Tag Archives: Automakers

Tesla Chooses Texas for Next Gigafactory

In case you were wondering if Texas or Oklahoma was the site for the new Gigafactory, that’s Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas on the left.

Things are coming up roses for Tesla these days – yellow roses – as the California-based EV maker announced it will build its next Gigafactory on a 2,000-acre plot of land just outside Austin, Texas.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed the choice – Tulsa, Oklahoma was the other finalist – during the company’s second quarter earnings call. He said the site, which is on the banks of the Colorado River, would be an “ecological paradise” with a hiking and biking trail open to the public, should open sometime next year.

The plant, dubbed GigaTexas, will build a variety of vehicles, including the new Cybertruck and the Tesla semi. It will also handle Model 3 and Model Y production for the eastern half of North America. He also noted that Tulsa could still be in line for a future factory. After announcement, Musk was quick to point out the company will still grow in California.

(Tesla reports $104M Q2 profit; fourth consecutive quarter of profits.)

“We expect California to do Model X and S for worldwide consumption, and 3 and Y for the western half of North America. We also think the Tesla Roadster … would make sense in California. I think this is a nice split between Texas and California.”

Tesla’s Cybertruck is one of four products that the company will build at GigaTexas once it’s complete.

In addition to what is going to get built where in the U.S., Musk addressed potential future products and how they fit into the company’s plans.

“It would be reasonable to assume we’d make a compact vehicle of some kind, and probably a high capacity vehicle of some kind,” he said. “These are likely things at some point. I do think there’s a long way to go with 3 and Y, Cybertruck and semi. There’s a long way to go with those. I think we’ll do the obvious things.”

While future product is critical to the company’s long-term growth, Musk says he’s got his eyes on a short-term prize: full-self driving. The CEO has long predicted that (insert year here) will be when FSD will be available in vehicles.

However, after years of missed deadlines, the company may be on track to meet his latest goal of having it available sometime this year. He called it the “most important thing” on his very full agenda, adding “everything else is pretty small by comparison.”

(Texas offers Tesla $80M in incentives for new gigafactory.)

Musk has been selling the FSD to buyers for several years now but increasing the price for the dormant technology during the past few years, starting at $5,000 to add it and now it sits at $8,000 and it’s going to get pricier as it gets closer to launch. However, there’s a good reason to charge so much money for the technology, Musk believes, as you’ll get what you pay for — and then some.

Tesla is getting ready to produce its first heavy-duty model, the all-electric Semi. It, too, will be built at the new plant in Texas.

“I think the upgrading of the fleet to full-self driving, essentially with an over-the-air software update, I mean may go down as the biggest asset value increase in history as a step change,” he said. “Overnight … you’d have like, I don’t know, a few million cars suddenly becoming five times more valuable.”

Those vehicles also become an even bigger revenue stream for Musk and Tesla as then he can begin to sell access for services, like shopping, games, movies, etc. that could be used by drivers as they allow their vehicle to drive them to their destination.

In fact, Musk is using an advanced test version of the technology now and says he can drive from his home to the office without intervention. While he wouldn’t commit to it being ready this year, he suggested he thought it would be, then it would be a matter of governmental approvals.

(CEO Musk sees big growth coming soon for Tesla.)

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FCA CEO Manley Says Hybrid Wrangler Arriving By End of 2020

FCA CEO Mike Manley told attendees at the company’s annual shareholder meeting held online that the new Jeep Wrangler would be here by the end of 2020.

After sitting on the sidelines when it came to electric vehicles and their derivatives Fiat Chrysler revealed it’s now in the game with the introduction of the Jeep Wrangler plug-in hybrid.

FCA CEO Mike Manley discussed the importance of the new entry during the company’s annual general meeting held online Friday. Prior to the Wrangler, the company’s only real efforts at electrification were the current Chrysler Pacifica hybrid and a past iteration of the Fiat 500e.

That vehicle was so reviled by then-CEO Sergio Marchionne, he implored people not to buy it because he said the company lost too much money on the sale of each vehicle. The new Wrangler hybrid will usher in a new era at FCA.

(Jeep bringing three plug-in hybrids to CES.)

“Jeep’s icon the Wrangler will arrive on the market with a 4xe version that will be on the front line of our electrification strategy in North America,” he said during the automaker’s annual general meeting held online because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Detroit News.

All Jeep plug-in hybrids will adopt this badge in the future, starting with the new Wrangler hybrid.

Going forward, all electrified Jeep products will carry a special “4xe” badge. Now the arrival of the hybrid Wrangler wasn’t really a surprise, as had been discussed for some time and made an earlier appearance at CES in Las Vegas in January.

No real details were given at the time, but now Manley said it will be available in the U.S. by the end of this year. China and Europe will get it sometime in the first quarter of 2021. Manley didn’t offer up what Jeep models are next to be electrified, if you will.

(Click Here for an earlier look at Jeep’s PHEV plans.)

However, at CES the Wrangler was joined by Compass and Renegade hybrid vehicles. It wasn’t even the first real event for those vehicles either, Jeep having teased versions of the Compass and Renegade plug-ins last year.

The new Jeep Wrangler hybrid is slated to arrive at the end of 2020.

If it hasn’t torn up those original plans, we can expect to see the new plug-in hybrids deliver up to 31 miles range and the ability to operate at speeds up to 62 mph in all-electric mode. The gas and electric power sources, the brand said last year, combine to deliver about 240 horsepower.

The hybrids are critical to the commitment to offer electrified versions of all Jeeps by 2022 to meeting tougher carbon emissions standards in other parts of the world. Orders for the plug-in Jeep Compass and Renegade crossovers in Europe will start in by early July.

(FCA makes splash at SEMA as Jeep takes 4×4 award.)

Manley did not talk about the brand’s larger, pricier models, which will need to find a place for a plug sooner rather than later, especially the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, which will be built in Warren, Michigan.

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Volkswagen Unveils New-Look Arteon for 2021

Volkswagen revealed the 2021 Arteon with a new more angular, athletic look.

Volkswagen unveiled its redesigned flagship model, the Arteon, revealing an updated exterior and what officials believe to be a significantly upgraded interior for the 2021 model year.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. The automaker is expanding the line-up to add a shooting brake, or wagon, version of the new Arteon — for Europe only. So for journalists and other rare fans of wagons, no dice.

But the new exterior gives the brand’s halo car a more aggressive look with some premium touches, which fits with what the company believes Arteon buyers want.

(VW debuting 2021 Arteon sedan, new shooting brake June 24.)

In fact, the new model more than ever is aimed at the qualities VW officials believe Arteon buyers ascribe to the vehicle: fun-to-drive, good performance, nice exterior styling and a feeling of refinement. In short, they want a premium car for a less-than-premium price tag. Volkswagen’s happy to deliver that to them.

“People are buying Volkswagens for the driving experience,” officials said.

Part of that experience is walking up to car and liking what you see. For the 2021 model year, the update is more evolution than revolution. The front end gets a more angular, sharpened look compared with its predecessor. The grille “is not just avant-garde, it’s also aerodynamic,” officials noted. That shows up in its drag coefficient of just 0.265.

The Arteon also gets a new illuminated grille and LED daytime running lights that connect form a central light bar, surrounding the new Volkswagen logo and using light as the new chrome. Consequently, the Arteon has been given a new and unmistakable daytime and night-time lighting signature.

In addition to the light bar, the front apron features three chrome bars instead of the four that used to be there. The outer and bottom segments of the front apron are always the same color as the vehicle’s paintwork (except the lateral air intake grilles). Another change comes with the SE trim level which gets two additional air intake openings, adding to the sedan’s more aggressive look.

(Volkswagen making $2B wager on China’s EV market.)

This overall look carries across the entire sedan, which adds three new colors for the 2021 model year: Oryx White, Kings Red Metallic and Lapiz Blue.

The biggest change comes on the inside, where VW designers wanted to give the Arteon a much more premium feel than past models. The idea was to compete with the Audi A5, and they believe they achieved it.

Volkswagen’s interior designers redesigned the entire dash panel – the surfaces, air outlets, and trims –the center console, including infotainment section and air-conditioning control, and the top sections of the door trims. The fabrics and leather in the vehicle interior have also been upgraded.

The Arteon interior is really where sporty elegance meets high-level functionality, starting with the next-gen multifunction steering wheel with digital touch surfaces. In combination with the Travel Assist system, the steering wheel rim additionally features touch-sensitive surfaces which, once Travel Assist has been activated, detect whether the driver has at least one hand on the steering wheel for safety reasons.