AD #2873 – All-New Bronco Highlights; Cadillac Changing Naming Structure Again; Hyundai Group Sets Lofty EV Goals
July 14th, 2020 at 11:48am
Listen to “AD #2873 – All-New Bronco Highlights; Cadillac Changing Naming Structure Again; Hyundai Group Sets Lofty EV Goals” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 12:14
0:23 All-New Ford Bronco Highlights
3:12 Jeep Reveals V8 Wrangler Concept
4:23 Cadillac Changing Model Names Again
5:04 Hyundai Group Sets Lofty EV Goals
5:24 BMW Pulls Wraps Off Electric iX3
6:28 Daimler Goes After Counterfeit Parts Makers
7:25 Ford Learns New Business Model from Microsoft
9:43 Survey Says Consumers Want Anti-Microbial Coatings
10:37 Interior Disinfectant Spray Approved by EPA
11:10 Rolls-Royce Improves Its Air Filtration System
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ALL-NEW BRONCO
If you’re just crawling out from under that rock, the all-new Ford Bronco 2-door, 4-door and Sport debuted yesterday. Let’s start out by looking at the entry into the brand, the Bronco Sport. Call it the Baby Bronco, if you will, but the Sport has similar styling to its larger siblings and comes standard with 4-wheel drive. Under the hood will be the choice of a 1.5L EcoBoost engine that will put out roughly 180 horsepower or a 2.0L turbo that is targeting 245 horsepower. Those numbers are with premium fuel. Both engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic. The interior has a rugged-look with blocky shapes around the air vents and instrument cluster and an 8-inch touchscreen sits high in the middle of the dash. While the Sport is the more road-going version of the Broncos, it will still be quite capable off-road. It features 7 terrain modes, twin-clutch rear-drive unit with a differential lock feature, unique shock tuning, off-road cruise control and up to 29-inch tires. One of the biggest differences is suspension setup. The Bronco Sport has independent suspension front and rear, while the 2- and 4-door models have Dana 44 solid rear axles and independent front suspension. Both front and rear are available with locking differentials. The larger Broncos also have 7 terrain modes and off-road cruise control, but come with two 4X4 systems as well. The base system utilizes a two-speed electronic transfer case, while the optional system features a two-speed electromechanical transfer case that can automatically switch between 2-high and 4-high. Other off-road goodies include Trail Turn Assist, one-pedal braking and accelerating control, under-body skid plates and up to 33.5-inch tires. Again two engines are available; a 2.3L turbo that is projected to produce 270 horsepower and a 2.7L EcoBoost producing about 310 horsepower. A 7-speed manual and 10-speed automatic are available to send power to the 4-wheel drive system. The boxy shapes of the interior give it a classic vibe, but modern materials, switchgear and either an 8- or 12-inch center display help blend it into the 21st century. The new Broncos arrive at dealerships later this year and potential buyers can plunk down $100 to reserve theirs today. Pricing for the Bronco Sport will start at just over $28,000, while the larger Bronco will start just below $30,000.
JEEP SLAPS V8 IN WRANGLER CONCEPT
And here’s Jeep’s attempt to steal some of the spotlight away from the Bronco. It revealed the teaser that we showed in yesterday’s show, the Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept. Engineers needed to upgrade the engine mounts and modify the frame to shoehorn the 6.4L V8 under the hood as well as beef up the 8-speed transmission. But the result is 450 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque and a Wrangler that will do 0-60 in under 5-seconds. Other upgrades include Dana 44 axles, two-speed transfer case, electronic front and rear lockers, a 2-inch lift kit and 37-inch mud tires. Jeep says “enthusiasts have been clamoring for a V-8-powered production Wrangler…” and this “… is an indication they may soon get their wish.”
CADILLAC TO RENAME ITS VEHICLES AGAIN
As Cadillac transitions into an all-electric brand, it’s going to rename all its vehicles. The website GM Authority reports that Cadillac is going to drop the CT and XT letters for naming its models and will rename all of them so they end with the letters iq, pronounced ‘ick.’ The first will be the electric Cadillac SUV called the Lyriq. And it’s coming out with a hand built luxury car which will be called the Celestiq. And make sure you pronounce it right. It’s not the Celes-TEEK. It’s the Ce-LES-tick. There ya go, now you’re as fully confused about Cadilla’s naming structure again as we are.
HYUNDAI GROUP SETS LOFTY EV GOALS
The Hyundai Group has some pretty ambitious goals for the EV segment. Together with Kia and Genesis, it set a target of selling one million EVs by 2025 and take 10% of the global market for electric cars. This would include fuel cell cars as well as battery electrics.
BMW REVEALS ELECTRIC iX3
BMW pulled the wraps off its latest electric model, the iX3. It’s not a dedicated EV, just an electric version of the X3 that also offers gasoline and diesel engines. It’s made at BMW’s assembly plant in Shenyang, China and will be the first BMW to be exported from China. BMW claims it increased the power density of the electric drive system by 30% and density of the battery cells by 20%. With an 80 kilowatt hour battery the iX3 delivers 460 kilometres of range, or about 285 miles on the WLTP test. Even so, the iX3 uses 19-5 to 18.5 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers. That works out to roughly 3 miles of range per kilowatt hour, versus nearly 4 miles for a Tesla Model 3. And that’s the disadvantage of having an electric car that does not use a dedicated EV platform.
DAIMLER GOES AFTER COUNTERFEIT PARTS MAKERS
Daimler is worried enough about people selling counterfeit parts for its vehicles that it formed the Intellectual Property Enforcement unit to hunt down and work with law enforcement to stop the sale of illegal parts. Last year, more than 1.6 million fake Daimler products were confiscated. Many of them were safety related parts, like brakes, wheels and windshields, which could affect the vehicle performance. And it’s a bigger market than you might expect. Some estimate that more than $509 billion is spent every year on counterfeit spare parts and in some cases the margins are better than selling illegal drugs.
FORD LEARNS NEW BUSINESS MODEL FROM MICROSOFT
As cars become more connected, there’s an opportunity for the auto industry to monetize all the data flowing in and out of cars. The business model in the industry is changing from transactional to relational. What’s that mean? Well Ford had one of those “Aha” moments when it paid a visit to Microsoft, as Hau Thai-Tang, the head of product development at Ford told us on Autoline After Hours.
Hau Thai-Tang, Head of Product Development, Ford
“The light bulb went off for me in the early days of Jim’s (Hackett) tenure when he took us on a trip to do some benchmarking. We went to Microsoft and we met with Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft and his leadership team. And in the conversation Satya said to us, “Do you know Google makes more money on every PC than Microsoft does?’ And we kind of shook our heads and intellectually we understood. But he said, ‘No, you don’t understand the significance of that.’ He said, ‘What that really meant was the business model has changed from a transaction model. The Microsoft that Bill Gates founded, that Steve Ballmer ran, that I inherited, our premise was that we would sell the operating system on the PC, Microsoft Windows and the Microsoft Office Suite. That’s how we organized ourselves, that’s how we measured our success. But as soon as a customer buys that PC, goes home, fires up Windows and gets on the internet using Microsoft Explorer, every time they do a search, Google would monetize the ad traffic. And for the life of that device they would actually make more money than Microsoft. So the learning for you guys is the business model changes from a transactional model–you buy a truck and we hope you come back in 6 years and buy another one–to now you have a continuous relationship with that customer. You’re able to provide them with enhanced value. You can monetize that.’ So for us that’s a huge investment that’s going to be game changing in terms of what we’ll be able to do for our customers and also represents a shift in the business model for us.”
Be sure to join us this Thursday on After Hours when our guest will be Trevor Pawl, the chief mobility officer for the state of Michigan.
SURVEY SAYS CONSUMERS WANT ANTI-MICROBIAL COATINGS
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, car buyers want vehicles that will protect them from the virus. That’s the conclusion of a new survey from IHS Markit. It asked 800 consumers in the U.S., China, Germany, Italy and Japan, whether they want anti-microbial coatings in their next vehicle. And 54% said they were “very interested” or “interested” in having that type of protection. The most common areas consumers want coated are the door handles, steering wheels, seats, touchscreen display and center console. Nearly half of the respondents said they would be willing to pay more than $100 for anti-microbial coatings. The survey also asked about ridesharing and 25% said they would not use it after the COVID-19 pandemic, and about 50% said they still would but not as frequently.
INTERIOR DISINFECTANT SPRAY APPROVED BY EPA
But here’s another solution to keep your car clean. NuVinAir Global is launching an EPA-approved disinfectant spray specifically for vehicle interiors, that kills 99.9% of germs, bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19. Called , the company says it doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals, sticky residue or volatile organic compounds. So it won’t damage any surfaces and there’s no chemical smell.
ROLLS-ROYCE IMPROVES AIR FILTRATION SYSTEM
And in related news, Rolls-Royce is coming out with a new air-filtration system that it claims will make its vehicles the cleanest interiors of any car. Sensors in the vehicle detect ambient air quality, which automatically switch fresh air intakes to a recirculation mode if high levels of contaminants are detected. This channels all cabin air through a nanofleece filter, which removes all ultra-fine particles, bacteria and viruses from the interior in less than two minutes. In the future, owners will be able to turn on this function with an app before they get in the car. The air-filtration system debuts in the new Ghost which launches this fall.
But that wraps up today’s show, thanks for watching, we’ll see you again tomorrow.
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Comments (48)
July 14th, 2020 at 12:18 pm
Cadillac has been confusing consumers for generations, arguably starting when the Seville morphed into the STS. Bad as it was Cadillac continued to change nomenclature, cycle after cycle, never letting the buyer acclimate to the new names. And this from a Cadillac fan and buyer, me! (I do lament Cadillac’s folly in the naming debacle.)
July 14th, 2020 at 12:26 pm
“That works out to roughly 3 miles of range per kilowatt hour, versus nearly 4 miles for a Tesla Model 3. And that’s the disadvantage of having an electric car that does not use a dedicated EV platform.”
And equally important, that’s the disadvantage of a truck, as opposed to a car. The X3, at least the gas one, is 9 inches taller than a Model 3.
July 14th, 2020 at 12:30 pm
I was getting used to, and was ok with the the current Cadillac names, except for calling a 2 liter turbo 4 a 350, or is it 450? Now, we start over again. I suppose my least favorite Cadillac, Escalade, will keep its current name. They should just call my favorite current Cadillac, CT5, Seville, or something like that.
July 14th, 2020 at 12:36 pm
Hi
Are you still publishing a transcript of Autoline Daily?
I could not see link or it doesn’t appear to be working.
Thanks
July 14th, 2020 at 12:38 pm
What’s with Cadillac? Who the hell knows what their vehicles are named? And now we have the ick cars, don’t you want to drive a 2025 Cadillac ICK SUV? Give me a brake they need a brain transplant at GM.
I think in less than a decade Cadillac has had at least 3 different naming plans. I think the next naming convention will be “no more Cadillacs!”
What a shame that what was an iconic brand has been made a laughing stock of a brand around the world. They’ve produce some very good vehicles it appears they have forgotten that once you build it you have to sell it and if all you do is confuse the consumer they go down the street to the Mercedes/BMW/whatever dealership and purchase there.
Sad!
July 14th, 2020 at 12:41 pm
The new Bronco launch was tainted by racism when Ford originally chose to launch the vehicle on OJ simpsons birthday. How do you think owners will be perceived? It has put me off Ford products for good.
July 14th, 2020 at 12:44 pm
4. The transcript works for me.
July 14th, 2020 at 12:48 pm
@Richard Piper – Are you able to click the “Show Transcript” button just above the comments section? It should toggle down the script for you. If that does not work, it could be the browser you’re using. May want to try a different one. If that doesn’t work, here’s the link to the transcript: http://www.autoline.tv/daily/?p=69128#more-69128
July 14th, 2020 at 12:51 pm
7,8. It works for me with Safari and Chrome on a Mac and iPad, and Chrome on a GS8 phone.
July 14th, 2020 at 1:00 pm
6. You actually think they made a conscious decision to launch the Bronco on OJ’s birthday? How many people in the U.S. knew what day his b’day was before someone with too much time on their hands in a pandemic pointed it out. Did you?
July 14th, 2020 at 1:16 pm
Put a V6 in the Bronco..and in Ranger.
July 14th, 2020 at 1:25 pm
I swear some people lie awake at night trying to figure out ways to be offended. Must really nice to be so perfect that you never make a mistake.
July 14th, 2020 at 1:28 pm
Sounds like everyone is on the same page with another naming change by Cadillac. Just strengthens the appearance that they are lost and are struggling for direction.. New names wont help.
Will the Bronco really have doors with the lower glass, or was that still concept vehicles?
11) the 2.7 is a V6.
July 14th, 2020 at 1:29 pm
11. The 2.7L Ecoboost V-6 is the optional engine in the 2 and 4 door Broncos.
July 14th, 2020 at 1:50 pm
6 Carl, or should I say Karen. I don’t think owners of Broncos will perceived any particular way by normal rational people. Anyone foolish enough to think a simple mistake made by Ford (that was rectified) has any reflection on the type of person owning the vehicle is really reaching for an argument.
Side note: You’ll find your life to be much more rewarding if you don’t look for reasons to be offended.
July 14th, 2020 at 1:58 pm
Cadillac = all I can say is “ick!!””
July 14th, 2020 at 2:12 pm
@6 (thanks 10,15) Ease off the throttle there. As a black man myself, I am not the least bit offended by Ford’s originally intended Bronco launch date. As ArtG alluded, no-one besides O.J. himself and the half dozen quarantined egg-heads with nothing better to do even knew that launch coincided with O.J.s birth date.
That said, I think Ford’s got some very competitive offerings here. I like the design language of these Broncos and their off-road capabilities (though nothing I’d ever use personally) seem robust.
Question for Autoline; I’ve seen pics of a two-door variant with a very interesting triangulated glass ‘window’ in the door panel. It looks like something that would be useful when bouldering for folk who’d rather not remove their doors. But I haven’t seen that particular model offered for sale. Was that a concept? Is that door an option for buyers?
July 14th, 2020 at 2:12 pm
Maybe a law suit from Hyundai will cause Cadillac to reverse their “iq” naming plan. We can hope. Doesn’t Hyundai own that, with Ioniq?
July 14th, 2020 at 2:19 pm
Cadillac management is out of touch
July 14th, 2020 at 2:42 pm
Cadillacs are now ick-E?
What genius at GM came up with naming all Cadillac models ending in IckE?
Sounds like they need to stop buying drugs.
I’ve heard Mercedes counterfeit parts have higher profit margins than illegal drugs.
Thats surprising too..
Thanks guys..
Just filling around…I’m hopeful.xadilcs new ev s are world class. GM deserves a big win.
July 14th, 2020 at 2:46 pm
Α. Τhe so-called ‘all new’ Bronco looks just like the crappy (Mary BArra’s words, not mine) old Bronco from the very forgettable 70s.
B. the idiots at Caddy are trying to make their overpriced junk sound like HYUNDAIS. In fact, I will be surprised if Hyundai does not SUE them for copying the “IonIQ” suffix.
Not much else comment-worthy.
July 14th, 2020 at 2:49 pm
There must be a lot of Cadillac haters here. I don’t like the planned “iq” themed name change, but I don’t remember seeing a bunch of “ick” comments when Hyundai launched their Ioniq hybrids and EV. Yes, the “iq” in the Hyundai name is pronounced the same way.
July 14th, 2020 at 2:59 pm
21. Yeah, I mentioned in #18 that Hyundai might sue.
Here’s some “bench racing” comparison of Wrangler and Bronco, mostly about ultimate off-road capability, which almost no one will use with either vehicle. It’s kind of interesting, though.
https://www.autoweek.com/news/trucks/a33303175/bronco-vs-wrangler-bench-racing-battle/?source=nl&utm_source=nl_aut&utm_medium=email&date=071420&utm_campaign=nl20903642&utm_term=AAA%20–%20High%20Minus%20Dormant%20and%2090%20Day%20Non%20Openers
July 14th, 2020 at 3:04 pm
23 I posted it just after I speedread the transcript in seconds. I saw your comment later, when mine was posted.
I recently just see the transcripts, I know I am missing videos of new vehicles etc, but don’t have much time these days.
July 14th, 2020 at 3:16 pm
22 I own a Caddy and have been vary happy with it.. I think the difference is that Hyundai used the naming convention with the launch of their Hybrid and EVs. Caddy on the other hand changed from a long well known history of names people knew and were included in many songs to initials. Seville=STS Catera=CTS Deville=DTS Eldorado=ETS Those initials at least still made some sense assuming they were all touring sedans. Not everyone even knew that’s what Cadillac did then.. This is just a whole new naming that will not add value to the brand and confuse consumers even more.
You’ll still have people saying ohh that’s the replacement for the ATS or the CTS and trying to compare new models to the old ones.
July 14th, 2020 at 3:18 pm
25 Not sure how very came out vary.. ooops
July 14th, 2020 at 3:34 pm
As a Jeep owner – and no hardcore off-roader — I am impressed with the Bronco. I like the styling and features. I think they’ve thrown down the gauntlet here.
I’ve driven and owned jeeps for 20 years and these got my attention so they must be doing something right.
Now if only I could convince myself that a car is worth 50k. I must be getting old. I don’t care that they start at 30, with options like wheels and doors, and taxes, you’re there!
July 14th, 2020 at 3:34 pm
@6, 10, 15, 17 – Mostly, I am not a fan of social media. People spend a lot of time pushing their viewpoint in the absence of the ability to read others’ body language or to fully understand tones (irony, sarcasm, etc.). However, I think it offers the ability to actualize some of MLK’s dream wherein I can judge the value of someone’s words on their own merit without race, gender, or religious prejudice… as is the case with this ALD Comments section. [I think MLK would agree.]
Anyone wanting to promote a cynical agenda about the original Bronco reveal schedule would have a leg to stand on if Ford targeted the date of the famous Bronco chase (June 17)!!!! As this was not the case, I agree with MJB, Art G, and Lambo…. that we should not be looking for things to divide us, rather, we should embrace things that unite us… like a cool new competition for off-road/adventure vehicles.
July 14th, 2020 at 3:42 pm
@17 I saw the door with the cutout on one of the promotional videos as they were touting the support provided to aftermarket companies for accessories. It left me with the impression that they would not be factory, but might be immediately available from another vendor.
July 14th, 2020 at 3:43 pm
27. I like the looks of the Wrangler much better, but wouldn’t buy either one. I’d potentially be more interested in the Wrangler, if they sold a very basic two door, RWD version for about $22K. That would be a fun ride to cruise the beachside streets in Florida. Steel wheels would be ok.
July 14th, 2020 at 5:57 pm
30 if you were in the market you’d have to look for a used one. They hold a pretty good resale even a few years old
July 14th, 2020 at 6:09 pm
30,31 The ideal Jeep for me, in Florida, would be RWD, non-turbo 4 cyl, manual trans, no heater, no a/c, soft top, for about $20K new. Yeah, they quit selling anything like that about 50 years ago. I don’t know if they
ever sold RWD CJs, but they sold some of the early “Jeepsters” that way.
July 14th, 2020 at 6:20 pm
@#21 Maybe Mary Barra should worry about the lousy slow selling POS they hurried up and slapped the name Blazer on when Ford announced bringing back the Bronco. Seeing as Chevy and GM sell mostly soft roaders for the Bro-dozer crowd . This is the same person running a company that can’t decide what to call their vehicles . Here is a suggestion Just call the POS 1 POS 2 POS 3 etc. Because that is mostly what GM has been giving the buyers for decades. She needs to shut her hole and make something that people would even want to buy. Her comments just sound liek sour rapes because they ( GM) are going to get left in the dust with this segment like they are in light duty trucks . When Fiat err I mean RAM is outselling your models you need to step up your game.
July 14th, 2020 at 6:42 pm
About 2-3 weeks ago, Apple sent a Java “update” that ripped it out of my MacBook Pro. This broke part of a COVID-19 web page (see link) and wasted a couple of hours with Apple support. Even loading Java from Oracle failed to fix the problem.
I’m moving to Firefox which so far renders everything correctly. A third option is Google Chrome. But Apple has effectively killed Safari for me.
July 14th, 2020 at 7:08 pm
33. The Blazer was intended to look appealing to to a group of people, and to do what people actually use these things for, like driving to work, grocery shopping at Walmart, taking kids to school and soccer practice, and getting around easily in snow. Blazer’s off-road capability is modest, but far beyond what 99% of people would ever use. Bronco will have good off-road capability for bragging rights, and for the handful of people who will actually use it. Time will tell how sales numbers work out.
July 14th, 2020 at 7:12 pm
34. I mostly use Safari with a Macbook, but occasionally run across a site that won’t work right, but will work with Chrome. Safari is generally faster, though, for me.
July 14th, 2020 at 8:58 pm
33 Ford is in far worse shape under Hackett than GM under Barra. In addition, Ford was also in farf worse shape than GM in the SEVENTiES, the time of the Shameful PINTO, which FORD refused to spend $50 per car to fix its fire risks.
Barra said “no more crappy cars” to her own people, but Ford’s were even crappier, so I borrowed it.
July 14th, 2020 at 9:24 pm
34 I wonder if that was a fake Java update. I’ve heard that there have been some of those, expertly disguised.
July 15th, 2020 at 5:43 am
#38 – At this point, water under the bridge. If another MacBook user sees a pop-up that looks like an Apple “Java Update,” maybe they can capture it and turn it over to Apple security. So I continue to transition off Safari.
July 15th, 2020 at 8:03 am
35) That is where GM went wrong in this segment. They do not understand lifestyle purchases. They accurately predicted that 85% of their customers do just daily things and built a car accordingly. That is not what sells in this segment though.
I am positive 85% of the Wrangler customers do non-wrangler things. However, the 15% that are doing wrangler things is what sells to the 85%. That is why you see Wranglers with lift kits and big tires that will never spend a day on anything worse than a dirt road. They are buying a lifestyle not a car.
The only vehicle where GM understands lifestyle purchasing is Corvette. 85% of the corvette owners do daily stuff that any car could handle. Probably even do them better than a Corvette. Maybe they go for a spirited cruise in the country side or to a car show or two. Activities that can be done in any car. The 15% that actually use their corvette for hard core track racing is what sells them though. These people buy the Corvette lifestyle, not the car.
July 15th, 2020 at 8:31 am
40. Blazer is selling at a rate of about 100K/year, in a class of about 30 crossovers of similar size and capability. Wrangler sells a little over 200K/year in a class of one hard core off-roader with removable doors and roof. With Bronco, that will be a class of two. It will be interesting to see if the arrival of Bronco almost doubles the total sales of these “lifestyle” trucks, or if Bronco mainly takes sales away from Wrangler.
July 15th, 2020 at 9:32 am
While Blazer is not the rock crawler or desert racer that Wrangler and Bronco will soon be offering, other than the corruption of the name Blazer, Chevy made a popular vehicle that sells well. Whether Chevy is developing a Wrangler/Bronco competitor, of that I don’t know but if they are, a suitable name would only need to be created; oh, perhaps ‘K-5′ or similar would work.
July 15th, 2020 at 9:43 am
https://www.autonews.com/video/first-shift-nissans-ariya-ev-get-379-mile-range?utm_source=antv-first-shift&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20200715&utm_content=hero-headline
Toyota kills Yaris in NA. LONG overdue, and only days from when I mentioned this loser segment (Yaris, Fit, Sonic, Spark etc) right here. I am pleased.
July 15th, 2020 at 10:15 am
43. So many vehicle models available, and so little real choice in the U.S. market Now, there is even less choice with Fit, and now Yaris gone. There are about 100 CUVs to choose from, but the only mainstream small cars will now be the crappy Nissan Versa, and a couple Hyundai/Kia products. This is unfortunate.
July 15th, 2020 at 11:57 am
My head is spinning… oh those possibilities.
Still, Celestiq. Hmm. “Rides just like a little bit of heaven here on earth”
Can’t resist, though: Cadillac Moustiq, anyone?
July 15th, 2020 at 4:08 pm
I wish GM and Cadillac large success. The name change focus is a bit bizarre…a person’s name is irrelevant….their character, actions, and reputation is all that matter. My worry also is the EV strategy for USA assumes Americans will purchase or desire an EV. EV’s have been around for nearly a decade now in the USA and only have 1.53% of sales with no sign of large growth. Most all of the volume is to Tesla selling expensive luxury performance niche vehicles. Looking at total $$ invested into Tesla it may never return on investment even despite recent operational profits. But I suppose at least Elon Musk is an innovator and taking risks. The key issues for EV’s of high price, limited range on a charge, long charge time, and little charging infrastructure are still here and show little signs of changing. EV range is improving the most but one can get ICE vehicles that are much larger with nearly twice the range of an EV. If we build it they will come mentality I hope is not part of their strategy. And niche low volume vehicles…even if they make operational profit per unit likely may never pay back the billions in EV tech investment. But others may argue sunk R&D costs don’t matter. But do they for the people that invested years of their life on such development? What opportunity costs were lost or missed? What do Americans really desire to buy? Marketing and Engineering 101 I think is ignored for many decision makers in many big companies. Good news is in USA currently there is still a free market and auto makers are not forced to make EV’s and American’s are not forced to buy them. Let’s see what happens next!
July 15th, 2020 at 4:54 pm
After owning 2 Cadillacs, and the headaches I had with them and Cadillac’s lack of interest in repairing and honoring warranties – ICK fits very well!! POS would even be better!!
July 20th, 2020 at 9:05 am
I want a new Cadillac Mongoose Civiq