AD #2551 – VW Expands EV Plans, EPA Proposes Year-Round E-15 Sales, Infiniti Pulls Out of Western Europe

This is Autoline Daily reporting on the global automotive industry.

EPA PROPOSES YEAR-ROUND E-15 SALES
The EPA is proposing to lift a ban on selling higher-ethanol blends in gasoline during the summertime, which would allow for the sale of E-15 year-round. As you’d expect, corn farmers, who provide the raw material needed to create ethanol, are in favor of the proposal. But the oil industry is dead set against it because they claim blending ethanol into fuel is too costly. The proposal also includes a measure to limit speculation in the biofuel credit market. The EPA wants to finalize the rule by the summer and will start taking public input at the end of the month. So expect to see a battle between biofuel advocates and the oil industry over the next several months.

VW EXPANDS EV PLANS
Volkswagen already had ambitious plans for electric vehicles and now it’s ramping up those efforts. Instead of 50 new electric models over the next decade, VW will make 70 new models, which translates to production of 22 million units. But the increase in EVs will result in job cuts of up to 7,000 workers. Volkswagen CEO, Herbert Diess said building its electric cars involves some 30 percent less effort than ones powered by an internal combustion engine. On top of that, the automaker will align management pay and bonuses more closely with profits and cut manufacturing complexity as well. It all has to do with improving operating margins, which were down at all of its core brands last year.

Hey, be sure to join us for Autoline After Hours this week. Joining John and Gary, is Michael Robinet from IHS Markit and Charlie Chesbrough from Cox Automotive, two experts and analysts of the automotive industry. So, if you have any questions or comments send them our way to viewermail@autoline.tv and tune in live at 3PM eastern time, Thursday afternoon.

AUTOLINE TAKES THE ICE PLUNGE CHALLENGE
Remember that ice plunge challenge we showed you a few weeks back, where you can bet on when a gutted Saturn will fall through an iced-over lake? Well, we decided to get in on the action. We’ve placed our $10 bet, picked our three dates and times and will continue to follow the car’s progress on social media. And if you want, you can find us on Twitter by looking for @Autoline or at the AutolineNetwork on Instagram and Facebook.

HYUNDAI SONATA RIDES ON NEW PLATFORM
We showed you the all-new Hyundai Sonata the other day and we’re continuing to learn more about it. The sedan rides on a new third-generation platform, which Hyundai says enhances overall design, safety, efficiency, power and driving performance. Compared to the outgoing model, the new Sonata has a shorter front overhang, the height and seating position was lowered and the wheelbase was extended. Heavy components now sit in a lower position, which helped reduce weight and improve handling. It’s also expected to be safer with a multi-load path structure that increases the energy absorbed by the vehicle in a collision. The new Sonata goes on sale later this month and Hyundai says it will expand the platform to other future products as well.

INFINITI PULLS OUT OF WESTERN EUROPE
A number of automakers have been cutting their operations in Europe and now we can add Infiniti to the list. The brand will discontinue the Q30 and QX30 in Western Europe and stop production at its Sunderland plant in the UK by the middle of the year. Infiniti will instead focus its resources on markets with better sales opportunities, like the U.S. and China.

GM’S CRUISE DOUBLES WORKFORCE
General Motors might be laying off a bunch of workers, but its self-driving unit is doubling its headcount. Cruise said it’s going to hire 1,000 people over the next 9 months, the majority of which will be engineers. Valued at over $14.5 billion, Cruise plans to launch its autonomous taxi service by the end of the year.

GM DONATES 1ST AV BOLT TO HENRY FORD MUSEUM
And the company is also donating its first autonomous Chevy Bolt to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. And will strangely enough be displayed next to a ‘59 Cadillac.

Hey, before we go, we saw this on Facebook and thought you might enjoy it as well. Bread anyone!? But that’s it for today, we’d like to thank you, you, you…. And you, way in the back. Come along for the ride tomorrow.