OCTOBER 14, 2020
Sunday, October 11, 2020 at 02:18PM 
General Motors announced that its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center will be known as Factory ZERO from now on, reconfigured to an all-electric vehicle assembly plant. The name Factory ZERO reflects the significance of this facility in advancing GM’s zero-crashes, zero-emissions and zero-congestion future. Factory ZERO will not only be the launchpad for GM’s multi-brand EV strategy; the facility has advanced technology and tooling and was designed with a focus on sustainable manufacturing. Both the upcoming GMC HUMMER EV pickup and the Cruise Origin - a purpose-built electric, self-driving, shared vehicle - and other GM EVs will be built at Factory ZERO. The HUMMER EV and the Cruise Origin will be built on GM’s Ultium battery platform. Ultium is flexible enough to build a wide range of EVs — cars, trucks and more — and is the heart of GM’s future EV lineup. GM is investing $2.2 billion in Factory ZERO for retooling and upgrades that will position the facility to build EVs at scale. It represents the single largest investment in a plant in GM history. Once fully operational, the plant will create more than 2,200 U.S. manufacturing jobs. Production of the GMC HUMMER EV pickup will begin in late 2021.
Honda has updated the 2021 Accord with a refresh that includes tweaks to the styling, technology, drivability and safety features. Changes include a wider, restyled grille with improved integration of the Honda Sensing® system's radar unit. New LED high- and low-beam headlights are included on Sport and above trims (EX and above on Hybrid), and there are new alloy wheel designs as well. Inside, the Accord's cabin includes an 8-inch Display Audio touchscreen entertainment system as standard; Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ integration are also now standard (previously EX and above), and EX-L and Touring trims (EX and above on Hybrid models) get new wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ integration. Front USB ports on all grades have been moved to the front of the center console for easier access, and Sport and higher trims (EX and higher trims for Accord Hybrid) now include dual 2.5-volt USB ports for rear seat passengers. All Accords also receive a new Rear Seat Reminder, while upper grades gain a new Low Speed Braking Control system.Particular attention was paid to the Accord Hybrid which has an improved two-motor hybrid system for a more direct and immediate throttle response. The Accord Hybrid has a peak total system output of 212HP and peak torque delivery of 232 lb.-ft. right off idle. It delivers a fuel economy rating of 48 mpg. The new 2021 Accord is on-sale at Honda dealerships beginning Oct. 13, with a MSRP starting at $24,770 (not including destination and handling). The 2021 Accord Hybrid has a starting MSRP of $26,370.
Volkswagen has unveiled the 2022 Taos. The compact SUV will slot under the Tiguan in size at 175.8 inches long—9.3 inches shorter than the Tiguan—with a wheelbase of 105.9 inches. The Taos will be powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 158HP and 184 pound-feet of torque; it is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission in the front-wheel-drive model, while models with 4Motion® all-wheel drive get a seven-speed DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmission. There will be three trim levels available - S, SE, and SEL. It will be produced at Volkswagen’s Puebla, Mexico, factory for the North American Region. More details and pricing will be revealed ahead of the launch in the summer of 2021.
Audi is now offering Digital Matrix LED (DML) headlights as optional equipment in 2021 E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback models. This marks the first time DML headlights have been mass-produced for a production vehicle. Comprised of 1.3 million micromirrors per headlight, DML headlights essentially operate like movie projectors, emitting tiny unique particles or adaptable light. At market introduction, this lighting technology offers a selection of five different welcome/leaving animations when the vehicle is parked, each with unique motion graphics and text selected through a vehicle’s MMI touchscreen display. Beyond the welcome/leaving animations currently available for U.S. vehicles, the full feature set of DML headlights includes: A 50-meter “light carpet” that is designed to keep light within the driver’s lane and extends the carpet left or right when changing lanes and helps to avoid a “blinding” effect for oncoming traffic; Low-beam curved lighting that bends below oncoming traffic and can help illuminate people or objects on the side of the road, which are otherwise difficult to detect; Electrostatically controlled micromirrors that can adjust light beam pixels up to 5,000 times per second; On-ground light arrows that place the vehicle’s tires within its lane. Although the total functionality of Digital Matrix LED headlights is not yet fully available in the U.S., the brand continues to work with government officials and authorities in an effort to offer it for its U.S. consumers. To see the full functionality of the European-specification DML headlights in various conditions, check it out here.
Editor-In-Chief's Note: Pure visual artistry on display. Watch this commercial for the Adobe Creative Cloud called "Commute" featuring "She's Like A Rainbow" by The Rolling Stones. The advertising agency is 72andSunny. Stunning work. -PMD
AE Song of the Week:
All the stories have been told
Of kings and days of old,
But there's no England now.
All the wars that were won and lost,
Somehow don't seem to matter very much anymore.
All the lies we were told,
All the lies of the people running round,
Their castles have burned.
I see change,
But inside we're the same as we ever were.
Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line,
Living this way, each day is a dream.
What am I, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Now another century nearly gone,
What are we gonna leave for the young?
What we couldn't do, what we wouldn't do,
It's a crime, but does it matter?
Does it matter much, does it matter much to you?
Does it ever really matter?
Yes, it really, really matters.
Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Now another leader says:
"Break their hearts and break some heads".
Is there nothing we can say or do?
Blame the future on the past,
Always lost in bloody guts.
And when they're gone, it's me and you.
Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line,
Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line.
"Living On A Thin Line" - The Kinks, from the album "Word Of Mouth" (1984)*. Written by Ray Davies; Publisher: CARLIN AMERICA INC. Watch and listen here.
*Written by Dave Davies and released as a track off their 1984 album Word Of Mouth, this song wasn't released as a single but it's a very popular and successful song. It was played three times in the 2001 episode "University" of the American TV show The Sopranos. According to producer Terence Winter on the DVD extras, it is the series' most asked about song. The song is included on the compilation: The Sopranos: Peppers & Eggs: Music from the HBO Original Series. (Knowledge courtesy of songfacts.com)