Building Blocks of Mobility ft. Tom Rucker of Magna International

[00:00:00] Now in the middle of one of the most significant eras in automotive, Carl Anthony amplifies

[00:00:05] the minds and voices behind this historic transformation as the host of AutoVision News Radio,

[00:00:10] Mike Check12, all while coming to terms with middle age, father loss and what it means

[00:00:15] to be successful in Detroit.

[00:00:16] Like many kids in the late 1980s and early 90s, my collection of hot wheels and matchbox

[00:00:23] cars were displayed on every available surface in my bedroom, while posters of fast exotics,

[00:00:29] adorned my walls.

[00:00:31] But since I grew up in rural Iowa, trucks were the single most important vehicle and everybody

[00:00:36] was on a side, Ford, Chevy or Dodge.

[00:00:40] In 1999, my junior year of high school, we had to write a paper on essentially what we

[00:00:46] wanted to be when we grew up.

[00:00:48] I remember interviewing the general sales manager for one of the local dealerships

[00:00:52] in town, trying to get a sense for what a career and automotive might look like.

[00:00:56] Typing away on my late father's Dell computer in the basement with Su City's best mix,

[00:01:02] KG95 to keep me company, I put together what I thought life might look like,

[00:01:08] should automotive be the ticket.

[00:01:10] That 17-year-old kid in me had a field day recently when Magna International invited

[00:01:15] me to a tech event hosted at its facility in Troy, Michigan.

[00:01:19] Inside sleek test vehicles with knowledgeable Magna team members at the helm,

[00:01:25] I experienced some unique camera solutions for towing and was left nearly speechless

[00:01:30] by Magna's intelligent command.

[00:01:33] To help me wrap my mind around Magna's product lineup and its overall focus as one

[00:01:38] of the automotive industry's most recognizable companies, I talked with Tom Rucker,

[00:01:43] president of Magna's Power and Vision and Complete Vehicles Groups.

[00:01:48] Tom has held executive level positions with Magna's powertrain division over

[00:01:52] the years, including senior vice president of metal forming solutions and transmission systems,

[00:01:59] senior vice president for program management and launch excellence,

[00:02:03] and then as president for Magna's powertrain division.

[00:02:07] A 25-year Magna veteran, Tom has experience working throughout both Europe and North America.

[00:02:13] He is a graduate of the Technical University in Berlin where he received degrees in mechanical

[00:02:18] engineering and business administration.

[00:02:21] As we began our conversation, Tom shared some of his story and how he came to Magna.

[00:02:27] Moving at the speed of mobility, this is AutoVision News Radio with Carl Antony in Detroit, Michigan.

[00:02:33] I was born and raised in Mexico. My parents are German.

[00:02:37] My first job, I'm a mechanical engineer. I did some business administration as a masters as well.

[00:02:43] But my first job was really in as a general contractor in big industrial projects like steel,

[00:02:49] mills, petrochemical plants and so on. I was living and working in Venezuela and decided that I had

[00:02:56] to leave because of the political situation there. And through interesting set of coincidences,

[00:03:04] Magna was looking to open up their first powertrain plant in Ramos in Mexico.

[00:03:10] I got offered the job. That was my first job in Magna to open up a plant. It's one of our

[00:03:15] largest facilities now. And I guess I got stuck. I love how dynamic the industry is

[00:03:22] and never look back and wouldn't see myself doing anything else.

[00:03:27] At the time of this broadcast, Magna's Global Network includes 345 manufacturing facilities

[00:03:34] and 105 product development, engineering and sales centers spanning 28 countries.

[00:03:41] Despite its global presence, Magna's organizational structure is designed to spur innovation as if it

[00:03:48] were a startup. And this startup mindset has led Magna down some interesting roads.

[00:03:54] For example, in the 1990s when I was writing my high school paper and arguing with my friends

[00:03:59] about which truck was the best, Magna was looking at hydroforming technology from the plumbing

[00:04:05] industry, later developing that into a high pressure process for truck frames.

[00:04:11] Magna would eventually secure the business of the largest truck program in the world at the time,

[00:04:17] despite never having built a truck frame. These days, Magna is leveraging both its global footprint

[00:04:24] and startup routes to accommodate a range of powertrains from ice and hybrid to full electrification.

[00:04:32] Magna has a really long and rich history in powertrain. I think we're famous for our

[00:04:39] overdrive, overdrive products, transfer cases, overdrive couplings and so on and so forth.

[00:04:45] Then several years ago with the acquisition of GetTrack, we also got a strong position

[00:04:50] in dual clutch transmissions. And really those products consist of a set of building blocks,

[00:04:58] mostly traditional building blocks like a clutch system, hydraulic system.

[00:05:03] And we added three building blocks to start addressing electrification, which is really

[00:05:08] electric traction motors, inverters and software. And by combining all these building blocks,

[00:05:15] we found out that we can and have developed a product lineup that really covers

[00:05:22] everything from traditional ice vehicle to all the different hybrid systems that we know,

[00:05:29] and obviously to the extreme of battery electric vehicles. There's been a lot of talk about the

[00:05:36] adoption rate of electrification lately. I think as Magna we've been maybe more

[00:05:42] conservative than some competitors and OEMs in the past, but our strategy is to be really

[00:05:49] agnostic in terms of the source of the power in the vehicle. But we want to focus on bringing

[00:05:56] that power to the wheels. In that regard, I think we can utilize our existing asset base

[00:06:02] and our products and be very confident depending on how the market evolves.

[00:06:10] We've created a group called the new mobility group. And we're treating it a little bit as

[00:06:17] startup within our own company, but we do see a lot of opportunities there. So whether it's

[00:06:25] battery swapping technology, software around that, mobility in industrial applications which

[00:06:33] we can use, so for example, automated transport units for logistic and manufacturing,

[00:06:41] combined with data science, generative AI, industry 4.0 activity. So that's the broader

[00:06:49] vision of mobility that we see. And I think it blends really well with our traditional

[00:06:56] products and knowledge. The term software-defined CAR is now part of our automotive lexicon.

[00:07:03] The definition will likely change depending on who you ask, but Magna's approach is about

[00:07:09] intelligent integration to increase vehicle functionality and to enhance the user experience.

[00:07:17] If you think about it, the way we have been designing and delivering products for a customer

[00:07:23] in the past, it was the typical V development model where our customers would ask us to

[00:07:29] design and deliver a product for one cycle. Now this product always had hardware and software.

[00:07:36] People sometimes forget in a transmission, for example, the vast majority of the content already

[00:07:43] 10, 15 years ago was always software. But I think now we use it in a different context.

[00:07:49] I do believe that the software-defined vehicle, it's a buzzword but definitely the car of the

[00:07:56] future will be a software-defined vehicle and it's all about integrating communication,

[00:08:04] software, vehicle engineering in a very seamless way. We also believe that there's

[00:08:09] an inflection point coming right now where probably we're going to see a decoupling

[00:08:16] of the software itself and the compute unit. So think about apps, bigger central compute

[00:08:24] units in the vehicle. So in order to do that you need to have the system knowledge,

[00:08:30] the vehicle knowledge to be able to supply even sensors. I mean we're pretty big in sensors,

[00:08:38] whether it's ultrasonic cameras, radar bells and so on and so forth. But using those sensors to

[00:08:47] provide added functions and capabilities through software, I think that's where the future lives.

[00:08:53] In January of 2023, Magnus Clearview made its production debut for Ram HD trucks,

[00:09:00] the 2500 and the 3500. So what Clearview does is it bundles camera and mirror technology to reduce

[00:09:08] blind spots and increase overall visibility for the driver, which is super helpful if they're

[00:09:14] towing a trailer with one of these big workhorse style trucks. Magnus Clearview system includes

[00:09:20] an interior rear view video mirror, exterior mirrors with integrated cameras and then a

[00:09:26] center high mounted brake lamp camera at the back of the truck. There's an additional trailer camera

[00:09:32] that's available to assist with towing duties of any kind. So on the open road at higher speeds or

[00:09:38] during low speed maneuvers like in a parking lot, you can switch between an optical rear view and

[00:09:45] a video display that shows up to three camera views simultaneously. When it comes to trucks,

[00:09:52] there's a tendency to focus on the big numbers because the big numbers are cool.

[00:09:57] For example, the 2024 Ram 3500 HD has a max payload capacity of up to 7,680 pounds and a max towing

[00:10:08] capacity of up to 37,090 pounds when properly equipped. The six seven liter Cummins high

[00:10:23] 1075 pound feet of torque. So yeah, you can tow and haul anything you want with these trucks,

[00:10:30] but with big vehicles, it's the little things like Clearview that matter.

[00:10:36] It's funny that you said that because I oversee this power invasion segment

[00:10:41] and the reason we put that together was really because we saw early on that the combination

[00:10:48] of cameras, lighting software, ADAS is really a magical space in a space that brings a lot

[00:10:56] of opportunity for us. So we see ourselves as a supplier for complete intelligent vision systems.

[00:11:03] We make a lot of mirrors all types of mirrors, of course. We are the largest supplier of cameras

[00:11:12] and we're a big ad as supplier and combining those things. I think our best example today

[00:11:18] is our DMS is a driver monitoring system that's built into the inside mirror. So it creates a lot of

[00:11:27] advantages for the OEM. It reduces the styling impact because you don't see the camera, but at

[00:11:33] the same time you have the best possible angle on an unobstructed view to the driver. So with

[00:11:40] that, again, we reduce cost for the OEM but add a lot of functionality. And we are bringing this to

[00:11:49] the next level by combining our DMS with our Clearview mirror. So now you could have a front

[00:11:56] facing camera, combine it with our DMS and do things like driver and passenger detection,

[00:12:04] driver behavior, seat belt detection. Part of our long term vision is we want to make

[00:12:11] mobility more accessible but most importantly safer, smarter and cleaner. So if you think about

[00:12:20] many of the products that we have around the vision systems are focused on making the experience

[00:12:29] safer not only for the driver but also for other participants in traffic.

[00:12:36] Like software defined cars, EVs are another term at the top of our automotive lexicon.

[00:12:42] A prevailing question when it comes to EVs is when? In what year and at what time can we expect

[00:12:49] X percentage of consumer adoption followed by the next increase in percentage

[00:12:54] and the next and the next until eventual full adoption. I admire the professionals in the automotive

[00:13:01] industry who were good at these types of forecast. If this is you and you're good at seeing trends

[00:13:07] like this, you have my respect. If you are uncertain about the future no matter what your

[00:13:12] talents are in the automotive industry, I take some inspiration from Magna's approach here.

[00:13:18] Stay true to a unifying vision and core values and work outward from there.

[00:13:24] We've spent a lot of time thinking about what the future could look like. Our vision points to

[00:13:30] that which is advancing mobility for everyone and everything but in a responsible way and making

[00:13:37] vehicles more accessible, smarter, safer and cleaner. Since we don't know exactly how the

[00:13:44] future or how fast the trends are going to materialize and the automotive industry currently is in

[00:13:51] this uncertain moment where electrification was pushed really hard a couple of years ago,

[00:13:58] now it seems to be that it's slowing down. I like to say we are strategically agnostic

[00:14:05] because with that we reduce limitations of putting all our eggs in one basket.

[00:14:10] What I mean with that is we can cover all different segments or proportional types right now.

[00:14:19] In fact, if electrification takes a little longer, that means we're going to make some of our

[00:14:24] traditional products for a longer period of time. Combined with all of that is the thought of

[00:14:30] sustainability of course. I think at the end of the day that is going to drive through policy

[00:14:36] a lot of the technology. We as Magna are committed to be or achieve net zero emission target by 2050

[00:14:45] but we also believe that once you get more into renewable energies, battery electric vehicles

[00:14:52] will start taking off again and we'll be ready for that. While on site for the tech event,

[00:14:58] I rode in a demonstrator vehicle with Magna's intelligent command and this was one of the

[00:15:03] highlights of the day. With regard to its functionality, there are a few key terms and an

[00:15:09] acronym DHD that you will see. Here's a look at the terminology and functionality around

[00:15:16] intelligent command. I'll define the DHD acronym and then I'll use ICE as shorthand for internal

[00:15:24] combustion engine but as a baseline, intelligent command contains the dedicated hybrid drive

[00:15:31] DHD plus at the front and the eDrive mid plus at the rear axle. The complete system is designed for

[00:15:39] plug-in hybrid and full hybrid applications and leverages advanced software based operating

[00:15:45] strategies to provide better performance and efficiency. DHD stands for Dedicated Hybrid Drive.

[00:15:54] So DHD plus or Dedicated Hybrid Drive plus is the name given to a specific transmission

[00:16:01] developed by Magna. It's a dual clutch transmission integrated with a high power high voltage eMotor.

[00:16:09] EDrive plus refers to one of Magna's three in one eDrive systems. The mid plus designation

[00:16:16] represents its power level within Magna's eDrive family which also has low and high power

[00:16:23] options. The eDrive mid plus system has options for things like disconnection and torque vectoring.

[00:16:31] The intelligent command demonstrator vehicle that I wrote in as part of Magna's tech day had torque

[00:16:37] vectoring capability. Inside our demonstrator vehicle was a touchscreen that showed the power

[00:16:43] distribution in real time as we drove and it was really cool to watch. E-Telligent command

[00:16:49] utilizes that eMotor integrated into the dedicated hybrid drive plus transmission along with a second

[00:16:57] rear eDrive. The combination allowed our demonstration vehicle to drive like a battery electric vehicle

[00:17:04] but then add ice power when needed. The eMotor contained within the dedicated hybrid drive

[00:17:11] plus can start the ice engine at any given time and likewise the ice engine can in turn

[00:17:18] charge the high voltage battery. In steady state cruising the electric motors disconnect to minimize

[00:17:25] drag allowing the ice engine to solely power the front wheels through the dedicated hybrid drive

[00:17:32] plus transmission. Magna engineers later explained to me that eTelligent command is designed

[00:17:38] specifically to engage and disengage clutches between gear changes without power interruption.

[00:17:46] For me as a passenger this meant that even though I could see the transitions visually

[00:17:51] through the graphic animations on the center touchscreen display I could not actually feel

[00:17:57] them. The gear changes were seamless to me as a passenger even under a heavy acceleration

[00:18:04] scenario. Despite my best efforts here my description of eTelligent command doesn't do it justice.

[00:18:11] If you ever get the chance I encourage you to take a demo drive with the Magna team.

[00:18:17] The creativity of how it's all designed, how it all works that has really stuck with me.

[00:18:24] As our conversation came to a close I asked Tom where do Magna engineers

[00:18:29] get their creative inspiration from? That is a great question and it's all about

[00:18:36] the people in our company and the culture in our company. Every company can buy assets,

[00:18:42] can purchase technology and can compete but what makes us different are the people that work here.

[00:18:50] We have an incredible pool of talent and some very passionate engineers that love

[00:18:57] what they do and want to identify with our vision and our mission and we have to create the environment

[00:19:04] for them to fail quick because that's what innovation is. You cannot expect that 10 out of 10

[00:19:11] projects that you start to innovate will become reality. Having that liberty, understanding

[00:19:17] that failure is not failure but it's actually another step to success in a creative environment

[00:19:23] I think is a key to our success. See the links in the show notes to learn more about Magna International

[00:19:29] and software-defined vehicles. AutoVision News Radio is on the digital antennas of Spotify,

[00:19:35] Apple Podcasts, Podbean and more. In Troy, Michigan alongside Tom Rucker, I'm Carl Anthony,

[00:19:42] AutoVision News Radio.