Tag Archives: Automobiles

Honda Gets Approval for Level 3 Driving in Japan

November 11, 2020 admin

Honda just received approval to implement Level 3 autonomous technology in Japan.

Much of the focus on autonomous driving has been on Tesla, Waymo and, perhaps to a lesser extent, General Motors. However, it may be time to shine the spotlight on Honda as it passed a new milestone: Level 3 autonomy.

The automaker just received approval from Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to use its new technology to drive vehicles under certain conditions on roads in the country, in this case during congested highway traffic.

The new tech, which it calls Traffic Jam Pilot, will be made available on its Honda Legend before March 31, 2021, which is the end of its fiscal year, according to the automaker. It’s not currently in use in the United States.

(Honda adds new tech, tweaks styling to keep 2021 Accord fresh.)

In order to use Traffic Jam Pilot, Honda drivers must display this sticker.

The system has to meet some minimum requirements to be used, including its use doesn’t compromise the safety of the vehicle’s occupants or other road users, adopt cyber security measures to prevent unauthorized access by hackers, a driver monitoring function, an operating recording device and a sticker on the back of the vehicle indicating it’s an automated vehicle.

Honda’s the first automaker to take advantage of changes to an amendment to Japan’s Road Vehicle Act allowing Level 3 autonomous vehicles on the road, however, the company said it had no plans to stop there.

“Honda will remain dedicated to the further development of safety technologies while striving to serve people worldwide with the joy and freedom of mobility, providing people with peace of mind and inspire their feeling of curiosity,” the company said in its release.

(Honda quitting F1, shifting resources to EV development.)

The MILT, which keeps tabs on all of the efforts by automakers in this arena, views this technology playing an important role in road safety in the future.

“Self-driving cars are expected to play a big role in helping reduce traffic accidents, provide transportation for the elderly and improve logistics,” said Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Autonomous vehicles come with six levels, ranging from 0 to 5. For example, Level 2 cars can control their own speed and steering but must have an alert driver able to take control at all times. Tesla’s Autopilot and GM’s Super Cruise would be examples of Level 2 autonomous, which is typically described as semi-autonomous.

(Tesla Autopilot slammed as Consumer Reports gives top rating to Cadillac Super Cruise.)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeated said the company’s full-service driving function will be operational by the end of this year, but it’s unlikely to be able to be used at that point, pending U.S. government (and other foreign governments) approval. The company plans to charge as much as $10,000 for the technology.

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Bentley Shifting to All-Electric Portfolio by 2030

November 5, 2020 admin

Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark discusses the company’s Beyond100 plan.

British performance luxury marque Bentley plans to shift from internal combustion powerplants to battery-electric fast enough to make your head snap like so many of the vehicles it produces — in less than a decade.

Bentley’s push to electrify its entire portfolio with hybrids and battery-electric vehicles by 2026 with a move to BEVs only by 2030 is part of the company’s overall goal of being a carbon-negative company by the end of this decade. Those goals, and others, are all wrapped up in its Beyond100 strategic plan designed to keep the brand at the top of the luxury heap with its current customers as well as future buyers.

It’s this push – driven largely by governmental mandates – to make the company carbon neutral that ultimately trickled down into the plans for the vehicles, CEO Adrian Hallmark said.

(Bentley unwraps updated 2021 Bentayga.)

Bentley executives participate in the Beyond100 webcast Thursday.

The company will launch not one, but two new hybrids next year. Further it expects that its entire model line-up will offer a hybrid variant to match the gas-powered vehicle by 2023. This will be followed by Bentley’s first-ever pure electric model in 2025 as it marches on to its goal of full electric by the end of the decade.

While the shift away from gas-powered vehicles in such a short period of time may be alarming to some, the 100-plus-year-old carmaker has a few good reasons to put this plan into gear. First, it’s based in Great Britain, which was slated to ban the sale of new gas- and diesel-powered vehicles in 2040. However, there is a push to accelerate the deadline to 2030, which would fit very nicely into Bentley’s new electrification timeline.

That said, Jan-Henrik Lafrentz, Bentley’s CFO, noted during an online event hyping Beyond100, that the company is advocating for hybrids to meet the government’s definition of zero-emission vehicles despite using an internal combustion engine as part of the pairing. He noted the company has been suggesting to government officials that there should be an “overlap period” to allow for the move from ICE-powered vehicles to hybrids because they cost less than pure EVs.

(Bentley Mulliner moves into new era with debut of Bacalar.)

On top of that, Bentley’s own research shows that the younger buyers they want to attract in the near future are looking for “an experience” when they buy a vehicle. They also noticed that 60% of “high net worth” people will be under 40 years old. Further research last year showed that after the brand introduced its EXP 100 GT electric concept car, it managed to get the eye of millennials with a double-digit uptick in the percentage of them saying that they intend to buy a Bentley.

Bentley’s Hallmark, right, said the company expects to be carbon negative by 2030.

In short, electric vehicles draw younger buyers and Bentley’s push to change over quickly means future buyers.

“We really see that we’re in a good position to engage with this customer,” said Chris Craft, the brand’s sales and marketing chief.

However, the company’s efforts aren’t limited to just producing carbon-neutral vehicles as quickly as possible. It’s looking to be the world’s leading environmental automaker. Its production site in Crewe, England was certified carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust. It achieved the ranking by implementing a variety of green processes, such as a water recycling system in the paint shop, planting trees, installing 30,000 solar panels to help it switch to renewable energy sources to power the facility.

Long term, Bentley wants to be carbon negative, and thinks it will happen by 2030. In short, the company’s vehicles and facilities will lower the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

(Bentley offers glimpse of its future with EXP 100 Centenary Concept.)

In the short term, Hallmark said the company was handling the impact of the pandemic well. The company expects to post break-even financials for the full year, selling more than 10,000 vehicles. Perhaps more importantly, the number of vehicles on order has risen 60% since the start of the year.

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Ford Develops Range-Extender Option for Electric F-150

October 5, 2020 admin

One of the schematics included in the Ford F-150 Electric patent application.

By mid-decade we could see as many as nine or more all-electric pickups from a mix of startups like Rivian and established automakers, including Ford. All face at least one significant challenge, however: a lack of range, especially when towing or hauling a heavy load of cargo.

A newly discovered Ford patent suggests the Detroit automaker might have a solution, however, a drop-in range extender that can be mounted in the bed of the upcoming F-150 Electric where the locking toolbox option normally would go.

Filed Sept. 15 and described in the application to the U.S. patent office as “electric vehicles with removable and interchangeable range extending generators,” the concept isn’t entirely new. Several vehicles already have gone the onboard generator route, including the Chevrolet Volt and the BMW i3 REx.

(Ford planning mid-2022 launch for F-150 EV.)

The generator could be disguised as a removable toolbox.

This approach is distinctly different from a plug-in hybrid where a vehicle pairs an electric drive system with an internal combustion engine that can fire up, either to boost power or to take over when the vehicle’s batteries run down. Significantly, there is a direct link between the gas or diesel engine and the vehicles wheels.

With a range extender, there is no direct link between the engine and the wheels. Its only purpose is to generate current that can be used to either recharge a drained battery or to power the vehicle’s electric motors.

In the case of a pickup, an internal combustion engine could serve a third purpose, functioning as a generator for tools, lights and other goods at a work site. The newly introduced versions of the 2021 Ford F-150, including the all-new hybrid model, will feature the ability to turn the truck into a rolling generator.

Part of the Ford patent application.

The good news with EVs is that batteries are becoming both more energy dense – translating into greater range – as well as less expensive. Manufacturers are promising to deliver at least 300 miles for the various all-electric pickups that have been announced by manufacturers such as Tesla, Ford, Rivian, Bollinger and Lordstown Motors. General Motors has indicated the upcoming GMC Hummer will push up into 400-mile territory.

Those figures should come with big asterisks, however, as they will be impacted significantly – and, likely, quite severely – by a variety of different factors. These include not only the payload a truck is carrying, and the trailer it’s towing, but also by weather conditions. Studies by TheDetroitBureau.com, AAA and Consumer Reports have all indicated that EV range routinely drops by more than 40% when the mercury falls to 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

(Ford electric prototype hauls 1 million pounds.)

That could prove to be a difficult hurdle to clear when pitching to commercial and professional buyers, as many of the manufacturers are planning with their BEV pickups.

The system could also be used as a workplace generator, like the ones that will be offered on the various Ford F-150 pickups for 2021.

Eliminating range anxiety with a built-in generator could overcome that problem. And the way the Ford patent application has been put together indicates the company envisions its extender to be a removable, rather than fixed, part of the F-150 EV’s design. If so, an owner or operator could plug it into the bed only when needed to boost range, removing it to free up bed space at other times.

According to the application, the range-extender design could store as much as 15 gallons of fuel, enough to boost range substantially between fill and charge ups.

In its application, Ford noted that the “toolbox” shaped generator could be “removably positioned within the cargo space and adapted to selectively output power for either charging the battery pack or propelling the (electrically motorized) drive wheels.”

Of course, the big question will likely be one of cost. Ford has not mentioned pricing for the range-extender package. And purchase price is just part of the equation. As far as fleets and other commercial users are concerned, one of the big selling points for EVs is their low operating cost. Adding a range extender could throw that equation out of balance.

Automakers frequently file patents that never make it into production, of course, so it is far from clear that it ever actually will offer the range-extender technology – and, if so, when.

(BMW unplugs range-extending i3 REx.)

The Ford F-150 Electric pickup itself is scheduled to go on sale sometime in 2022, around the time we’ll begin seeing competitive truck BEVs like the GMC Hummer, Rivian R1T and Tesla Cybertruck.

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A Week With: 2020 Toyota Prius XLE

September 29, 2020 admin

The 2020 Toyota Prius XLE offers good, green transportation for buyers.

The Prius has been around for a long time, going back to the end of the last century when its introduction forever changed the way consumers and manufacturers look at powertrains by using batteries and electric motors.

This little hybrid began the slow but inexorable shift away from gasoline-driven automobiles that has spurred the development and production of vehicles like the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Bolt and, of course, Tesla’s entire line-up.

Overall: For anyone still interested in fuel economy, the 2020 Toyota Prius XLE is still a champ with combined 50 mpg rating from the Environmental Protection Agency. However, once considered pricey, the Toyota Prius now carries a relatively modest sticker price by today’s standards.

(Toyota marks 20th anniversary of “The Car That Changed an Industry” with special edition Prius.)

The new Prius still features one of the most recognizable exterior shapes in the market.

In fact, it is well below the average of vehicles sold in the United States of $31,755. It’s also proven to be durable and appears to have captured – or at least earned permanent place – the hearts of American motorists, which belies all the millions of words of snark and criticism sent its way throughout the years.

Its zero to 60 time remains mired, we would guess, in the double-digit range. But it is versatile and still really is one of the greenest of green vehicles on the road after all these years, getting better than 56 miles per gallon in the city.

Exterior: The five-door hatchback shape of the Prius makes it easily one of the most recognizable vehicles on the road. Even people who couldn’t care less about automobile design can recognize a Prius almost instantly.

“…Say what you will about its exterior shape, it is one of the few designs of the past two decades to have carved out a distinctive niche in automotive lore…”

That said, the face of 2020 Toyota Prius has been altered to give the car a more contemporary look. There also LED lights and the wheel have been dressed up, providing the car with more curb appeal.

The Prius comes complete with plenty of technology, including Apple CarPlay integrated into the infotainment system.

Interior: At its heart, the Prius is a compact car. But the interior also is comfortable, and the controls and the center stack is within easy reach of the driver’s seat. The materials used throughout the cabin of this version of the Prius has been upgraded from past when the interior had the distinct aura of cost cutting that worked against the vehicle’s technical virtues.

The seats are supportive with the rear seats being quite usable. The car’s interior is quite versatile with fold-down seats that increase the car’s capacity for carrying cargo or extra luggage and the area under the hatch can even accommodate a set of golf clubs. The visibility from the driver’s seat is excellent. However, the security shade that covers the cargo area tends to interfere visibility.

(Q&A: Toyota’s hydrogen chief Jackie Birdsall.)

Powertrain: Toyota has been tinkering with the hybrid drive system that utilizes nickel-metal hydride batteries, electric motors and a 1.8-liter double overhead cam four-cylinder engine. In the 2020 Prius XLE, the basic front-wheel-drive layout has been augmented by an electronic all-wheel-drive system.

The Prius offers plenty of room for five passengers.

Overall the system produces 121 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. The 2020 Prius can operate solely on electric power in slow traffic for short distances. However, once the speed picks up, Synergy drive, unique to Toyota, is designed to connect the gasoline engine, electric motor and generator into one operating unit.

Safety and Technology: The 2020 Toyota Prius XLE that we drove was loaded with technology and safety features For 2020, the Prius offers Bluetooth a new Toyota Audio 7-inch Touch-Screen Display on L Eco, LE and XLE, new Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa Compatibility standard on all model grades and newly standard Safety Connect on all grades.

The rear passenger seats also have been equipped with USB ports. The safety equipment on the XLE includes driver assistance features such as lane-keeping and blind-spot monitoring and pedestrian alert. The XLE version I drove also came with a head-up display and automatic headlines that turn on dark roads and off when there is oncoming traffic.

Driving Impressions: Throughout the years, Prius has come under fire due to complaints about its sluggish performance. We found the 2020 Toyota Prius XLE is still rather sluggish in certain situations on the highway.

The powertrain performed well. There is plenty of torque, coming off a standing start and the regenerative brakes add stopping power and the shifts are seem virtually invisible because they were so seamless. The steering wasn’t as crisp as in conventional sedan but the Prius delivered a smooth, steady ride and handled curves and varied pavement conditions easily.

(Sales sliding, Toyota rethinks future of the Prius.)

Wrap Up: The Prius has been a mainstay of the Toyota line-up for years and while it may not be th most fashionable passenger car on the road today – and let’s face it, the automotive industry is nothing if not acutely fashion conscious – it has proven itself to be a versatile and reliable vehicle for urban and suburban driving.

The drop in fuel prices has diminished some of its appeal, but it is still one of the most efficient vehicles on the road today. As it prices come come into line with other sedans and crossovers available on dealer lots these days, it does offer the added benefit of being more environmentally friendly than other vehicle choices. The fact that the vehicle introduced years ago and hasn’t been scrapped underscores its durable character.

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Toyota Aims for the Moon

September 1, 2020 admin

Toyota is developing a lunar land rover that the company hopes NASA will use for a 2024 lunar mission.

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has a grand vision of flying off to Mars. Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda is thinking of somewhere just a bit closer to home: the moon.

Toyota is working up the design for a six-wheeled, hydrogen-powered rover that you might want to think of as a Lunar Land Rover. Substantially more sophisticated and capable than the dune buggy-like rovers used during the Apollo mission a half-century ago, the Japanese automaker hopes its design will be picked by NASA for the Artemis moon mission it is planning to launch by 2024.

“We have now found a new ‘road,’ which is the moon. And for this new road, we will be able to make a new vehicle,” Takao Sato, project head of Toyota’s Lunar Exploration Mobility Works and a former interior design engineer who worked on the Prius hybrid. “This is a dream for us.”

(Cost of Toyota, Mazda Alabama plant jumps 50% to $2.3B.)

It’s been nearly 50 years since the Apollo mission wrapped up. After the initial landing by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in Apollo 11, the astronauts assigned to subsequent missions had the opportunity to spread out from their landing site using a primitive, open-air buggy developed, in part, by General Motors.

Toyota’s lunar module concept is a six-wheeled beast designed to handle a variety of tasks.

Going forward, NASA and partners, including the European Space Agency, want something more sophisticated that not only features greater range but also offers more amenities. That starts with an enclosed and pressurized cabin that includes both toilet facilities and sleeping quarters. Those would be essential considering the Artemis missions intend to have astronauts planting boots on the moon for weeks at a time.

Toyota’s Lunar Rover design adds an extra axles, six wheels expected to give it greater mobility on the pockmarked moon’s surface.

Then there’s the powertrain. Rather than going with a battery, with its hefty mass and limited energy storage, Toyota is lifting an idea from its Mirai fuel-cell vehicle. Its lunar design would be powered by hydrogen – though, without an atmosphere to draw oxygen from, both gases would need to be carried onboard.

Eventually, the goal would be to produce both hydrogen and oxygen from the water believed to be available on various parts of the lunar surface, primarily near the poles. Initially, tanks of the fuel – and the oxygen to combine with — would have to be delivered to the lunar surface.

The new lunar vehicle from Toyota will borrow fuel cell technology from the Mirai.

(Toyota surprises analysts, turns small Q1 profit.)

Whatever the method, NASA wants whatever rover it finally goes with to be able to manage 1,000 kilometers – about 621 miles — per tank, and as much as 10,000 kilometers during a 42-day period.

The Lunar Rover will use individual wheel motors, six of them each generating 40 kilowatts, or about 54 horsepower, apiece. The maximum speed will be between 12 and 15 mph, according to Toyota.

The Toyota design would still make use of the sun, when available, with a retractable solar panel on its roof to provide additional electricity.

There will be three big antenna on the roof, as well, including ones to send data while also allowing NASA to operate the rover remotely – though, even at the speed of light there will be a roughly 1.5 second delay between issuing a command on Earth and it reaching the lunar surface.

How much each Lunar Rover would cost hasn’t been determined, though it will be far more expensive than anything Toyota has built to date. That said, the original Apollo rovers were supposed to cost about $19 million each but, with cost overruns, doubled that to about $38 million each. Adjusted for inflation, that would work out to about $274 million today, adjusted for inflation.

This provides the scale needed to see just how large Toyota’s lunar rover really is.

A decade ago, when the Lunar X Prize was announced, it was estimated that it would cost as much as $950,000 per pound to get something to the moon. Toyota expects its Lunar Rover – which would be about the size of two microbuses – will weigh in at 3.5 tons. So, the price of getting such a big machine to the moon will likely dwarf a rover’s price tag.

(Toyota building lunar rover for Japan’s 2030 moon landing.)

Toyota is by no means the only company hoping to land the plum, out-of-this-world contract. Company official say they hope to find out if they’ve won by year-end.

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GM Pushes for Round Two in Legal Battle with Fiat Chrysler

August 3, 2020 admin

GM asked a federal judge to reinstate its lawsuit against rival Fiat Chrysler.

General Motors Co. has asked the federal judge that dismissed its lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. to reinstate the lawsuit, claiming it has new evidence.

The automaker asked Judge Paul Borman to reconsider his earlier judgement on the alleged racketeering charges GM levied at Fiat Chrysler. Borman initially characterized the case as a “waste of time,” but allowed it to proceed.

“These new facts warrant amending the court’s prior judgment, so we are respectfully asking the court to reinstate the case,” GM said in a statement. GM asked for $1 billion in damages in the initial lawsuit.

(GM lawsuit against FCA tossed out by judge.)

Fiat Chrysler has maintained that GM’s lawsuit is without merit.

The company said it’s come across “reliable information concerning the existence of foreign bank accounts” used in the alleged scheme, GM attorneys revealed in affidavits in the filing, according to the Detroit News.

Borman tossed the suit last month after an appeals court kicked it back to him, saying GM supposed “injuries” weren’t a result of the FCA’s alleged violations.

“GM’s failure to plead sufficient facts showing that it was proximately harmed ‘by reason of’ Defendants’ alleged § 1962 violations means that it did not state a cognizable civil RICO claim,” Borman said in his 30-page ruling that reviewed GM original allegations and legal arguments.

(Appeals court nixes GM-FCA CEO pow-wow.)

GM filed a lawsuit last year claiming rival Fiat Chrysler had corrupted officials of the United Auto Workers union in a bid to gain a competitive advantage, has been dismissed by a federal judge in Detroit.

After federal investigators had spent several months uncovering a corrupt bargain between FCA executives and UAW officers, GM decided it had been aggrieved and filed suit.

Alphons Iacobelli, right, was previously sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for his role in the FCA-UAW training fund scandal, including paying off now-deceased UAW VP General Holiefield’s mortgage.

Specifically, GM alleged that Fiat Chrysler “corrupted” collective bargaining agreements between GM and UAW in 2009, 2011 and 2015 by paying millions in dollars in bribes, and that the alleged scheme was authorized at the highest levels of Fiat Chrysler, including the company’s late Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne.

The lawsuits claim that throughout the defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that FCA employed a bribery scheme to obtain favorable terms in its collective bargaining agreement with the UAW.

(FCA hit with series of class-action lawsuits over bribery charges.)

Ultimately, the investigation has led to the conviction of three FCA executives and more than a dozen UAW officers and officials as well as the widow of the former UAW officer in charge of union’s FCA section when the bribery and other corrupt acts that served as the basis of the GM lawsuit took place.

Safety Advocates Push for Advanced Tech Mandate to Cut Hot Car Deaths

July 28, 2020 admin

KidsAndCars.org hosted a webinar showing tech available now that could cut hot car child deaths.

Safety advocates pushing for new technology that would alert drivers if they leave a child in their vehicle after leaving it say the new devices could lower the cost of sensor technology in current and coming vehicles.

KidsAndCars.org rolled out examples of new technology that could be installed in vehicles right now that can determine if a baby or small child has been left in a vehicle and trigger a series of alarms and warnings to prevent that child from dying or being injured due to exposure in an overheated vehicle.

The group also promoted the Hot Cars Act that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the recent Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2). It now needs Senate approval and a presidential signature before it mandates technology that issues audio and visual warnings inside and outside the vehicle.

(Hot car child deaths could end year with unwanted record.)

“We simply cannot let another summer pass without making the life-saving and desperately needed technology a part of the solution to save the lives of innocent babies. Every day that we delay in advancing these cost-effective detection technologies means children are at risk of needlessly dying.” said Janette Fennell, president of KidsAndCars.org during the webinar.

The organization has teamed with other safety-oriented groups to advocate for a variety of tech-oriented issues in the auto industry, such as pushing for further testing of autonomous vehicles before they drive

Vayyar Imaging’s child detection system can sense if a child is breathing — under a blanket.

on public issues.

The hot car issue is at the fore of many efforts because an average of 39 children die annually after being trapped inside a hot vehicle. However, the last two years have seen new records of 54 and 55 deaths. The organization believes automakers need to do more to prevent these fatalities.

More importantly, they want a technology that works well, unlike many of the systems that are currently in place. The groups want it though of like other safety components in a vehicle: they should work — period.

“The voluntary agreement notes that a system must ‘consider the potential presence’ of an occupant and provide an alert when there is ‘the potential presence’ of an occupant,” said Shaun Kildare, Senior Director of Research at Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

(Automakers offer possible solutions as child heatstroke deaths rise.)

“This allows for technology which does not detect, but rather essentially guesses whether there may be a child left in a vehicle.” He continued, “You wouldn’t want your brakes to potentially work when you press them.”

The groups did point out that Hyundai’s Ultrasonic sensor-based technology would meet the requirements set forth in the Hot Cars Act. Hyundai, and its sister auto brand Kia, began offering it last year after introducing it in 2017. Other automakers have systems in place as well, including General Motors which has offered its Rear Seat Reminder on all of its four-door sedans, trucks and SUVs starting with the 2019 model year as well.

KidAndCars is working with a variety of safety advocacy groups.

The group is working with four automotive technology companies to advance the cause of getting new sensor-based systems in future vehicles that can better determine if there’s a baby or simply an inanimate object in the car.

Each of the four, Aptiva, IEE Sensing, Caaresys and Vayyar Imaging, all offered videos promoting their technology, outlining how it can help automakers meet the mandate of the Hot Cars Act as well as make things easier as they move toward autonomous vehicles, especially on the cost front.

Ian Podkamien, Vayyar’s director of business development, said its iteration of the tech is a “very, very affordable element” of the system, adding it would actually save U.S. automakers money. The consensus of the calls experts was that it could be cost neutral once mandated because of the economies of scale.

(Nissan rear door alert aims to prevent child heatstroke deaths.)

The problem isn’t just a problem in the U.S., according to the organization, noting its been tracking the problem in 56 countries around the world and it’s on the rise in most of those as well.

Tesla Chooses Texas for Next Gigafactory

July 23, 2020 admin

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

June 26, 2020 admin

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

June 23, 2020 admin

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.

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