AD #3016 – Chevy Unveils New Bolt EV & EUV; Nissan Shoots Down Apple Partnership; Peugeot Launches New Pickup
February 15th, 2021 at 11:56am
Listen to “AD #3016 – Chevy Unveils New Bolt EV and EUV; Nissan Shoots Down Apple Partnership; Peugeot Launches New Pickup” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 10:30
0:08 Oil Prices Hit 13-Month High
1:02 Nissan Shoots Down Apple Partnership
2:11 Tesla to Open Manufacturing Plant in India
4:24 Mercedes Issues Huge Recall Over Software Problem
5:13 Peugeot Launches New Pickup
6:32 Chevrolet Unveils New Bolt EV & EUV
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OIL PRICES HIT 13-MONTH HIGH
Have you noticed higher prices at the pump? That’s because the price of oil just hit a 13-month high. Global prices, or what they call Brent crude, are $63 a barrel, while U.S. oil is $60 a barrel. U.S. oil is referred to as WTI or West Texas Intermediary. There’s a number of reasons for why prices are going up. Investors believe a U.S. stimulus package could boost demand. There’s tensions in the Middle East. And Saudi Arabia is cutting production by a million barrels a day. So how high could prices go? Well, the U.S. Energy Information Agency actually expects them to go down a bit. It estimates Brent oil to average $53 a barrel for the year, and WTI to average $50.
NISSAN SHOOTS DOWN APPLE PARTNERSHIP
First it was Hyundai, now it’s Nissan. According to a report from the Financial Times, Apple and the Japanese automaker had discussions about collaborating on the tech giant’s electric, autonomous car. However, Nissan says it is not in talks with Apple. The deal reportedly fell through over Nissan’s reluctance to become a contract manufacturer for Apple. Earlier this month, Hyundai also backed out of a potential deal with Apple over the same concerns. It’s clear that Apple doesn’t want to build the vehicle on its own but it likely won’t be an automaker that will produce it. We think Apple will choose either Magna or Valmet in Finland. We also think Apple is trying to get other automakers interested as a bargaining chip to negotiate a better price. But if the car ever does come to market, VW CEO Herbert Diess says he’s not concerned about the competition from Apple. He says the auto industry is different from the tech-sector and that Apple won’t be able make an immediate impact.
TESLA TO OPEN MANUFACTURING PLANT IN INDIA
Tell that to Tesla. It’s going to build a manufacturing plant in India according to a government document. No timeframe was given but it’s no secret the company is interested in the country. Back in December, Elon Musk tweeted that Tesla will launch vehicles in India sometime this year. And last month the company incorporated Tesla Motors India. Even though India has a huge population, car sales there are well behind other major markets. And its EV market is in worse shape due to a lack of a charging infrastructure. But we don’t think it will build a gigafactory. Instead, look for a CKD assembly plant to avoid import duties, much like Tesla did in the Netherlands.
MERCEDES ISSUES HUGE RECALL OVER SOFTWARE PROBLEM
If you need any more evidence of the benefits of over-the-air updates, look no further than the problem Mercedes-Benz is facing. It announced it’s recalling nearly 1.3 million vehicles in the U.S. over a software issue that could report the incorrect location of the vehicle when it’s in an accident. This covers practically all of its passenger vehicles from model years 2016 to 2021. While some of the vehicles with the automaker’s newest MBUX system will get an OTA update, most will have the software fix installed at the dealer. No doubt customers would prefer to have the car basically fix itself while they sleep with an OTA rather than have to set up an appointment and take their vehicle to the dealer.
PEUGEOT LAUNCHES NEW PICKUP
Peugeot launched a new pickup truck in the Africa and Middle East region, called the Landtrek. While it would likely be considered a mid-size truck in the U.S. it fits their definition of a 1-ton pickup and comes in single-, double- and chassis-cab variants. Under the hood is the choice of a 1.9L diesel or a 2.4L turbo gas engine, both of which can be mated to a manual or the gas version can also be paired to an automatic. Despite being a pretty basic truck, it’s actually quite interesting too. The Landtrek was co-developed with Chinese automaker Changan, which also sells its own version of the truck, called Kaicheng F70. Even so, in April of this year, Peugeot will start making the truck in Tunisia with a local partner.
CHEVROLET UNVEILS NEW BOLT EV & EUV
General Motors unveiled the redesign of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and addressed almost all the things that owners complained about. And it added a second, longer model called the Bolt EUV, or electric utility vehicle. From a styling standpoint the Bolt takes a major step forward. It now just has the vestiges of a grille, like Ford did with the Mustang Mach E. As we’ve been saying for a couple of years, electric cars with traditional-looking grilles are going to look outdated very quickly, and we’re glad Chevy avoided that.
You can quickly tell the Bolt EV and EUV apart from two styling cues. On the EV, the projector beams and air intake below the Daytime Running Lamps flow up into the fenders. On the EUV they do not. Also, the sail panel at the rear of the EV is the same as before, while the EUV has a more angular kick-up. Even though these models look very similar, they don’t share any external sheetmetal.
Inside, both electrics have noticeably better looking interiors, which was one of the biggest complaints from customers. The materials look richer, there’s bright trim to accent items such as the air vents, the instrument panel and the console, and the seats feature French seams with contrast stitching.
Mechanically speaking there’s nothing new under the vehicle. Both models have the same powertrain as before, with a 65 kWh battery pack. The EV continues to offer a 259 mile range, while the slightly heavier EUV has 250 miles of range. DC fast charging capability is now standard equipment, and Chevrolet says it will provide 100 miles of range with 30 minutes of charging.
Now for the best news. Chevy cut the price of the Bolt EV by $5,000. It now has a base price of $32,000. The EUV comes in at $34,000. General Motors has run out of tax credits for EVs, but if the Biden Administration adds more credits, which we think is very likely, these prices could come down by up to another $7,500. Chevy is also offering a completely loaded EUV Launch Edition, including Super Cruise for $43,500. It will offer Super Cruise as a separate option for other models, but did not say what it will cost.
Sales of the Bolt EV were up 26% last year, with 20,000 being sold in the U.S. market. With this redesign, a lower price and a second model, Chevy hopes to sell a lot more. It has nearly 1,700 dealers who are already qualified to sell electric cars. In total, Chevrolet has about 3,000 dealers around the country and it expects more of them to sign up to sell electrics as it expands its EV lineup.
Speaking of electric vehicles, we have Jim Taylor, the CEO of ELMS, or Electric Last Mile Delivery, coming on Autoline After Hours this week. Jim has a tremendous automotive background, including time at Hummer, Cadillac, Workhorse and Karma. So join John and Gary to learn about one of the newest EV startups in the industry.
But that’s a wrap for today. Thanks for watching.
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Comments (35)
February 15th, 2021 at 12:08 pm
ELMS=Electric last mile solutions”.
February 15th, 2021 at 12:29 pm
… if Keystone XL pipeline was in place, the US could benefit from $47/bbl Western Canada Select crude. Oh well.
February 15th, 2021 at 12:30 pm
And maybe higher gas prices as the Keystone Pipeline gets cancelled? We’ve, in my area, are seeing up to almost 40 cents increase in regular grade gasoline (some stations cheaper, some higher). Just an observation, and I’m sure there are multiple reasons for the increase.
February 15th, 2021 at 12:30 pm
With the announcement of a Tesla plant in India’s tech hub area after announcing the sale of Teslas in India, with sales of Teslas in Israel imminent and Tel Aviv being a major world tech hub and it seems all their plants seem to be near major tech hubs well ??
February 15th, 2021 at 12:31 pm
Sean, Wouldn’t Stellantis be a better partner for Apple? Tavares committed to no job losses and no plant closures. This might be an opportunity to get rid of a US and an EU factory to Apple.
February 15th, 2021 at 12:33 pm
Any chance of that Peugeot truck becoming the new Dakota?
February 15th, 2021 at 12:39 pm
A comparison of the Bolt EUV and the MachE seems inevitable. Watch out Ford… the Mustang name has to overcome a price disadvantage (particularly if Biden extends GM’s EV credits) and an upholstery disadvantage (the Chevy comes with either cloth or leather upholstery vs. vinyl-only… er… ActiveX… in the MachE).
February 15th, 2021 at 12:54 pm
would be nice to know how cargo volumes compare between the BEV and EUV versions of the Chevy Bolt. Plus 3-inches of rear legroom acknowledged but no one has thus far reported the larger edition’s gain in rear cargo room.
February 15th, 2021 at 1:04 pm
I’m not sure how the Apple partnership is being presented, but it sounds like Apple wants to be in control and manage the build while capitalizing on the expertise of an established manufacturer. Use them to avoid making the mistakes traditional builders have learned over the years like Elon learned the hard way.
Tesla designed their car in the bubble of California weather and as they are now seeing some snow a common complaint is the lack of the drip track when opening the trunk. Tesla’s allow snow and rain to just drip into the trunk when the lid is open.
To avoid these sort of design flaws it would make sense for Apple to partner with a seasoned builder, and Magna would be a good choice for them. They are a supplier and have no problem building to a customers specifications and yet they also have the experience to lead Apple from making mistakes. I doubt any OE is going to want to be a supplier to Apple.
February 15th, 2021 at 1:10 pm
8) The EUV cargo space is actually 0.3″ smaller than the SUV. So what you get is more rear leg room and the same cargo size.
February 15th, 2021 at 1:27 pm
This article explains quite a bit about the Keystone XL pipeline, and the existing Keystone pipeline, and has a map showing the proposed, and existing lines.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30103078
The whole idea of extracting the tar sands oil doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, when there is no shortage of oil. It takes far more energy to extract it than other forms of oil.
February 15th, 2021 at 1:29 pm
@6 Kevin, one can only hope, especially if they bring the two door version, something missing from the mid-size market place here in the US for some asinine reason.
February 15th, 2021 at 1:30 pm
Won’t Tesla probably make a different, smaller car in India, to sell in India? It would seem so, based on what I know of autodom in India, albeit based on a few years ago.
February 15th, 2021 at 1:48 pm
I’d expect the Lantrek pickup to be very “rough around the edges” for North American tastes, since it was apparently designed for the middle eastern and African markets where most pickup trucks are used for actual work, and low price is important. Maybe these will take some of the Taliban and ISIS market from Toyota HiLux.
February 15th, 2021 at 2:05 pm
7 The Bolt and Mach-E are in kind of different markets, the Chevy being FWD, and mainly utilitarian, with no pretense of being particularly sporty. The Ford is RWD/4WD, and probably faster, even in the base form.
I hope the Bolt sells better with the refresh, and the new EUV version. I know a couple owners who like them a lot, but the frumpy styling, so-so interior, and of course, price has hurt sales.
February 15th, 2021 at 2:22 pm
WRT the 2022 Bolt story, I don’t see mention of Chevrolet’s offer of standard 240V charging outlet at the customer’s primary residence:
“Offer available to eligible customers who purchase a 2022 Bolt EV or EUV between 2/14/21 and 6/31/21. Home charging installation promotion includes purchase and installation of a 240V outlet (NEMA 14–50 outlet and new 40-amp breaker in existing panel) from a GM selected vendor. Installation must be located at Customer’s primary residence as reported on the Customer’s vehicle purchase order. Additional costs to the Customer may apply. Customers who do not meet parameters for a standard installation may be eligible for alternative charging offers. Additional information and limitations, including but not limited to, how to take advantage of this promotion, will be available closer to the start of production of 2022 Bolt EV and EUV.”
February 15th, 2021 at 2:33 pm
9 Lambo – Agreed, Apple is just looking for a conduit to the market. They must have one amazingly integrated platform in mind to think their margins will carry over.
As for India, this must be where Sandy Munro presents the Tesla Tuk-Tuk. Can’t wait! No, I’ll never ride through Mumbai mayhem in a Plaid variant.
What’s the fuss about that pipeline again?
February 15th, 2021 at 2:42 pm
Just one little niggle: WTI is the abbreviation for West Texas Intermediate.
February 15th, 2021 at 3:20 pm
@6) Bringing that Peugeot truck to the US, they will run into issue of federalizing it to run on US roads, which can be costly. They maybe do better just reworking the Gladiator as a Ram Dakota.
While I’m sure the Bolt and Bolt EUV are each a technical tour de force, styling wise, they do not say ‘leave your ICE and join the BEV’ movement like the Mach-E, Tesla’s, Taycan, e-tron GT and the VW ID 4 and 5. Their price is VERY attractive, but I could get a nicely equipped Equinox and an entry level Blazer for that amount (not including federal incentives). I think Ford would have run into the same issue, if they had simply styled the Mach-E after the C-Max or something simular, like they were going to do at first. With it not having Tesla rage, fast charging and 0-60, it would have been a great BEV that could easily have been over looked by more exciting vehicles. The Mach-E, on the other hand, say what you want about its name and styling (and it’s price point too), has people talking and getting in a long line to get theirs! This is despite not having quite the range of a Tesla or a dedicated Ford charging Network. Honestly, had Ford made their EV an electric C-Max, I don’t think they would have priced it too much more then these Bolts. But as a vehicle with a name and styling direction that is associated with the Mustang, it seems that buyers do not have a problem paying $50K before government incentives.
February 15th, 2021 at 3:32 pm
2 and Alberta would be back in business so good for both economies
February 15th, 2021 at 4:08 pm
20 If they want to extract the stuff, they should use nuclear reactors of the type used to power aircraft carriers to generate the steam needed, rather than burning oil or gas as they do now. As far as shipping it out, they could just build a short pipeline through Alberta and B.C., and ship it to Asia from the Vancouver port, or whatever B.C. port would be easiest to connect by pipeline.
February 15th, 2021 at 4:11 pm
peugeot launches new pickup, there’s your new/next ram dakota.
February 15th, 2021 at 4:14 pm
19 If the Peugeot truck were intended for sale in western Europe, it wouldn’t take much to federalize it, but since it is apparently being designed for “3rd world” markets, yeah, it might be expensive just to make it legal for the US market. Then, there is the “chicken tax.”
They could make a Dakota from the Gladiator, but they wouldn’t be able to charge inflated Jeep prices, so it might be counterproductive for the company to do it.
February 15th, 2021 at 4:15 pm
9….The automotive industry could be intimidated by the fact that Apple has a 100 billion of cash on hand. They could invoke the Golden Rule on an existing car company. In business the Golden Rule is….he who has the gold sets the rules.
February 15th, 2021 at 4:21 pm
Isn’t the Bolt EUV just an electrified version of the Chevy Trailblazer?
February 15th, 2021 at 4:27 pm
There’s also that little detail that the price of oil is set on the world market.
A small discount may apply if the crude can be refined at a nearby, compatible facility, but that’s about it, in my non-expert accumulated wisdom.
And I agree with Kit that tar sands are really too dirty an option in an era of abundant, easily accessed oil.
The Midwest might actually pay a little more if a new pipeline out of Alberta gets built, but that’s not what moves the needle in a serious manner.
There’s plenty of far more serious stuff that requires attention.
Like why the slightly enlarged Chevy EV is so hideous, and might sell nevertheless.
I find the compact Toyota C-HR (also sold in Europe) of similar size far less tacky.
February 15th, 2021 at 4:41 pm
26 Is the C-HR sold with diesel engines in Europe?
February 15th, 2021 at 4:49 pm
27 Not that I know of. I checked and nothing comes up – but there’s a hybrid that seems to be quite popular in Switzerland, at least.
The car also comes in a medium-green metallic that makes me drool and initially popped up in the seventies, I think.
February 15th, 2021 at 4:54 pm
28 My 1974 Plymouth Duster was medium green metallic. I miss the option of getting cars in colors other than 7 shades of grey.
February 15th, 2021 at 5:45 pm
29 Amazing! Just the kind of combo I pictured. Yes, we don’t get many twists in our sobriety nowadays. On the other hand, VW has an optional “Spectrum” color program (available only on select models, I surmise).
Quote (Aug 15, 2018): “Viper Green Metallic, originally found on the European Mk 3 Scirocco, and later featured on the Lamborghini Huracán, has been the most popular color to date in Canada.”
Source https://www.media.vw.com/en-us/releases/1065/
February 15th, 2021 at 6:56 pm
30 Porsche allows order of almost any color on some models, including Cayman when I was considering ordering one in 2019. The special order colors were pricey, though, $8000 as I remember. From your link, it’s a bargain price of only $2500 on the Golf R.
February 16th, 2021 at 3:25 am
I was interested in Sean’s comment that the new Peugeot utility vehicle carried a 1 ton payload. Is it a short ton, long ton or a tonne. It can make a lot of difference as NASA can testify. See the following article.
https://asseteng.com.au/whats-difference-ton-tonne-one-heavier/#:~:text=Both%20are%20a%20unit%20of,tonne%20is%20a%20Metric%20measurement.&text=Each%20has%20a%20different%20weight,grams%20or%20one%20thousand%20kilograms.
February 16th, 2021 at 8:15 am
Regarding the pipeline, I used to work for an oil & gas management company and it is full of stop & go, boom & bust, on again/off again. The industry is used to this and there are built in buffers since they rely on so much legislation, approvals, and land sales to individuals. I wouldn’t feel sorry for the companies involved or expect much price change from that.
I do/did feel sorry for the landmen that work on the projects. They are nomadic, and go where the projects take them for months at a time and make great money when working, but only the older seasoned landmen plan for the future. When the younger ones get a job making lots of money, instead of investing most of it and living off a budget, they blow it immediately on new trucks and houses for their family, then go bankrupt when they are out of work for a year or more, scrambling to get on the next project.
Before I left that job, the brokers were just starting to focus on right of way projects for power transmission lines involved in clean energy projects. Just like cigarette companies buying up other businesses as cigarettes went out of fashion, the dirty energy companies see the writing on the wall and are looking at ways to remain relevant. The jobs will adapt and transform as renewables evolve to become more efficient and the dirty energy methods wane.
February 16th, 2021 at 11:13 am
33 Interesting post. We keep hearing about the thousands of jobs a pipeline would create, for a few years, and then it takes about 35 people to to operate the pipeline after it’s done. I’d wondered where those workers come from, and where they go after the construction is complete. Your experience is about what I expected. Boom and bust for the workers, and not much of a “normal” life for them.
February 16th, 2021 at 12:52 pm
Kit, that’s right, its not a “normal” life, but it can be a good living for those without families, or some of them were husband & wife teams. I’ve heard people saying that thousands of people lost their jobs, but they are used to this and don’t even consider these potentials “jobs” until they actually start working. Even then, the big oil/gas companies change what crew size they want all the time. They tell the brokers to cut 200 by the end of the week or add 50 to this other project, and we would have to drop the news to the crew or scramble to find crew willing to go to a new location. If you can budget well to ride the ups & downs, its not bad, just very transient.