Hello and welcome to Overdrive, a program that takes a broad look at how cars and transport impact our community.
I’m David Brown
News
- Federal; Government Discussion paper Fuel Future Strategy (1:30)
- Company’s leading the way for environmental actions (2:32)
- Hyundai Recall of Tucson (4:02)
- Hyundai Motor Group unveils TIGER un-crewed Ultimate Mobility Vehicle concept (5:04)
Discussion subjects
This week we have a chat with respected motoring write Paul Murrell, who with a love of cars, a career in marketing and a worldly perception looks at the following subject:
- Selling the merger between Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot/Citroen (6:13)
- A number of brands are redesigning their logo. Some work some definitely do not (11:04)
- Have we reached the stage where car grilles have become too large? (15:40)
- Genesis G80 – Can a vehicle from the Hyundai stable carve a luxury niche in the market? (18:44)
News Stories
Supporting future fuel technologies and consumer choice
The Federal Government has released a discussion paper titled Australia’s Future Fuels Strategy: Powering choice.
The government has nominated a few projects they will help fund with, they say, substantial funding. They list two funds that add up to nearly $100 mill which is not a large amount in world terms
Pollution is discussed only in terms of carbon dioxide which is important but the poor-quality high Sulphur content of the 91-octane fuel we use is just one of the other issues that is not touched on.
Fuel security is mentioned mainly in the context of helping support fossil fuel supplies.
The government says it will provide more information to the consumer, presumably with government branded ads and materials
But most of the heavy lifting in financial commitment and development will be left to private industry, with no mention of policies to help facilitate this.
Ultimately, they will let the market decide.
Hino – Industry is doing what governments aren’t
Many companies are taking a constructive and aggressive stance to reduce pollution from their activities. Bill Gillespie Vice President – Brand and Franchise Development for Hino trucks knows he has to serve these customer requirements
“So when you have a large company talking about how they’re going to work together to create a better and more sustainable future, if you’re a logistics partner, you need to be able to speak that language and say, here’s what we’re doing to become a responsible logistics partner for our customers. And if you can’t speak that language, they’ll find other solutions.
“And I’ve got personal experience with with IKEA, for instance, who are on a zero-emission programme globally. So their logistics partners all around the world need to have zero emission solutions in their plan. So if you’re a logistics provider and you can’t talk about that, IKEA will simply move on because they have no choice.
“They have to meet their global plan as well. So all of that sort of board of directors, sustainability plans and how they work with their partners is going to flow and is flowing right through the whole logistics business. And it’s informing what trucks they purchase, how they use them, who drive them, how do they drive them. So all of those things that there’s never been a more more of a focus on duty of care and the environment than there is right now.
Hyundai Recall Tucson
Hyundai Australia has issued a voluntary safety recall for a problem with their Tucson medium sized SUV.
The Anti-Lock Brake System modules could cause an electrical short-circuit over time raising a risk of fire.
Over 93,000 vehicles are involved covering model years 2015 to 2021.
Hyundai has not received any reports of this happening in Australia but some 13 cases of a fire have occurred in the larger US market.
Owners should book their car in at a Hyundai dealership and there is no charge for the work.
The short circuit can occur even if the engine is turned off so as an added precaution, Hyundai recommends parking these vehicles outside and away from structures until the recall remedy is completed.
In the last month period, there have been 23 separate recalls across a range of brands. Owners should respond promptly to these situations.
Hyundai Motor Group unveils TIGER un-crewed Ultimate Mobility Vehicle concept
The Hyundai Motor Group has shown the world its concept TIGER vehicle
Tiger stands for Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion Robot, and is designed to carry payloads over challenging terrain.
It looks like the latest lunar vehicle with four wheels on the end of multi flexible legs.
With its legs retracted close to the body, TIGER drives like an all-wheel-drive vehicle. But when the vehicle gets stuck or needs to travel over terrain that is difficult for wheels, it legs can extend and provide a walking type action.
The TIGER is an autonomous vehicle that does not carry any crew.
It’s made to be a mobile scientific exploration platform in extreme, remote locations.
Hyundai says it New Horizons Studio is developing multiple technologies for innovative vehicle platforms.
It is hard to see a need for this technology for everyday vehicles except to walk sideways into a tight parking space.
You can find more information at Driven Media or previous programs are available as podcasts on iTunes or Spotify. OR our Facebook site OverdriveCity
Originally broadcast 13 February 2021 across Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) and Torque Radio affiliated commercial radio channels and has a weekly audience of over 450,000.
