Looking Out #36
Tall front ends and pedestrians, Gandini honoured and Frascella to Audi, Cargo bikes and EV range, Ford dumps features and adds skunkworks.
21st February, 2024
Welcome to Looking Out, where we connect the dots across the automotive industry, mobility, design, and culture. Looking Out is brought to you by Joe Simpson and Drew Smith of The Automobility Group. If you like what you see, tell your friends!
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Looking Out - The Podcast EP15
While Joe and Drew were in the states, we tried Tesla’s Autopilot, Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist II and GM’s SuperCruise. Oh, and Drew took a couple of rides in a Waymo. We dive in to the plusses and pitfalls of each automated driving system and ask: what’s it all for?
Auto
The effect of front-end vehicle height on pedestrian death risk
Why it’s interesting: Try this finding on for size: “A 10 cm increase in front-end height causes a 22% increase in pedestrian fatality risk.” Or how about “The survival probability of women, children, and seniors are more strongly affected.” And yet… (see image above).
Inconvenient facts about LFP batteries
Why it’s interesting: Lithium iron phosphate batteries are often claimed to be the short-term saviour of safe, reliable, and cheap electromobility. This article challenges some of the assumptions on which that claim is based.
Scout Motors' electric trucks will have real buttons
Why it’s interesting: Hallelujah! Knob fans rejoice! Now, can everyone else follow suit? And don’t you dare put IDA in there, VW…
Massimo Frascella is new CDO at Audi
Why it’s interesting: Following our post in the last newsletter, Massimo’s departure from JLR preceded his appointment as the new Chief Design Officer at Audi. Writing on Instagram for RoadRat Magazine, Christopher Butt said “This certainly is a statement of intent to bring Audi design back to the forefront of design-driven brands, after more than a decade of continuous decline and stagnation.”
Mobility
Image: chiamamicitta.it
Cargo Bikes Have a Notable Impact on Car Ownership, Says Recent Study
Why it’s interesting: Results from a survey of 2,590 users of a cargo bike share schemes across Germany showed an 18.1% reduction in car ownership within the cohort. While some stopped using their cars all together, those who were still car dependent rated cargo bikes superior to cars on price, stress, and pleasure, and everyone agreed that they were better than cars for social recognition, self-expression, and environmental friendliness
Pick-ups face huge tax hike as they lose commercial vehicle status
Why it’s interesting: The UK is closing a loophole that allowed businesses (including sole traders) to register two-row pick-ups as commercial vehicles. From here on out they will be classed as they tend to be used, as private vehicles, unless the rear seats and glass are removed (see also L322 Range Rover “vans” in The Netherlands playing the same game). Ford sold almost 20,000 high-margin Rangers in the UK last year. They’re about to sell a lot less. The UK government caved to pressure from the manufacturers and has backtracked on the policy. Pair with: Australia finally proposes fuel efficiency standards, much to the outrage of Ranger and Hilux drivers across the nation.
You Need Way Less EV Range Than You Think: Study
Why it’s interesting: Back in 2022, Drew wrote about a study from University of Geneva that showed that an EV range of 200km covered 90% of participants’ needs. New data from the United States is showing EV owners using between 8% and 16% of their EV’s EPA-rated range to cover between 20 and 45 miles per day. Are you really sure we need 600-mile EVs?
Design
Marcello Gandini honoured at Italy’s Politecnico Di Torino
Why it’s interesting: One of the most influential designers of the 20th century reflects on his career, the nature of the car, and the future of automotive design.
The big design freak-out: A generation of design leaders grapple with their future
Why it’s interesting: Having lived through two acquisitions of small design and innovation agencies by massive management consultancies and survived (just) there’s a lot that rings true for Drew in this article. The corporatisation of design is not all it’s cracked up to be, neither for the corporates, nor the designers. A reckoning beckons.
A tribute to La Ferté-Vidame
Why it’s interesting: Long the source of some of Peugeot and Citröen’s most creative conceptual work, Lignes Auto pays tribute to this secret Stellantis design studio in the French countryside… because it’s closing.
Ford is getting rid of 1 vehicle feature to save $10M — but many people won’t notice
Why it’s interesting: In our recent podcast, we questioned the worth of current advanced driver assistance systems. In his recent review of the BMW X6 M50i, Matt from CarWow did the same for that car’s demented parking assistant. Ford, seeing the user data from its connected cars is now seeing sense and removing the feature all together. Drew’s favourite nugget from the article? This from a dealer:
Each generation gets a little different. Sometimes it’s hold the button, take your hands off the wheel. Sometimes hold onto the wheel. There’s never been any consistency to it and nobody ever learned to trust it.
Culture
Kara Swisher is sick of tech people, so she wrote a book about them
Why it’s interesting: Probably the world’s most influential working tech journalist has had enough of the people behind the stories. Ahead of the launch of her Burn Book, this interview gives some insight in to why she’s as respected (and as feared) as she is. Her no-bullshit take is both refreshing, and inspiring.
Ford quietly created its own ‘skunkworks’ team to develop low-cost electric vehicles
Why it’s interesting: While Ford recently announced it was scaling back its short term EV ambitions, the latest game in EV town is working on an affordable EV to compete with Tesla’s forthcoming $25k car. For Ford, doing that meant setting up a skunkworks operation, away from its Dearborn HQ and staffed by former, senior Tesla people. It’s illustrative of the challenges of changing ways of thinking in the context of large, established organisations.
Nike’s dream crazier is a reminder of the power of emotion
Why it’s interesting: As Nike trims its workforce on softening demand, this week a book, a talk and a Linkedin post about Nike’s 2019 ‘dream crazier’ ad, collided in Joe’s world to remind him of Nike’s unparalleled ability as brand which inspires and engages. Despite softening demand, Nike’s ability to tackle important topics in a way that taps deeply into cultural issues and generate a powerful emotional response suggests its future is still bright.
And finally… CES Report
Drew’s CES trend report has been going down a treat with some super-interesting folk. If you’d like to be among them — and even have Drew talk you through the report on a call — then:
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That's it for this issue. We love feedback (positive and negative), and to answer any questions you have. So email Joe or Drew and we’ll get back to you.