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Autoblog Minute: Ferrari F12 TdF, Tesla Autopilot, Fiat brand leadership change

Ferrari unleashes the F12 TdF, Model S owners get an exciting announcement from Tesla, and Fiat North America undergoes a leadership change. Senior editor Greg Migliore reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Ferrari unleashes the F12 TdF, Model S owners get an exciting announcement from Tesla, and Fiat North America undergoes a leadership change. I'm Senior editor Greg Migliore, this is your Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. Ferrari's new F12 TdF gets its name from the legendary Tour de France race that Ferrari dominated back in the 50s and 60s. [00:00:30] This new Ferrari is derived from the naturally aspirated F12 Berlinetta's engine. There are styling and performance upgrades, and the company highlights changes in aerodynamics, weight reduction, and faster shifts. The result, Ferrari says, is a blistering zero to sixty-two time of, 2.9 seconds. It's pretty fast. Tesla released software version 7.0 for Model S owners. The big takeaway from this update is the much anticipated Autopilot mode. Tesla says Autopilot [00:01:00] allows Model S to steer within a lane, change lanes, and manage speed. Software version 7.0 will also allow for digital control of the motors, brakes, and steering for collision prevention. Now do you hate parallel parking? Tesla's got you covered. The Model S can park on command, right after it scans for a spot and alerts you when one becomes available. Jason Stoicevich resigns shortly after losing control of the Fiat brand. Automotive News reported that Stoicevich's leadership role at Fiat was handed over to the company's [00:01:30] head of the Dodge brand. That's Tim Kuniskis. The report cites diminished sales figures as a key reason for the personnel change at Fiat. This change resulted in Stoicevich leaving FCA altogether. Those are the highlights from the week that was. Be sure to check out my full recap this Saturday. Plus I'll have some added insight into BMW's M2. For Autoblog, I'm Greg Migliore. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals.

Massive cruise ship features Ferrari go-kart track

Billed as the first racetrack at sea, a Ferrari-themed circuit will sit atop Norwegian Cruise Lines' newest vessel, the Norwegian Joy, launching this summer. The two-level track will have room for 10 electric go-karts, and it's built in partnership with Scuderia Ferrari Watches. The barriers are red with the Prancing Horse crest displayed prominently. The track will be laid out on the top level of the Joy, offering racers a view of the sea as they turn laps. Ferrari watches will also be sold in a retail shop near the track as part of the deal. The cruise line announced plans for the circuit last year and now is confirming the Ferrari theme. Ferrari is expanding its marketing efforts with clothing, watches, Ferrari World Theme parks, and other lifestyle experiences as it positions itself as a global luxury brand. Ferrari hopes the moves expand its base beyond traditional automotive enthusiasts, who flock to the brand for its success on the track and for its high-performance sports cars. The Joy is designed specifically for the Chinese market and will have room for 3,850 passengers. Guests in certain classes will get free rides on the Ferrari track as part of their accommodations. The ship will also have a racing simulator, multi-story waterslides, and open-air laser tag. The Joy will be delivered Thursday in Germany, and its home ports will be Shanghai and Tianjin. Watch the ship float out in the video above. Related Video:

EV cost burden pushing automakers to their limits, says Stellantis' CEO Tavares

DETROIT — Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said external pressure on automakers to quickly shift to electric vehicles potentially threatens jobs and vehicle quality as producers struggle with EVs' higher costs. Governments and investors want car manufacturers to speed up the transition to electric vehicles, but the costs are "beyond the limits" of what the auto industry can sustain, Tavares said in an interview at the Reuters Next conference released Wednesday. "What has been decided is to impose on the automotive industry electrification that brings 50% additional costs against a conventional vehicle," he said. "There is no way we can transfer 50% of additional costs to the final consumer because most parts of the middle class will not be able to pay." Automakers could charge higher prices and sell fewer cars, or accept lower profit margins, Tavares said. Those paths both lead to cutbacks. Union leaders in Europe and North America have warned tens of thousands of jobs could be lost. Automakers need time for testing and ensuring that new technology will work, Tavares said. Pushing to speed that process up "is just going to be counter productive. It will lead to quality problems. It will lead to all sorts of problems," he said. Tavares said Stellantis is aiming to avoid cuts by boosting productivity at a pace far faster than industry norm. "Over the next five years we have to digest 10% productivity a year ... in an industry which is used to delivering 2 to 3% productivity" improvement, he said. "The future will tell us who is going to be able to digest this, and who will fail," Tavares said. "We are putting the industry on the limits." Electric vehicle costs are expected to fall, and analysts project that battery electric vehicles and combustion vehicles could reach cost parity during the second half of this decade. Like other automakers that earn profits from combustion vehicles, Stellantis is under pressure from both establishment automakers such as GM, Ford, VW and Hyundai, as well as start-ups such as Tesla and Rivian. The latter electric vehicle companies are far smaller in terms of vehicle sales and employment. But investors have given Tesla and Rivian higher market valuations than the owner of the highly profitable Jeep and Ram brands. That investor pressure is compounded by government policies aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union, California and other jurisdictions have set goals to end sales of combustion vehicles by 2035.