AD #2014 – Can Mitsubishi Make a Comeback?, Honda Builds 100 Millionth Vehicle, Mopar Assists NHRA Racers
December 23rd, 2016 at 11:54am
Runtime: 8:36
To watch this episode on YouTube click here.
- Mopar Assists NHRA Racers
- U.S. Car Sales on Pace to Break Record
- Uber Heads to Arizona
- Honda & Waymo in Talks
- Honda Builds 100 Millionth Vehicle
- Mitsubishi Update
- New Device for Truck Beds
- Do Automakers Like or Loathe Local Motors?
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On today’s show…Honda produces its 100 millionth vehicle…automakers are expected to set a sales record in the U.S….and do carmakers like or loathe the disruptive new ideas Local Motors is bringing to the industry. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.
MOPAR ASSISTS NHRA RACERS
Being the little guy in any racing series can make being competitive very difficult, but to even things out FCA is going to help out grassroots racers in NHRA. For the 2017 season Mopar will provide factory-backing for select teams, offer a Drag Pak Rewards program, give technical at-track assistance and increase outreach and communication with competitors. We commend FCA for helping out the amateur racers.
U.S. CAR SALES ON PACE TO BREAK RECORD
It seems like all year long analysts have been warning that the U.S. car market is slowing down. However, Wards Auto is forecasting that sales will just barely edge last year’s record. In 2015 automakers sold 17.39 million vehicles, this year they’re expected to hit 17.41 million units. But it does appear the market is hitting its peak, next year Wards estimates sales will dip slightly to 17.2 million vehicles.
UBER HEADS TO ARIZONA
Yesterday we reported that Uber has ended its autonomous ride-sharing program in California, but it hasn’t taken long for it to find a new home. Uber shipped its fleet of self-driving Volvo XC90’s to Arizona where it will start giving rides in the next few weeks.
HONDA & WAYMO IN TALKS
And speaking of autonomy, Honda announced it’s in talks with Google’s Waymo to integrate its self-driving technology with Honda vehicles. If the deal goes through, Honda would provide vehicles modified to accept Waymo’s tech, which would then be added into Waymo’s fleet. Honda hopes the tie up will help it meet its goal of having production vehicles with autonomous highway capabilities sometime around 2020.
HONDA BUILDS 100 MILLIONTH VEHICLE
We’d also like to congratulate Honda on reaching a major milestone. The automaker just produced its 100 millionth vehicle globally. It all started with the T360 mini-truck in 1963. And now it operates 34 plants in 18 different countries around the globe. Cheers Honda!
Mitsubishi has been pretty much an afterthought the past two decades. But the company is trying to make a comeback in the U.S. and coming up next we’ll take a look at how that’s going.
MITSUBISHI UPDATE
Mitsubishi used to be a car company known for its advanced styling and modern technology. But it’s been wandering aimlessly for the last two decades, slowly watching its sales sink. Now it’s trying to make a comeback, and thanks to becoming a part of the Renault-Nissan alliance its future should look brighter. In the American market Mitsubishi boosted its sales by 1.6% this year. That’s not much of an increase but it’s better than the overall market. The Outlander Sport is Mitsubishi’s best selling model, but sales are falling fast. It looks like buyers are moving over to the Outlander instead because its sales are up 40%. At a time when subcompact cars are struggling, the Mirage has seen a slight increase, probably thanks to its base price of only $14,000. One of the reasons it’s so cheap is that it’s imported from Thailand. But sales of the Lancer are plunging, and Mitsubishi’s electric car, the i-MiEV, has virtually collapsed. Only five were sold last month. As Carlos Ghosn determines how to breathe new life into Mitsubishi one of the first steps will be to add more models. And maybe even revive the company’s former reputation for advanced styling and technology.
| Mitsubishi U.S. Sales Jan-Nov, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Outlander Sport | 30,567 | -9.1% |
| Outlander | 24,111 | +40.8% |
| Mirage | 20,671 | +2.1% |
| Lancer | 13,444 | -17.9% |
| i-MiEV | 91 | -14.2% |
| TOTAL | 88,884 | +1.6% |
| Source: Wards Auto | ||
NEW DEVICE FOR TRUCK BEDS
Trucks are so big today that reaching to the back of the bed is nearly impossible for some. And while there are a number of grabber-type tools on the market, here’s a new one that caught our eye that we think you might like. Rather than let the tool flop around in the bed, the Tailhook stores neatly in the tailgate. All you do is drill a 1.5-inch hole into the side of the tailgate and secure the holding plate with 4 screws. The hook then slides into the plate, which is spring loaded and can be released by pulling up on a tab. Very simple, yet very effective. The Tailhook goes on sale in late January and retails for about $110.
Local Motors could potentially upend the way the auto industry develops and manufactures cars. So how do automakers view the company? We’ll take a look at that, right after this.
DO AUTOMAKERS LIKE OR LOATHE LOCAL MOTORS?
As we’ve talked about in the past, Local Motors is bringing a whole new and potentially disruptive way to develop and manufacture cars to the auto industry. Not only is the company 3D printing cars in small micro-factories, it’s also developing them through crowd sourcing. So how does an industry that’s been doing things its own way for over 100 years view this? On Autoline This Week we’re joined by Jay Rogers, the CEO of Local Motors and he says he’s been surprised by the response of automakers to his ideas.
(The ATW preview is only available in the video version of today’s show.)
There’s a lot more great insight into Local Motors in that show. And you can watch that entire discussion right now on our website, Autoline.tv or you can find it on our YouTube channel.
And a quick programming note before I sign off. This is the last Autoline Daily for 2016 because we’re shutting down the office for the holiday break. But that’s it for today, thanks for watching, have a happy holidays and we’ll see you again in 2017.
Thanks to our partner for embedding Autoline Daily on its website: WardsAuto.com
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Comments (17)
December 23rd, 2016 at 12:18 pm
The Tailhook: great idea but a little pricey; make it 89.95 (you’re out the door for under a hundred) and the company is still (probably) making 50 bucks profit. If you price too-high, enterprising individuals will just make their own.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday to all the staff and listeners/contributors to this very special forum we support.
December 23rd, 2016 at 12:21 pm
Honda has built more 4 wheeled vehicles than I would have guessed. I suspect they have built even more 2 wheeled vehicles, given the huge number of small motorbikes in Asia.
December 23rd, 2016 at 12:29 pm
@Kit – According to the release Honda put out, if you include motorcycle and power products the total comes to 560 million.
December 23rd, 2016 at 1:02 pm
Thanks, Sean. I guess I didn’t read enough of it.
I’m curious about motorcycles, excluding cars, lawn mowers, etc., but that info seems hard to find, or I’m not looking the right place.
December 23rd, 2016 at 1:11 pm
I found something, 300M cumulative motorcycle production as of September, 2014.
http://www.hondaph.com/whats-new/news/honda-reaches-300-million-unit-milestone-in-cumulative-global-motorcycle-production/
December 23rd, 2016 at 1:38 pm
Chrysler got its ass kicked in NHRA pro stock by Chevy so they have moved on to class racing BUT Chevy is in there also. Should make it interesting next year if drag racing survives. NHRA made the same mistake as NASCAR they forgot about the little guy and it may be too late to bring them back
December 23rd, 2016 at 3:37 pm
@ Motorman: I wish they would bring back FX.Ford can do up a new thunderbolt and the other oems could do the same stuff.My favorite back in the 60′s was Butch Leal 28/pro.That was racing back then.
I used to watch drag racing but in truth,it’s boring as hell when they just show the big guns/names all the time.
I wish they would show the ‘less expensive’ classes including the weekend warriors street machines.Then I would watch it again.
MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone !!
December 23rd, 2016 at 4:05 pm
I lost interest in drag racing, after “pure stock” disappeared. It was fun, racing my bone stock 1957 Chrysler, and would be fun now, to race my Prius against other lower power/weight vehicles. Just classify cars, based on rated power/weight, like it was done in the 1960′s.
December 23rd, 2016 at 11:14 pm
My son and I were at a MR2 meet in Kansas City in 2005 when the Mitsui Lancer Evolutions came into the US and we met some of the owners who were complaining that the dealers were telling them that any competition would void their warranty! They were not impressed since why else would you get one of those very potent cars. This summer I met here in Ontario at a track day at Shannonville, one of the owners of the last Evo’s and he was saying how the attitude still was no warranty if the car was tracked or slalomed. Totally different from Subaru who encourages you to use the WRX’s and STi’s for what they were intended for. Result of that is those Scooby drivers become Subaru’s biggest salesmen. As a driver of quite a few REX’s (leased) over the years I can confirm that is what happens to me. Subaru’s sales are always increasing and I am sure that competiton successes play a big part in the brand’s creditablity. If Mitsui had the same attitude, maybe they would have been more successful.
December 24th, 2016 at 11:46 am
Thanks for all the good info this year, Autoline! Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays!
December 24th, 2016 at 5:09 pm
John, Sean, and staff, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or whatever, and thanks for another year of great shows.
December 26th, 2016 at 2:29 pm
Great show, we’ll eagerly await the next in 2017. Have a happy holidays, everyone!
December 30th, 2016 at 1:05 pm
Just got finished watching “Autoline” (on the NACOTY awards); good show, not enamored with some of the picks but they weren’t totally aberrant (either). Quick comment on the new trophy award, from the mind of Ed Welburn; great design: I see the past, the present and the future in automotive design in that sculptured statue. Well done.
And given the choices, I’m going along with John Mc’s picks: Chevy Bolt, Chrysler Pacifica and the new Honda Ridgeline.
December 30th, 2016 at 3:46 pm
Bolt, Pacifica, and Ridgeline were my picks when NACTOY came up here a while back. I’ll stick with those predictions.
December 31st, 2016 at 1:49 am
The web link is to a Wards article where “German automotive supplier Continental AG’s Chief Executive Elmar Degenhart told a newspaper, the shift to EVs will cost jobs at the supplier.” This is one of the lamest, anti-EV excuses around. We also don’t need stables, road dung removal, and buggy whips either.
There are no guaranteed jobs and anyone who claims a new technology will ‘cost jobs’ is missing the point that jobs will change. With fewer man-hours needed to create a part, the final product eventually becomes more affordable.
Bob Wilson
December 31st, 2016 at 9:03 am
#15, Bob Wilson
Two thumbs up; nice commentary.
December 31st, 2016 at 12:59 pm
15, 16
Yep. EV’s will also cost Jiffy Lube oil change business. Jobs change, as technology changes.