Tag Archives: News Blog

John Cooper Works Mini EV or the Evolution of Small Appliances?

December 29, 2020 admin

John Cooper Works Mini and electrification, do they go together? Do buyers who pay a premium for the JCW brand want or need an electric version?

Does the evolution of the Mini model range and parent corporation BMW’s ongoing expansion of electric mobility offer anything new for enthusiasts and loyal owners of the John Cooper Works brand? Driving enjoyment being the raison d’être for JCW, does this mean that extreme performance and genuine driving enjoyment will be available with electric drive as well as combustion engines? Will this open up new possibilities for future Mini vehicle architecture?

If you ask Mini, they’ll tell you all about what they’ve accomplished in electric mobility. They referenced the Mini Cooper SE Countryman ALL4 plug-in hybrid’s miserly combined fuel and power consumption, as the rationale that led to electrification of 5 percent of the brand. With the launch of the all-electric Mini Cooper SE, 10 percent of all Minis were now plug-ins. Based on just 10 percent and not considering the 90 percent still gas-powered, Mini said in a press release that they are preparing to press on in the development of John Cooper Works EV models.

“With the Mini Electric, we’ve shown how well brand-typical driving enjoyment and electric mobility can be combined,” said Bernd Körber, head of the Mini brand. “Now it’s time to translate the passion for performance of the John Cooper Works brand to electromobility. That’s why we’re working to develop concepts for electric John Cooper Works models.”

The current focus on the development of a Mini John Cooper Works EV demonstrates just how important electric mobility is in terms of BMW’s future direction, a goal of sustainability, if not performance and passion.

“John Cooper Works models with conventional combustion engines will still continue to have an important role to play, to make sure we’re addressing the wishes and needs of performance enthusiasts all around the world,” said Bernd Körber. “With this new focus on electric performance, we’re also creating the opportunity to sharpen the distinctive profile of the John Cooper Works brand more than ever before.”

Battery-powered tools and appliances being what they are, I’ll keep my corded DeWalt drill and rotary saw. It’s frustrating having to wait for cordless tools to power up again. I wonder if John Cooper Works EV owners will feel the same?

[ Images: Mini]

2020 Chevrolet Corvette Production Resumes, Gold-Chain Set Relieved

October 19, 2020 admin

<img data-attachment-id="1738096" data-permalink="https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/10/gm-runs-out-of-corvette-parts-production-paused/new-corvette-stingray-2/" data-orig-file="http://lntransportation.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/2020-chevrolet-corvette-production-resumes-gold-chain-set-relieved-5.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,853" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"6.3","credit":"Chevrolet\/Walker","camera":"NIKON D850","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1581742800","copyright":"JESSICA LYNN WALKER","focal_length":"40","iso":"250","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"New Corvette Stingray","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="New Corvette Stingray" data-image-description="

Last week, we told you a parts shortage had halted production of the Chevrolet Corvette C8.

Now the lines are rolling again.

The parts-shortage shutdown followed production shutdowns due to a UAW strike and the coronavirus pandemic.

Reports now indicate that 800-850 units of Chevy’s flagship sports car are now rolling off the assembly line in Bowling Green, Kentucky each week, with plans to continue production of 2020 models deep into December, perhaps right up until the holiday break that ends the year.

This after a second shift was added earlier this month to help catch up to demand.

I just drove the C8 for the first time, and contributor Chris gave it high marks, so demand for the ‘Vette is understandable. It’s a damn good car, and of course it’s also the first model year of a new generation. Always catnip when it comes to iconic models — buyers want to be among the first.

Production of the 2020 has been a mess, but what hasn’t in 2020? The report suggests some 2021s could also be built before year’s end if the production shutdowns don’t mess with the planned timeline too much, but who knows? When it comes to making plans, the only certainty in this crazy year is uncertainty.

[Image: Chevrolet/GM]

Detroit Wrapping on Ventilator Production, Returning to Cars

August 26, 2020 admin

<img data-attachment-id="1733216" data-permalink="https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/08/detroit-wrapping-on-ventilator-production-returning-to-cars/shutterstock_1158833029/" data-orig-file="http://lntransportation.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/detroit-wrapping-on-ventilator-production-returning-to-cars-5.jpg" data-orig-size="1000,667" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="silverado production fort wayne GM factory assembly pickup production" data-image-description="

John Gress Media Inc/Shutterstock

General Motors and Ford Motor Company are about to conclude their prolonged stint of ventilator production. In case you were unaware, these businesses typically manufacturer automobiles (cars, for the layperson) and have allocated a portion of their factory space to build medical equipment that was assumed to be useful during the pandemic. However, the United States now has more ventilators than it knows what to do with, and most of them seem like they won’t be required — so it’s mission accomplished, unless COVID-19 suddenly becomes a much more vicious illness.

Either way, GM and Ford both plan to re-prioritize vehicle production. The Blue Oval moved core staff off ventilator lines and back to their normal places of assembly months ago. Some of the remaining temporary workers hired to assist with the medical equipment are said to have an opportunity building the new Ford Bronco. Meanwhile, GM says it wants to move ventilator production to a facility in Kokomo, Indiana, next month, where it will hand operations over to Ventec Life Systems as it regains the union employs allocated for the project. Temporary hires will be absorbed by Ventec.

According to Reuters, GM and Ventec are in the last leg of completing their joint contract to deliver 30,000 critical care ventilators by the end of August under a $489 million contract with the federal government. Ford has reportedly assembled around 47,000 of the 50,000 ventilators it agreed to supply with help from General Electric Co. That contract is worth roughly $336 million.

From Reuters:

[Health and Human Services] said it has received more than 69,000 ventilators assembled by GM, Ford and their partners, and “both of these delivery schedules are nearly complete.”

Ford and GM earlier this year said they would employ a total of as many as 1,500 people on ventilator assembly lines. Automakers likened the efforts to their switch from making cars to tanks and planes during the Second World War.

While roughly 12,000-15,000 ventilators have been issued to U.S. hospitals, the Health and Human Services (HHS) department reported that the government has nearly 110,000 ventilators stockpiled. While President Trump suggested a large portion of those will be issued to other countries in need, demand has come down immensely. We know the United States shipped heaps of personal protective equipment to China before COVID-19 officially became a global pandemic, and that the plan was to continue doing so while incorporating breathing machines (though the latter would not be donated) once the U.S. had a reliable supply for itself. It was also made clear that other nations would be given priority, as Trump said he planned to donate 200 to the United Kingdom in April.

But treatment strategies changed.

Invasive ventilators have been replaced with sleep apnea machines for at-risk patients or simply rolling them onto their sides and giving them helpful prescriptions. The HHS also confessed that the U.S. probably never needed quite so many units as were being manufactured. “States initially requested far more ventilators than they actually needed,” an HHS spokeswoman explained, adding that orders were placed at at time where the nation had more questions than answers.

Even though ventilators are being taken off the table at automotive plants, the industry will still manufacture personal protective equipment (masks, face shields) for the foreseeable future. Demand for PPE has not diminished in the slightest, and the situation is unlikely to change while face coverings are still required to interact with the public. It’s a situation we don’t see changing, even as Sweden (a country that went largely mask-free, didn’t do lockdowns, and still avoided mass contagion) has started to claim that masks are effectively useless against the virus. The rhetoric is quite different here, though not terribly distinct from most first-world nations that wanted to exercise the maximum amount of caution.

Presidential candidate Joe Biden recently said that “every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing” and recommended their continued use until at least November of this year. The right has been more flippant about the usefulness of face coverings in general, but even President Trump offered his own tepid endorsement this summer.

We figure this will result in automakers tossing together masks until at least 2021, though the demand this places on companies is much lower than ventilator manufacturing and shouldn’t interfere with the core business of automakers.

[Image: John Gress Media Inc/Shutterstock]

Batteries Not Included: Nio Ready to Lease EV Power Packs

August 20, 2020 admin

<img data-attachment-id="1732470" data-permalink="https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/08/batteries-not-included-nio-ready-to-lease-ev-power-packs/shutterstock_1523107277/" data-orig-file="http://lntransportation.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/batteries-not-included-nio-ready-to-lease-ev-power-packs-5.jpg" data-orig-size="1000,635" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="nio es6 in California" data-image-description="

Michael Vi/Shutterstock

Chinese automaker Nio is planning to allow customers to lease vehicle batteries independently from the cars themselves, and has involved Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) in the venture.

Considering EVs are useless without their battery, leasing an essential component seems to serve little purpose on its face. But Nio intends to sell its ES6 crossover for 273,600 yuan ($39,500) in China with the option to lease the battery for 980 yuan a month. Customers can also choose to purchase the entire vehicle outright for 343,600 yuan ($49,600) if they haven’t tricked themselves into believing a better battery is less than a year away.

This is a weird one, because the stated purpose is to lower the vehicle’s upfront costs. But it’s just a paperweight without an energy source, forcing customers to lease the power pack if they want to use the vehicle — and at no small cost. The companies announced the new program in Beijing on Thursday with Nio CEO William Li stating his company plans to enter Europe in the second half of 2021. Hopefully they’ll be dumb enough to accept the batteries-as-a-service premise.

The “as a service” suffix is one we’ve seen attached to numerous industries in the 21st century as technology and greed collide. Effectively, it means taking anything you could have paid for once and transforming it into an endless cycle of regular payments via a subscription service. While it makes sense in some instances (streaming services, cable), it’s often a predatory business tactic designed to weasel more money out of the customer — and it’s creeping into the automotive realm.

The video game industry is probably the best example of this doubled-edged sword, if only because it has had more time to develop there.

Games traditionally sold via physical retailers can now be downloaded online, often with routine (often mandatory) updates to change the software. This gives publishers the ability to offer new content in exchange for rolling fees. But the act has rubbed the gaming community the wrong way, as many AAA tiles now incorporate microtransactions and paywalls where none previously existed. As the car becomes more connected, we’re seeing the same happen within the automotive community. Companies are now examining ways to sell more features (sometimes entire vehicles) using the subscription model.

While we’ve seen other Chinese EV firms toying with ways to swap battery packs, like BAIC Motor Corp. Nio appears to be the only brand considering extending the service beyond commercial fleets. The new joint venture, titled Wuhan Weineng Battery Asset Management, will handle all aspects of handling batteries for customers once the cells leave CATL’s factories and will be working exclusively on Nio vehicles. Automotive News reports Wuhan Weineng is interested in taking on additional partners eventually, however.

From AN:

The new venture, which will handle leasing, charging, maintenance and upgrades of batteries separate from its cars, will be part owned by Nio and battery giant CATL. Other investors are Guotai Junan Financial Products Co. and the government-backed Hubei Provincial Science and Technology Investment Group.

The four owners will each invest an initial 200 million yuan ($28.9 million) into the venture, called Wuhan Weineng Battery Asset Management Co. More investors are in the process of participating, Li said.

Shanghai-based Nio, which this year received a municipal government cash injection and credit facilities from local banks, reported a positive gross margin for the first time in the second quarter. Its sleek ES8 and ES6 utility vehicles are attracting buyers as the coronavirus pandemic eases in China, helping Nio’s stock price more than triple this year.

Its sales have been weak, however. China’s battery market cratered after the nation withdrew subsidies. Nio didn’t even manage to reach 20,000 deliveries through the first half of 2020. But it’s assumed that EV sales will continue to rise, especially now that China has reintroduced new perks for those buying new-energy vehicles.

Currently, Nio only sells its products within the confines of China and believes volume will increase as it enters more markets. Europe is on the docket for next year, with an Asian expansion expected to follow in 2022. Ideally, Nio said it wanted to be seen as a global automaker before 2024.

[Images: Michael Vi/Shutterstock]

QOTD: Worthy of the Hype?

July 14, 2020 admin

It’s time to render a verdict, fair jurors.

You’ve now seen the Ford Bronco from every angle, in every guise, and probably spend part of your evening figuring out just what you could afford (sorry, Canadians — the entry-level Base tops $40k in your overpriced country; it’s $28,500 before destination in the U.S.). Ford clearly put a lot of effort into its swing.

Was it a miss, or did the Blue Oval knock it out of the park?

It’s rare to witness online journalists pledge their scarce dollars on a new vehicle, but that’s what some were seen doing last night. It says something about the Bronco’s appeal. There’s a vast array of goodies to be had in the returning model, and a lot of the vehicle’s charm lies in just how basic the Bronco can get — while remaining perfectly capable.

I’ll admit that my own cynical self, annoyed by the megaton of buzz and anticipatory hype foisted upon this returning nameplate, came away quite enamored by the Bronco. That said, it’ll be interesting to see whether the model has staying power in its fight against the long-running Jeep Wrangler. After that initial first year, after the early enthusiasm dies down, who knows where the volume will go.

It at least looks like it stands a chance — there’s just too much going for it. And the build configurations! There’s actually choice to be had here.

So, rather than go on and on about what I like about it, get typing, B&B. Ford aimed to bring back a retro, heritage-steeped model to take on an a rugged rival. Did it meet your expectations, surpass them, or fall short of the mark?

[Images: Ford]

Juiced: Ford Bronco Can’t Seem to Shake Its Association With a Certain Low-speed Chase

June 15, 2020 admin

Your author was once a CNN addict. As soon as cable TV reached his humble childhood home, you could find him sitting cross-legged in front of that 20-inch set, absorbing a flood of diverse, on-the-scene news reporting taking place in a number of locales outside the Beltway. It was like Opposite World compared to today.

And yes, that impressionable youth stayed up late the night of June 17th, 1994, watching a certain white SUV make its way down an L.A. freeway. Twenty-six years later, the iconic nameplate that famously ferried the guy who played Detective Nordberg from Naked Gun (there was a football career, too, I’m told) is back, due for a July 9th reveal.

What are the odds that the (deferred) debut date happens to be the birthday of that infamous Bronco occupant?

Obviously, one in 365. While we were made aware of the new date over the weekend, the connection to a certain O.J. Simpson first came to my attention by way of a tweet from Motor Authority‘s Joel Feder.

Memories came flooding back. It was a boring chase, as far as chases go, providing no demonstration of the last-generation Bronco’s on- or off-road prowess, with nothing in the way of rock crawling or hill climbing. Let’s be honest — we were all hoping for more entertainment that night. That said, the resulting trial galvanized the world and inspired a Seinfeld secondary character whose existence still brightens my life.

As for the upcoming Bronco, that returning model’s debut was originally supposed to take place at the newly winter-free Detroit auto show — until the coronavirus pandemic scuttled the June event. With a pressing need to get the Bronco reveal out of the way before late July’s F-150 debut, Ford settled on a date.

The automaker’s North American product communication manager, Mike Levine, told the Detroit Free Press that the launch date’s O.J. connection was “purely coincidental.”

As the Juice celebrates his 73rd birthday, the motoring press will be tuned in to the unveiling of Ford’s new Jeep Wrangler-fighting off-roader. Over the past several months, a waterfall of leaks has revealed quite a bit about a vehicle Ford wishes was a bit more shadowy, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t buzz. If anything, there’s more because of the online leakage. It’s a product many, including TTAC’s Adam Tonge, want to get their hands on.

And when it launches, the O.J. connection “will be the lede, or at least the reference point, in every Bronco debut story,” said Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Kelley Blue Book.

Some vehicles just can’t seem to shake their past, no matter how much the new leadership would like to wish it away. Assuming, of course, that they aren’t in favor of this extra level of attention.

[Image: Ford]

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Tag Archives: News Blog

John Cooper Works Mini EV or the Evolution of Small Appliances?

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2020 Chevrolet Corvette Production Resumes, Gold-Chain Set Relieved

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Detroit Wrapping on Ventilator Production, Returning to Cars

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Batteries Not Included: Nio Ready to Lease EV Power Packs

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QOTD: Worthy of the Hype?

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Juiced: Ford Bronco Can’t Seem to Shake Its Association With a Certain Low-speed Chase

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