for

FCA as we work to achieve thecommitments made in our five-year business plan, and equally

important, to establish the mo-mentum for continued growthgoing forward.”Bigland and Kuniskis will

continue to serve on the GroupExecutive Council (GEC), whichis the highest managementbody in FCA and is chaired bythe CEO.

Kuniskis Now Head of Alfa Romeo,Maserati

GM’s recent profit statementfor 2017 shows just how impor-tant SUVs are to the company’sbottom line, which is why thelaunch of the 2018 Chevrolet Tra-verse matters.With turbocharged perform-

ance and aggressive, blacked-outstyling cues, the 2018 TraverseRS injects a distinctive dose offun-to-drive sportiness into themidsize SUV segment, said GMspokeswoman Katie Amann.“The all-new Traverse offers

the ultimate in style and conven-ience for the segment, with theversatility customers need and athoughtful, spacious designthey’ll love,” said Alan Batey,president of GM North Americaand brand chief, Global Chevro-let. “It’s the midsize SUV de-signed to help keep you safe,comfortable and connected.”Based on the redesigned 2018

Traverse, which offers best-in-class maximum cargo room (98.2cubic feet1), more technologiesthan the previous model and anenhanced roster of available ac-tive safety features, the TraverseRS is part of an expanded six-trim lineup focused on capabili-ty, convenience and choice, saidSteve Majoros, Chevrolet market-ing director for Cars andCrossovers.“The 2018 Traverse offers a full

product lineup positioned to ef-fectively compete across the seg-ment,” said Majoros. “By offeringcustomers more choice withhigher-end entries like the RS,which has a more street-inspiredlook, and top-of-the-line HighCountry, Chevrolet now offersa comfortable and connectedTraverse for every lifestyle.”The RS’s unique styling ele-

ments include a black grille,black window trim, black roofrails and black bowtie emblems,along with 20-inch aluminumwheels featuring a Dark Androidfinish, Majoros said.The RS is also the first Tra-

verse model to offer turbo-charged performance, deliveringa spirited driving experience thatis unique within the lineup.A power-dense, direct-injected

Ecotec 2.0L turbo enginegenerates up to 257 horse-

power and 295 lb.-ft. of torque.And 90 percent of the peak

torque is available at only 2,100rpm, for a confident feeling ofpower on demand at all speeds,Majoros said.A nine-speed automatic trans-

mission is matched with the en-gine, contributing to EPA-esti-mated fuel economy of 20 mpg incity driving and 26 mpg on thehighway.Additional standard content

on the Traverse RS includesHID headlamps and LED daytimerunning lamps, upper and loweractive aero shutters, ChevroletMyLink radio with 8-inch diago-nal color touchscreen and navi-gation, OnStar 4G LTE and avail-able built-in Wi-Fi hotspot (3-month/3GB data trial).The Traverse RS is on sale now

with an MSRP of $43,095. Theprice includes the destinationcharge but excludes tax, title andother dealer fees.

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High school students, it’s timeto rev up your creative engines.

The FCA Product Design Officeis looking for aspiring youngartists with a passion for auto-motive design to participate inthe 2018 Drive for Design con-test, said FCA spokeswomanAlyse Tadajewski.

Returning for the sixth consec-utive year, the Drive for Designcontest challenges all U.S. highschool students in grades 10-12to design a Jeep Wrangler for theyear 2030, Tadajewski said. TheFCA design team also is continu-ing its partnership with EyesOnDesign and Lawrence Tech forthis year’s contest.

“The Drive for Design contestis a unique competition designedto help expose young artists tothe various career opportunitiesin automotive design,” said MarkTrostle, head of Performance,Passenger Car and Utility VehicleDesign, FCA – North America.“This year, we are offering aspir-ing designers a once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity to meet and workside-by-side with designers ofsome of the hottest vehicles onthe road today.”

EyesOn Design focuses on theautomotive community and stu-dents coming together to com-memorate, reflect and appreciatethe craftsmanship and beauty ofvehicle design, Tadajewski said.

Winners will receive theirawards on Friday, June 15, at theorganization’s “Vision Honored”Black Tie and Silent Auction, anevent that kicks off the annualEyesOn Design Automotive De-sign Exhibition that takes placeeach Father’s Day weekend atthe Edsel and Eleanor FordHouse in Grosse Pointe Shores.

Lawrence Tech is a universitythat offers more than 100 pro-

grams through the doctoral levelin its Colleges of Architectureand Design, Arts and Sciences,Engineering and Management. Itwill offer the contest winners atwo-week summer automotivedesign course, Tadajewski said.

And, just like the real world ofauto design, Drive for Designentrants face a deadline. Entriesmust be submitted by April 27,2018, via FCAdrivefordesign.com.

Three students will earn firstplace in different categories.Drive for Design contest winnerswill have an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the FCA USProduct Design studios and theopportunity to work one-one-onewith professional automotive de-signers.

Winners will also receive atwo-week summer automotivedesign course at Lawrence Tech-nological University (includeshousing, meals and field trips),and attend EyesOn Design “Vi-sion Honored” Black Tie andSilent Auction with the FCA de-sign team, Tadajewski said.

They will also receive entry tothe EyesOn Design AutomotiveDesign Exhibition in GrossePointe Shores. That comes with athree-day/two-night stay inMichigan (includes flight, hoteland rental car).

First place also comes with aWacom MobileStudio Pro 16, afull-featured, Intel-powered com-puter that offers a larger spacefor drawing, detailed conceptart, 3D sculpting and painting,motion graphics and advancedimage editing for retouching.

Second- and third-place win-ners will also get prizes.

And, they will be entered inthe EyesOn Design AutomotiveDesign Exhibition in GrossePointe Shores, which comes witha three-day/two-night stay inMichigan (includes flight, hoteland rental car) and an AppleiPad and Apple Pencil.

Contest rules and informationcan be found at www.FCAdrive-fordesign.com. Updates will beposted on the Drive for DesignFacebook page (Face-book.com/DriveForDesign), theFCA US Facebook page.

FCA Starts Annual StudentCar Design Competition

PAGE 4 FEBRUARY 19, 2018DETROIT AUTO SCENE

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WASHINGTON (AP) – Two Re-publican lawmakers lashed outFeb. 14 at Mercedes-Benz forapologizing in China for quotingTibetan spiritual leader, theDalai Lama, in a social mediapost.

Sen. Marco Rubio complainedthat many major companies “areincreasingly prepared to toe Bei-jing's line.” Rep. Chris Smithcalled it “corporate capitula-tion.”

The week before, Mercedes-Benz issued an apology in Chinaafter a Dalai Lama quote – “Lookat situations from all angles, andyou will become more open” –appeared on its Instagram ac-count. The auto company apolo-gized for “wrong information”that “hurt the feelings of Chinesepeople.”

Beijing accuses the DalaiLama, who lives in exile in north-ern India, of seeking to split theterritory of Tibet from China. Hesays he only wants autonomyand to protect the region’s dis-tinctive Buddhist culture.

The apology followed a seriesof incidents in which major cor-porations have bowed to criti-cism from China.

Delta Air Lines, hotel operatorMarriott, fashion brand Zara andother companies have also of-fered up apologies for referringto self-ruled Taiwan, semi-au-tonomous Hong Kong, and Tibetas countries on websites or pro-motional material.

Mercedes SaysSorry to China

FEBRUARY 19, 2018 PAGE 5DETROIT AUTO SCENE

from Oakland University in 1996.Burnett is a member of the So-

ciety of Automotive Engineersand a frequent presenter at the or-ganization’s conferences, Palesesaid.“It is a tremendous honor to

receive recognition for my ac-complishments,” Burnett said. “Itruly owe it all to my family andpeers that have facilitated mycontinued growth and shared inmy successes. It is my privilegeand responsibility to share mylife lessons with the communityand the next generation ofAfrican-American leaders.”

U.S. Black Engineer & Informa-tion Technology magazine alsohonored Modern Day Technolo-gy Leaders at the conference,“bright, high-performancewomen and men shaping thefuture of engineering, science,and technology who demon-strate superior technical skillsand leadership capability.”The following FCA US employ-

ees earned recognition fromBEYA as Modern Day TechnologyLeaders for 2018:• Ikpemi Sabageh, release en-gineer for Shift Systems inChassis;

• Kahiree Gans, assistantchief engineer for the Jeepand Truck Platforms.

FCA US has a longstandingcommitment to recruiting di-verse talent and supportingSTEM education initiatives forminorities, including supportingorganizations such as BEYA, theSociety of Hispanic ProfessionalsEngineers and others, Palesesaid. The company also sup-ports various organizations thatadvance women’s involvementin STEM professions, includingMichigan Council of Women inTechnology, the Society ofWomen Engineers and Inforum’sAutomotiveNEXT.The award honors Edward

Welburn of General Motors who,in 2003, became the first African-American in the automotive in-dustry to achieve the position ofchief designer. Welburn was the2015 recipient of the Black Engi-neer of the Year award.

U.S. Black Engineer and Infor-mation Technology magazine pro-vides news and informationabout black engineers, technolo-gists and entrepreneurs, as wellas information on programssuch as the Black Engineer of theYear Awards and the Top Sup-porters of Engineering Programsat Historically Black Collegesand Universities program.

FCA EngineerReceives

Top Honor

DETROIT (AP) – U.S. safetyregulators have closed an inves-tigation into leaky gas tankflanges, determining that recallsby three German auto brandstook care of the problem.The National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration openedthe probe in July of last yearafter Volkswagen, Porsche andAudi issued recalls due to fuelleaks from flanges made by Ger-man auto supplier ContinentalAutomotive Systems Inc.The polymer flanges can crack

and leak fuel, potentially causingfires, the OEMs said.Continental told the agency at

the time that it sold the flangesto 11 automakers and five otherparts supply companies,possibly affecting millions ofvehicles.But last year Continental said

its evaluation found a lack ofproblems with other automakersdue to differences in vehicle de-sign and use of the flanges.

Federal AgencyEnds Study ofGerman OEMs


FEBRUARY 19, 2018DETROIT AUTO SCENE

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Autorama is returning to De-troit.

This year’s show will be heldfrom Friday, March 2 throughSunday, March 4, at the CoboCenter in downtown Detroit.

This is the 66th annual Autora-ma show in Detroit. Author BobLarivee wrote in his book, “HotRod Detroit,” that the first-everDetroit Autorama was held at theUniversity of Detroit MemorialBuilding on Six Mile Rd and Liv-ernois, on Jan. 31 and Feb.1,1953.

Larivee wrote that the firstshow featured only 40 cars, andwas hosted by members of theMichigan Hot Rod Association(MHRA), which was created onlya year before to “organize smalllocal clubs into one unified bodythat could raise the money need-ed to pull drag racing off thestreets and into a safe environ-ment.” Eventually, the MHRAgrew to also include clubs fromthe custom-car and hot-roddingscene, such as the Bearing Burn-ers and Spark Plugs, who com-bined efforts to pull off the firstevent, along with other DetroitCar Clubs such as The RoadKings, Shifters, and Milwinders.

The Michigan State Fair-grounds Coliseum was home toAutorama from 1954 until theevent was moved to Cobo Centerin 1961.

For the second show, activitieswere moved from Six Mile to theMichigan State Fairgrounds Coli-seum, where it was held from1954 to 1960. For the fourthevent in 1956, the MHRA hired lo-cal band and sporting-event pro-moter Don Ridler to help theshow reach a broader audience.Ridler served as the show’s first-true promoter until his death in1963. The following year, theMHRA created a “best-in-show”award for Autorama – namedafter the man who made the

biggest impact in the show's firsteleven years, and thus the RidlerAward was born, Larivee wrote.

This year’s show is sponsoredby O’Reilly Auto Parts andMeguiar’s: Car Care Products.Special guests include profes-sional wrestler Roman Reignsand NASCAR driver Dale Earn-hardt, Jr. Movie fans will have thechance to see cars from the film“Fate of the Furious.”

Tickets are $20 for general ad-mission; children ages sixthrough 12 are $7; those five andunder get in free.

To learn more about the showand how to order tickets, go toautorama.com/attend/detroit.

Autorama Set for March 2

DETROIT (AP) – Ford is tellingthe owners of 33,428 additionalRanger pickups in North Ameri-ca not to drive them becausetheir Takata air bag inflators maypresent an extreme danger.

The company says it hasfound test results showing thatinflators in the 2006 trucks havea higher risk of exploding andhurling shrapnel than other re-called Takata inflators.

Takata uses ammonium nitrateto create a small explosion to in-flate air bags. But the chemicalcan deteriorate and burn toofast, blowing apart metal canis-ters.

Dealers will pick up theRangers from owners and takethem in for repairs. The addition-al Rangers were built betweenAug. 5 and Dec. 15, 2005.

Last month, Ford told 2,900Ranger owners not to drive themafter finding out that a West Vir-ginia man was killed by an ex-ploding inflator.

Takata InflatorsForce Ford toRecall Rangers


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2018 got off to a good start forGM’s Cadillac brand.Cadillac sold 31,330 units glob-

ally in January 2018 – an increaseof 5.2 percent from the same pe-riod last year – marking the 20thconsecutive month of globalsales growth for the brand, saidCadillac spokesman CJ Smith.Sales were spurred largely byconsumer demand for the XT5luxury crossover, which remainsCadillac’s top-selling productwith a total of 12,113 units deliv-ered worldwide thus far in 2018.“With a strong start to 2018,

our results show that consumersacross the globe are continuingto respond positively to Cadillacproducts,” said Cadillac Presi-dent Johan de Nysschen.“Enthusiasm continues to

grow both in the sedan market aswell as in the SUV segment, de-spite new entrants into the cate-gory. These results give us confi-dence as we head into a momen-tous year, marked by an aggres-sive product offensive beginningwith the introduction of the all-new XT4 later this year.”

The Cadillac Sedan Portfoliowas a strong performer in Janu-ary, de Nysschen said, with salesof CT6 up 24.3 percent, XTS up12.5 percent and ATS up 4.9 per-cent.China continues to be an im-

portant market for the brand,with sales up 12.3 percent yearover year. Sales in South Koreaand Japan also made significantgains for the month.In the U.S., the Cadillac SUV

Portfolio was up 1.4 percent yearover year in total sales, with a 2.7percent and 2.0 percent increasein sales of XT5 and Escalade, re-spectively.Average transaction prices

continue to be the second-high-est among major luxury automo-tive brands in the U.S. ThroughJanuary, the brand’s average U.S.transaction price remainedaround $54,000.Overall, Smith said, Cadillac

sold a total of 9,895 vehicles inthe United States and 20,222 inChina. Total worldwide saleswere 31,330, compared to 29,776for the same time in 2017.

Cadillac Starts Off New YearWith Strong Vehicle Sales

2018 ATS-V

Jon Husby has been appointedpresident of SEG AutomotiveNorth America, headquartered inNovi.He was previously vice presi-

dent and general manager of Cus-tomer Business Units for HarmanInternational in Novi, said SEGspokesman Ulrich Muehleisen.SEG Automotive has emerged

from the former well-established“starter motors and generators”division of the Bosch Group,Muehleisen said. The new nameis “testimony to over a centuryof history in the developmentand production of starter motorsand generators as well as a fu-ture-oriented focus” on e-mobili-ty.The company will continue its

success story under a new own-er, under the leadership ofZhengzhou Coal Mining Machin-ery Group Co and an investmentgroup, Muehleisen said. SEG Au-tomotive NA is an essential partof the global growth and manu-facturing strategy and operatestwo locations – in Novi and thebrand new state of the art facilityin Lerma, Mexico.Accordingly, the workforce, as

well as the business in NorthAmerica, have been expandedsignificantly over recent years,Muehleisen said.Husby, with his strong cus-

tomer focus, extensive industryinsight and impressive results inprevious executive roles at Har-man, TomTom and Denso, is setto further accelerate the growthof the North American business,Muehleisen said.“I am very excited to work

with the highly talented SEG Au-tomotive team, as we move intoour second century of innovativesolutions for the automobile andcommercial vehicle markets,Husby said. “Our name is new,but SEG Automotive is commit-

ted to continuity, especially interms of location strategy andour employees. Their manyyears of experience in the com-pany, competence and commit-ment to the success of our cus-tomers contribute significantlyto our fast-paced growth in theregion and globally.”The new company is commit-

ted to further expanding its con-tribution to the reduction of CO2emissions which supports OEMsin achieving the ever-more-stringent CO2 goals, Husby said.With its Boost Recuperation

Machine (BRM), SEG Automotivealready offers technology for hy-bridizing gasoline and diesel en-gines in a highly cost-effectivemanner, Husby said. Through theuse of the BRM, fuel consump-tion and CO2 emissions can bereduced by about 15 percent.Advanced start/stop technolo-

gies and high-efficiency genera-tors from the SEG Automotiveportfolio also provide significantCO2 savings to our OEM cus-tomers, Muehleisen said, andSEG Automotive is closely linkedto the history of the automobile.Emerging from the BOSCH

Starter Motors & Generators di-vision in 2018, the companystands for more than a centuryof innovations in this productsector – from starter motor andgenerator to Start/Stop and mild-hybridization.SEG Automotive is actively

shaping the automobile indus-try’s journey from the combus-tion engine to electrification bydelivering efficient solutions forCO2 reduction – regardless of thedrive technology, Muehleisensaid, adding, “With 16 locationsin the most important automo-bile markets in the world andover 8,000 employees, we offer anetwork of engineering and pro-duction expertise worldwide.”

SEG Names New President

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea(AP) – There’s a competition atthe Pyeongchang WinterOlympics that has nothing to dowith sports, and plenty to dowith jousting between automak-ers and tech companies overautonomously driving vehicles.South Korea’s largest automak-

er and a local telecom firm hag-gled for months over who wouldget to claim the exclusive right tolabel its vehicle as “autono-mous.” In the end, Hyundai Mo-tors rolled out an “autonomous”sedan while KT Corp.’s self-dri-ving bus was christened the “5GBus.”The self-driving vehicles on

display at the Winter Olympicsare showcasing South Korea’sprowess in both automotive andtelecoms technology.They took to the roads only af-

ter a sponsorship battle overwhether such vehicles should beconsidered a form of transporta-tion or a new kind of internet-connected device, like smart-phones.Each Olympic corporate spon-

sor gets exclusive marketingrights in its own industry, so ablurring of boundaries betweenindustries can lead to friction,said Kang Joon-ho, a sports mar-keting professor at Seoul Nation-al University. “It’s not clearwhether we should see self-dri-ving cars as vehicles or software,so it’s unclear which sponsor-ship category they belong to.”In the end, a compromise was

worked out.Hyundai Motor., the local spon-

sor for the transport categoryand the world’s fifth-largest autogroup, is seeking to dispel its im-age as a latecomer in au-tonomous driving.In Pyeongchang, it also is get-

ting a jump on Japanese rivalsthat are preparing to deploy self-driving cars at the 2020 Tokyo

Olympics with its five autono-mous Nexo fuel-cell cars. Theyare navigating without direct hu-man control within a range ofabout 4 miles from the Olympicstadium in the town.In a one-time test before the

opening ceremony for the games,Hyundai had the Nexos drive 118miles of highways from Seoul toPyeongchang, passing throughtoll gates and navigating junc-

tions and tunnels without humancontrols or interruptions.It was the culmination of years

of preparation, and developmentof 3D maps by the government.“South Korea started late but

we are at a level where we canpull off autonomous driving evenin complicated, difficult situa-tions,” said Kim Jin-hoo, a deputydirector at the transport min-istry.


cant product-related investmentsin South Korea andwould preservethousands of jobs.“The performance of our oper-

ations in South Korea needs tobe urgently addressed by GMKorea and its key stakeholders,”said Barry Engle, GM executivevice president and president ofGM International.“As we are at a critical juncture

of needing to make product allo-cation decisions, the ongoingdiscussions must demonstratesignificant progress by the end ofFebruary, when GM will make im-portant decisions on next steps.”As a result of this action,

Albritton said that GM expects totake charges of up to $850 mil-lion, including approximately$475 million of non-cash asset

impairments and up to $375 mil-lion of primarily employee-relat-ed cash expenses.Substantially all of these

charges will be recorded by theend of the second quarter of2018, and will be treated as spe-cial and excluded from the com-pany’s EBIT-adjusted and EPS-di-luted-adjusted results.Based in Incheon, Korea, GM

Korea has made significant con-tributions to the Korean econo-my and automotive industryover the last 16 years, saidAlbritton, producing 10 millionvehicles since its establishmentin 2002. GM Korea supports ap-proximately 200,000 direct andindirect Korean jobs.In 2017, GM Korea sold 132,377

units in Korea and exported392,170 vehicles to 120 marketsaround the world.

GM Closing Its Gunsan Plant in 2018CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Autonomous Vehicles Shown at Olympics

GM’s worldwide production plans no longer include its Gunsan facility.


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From left, the 2018 Wrangler Rubicon, 1944 Jeep and 2018 Wrangler Sahara

The Jeep Wrangler has a sto-ried history going back 75 years.“From the battlefields of World

War II to the rocky terrain ofMoab and even suburban soccerfields, the ‘soul’ of the iconicJeep has carried through genera-tions of the iconic vehicle formore than seven decades,”said FCA spokesman EdwardCardenas. “The very first Jeepvehicle dates back to World WarII when Willys Overland devel-oped a vehicle per governmentspecifications for a ‘light recon-naissance vehicle.’”More than 600,000 of the vehi-

cles were built and “becamefamous throughout the world asthe vehicle that could go any-where and do anything,” saidFCA US Manager of HistoricalArchives Brandt Rosenbusch.

It was during this time that thevehicle also got its current name.Initially, the go-anywhere vehiclewas given the MB designation be-fore the Jeep name was adopted,Rosenbusch said. The origins ofthe Jeep name are diverse. Somehave claimed that the namecame from the slurring of the let-ters “GP,” the military abbrevia-tion for “General Purpose.” Oth-ers say the vehicle was namedfor a popular character named“Eugene the Jeep” in the Popeyecartoon strip.Despite the different takes on

the origin of the Jeep name, it be-came part of American lexiconand Willys trademarked “Jeep”as the name for the MB, Rosen-busch said.Due to its popularity, the gov-

ernment allowed for the civilian

production of the military vehi-cle. In the first year of productionof the civilian CJ-2A, more than70,000 vehicles were sold. Theimage of the Jeep began tochange with the introduction ofthe CJ5 in 1955, as it went from autility to lifestyle vehicle.“People started having fun in

it,” said Rosenbusch, who addedthat clubs started to form andowners would take their Jeep ve-hicles into the mountains anddesert to “have fun and play.”A big change occurred in 1987

with the introduction of theWrangler, Cardenas said. It hadmore car-like features with com-fortable seats, wider doors andtraditional off-road abilities.This made the Jeep a primary

vehicle instead of a secondaryvehicle, said Rosenbusch.

Wrangler Enjoys a Deep Jeep Heritage

AxleTech International of Troyhas changed its name toAxleTech as part of a move to re-flect a shift in technology andmarket focus that the companybegan three years ago, said com-pany spokeswoman Allison Lind-sey.Though established in name in

2002, AxleTech Internationalcould trace its industrial rootsback 100 years as the originalRockwell International.Throughout this time, change

came in the form of name, own-ership and acquisitions, but thecompany has remained true toits manufacturing heritage,Lindsey said.On Feb. 14, the company rede-

fined its identity and position inthe industry with a new nameand brand mark, Lindsey said.Now known as “AxleTech,” thecompany’s new brand is meantto emphasizes the “tech” in itsname, recognizing its focus onand investments in being a tech-nology company that providesadvanced powertrain systems,axles, brakes, components andaftermarket parts for heavy-dutycommercial and defense applica-tions.“AxleTech is a technology

company. Now our brand identi-ty is catching up,” said BillGryzenia, AxleTech CEO. “Wehave a long, rich history, but tohave a successful future, weneed agility and speed.“We’re accomplishing this

through new partnerships, ex-pertise, solutions, thinking andtechnology.”“Our previous brand,” said

Mary Petrovich, AxleTech’schairman of the board, served uswell for almost two decades aswe built upon our reputation forcustom engineering and manu-

facturing. Given our broadertransformation and capabilities,we have purposely emerged as atechnology leader for commer-cial and defense vehicles. Wewant our brand to reflect that.“This new identity represents

the relentless work of our entireglobal team that has thrustAxleTech into a leadership posi-tion for the next mobility era.”Since 2015, when the company

was acquired by The CarlyleGroup, AxleTech has expandedits engineering expertise and in-vested significant capital in newproduct development, Lindseysaid.Armed with this, she added,

AxleTech is using new technolo-gy and assets to develop e-axles,new independent suspensionsystems, variable-track axles andmore for the most powerful vehi-cles in the world.Interestingly enough, Lindsey

said the rebranding process ledto many discoveries about itsculture and heritage. There is acompany-wide, relentless will towin. They also learned that limit-ed bureaucracy fosters speedand nimbleness – and a founda-tion of humility and caring.These key traits inspire em-

ployees to quickly develop andbring innovative powertrain sys-tems solutions to market, Lind-sey said. For example,AxleTech’s electronic drivetrainpropels the Proterra Catalyst EZMax, which recently shattered aworld record by traveling over1,100 miles on a single charge.The new identity was designed

to represent AxleTech’s influenceon systems and technologies. Adramatic change in colors rein-forces the company’s focus ontechnology (slate gray) and newpowertrain solutions.

Local Auto Supplier ChangesName for International Flair

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