Growing List of Models Earn Top Safety Ratings from IIHS

Posted on February 24, 2021 by admin

The 2021 Honda Odyssey captured a Top Safety Pick + award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

For many years, the auto industry lived by the mantra, “Safety doesn’t sell.” Today, however, picking a safe vehicle has become top priority for just about all buyers, whether they’re looking for a family van or a high-performance sports car.

The good news is that there are more choices than ever, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. A record number of products, 90 in all, earned one of the organization’s two awards, the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+. A number of other models fell just short but still earned honorable mentions.

“With these awards, we want to make it easy for consumers to find vehicles that provide good protection in crashes, sufficient lighting and effective front crash protection,” IIHS President David Harkey says. “Manufacturers have stepped up to meet the challenge, and the list of great options has grown to an impressive size this year.”

Some surprise winners – and losers

Volvo, a brand that introduced the first automotive seatbelt and which has long been associated with safety, landed nine Top Safety Pick+ awards, more than any other manufacturer.

The 2021 Ram 1500 was the only vehicle to earn an award from IIHS.

The annual IIHS announcement contains some surprises, however. The Hyundai Motor Group — including models from the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands — had more winners overall, 17 models took home one of the two awards. That included 12 Top Safety Picks and another five “plus” awards.

The 2021 IIHS awards list included two minivans, the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna, both rated Top Safety Pick+. The Ram 1500 was the only pickup to meet the group’s tough standards, winning a Top Safety Pick award. There were no minivan or pickup winners last year.

The Ram truck was the only winner from Stellantis, the company formed last month through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and France’s PSA Group.

Most major automakers landed multiple awards but IIHS called out two for dubious achievements. General Motors managed to land only one Top Safety Pick, for the Chevrolet Equinox, and one Top Safety Pick+, for the Cadillac XT6.

Mitsubishi, meanwhile, so far failed to earn a single award from the IIHS.

IIHS awards go beyond federal safety guidelines

The two awards cover some critical areas of safety, going beyond federal guidelines in some of those.

The 2021 Toyota Sienna also received a top honor.

“Both awards require good ratings in all six IIHS crashworthiness tests — driver- and passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints,” IIHS explained in a news release. “Award winners must be available with front crash prevention that earns a superior or advanced rating in both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations. Last but not least, Top Safety Pick winners must be available with good or acceptable headlights. The ‘plus’ designation is given to models that have good or acceptable headlights across all trim levels and packages.”

As a measure of how much safety has taken root in the industry, 49 models earned the Top Safety Pick+ rating this year, more than double the number in 2020. Another 41 vehicles landed Top Safety Pick honors. All told, 90 vehicles earn one of the awards, up from 64 last year.

Also-rans

During the past two decades, the IIHS added new requirements, including the small overlap frontal crash test and minimum headlight performance specifications.

Twelve vehicles fell short only because of their headlights, seven because they didn’t score well enough on pedestrian crash prevention. Five missed on the passenger-side small overlap front test, and five fell short on crashworthiness, according to the IIHS.

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Daimler Boosts Earnings Despite Pandemic

Posted on February 18, 2021 by admin

Daimler CEO Ola Källenius said company turned a better-than-expected profit due to the cost-cutting measures implemented company wide.

Daimler AG reported profits increased 48% to $4.8 billion during 2020 in a challenging environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company’s total unit sales of passenger cars and commercial vehicles decreased by 15%, to 2.84 million units while revenue dropped 11 percent. For the full year, Daimler’s net profit improved to $4.8 billion, compared to $3.2 billion.

However, cutting cost and cash preservation measures and steady performances across all divisions boosted earnings before interest taxes of the Daimler Group by 53 percent.

“The year 2020 was a stress test for just about every company in almost every industry. The Daimler team mastered this test very well,” said Ola Källenius, chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG.

Daimler products remain popular

Källenius added Daimler products continue to be in great demand across all major markets and divisions.

Daimler’s management team reviews the company’s financial results for 2020.

“With rapid growth in our xEV sales and the introduction of new products and technologies, we have also taken important steps in terms of electrification and digitalization,” said Källenius, adding the company’s financial results are significantly above market expectations.

“We proved our ability to generate substantial cash flow and to drive the ongoing transformation on our own – even under the adverse circumstances of a pandemic.”

At the Annual General Meeting on March 31, 2021, the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board will propose a dividend of 1.35 euros or $1.62 per share, up from 2019’s dividend of .90 euros or $1.08 per share.

Källenius added, “We are confident that we can maintain positive momentum if current market conditions prevail, accelerating our strategic plans and further enhancing our financial robustness.”

Separation still ready to go

Daimler AG is undergoing big changes in 2021 with the spinoff of the truck business.

Daimler plans to spin off and list Daimler Truck on Germany’s DAX index. The new Daimler Truck shares will be distributed to current Daimler shareholders. The new company will be just that: a new company. It will have an independent management team, stand-alone corporate governance including an independent Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

“The intended separation of our industrial businesses is designed to unlock the full potential for Mercedes-Benz as the world’s pre-eminent luxury car business,” he said. Additional details will be offered at a separate meeting in the third quarter of this year.

The transaction and the listing of Daimler Truck on the Frankfurt stock exchange is expected to be completed before year-end 2021. In addition, it is also Daimler’s intention to rename itself as Mercedes-Benz at the appropriate time.

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Daimler AG Splitting into Two Companies in Q3 2021

Posted on February 4, 2021 by admin

Ola Källenius, Daimler AG chairman, said splitting into two separate companies will add value to shareholders.

In an effort to pacify its habitually restless shareholders, Daimler AG will divide into two separate companies – one dedicated to passenger cars and the second to manage its heavy truck and bus business, which has long been part of the company’s structure.

“This is a historic moment for Daimler. It represents the start of a profound reshaping of the company. Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans and Daimler Trucks & Buses are different businesses with specific customer groups, technology paths and capital needs,” said Ola Källenius, chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler and Mercedes-Benz.

Källenius said Mercedes-Benz and Daimler Truck offer industry leading transportation solutions and services to customers, they operate in industries that are facing major technological and structural changes. This presented some issues for the company.

“Given this context, we believe they will be able to operate most effectively as independent entities, equipped with strong net liquidity and free from the constraints of a conglomerate structure,” he said.

Third Quarter Targeted for Shareholder Approval

Workers inspect the new Mercedes-Benz EQ as it rolls off the line.

The split will not be complete until the third quarter but officials said the plans include a fundamental change in its structure that is designed “to unlock the full potential of its businesses in a zero-emissions, software-driven future,” according to a statement released by the company, which said the changes was approved earlier this week by the Management Board and Supervisory Board.

The company said more details will be released prior to an extraordinary shareholders meeting set for the third quarter.

While separate entities, the two new companies will retain the basic German character under the plan now being evaluated by Daimler’s existing management and supervisory companies.

Daimler said in its announcement that a significant majority stake in Daimler Truck will be distributed to Daimler current shareholders, which include Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund and the Chinese automaker Geely.

The transaction and the listing of Daimler Truck on the Frankfurt stock exchange is expected to be complete before the end 2021. In addition, it is also Daimler’s intention to rename itself as Mercedes-Benz at the appropriate time.

The split into two companies will give Mercedes-Benz Cars more freedom and flexibility.

When the split is complete, both companies will operate with individual management boards, comprised of each company’s senior executives and a supervisory, which under German law, will include outside directors and representatives of the employees from each company.

Daimler Executives Long Contemplated the Split

The change has been in the works for more than two years and Daimler took the first step last year when it set up a holding company that retained some financial control over its different groups, including Daimler Truck and Mercedes-Benz Cars and Vans.

As part of a more focused corporate structure, both Mercedes-Benz and Daimler Truck will also be supported by dedicated captive financial and mobility service entities, driving sales with tailor-made financing, leasing and mobility solutions, increasing retention and building customer loyalty. In this process, the company plans to assign resources and teams from today’s Daimler Mobility to both Mercedes-Benz and Daimler Truck.

“We have confidence in the financial and operational strength of our two vehicle divisions. And we are convinced that independent management and governance will allow them to operate even faster, invest more ambitiously, target growth and cooperation, and thus be significantly more agile and competitive,” Källenius said.

Move Increases Shareholder Value

Daimler’s Manfred Bischoff said the planned market listing of Daimler Truck is an important step to create value, especially for small shareholders.

Manfred Bischoff, chairman of the Supervisory Board of Daimler, said the planned market listing of Daimler Truck is an important step to create value. Daimler’s small shareholders in Germany have been sensitive over the years to the fluctuations of Daimler’s shares.

The failure of the Daimler-Benz merger with Chrysler Corp. can in part be traced back to the dissatisfaction of the small shareholders who said the merger diluted the value of their shares.

Bischoff said both Mercedes-Benz and Daimler Truck enter this transformation with significant strengths. “We are convinced they will emerge even stronger as independent companies, serving their respective customers,” he said.

However, with their different return profiles and capital needs, the rationale for two independent entities is evident. We are convinced that the capital markets will appreciate the opportunity to invest in more clearly focused, pure-play businesses, Bischoff noted.

The split also is expected to leave the company’s troubled and troublesome diesel business in the hands of Daimler Truck since the Mercedes-Benz cars is moving rapidly towards electrification.

New truck models of the Actros range now available for order: sales start of Actros F and Edition 2.

Employees Endorse New Structure

The tentative split was given a boost when Michael Brecht, chairman of the Daimler’s General Works Council, and the top employee representative on the Supervisory Board, endorsed the plans. “The transformation of our industry is moving ahead quickly. In order for us to keep pace, we need to invest in innovations boldly and more quickly,” he said.

The split provides additional support for each facility and helps to secure employment. In addition, the labor agreements are unaffected, remaining in force until the end of the decade.

“The planned independence will bring Mercedes-Benz and Daimler Truck many advantages, and we will continue to do everything in our power to uphold the interests of our colleagues. We have the unique opportunity to proactively and sustainably shape our commercial vehicle sites — from production to the service business — in order to help write the next chapter of the Daimler Truck success story,” Brecht said.

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What’s in a Name? Your Vehicle’s Name May be Saying Something You Never Intended

Posted on January 20, 2021 by admin

The GMC Acadia AT4 edition puts the emphasis on off-roadability, which could be helpful while touring Nova Scotia, where it’s name comes from.

Have you ever wondered why an automaker gave a vehicle a particular name?

The name bestowed upon a vehicle can often play a big role in its long-term success. Some names don’t fit the vehicle while others, especially some of those that have been around for some time, would be tough to imagine applied to any other type of car, truck or ute.

Cracking open the dictionary reveals what your car or truck’s name really means, sometimes with unintended consequences. Here is a list of present car names, their definition and the automaker that uses them, according to several dictionaries, including Oxford, Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com.

(Could an all-electric Corvette crossover be in the works?)

Don’t see your vehicle’s name? Most likely, it’s because it’s a made-up word, not an English word, or we overlooked it. Bear in mind some of these names/words also have more than one meaning. Here’s the list:

Could one have an armada of Nissan Armadas?

Acadia: Relating to the former French colony of Acadia (now Nova Scotia) in Canada. (GMC)

Accent: A way of pronouncing a language, associated with a country, area, or social class. (Hyundai)

Accord: An official agreement or treaty. (Honda)

Armada: A fleet of warships. (Nissan)

Atlas: The first vertebra of the neck. (Volkswagen)

Avalon: Legendary Celtic isle of the dead where King Arthur and other knights are taken after death. (Toyota)

Aviator: The operator of an aircraft. (Lincoln)

Blazer: A sports jacket often with notched collar and patch pockets. (Chevrolet)

Bronco: An unbroken range horse of western North America. (Ford)

Canyon: a deep gorge, especially one with a river flowing through it. (GMC)

The GMC Canyon AT4 Off-Road Performance Edition would be an ideal vehicle to explore a canyon.

Cayman: or caiman, a Central and South American crocodile. (Porsche)

Challenger: To confront or defy boldly. (Dodge)

Charger: A large, flat platter. (Dodge)

Cherokee: A member of a North American people originally of the southeastern U.S. (Jeep)

Civic: Relating to a city or town. (Honda)

Clarity: Freedom from indistinctness or ambiguity. (Honda)

Colorado: State of the interior western U.S. (Chevrolet)

Compass: Boundary, circumference (Jeep)

Continental: An American soldier of the Revolution in the Continental army. (Bentley)

The Toyota Corolla XSE Hatchback may be plenty of fun but doesn’t seem to have any floral styling cues.

Cooper: A person who makes or repairs casks or barrels. (Mini)

Corolla: The petals, or inner leaves, of a flower. (Toyota)

Corvette: A small warship designed for convoy escort duty. (Chevrolet)

Countryman: One living in the country or marked by country ways. (Mini)

Dawn: To begin to appear or develop. (Rolls-Royce)

Defender: One that defends. (Land Rover)

Discovery: Pretrial disclosure of pertinent facts or documents by one or both parties to a legal action or proceeding. (Land Rover)

Durango: State in northwest central Mexico. (Dodge)

Edge: The outside limit of an object, area, or surface. (Ford)

Enclave: A group that is different in character from those surrounding it. (Buick)

Encore: An additional performance at the end of a concert. (Buick)

If you buy a second Buick Encore to replace the first, is it an encore for your Encore or just a second Encore?

Equinox: The time or date at which the sun crosses the celestial equator and when day and night are of equal length. (Chevrolet)

Escalade: The scaling of fortified walls using ladders as a form of military attack. (Cadillac)

Escape: To fail to be noticed or recallable by. (Ford)

Expedition: Excursion undertaken for a specific purpose. (Ford)

Explorer: A member of a coed scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America for people ages 14 to 20 focusing on career awareness. (Ford)

Fit: A seizure in which the victim loses consciousness. (Honda)

Ford: A shallow place in a river or stream where it can be crossed. (Ford)

Forester: A person or animal living in a forest. (Subaru)

Forte: A thing at which someone excels. (Kia)

If you’re going to be exploring new frontiers, the Nissan Frontier is perfect-ly named.

Frontier: The farthermost limits of knowledge or achievement in a particular subject. (Nissan)

Ghibli: A hot dust-bearing wind of the North African desert. (Maserati)

Ghost: A disembodied soul. (Rolls-Royce)

Gladiator: A trained fighter. (Jeep)

Golf: An outdoor game played on a large course with a small, hard ball and a set of clubs. (Volkswagen)

Hellcat: A violently temperamental person. (Dodge)

Highlander: Inhabitants of the Scottish Highlands. (Toyota)

Insight: Apprehending the true nature of a thing. (Honda)

Kicks: Strike or propel forcibly with the foot. (Nissan)

Kona: Coastal region of Hawaii in the western part of the island of Hawaii. (Hyundai)

Lancer: A soldier of a cavalry regiment armed with lances. (Mitsubishi)

Was Nissan was inspired by flora or fauna when naming the Leaf electric vehicle.

Leaf: A flat structure of a plant that is the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration, attached to a stem directly or via a stalk. (Nissan)

Legacy: an amount of money or property left to someone in a will. (Subaru)

Malibu: A coastal city west of Los Angeles (Chevrolet)

Mirage: Something illusory and unattainable. (Mitsubishi)

Mustang: A small lightly built feral horse of the south-western U.S. (Ford)

Navigator: One that navigates. (Lincoln)

Odyssey: A long and eventful journey (Honda)

Outback: A remote or sparsely populated inland area, especially in Australia. (Subaru)

Outlander: A person who belongs to another region, culture, or group. (Mitsubishi)

Pacifica: City on the Pacific Ocean in western California south of San Francisco. (Chrysler)

The new 2021 Chrysler Pacifica might be the ideal vehicle to take you Pacifica, California.

Passport: A thing that ensures admission to or the achievement of something. (Honda)

Phantom: A figment of the imagination. (Rolls-Royce)

(FCA, PSA pick a name for post-merger company: Stellantis.)

Pilot: A television program made to test audience reaction with a view to the production of a series. (Honda)

Ranger: One of a body of organized armed men who range over a region especially to enforce the law. (Ford)

Renegade: An individual who rejects lawful or conventional behavior. (Jeep)

Ridgeline: A line formed along the highest points of a mountain ridge. (Honda)

Rio: Radar intercept officer. (Kia)

Rogue: A dishonest or unprincipled man. (Nissan)

Sequoia: Huge coniferous California trees of the bald cypress family that may reach a height of over 300 feet. (Toyota)

Toyota Sequoia: a big vehicle named after big trees.

Sienna: A kind of earth used as a pigment in painting. (GMC)

Sierra: Any of several large scombroid fish (genus Scomberomorus) related to the mackerel. (GMC)

Sonata: A composition for one or two instruments. (Hyundai)

Soul: The spiritual principle embodied in human beings, all rational and spiritual beings, or the universe. (Kia)

Spark: a latent particle capable of growth or developing. (Chevrolet)

Stinger: A cocktail consisting of brandy and white crème de menthe. (Kia)

Suburban: An outlying part of a city or town. (Chevrolet)

Tacoma: An industrial port city in west central Washington, on Puget Sound, south of Seattle. (Toyota)

Tahoe: A lake in eastern California and western Nevada. (Chevrolet)

Taos: A North American people native to New Mexico. (Volkswagen)

Kia’s Telluride has been “electropositive” for the brand.

Telluride: A binary compound of tellurium with a more electropositive element. (Kia)

Terrain: A field of knowledge or interest (GMC)

Titan: A family of giants in Greek mythology ruling the earth until overthrown by the Olympian gods. (Nissan)

Trailblazer: A pathfinder. (Chevrolet)

Transit: Change, transition (Ford)

Traverse: To make a study of. (Chevrolet)

Tucson: City in southeast Arizona. (Hyundai)

Tundra: A vast, flat, treeless Arctic region of Europe, Asia, and North America in which the subsoil is permanently frozen. (Toyota)

Urus: an extinct large, long-horned wild ox. (Lamborghini)

Valkyrie: Any of the maidens of Odin who choose the heroes to be slain in battle and conduct them to Valhalla. (Aston Martin)

The Aston Martin Valkyrie would be the best way to travel to Valhalla.

Vantage: A place or position affording a good view. (Aston Martin)

Velar: Formed with the back of the tongue touching or near the soft palate. (Land Rover)

Venue: The place from which a jury is drawn and in which trial is held. (Hyundai)

Voyager: A U.S. space probe that obtained scientific information while flying by the planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus.

Wraith: An insubstantial form or semblance. (Rolls-Royce)

Wrangler: A person who wrangles, or argues, especially in a contentious way. (Jeep)

Yukon: A river in Alaska (GMC).

(Ford Mustang Mach-E captures 2021 NACTOY utility trophy.)

Apple Readying to Bring a New Vehicle to Market in 2024, Report Claims

Posted on December 22, 2020 by admin

Apple appears to be back in the “building a car” game with an EV said to be coming in 2024.

Tech behemoth Apple Inc. is apparently on again when it comes to its on-again, off-again oft-speculated about Project Titan, after media reports say the company will bring out a vehicle potentially using a cutting-edge battery technology in 2024.

Apple’s been walking the line of potentially building an electric vehicle for most of the last decade, scooping up top tech minds from potential competitors, like Tesla, during that time. However, the company would never officially confirm Project Titan or its plans to build its own car.

However, a few years back, CEO Tim Cook decided to put the rumors to rest, saying the company was working on the development of autonomous technology that could be used by automakers. However, a new report from Reuters, which cites multiple sources familiar with the project, claims that an actual car is coming in three years, separate from the self-driving technology.

(Apple cuts over 200 jobs at autonomous vehicle project.)

Apple CEO Tim Cook has called self-driving vehicles “the mother of all AI projects.”

The tech giant’s been close before, hiring Doug Field, an Apple veteran who had worked at Tesla Inc., to oversee the project in 2018 and laid off 190 people from the team in 2019, according to Reuters. However, since then, the company’s been plugging along and now believes it’s made enough progress to build a vehicle, Reuters reported.

In an age where electric vehicle startups are seemingly commonplace, Apple’s return to the game doesn’t seem all that big a deal, until the report of the new battery design comes into play. Automakers are looking to improve batteries significantly so the costs will be on par with a vehicle with a gasoline- or diesel-powered engine.

The sources told Reuters that the new design could “radically” cut the battery cost while increasing the vehicle’s range. Current range for the top EVs exceeds 300 miles on a single charge, but Tesla, Lucid, General Motors and others are proclaiming that they’re pushing beyond 400 miles with their current vehicles. By the time an Apple EV shows up in 2024, the range could be double that, if not more.

(Apple files patent linked to AV driving.)

According to the story, the iPhone maker plans to use a “monocell” design. It bulks up the individual cells in the battery, freeing up space inside the battery pack by eliminating pouches and modules holding battery materials. The design allows for more battery material to be stuffed in the battery, extending its range.

Apple’s autonomous vehicle — a T6 Transporter van from Volkswagen.

Additionally, Reuters reported that Apple is researching a new battery chemistry: lithium iron phosphate, also known as LFP. Its primary advantage is that it’s less likely to overheat, making it safter than other batteries.

Apple’s big checkbook instantly makes it a player in any market it chooses to compete, but building a car isn’t the same as building a phone or a laptop. Tesla has struggled with its production issues and quality problems plague each of their vehicles when they roll off the assembly line during the early launch and even well beyond that time frame.

(Apple’s autonomous vehicle involved in California crash.)

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Canoo Joins EV Delivery Van Race with MPDV

Posted on December 17, 2020 by admin

Nascent EV maker Canoo is the latest company to get into the electric delivery van segment with its new MPDV.

The race to dominate the electric delivery van market continues to heat up with the entry of startup Canoo which today revealed its own entry featuring Level 2.5 autonomous driving capabilities, appropriately dubbed the Multi-Purpose Delivery Vehicle.

Canoo will join a growing mix of players set to bring battery-electric delivery vans to market, including established manufacturers like General Motors, Ford and Daimler, as well as newer players such as Rivian, which has a contract to supply 100,000 electric vans to online retail giant Amazon by the end of the decade.

The industry is under growing pressure to shift to electric propulsion for delivery vans for a variety of reasons, which includes new regulatory requirements. California, for example, plans to phase out the use of internal combustion engines in virtually all trucks by 2035. But there’s also the economic incentive of lower energy and maintenance costs that battery vans are expected to offer.

(EV maker Canoo riding the rapids like other companies to IPO.)

Canoo’s battery-electric van is aptly named Multi-Purpose Delivery Van.

The company claims an owner could save up to $80,000 in costs over a six- to seven-year period compared to conventional vans.

Among the many battery-car startups, Canoo is a relatively recent entry. It started outlining its plans in early 2019, revealing its first vehicle prototype, also dubbed the Canoo, later that year. Looking a lot like a toaster on wheels, the company says it plans to offer the passenger vehicle only through a subscription model.

Canoo did not discuss details about how it will offer the new delivery van to customers, whether through a conventional purchase model or under subscription, as well. It did emphasize a goal of offering “best-in-class total cost of ownership,” however.

The van will share the same architecture as the passenger Canoo, a skateboard-style platform with batteries, motors and other key drivetrain components mounted under the floorboard.

The layout is similar to what other battery-electric vans are adopting, and allows for a much lower load floor than conventional vans. Meanwhile, like the passenger version of the Canoo, the delivery vehicle adopts a relatively boxy shape with the driver sitting close to the nose, further enhancing cargo space.

Officials said the starting price for the MPDV is $33,000. It’s expected to arrive in 2022.

(Hyundai partnering with specialty EV maker Canoo.)

The van, said Canoo, was designed to target a wide spectrum of small businesses and, in particular, “last-mile” delivery services. There is significant flexibility to the design with lots of room for customization. The ability to pop open a side panel and create a window and window would suggest it might appeal to those who would turn it into a food truck. A statement from the automaker added that larger customers will “have the option to co-develop a custom vehicle.”

The flexibility includes an interior that can be used as a workstation, with room to the left of the driver where a laptop computer could be set up.

“We created our multi-purpose delivery vehicle from the inside out, with the ergonomics of the driver in mind and with attention to detail to help them be happier and more productive at work,” said Tony Aquila, executive chairman, Canoo. “The vehicle is affordable and offers greater cargo capacity than the current electric delivery offerings in its class. We aim to lower the total cost of ownership and increase return on investment for everyone from local small business owners to large fleets.”

The driver’s cockpit for the Canoo MPDV offers a simple layout.

Canoo did not disclose specific details on the van’s battery drive technology. The passenger-focused Canoo Canoo model will yield an estimated 250 miles per charge, with a single motor pushing 300 horsepower through the rear axle. That range should be more than sufficient for most delivery services, studies showing they generally average less than 50 miles use per day.

The battery pack could serve a dual purpose for operators, particularly those who might need power for tools and other electrical or electronic devices at a worksite. The Canoo van will feature bi-directional charging, providing energy through 120- or 240-volt plugs built into the vehicle.

(Canoo debuts 1st production EV – but only plans to offer it by subscription.)

Canoo expected the delivery vehicle to start at around $33,000, with “limited availability” starting in 2022 and volume ramping up the following year.

Mercedes Launching Six All-Electric Models by 2022 – With Two to Be Built in U.S.

Posted on December 14, 2020 by admin

Mercedes production chief Jorg Burzer stands by a prototype of the Mercedes EQS battery car. It will be one of two EVs built in Mercedes’ Alabama facilities.

Mercedes-Benz is getting ready to launch a major push into electrification, the automaker announcing plans to have six all-electric EQ models in production by 2022, including two that will roll off its assembly line in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Production of the new Mercedes-EQ sub-brand began in 2019 with the launch of the EQC in Bremen, Germany, with the electric crossover being added at a plant in China. This year, the automaker introduced its all-electric EQV van, produced at its Vitoria plant in northern Spain. Production of the EQA at a German plant has just begun, with sales to begin next month.

Within two years, four other model lines, including electric sedans and SUVs, will be added to the list, as part of the “Electric First” program. The automaker will have factories dedicated to battery-electric vehicle, or BEV, production in the U.S., Germany, China, Hungary, Spain and Poland.

(New Mercedes strategy means EVs coming for AMG, Maybach.)

The German automaker is “investing heavily in transformation,” said research chief chief and Mercedes-Benz COO Markus Schafer. “Our vehicle portfolio becomes electric and thus also our global production network with vehicle and battery factories.

An electric Mercedes EQV van rolls down the assembly line at a plant in Spain.

“We intend to lead in the field of e-mobility and focus in particular on battery technology,” Schafer added. “We are taking a comprehensive approach, ranging from research and development to production, and also including strategic cooperation.”

On top of the products that have already been rolled out, Mercedes announced Monday plans to begun production at a variety of other factories:

The EQS, essentially an electrified S-Class and a Tesla Model S competitor, will begin production at Mercedes’ flagship plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, during the first half of 2021;
The compact EQA SUV is already being produced in Rastatt, Germany, but a second line in Beijing will be added next year;
Another compact SUV, the EQB will become the first Mercedes EQ model to go on sale in the U.S. after production launches in both Kecskemet, Hungary, and Beijing next year;
The EQE, the electric alternative to the familiar, midsize Mercedes GLE SUV, will be produced in Bremen, Germany, as well as Beijing starting next year;
The production rollout wraps up with the launch of the EQS und EQE SUVs in Tuscaloosa, Alabama starting in 2022, though still other all-electric models will be coming later in the decade.

A Mercedes EQB undergoes winter testing.

Mercedes also plans to build battery systems in Alabama, Germany, Poland and Beijing.

(Mercedes upping stake in Aston Martin, expanding tech ties.)

Long focused on diesel technology to boost its fuel economy and drive down carbon dioxide emissions, Mercedes began shifting direction mid-decade as a series of diesel emissions scandals embroiled it and other European automakers.

“All systems are go. We are investing more than 10 billion euros in the development of our EQ vehicle portfolio alone,” Ola Källenius, who last year became Daimler CEO, previously noted. “We will also be electrifying the entire Mercedes‑Benz portfolio and our customers will thus have the choice of at least one electric alternative in every Mercedes‑Benz model series, taking the total to 50 overall.”

Mercedes’ electrification program isn’t limited to pure battery-powered models. The automaker plans to continue producing plug-in hybrids like its current GLC 350e 4Matic. And it has begun using “mild,” or 48-volt hybrid powertrains in a number of products. But it expects its various plug-based models to yield fully half of the brand’s sales by 2030, company officials have said.

(Daimler teaming up with Volvo parent Geely to build hybrid powertrains.)

That’s on top of the business it expects to generate by supplying partners, such as Aston Martin, with hybrid drivetrain technologies. Parent Daimler AG also launched a new partnership with China’s Geely. The two automakers will develop new plug-based drivetrains for use in a variety of their individual model lines.

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BMW Does a Complete U-Turn on its EV Program

Posted on November 4, 2020 by admin

The production version of the i4 Concept will reach the U.S. next year. It will use a shared platform.

A week before unveiling the all-new iNext battery-electric vehicle, BMW said it will “realign” its strategy and begin developing a unique architecture solely for “electric drives,” rather than sharing the same platform for vehicles using both battery and conventional gas and diesel powertrains.

That’s a complete about face for the Bavarian marque which, in recent years, had hoped to save money and simplify manufacturing by coming up with common architectures that could roll off the same line. But it also marks a return to BMW’s original strategy when electrified models like the all-electric i3 city car and plug-in hybrid i8 sports car used unique platforms.

“The aim is to create an overall optimum with the new architecture,” CEO Oliver Zipse said during BMW’s quarterly earnings presentation on Wednesday.

(BMW preps for i4 launch, confirms plans for all-electric 5-Series and X1.)

Over the past decade, the auto industry has gone back and forth on the appropriate approach to developing electrified vehicles, pure battery-electric models, in particular. Some, like the Ford Focus Electric and the Volkswagen e-Golf, shared common platforms with the gas and diesel versions of those vehicles. Others, such as the original BMW i models, as well as the new Ford Mustang Mach-E and VW ID.3, used unique architectures.

BMW says the production iNext should get nearly 400 miles of range per charge.

Each approach had both pluses and minuses. Shared platforms result in design compromises, often limiting the amount of batteries that could be stored on a vehicle – impacting range, among other things. But development costs can be held down, while increasing the flexibility of a company’s assembly lines.

Unique platforms, most adopting a skateboard-style layout with batteries and motors mounted below the load floor, can handle larger packs, increasing range and lowering a vehicle’s center of gravity. But that means additional development costs and the tooling up of plants dedicated solely to EVs.

With an upcoming wave of new products BMW had aimed for a compromise strategy. They use flexible platforms that can squeeze more batteries under the load floor for models like the all-electric i4 fastback due out next year. But there’s space for a conventional internal combustion engine for products such as the next BMW 4-Series.

Now, , “We will realign our vehicle architecture from the middle of the decade,” said Zipse, adding that, “Our new cluster architecture is geared towards electric drives” exclusively.

BMW’s i3 is one of the automaker’s best-selling electric vehicles. It uses a unique, rather than shared, platform.

“Our new plant in Hungary plays a key role here,” said the CEO, noting that production of “the new BEV-centered architecture will start there.”

(BMW and Mercedes suspend joint autonomous vehicle development program.)

The plan is to make the new strategy a high priority, an all-new product development operation reporting directly to Zipse. But it will be able to reach out to all other areas within the company, from engineering to sales and marketing which “gives us more control and makes us much faster,” he explained.

The shared platform strategy had come under intense scrutiny within BMW, noted German magazine Automobilwoche, Over the summer, Manfred Wochs, the head of the BMW Works Council, had warned that it resulted in “too many compromises” that could set BMW back competitively, especially in key markets like the U.S. and China.

BMW is racing to get a leg up in an emerging market segment that currently is dominated by the upstart Tesla – with an assortment of traditional competitors, as well as start-ups like Lucid, Fisker and Rivian, aiming to gain share.

But Zipse insisted that BMW will be ready when its new EVs hit market around 2025. “We anticipate that the demand for fully electric vehicles will continue to increase significantly from 2025 onwards. Exactly then – keyword timing – we will ignite phase III of our transformation.”

(BMW may go for a plug-in hybrid with upcoming X8 M.)

Tesla CEO Musk Cuts Model S Price — for Second Time This Week

Posted on October 15, 2020 by admin

Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed his competitive streak this week, cutting the price of the Model S for the second time in three days.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk must be feeling the pressure to keep up with the Joneses, or in this case Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson plus the armada of automakers readying new electric vehicles, as he cut the price on the Model S — for the second time this week.

“The gauntlet has been thrown down! The prophecy will be fulfilled. Model S price changes to $69,420,” Musk proclaimed in a tweet Wednesday afternoon. The new price, in addition to reinforcing his love of the number 420, is in response to the price for the base model Lucid Air.

The potential Tesla fighter’s entry-level battery-electric sedan is priced at $77,400; however, it will be eligible for the federal government’s $7,500 EV tax credit, dropping the price to $69,900. The pricing for the four trim levels of the Air were revealed Wednesday morning, and marked the second time Musk’s looked to one-up the current top competitor.

(Lucid fills in some blanks about its $77,400 Tesla Model S fighter.)

For nearly two months, Rawlinson, a former top Tesla executive who left to start Lucid, and his company’s first product have enjoyed the spotlight. The Phoenix-based company’s Air set new standards for range – 517 miles – and performance with a 0-to-60 mph time of just 2.5 seconds. He expanded on that with a video showing the Air racing through the quarter mile in a time of 9.9 seconds, adding it was actually a little faster than that.

The second Model S price cut came after Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson revealed the price for the base model of the new Air sedan.

If nothing else, Musk is competitive. During the company’s Battery Day event, he revealed the Model S Plaid with a range of 520 miles and a 0-to-60 time of less than 2 seconds and a quarter-mile time of just 9 seconds — with prices starting at $134,490 with orders being taken immediately. Deliveries are expected to begin in “late 2021.”

Lucid’s base model sedan is expected to deliver an EPA-estimated range of 406 miles on a charge. The Tesla Model S logs in with an EPA-rated range of 402 miles per charge.

Earlier this week, Musk cut the price of the Model S by $3,000, or 4%, a move some observers believe designed to prop up sales as a growing list of competitors enters the battery-electric vehicle market.

(Tesla slashes Model S price tag another $3,000.)

The Model S Long Range was set to start at $71,990 in the U.S. after the first price change Tuesday. Tesla announced a similar reduction in China, where last month it also trimmed the price of the Model 3 sedan by 8%, with a base version now starting at $36,805.

Although Lucid seems to be a direct competitor, Tesla is facing a potential onslaught of competitors that have been scrambling to catch up to the California-based EV maker that is currently the segment leader in sales.

Ford, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Volvo/Polestar, Porsche and General Motors are just some of the established players that have invested billions in recent years into their electric vehicle development plans, some of which already have EVs on the road with more coming in the next 12-24 months. That doesn’t account for startups like Fisker, Rivian and Lordstown set to roll out vehicles starting next spring.

The initial price cut was not only viewed as a hedge against the oncoming horde, but also as a way to perhaps drum up a few more sales to help Tesla meet its 2020 delivery goal of 500,000 vehicles. The company set a record in the third quarter with 139,300 vehicles — a new record. In total, Tesla’s delivered 318,687 vehicles through the first three quarters, meaning the company will need to set another new record of 181,313 vehicles to hit the target, which is about a 30% increase compared with last quarter.

In recent years, Tesla’s sprinted to the finish line each year with the fourth quarter being its strongest. Tesla delivered 112,095 cars compared to the 95,356 and 97,186 in the second and third quarters last year.

(Tesla speaking truth about its power at Battery Day.)

The push to get to 500K would likely require two things: a newfound efficiency increase and some sacrifice on the part of workers.

Honda Adds New Tech, Tweaks Styling to Keep 2021 Accord Fresh

Posted on October 12, 2020 by admin

The improvements on the new Accord are more felt than seen, especially the hybrid model.

While sedans may be losing momentum in today’s SUV-crazed market, Honda has no intention of walking away from the Accord, the 2021 model getting just enough updates to keep it fresh for the coming year.

Styling changes are modest, at most, but the automaker also is adding some new and improved technology. There are changes to the portfolio of variants, with the EX 1.5T going away, but a new Sport Special Edition joining the line-up. And the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid gets some updates that will make it more fun to drive, according to the automaker.

Unfortunately, Honda seems likely to disappoint some folks this coming year. While the automaker said in a release that, “Manual transmissions will remain an important part of the Honda line-up,” it also confirmed that the stick option won’t be available for the Accord in 2021.

(Honda gives 2021 Ridgeline a more rough-and-tumble look.)

This is a tough time for sedan fans, more and more familiar models disappearing from showrooms as the U.S. market shifts to SUVs and CUVs. Ford is completely out of the passenger car market and General Motors and Fiat Chrysler are down to a handful of offerings. That said, Asian automakers are determined to hang on, Honda continuing to update its long-popular Civic and Accord models.

The two-motor hybrid Accord will be more responsive for 2021 to make it more fun to drive.

The tweaks to the 2021 Honda Accord are meant to enhance the sedan’s appeal, though they aren’t going to be particularly noticeable to the casual eye.

Exterior updates are largely focused on the front end where it gets a modified front bumper and a wider grille with a subtle shift to the look of the fog lamps and fascia.

Inside, Honda focuses primarily on upgrading the Accord’s interior, starting with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display that now becomes standard on all variants. And, with the ’21 model, all grades now get both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, though wireless versions of those two systems are still limited to upper trims, including the Accord Hybrid. There’s now also wireless charging and more powered USB ports, including ones for backseat passengers.

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

Where some manufacturers have tried to simplify their sedan options, Honda continues to offer a broad range of packages and powertrains. So, even while dropping the EX 1.5T it is adding the Sport Special Edition which is an upgrade including features like leather, heated front seats, remote engine start and an 8-speaker audio system.

The Accord Hybrid carries over, for the most part, but the two-motor system receives updates which, Honda explains, gives it “a more direct and immediate throttle response with a more natural acceleration feeling as engine revs climb in concert with the driver’s throttle input.”

The interior of the 2021 Accord gets an 8-inch touchscreen display plus Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The system nonetheless holds to its previous rating of 212 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque, while delivering fuel economy of up to 48 mpg.

The Hybrid is one of three different powertrain options, depending upon model, the 2021 Accord also offering a 192 hp 1.5-liter turbo-four, and a 252 hp 2.0-liter turbo-four.

Honda offers a set of digital safety systems for various Accord models. The ’21 models, it notes, “also receive a new Rear Seat Reminder, while upper grades gain a new Low Speed Braking Control system.”

(First Drive: 2020 Honda Civic Type R.)

Depending upon the trim, 2021 Honda Accord buyers may see a slight increase in pricing which ranges from $24,270 to $36,400.

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