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Runtime: 9:13
0:08 Suppliers Say Toyota Is the Best to Work With
0:56 Ford Shares Commercial F-150 Lightning Details
3:44 Mazda CX-3 & Mazda6 Discontinued For 2022 Model Year
4:38 Audi Tests C-V2X In School Zones
6:55 Tesla Faces Big Fine in Norway
8:00 Daimler Trucks Warns About EV Transition Job Loss
8:24 Dixon Takes Pole Position at Indy 500
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
SUPPLIERS SAY TOYOTA IS THE BEST TO WORK WITH
Suppliers in North America overwhelmingly say Toyota is the best OEM to work with. According to Plante Moran’s annual supplier survey, the Japanese automaker ranked number one, followed by its rival Honda. The two automakers have maintained the top two positions every year since 2011. GM is third, Ford came next while Nissan and FCA/Stellantis round out the list. Ford and FCA/Stellantis were the only automakers not to improve their scores from last year. The survey involves purchasing people in a variety of areas, from body-in-white to interior and powertrains, including EVs. It measures OEMs on trust and communication, and how easy or hard they are to work with.
FORD SHARES COMMERCIAL F-150 LIGHTNING DETAILS
Last week Ford unveiled the all-electric F-150 Lightning. Today it’s highlighting the commercial version of the truck, what it calls the Lightning Pro, which also features 4-wheel drive standard. Ford’s data shows that the average F-150 owner drives less than 174 miles a day. So the base vehicle, which costs $40,000 has a range of 230 miles. A 300-mile version starts at $50,000. (7:43) Ford is really promoting the mega frunk for commercial customers, who can use it to lock up gear and materials. A crew cab version (8:20) comes with an independent rear suspension for the first time (8:30) and we also get a look at how Ford packaged the traction motors well inside the frame. While others are coming out with all-new BEV architectures, Ted Cannis, the head of Ford’s fleet business, says converting the existing F-150 to electric is an advantage for fleet customers.
“On average, large commercial customer’s turnover is ten to fifteen percent of their fleet a year. So they will need to operate mixed fleets of gas and all-electric vehicles for a long time. And they also want to maximize product commonality to minimize fleet complexity.”
Ford expects the market in the U.S. alone for electric vans and trucks to reach 1 million units a year by 2030, and it says it now has over 44,000 reservations for the Lightning.
Autoline supports the automotive industry.…because it supports so many other industries, like the materials industry. We’re talking steel. And aluminum. Magnesium. Plastics. Glass and rubber. Textiles and fabrics. No other industry uses so many different materials in these kinds of quantities. That’s what makes the economy hum. And that’s why we’re proud to say that Autoline is an advocate for the automotive industry.
MAZDA CX-3 & MAZDA6 DISCONTINUED FOR 2022 MODEL YEAR
Mazda is lightening its lineup in the U.S. It says due to customer interest evolving, the Mazda6 and CX-3 are being discontinued and will not have 2022 models. Both vehicles really aren’t that old. The Mazda6 was introduced in 2002 and the CX-3 only had one generation with it first making its debut in 2016. But the sales tell the story of why these two vehicles are being dropped. Only 2,400 CX-3s have been sold in the American market through April, while the Mazda6 farred slightly better selling 5,800 units. We know consumers keep switching to trucks and utilities, so the drop for the Mazda6 should come as little surprise. But the CX-3 was done in by the introduction of the CX-30, which cannibalized its sales.
AUDI TESTS C-V2X IN SCHOOL ZONES
Connected vehicles offer a number of benefits, including OTA update capability, but also the ability to improve safety. Audi along with a number of partners are testing how C-V2X or cellular vehicle to everything communication can increase safety around schools and school buses. C-V2X uses cellular networks, in Audi’s case it used LTE and 5G networks, to send messages right to the display screens in a vehicle. For example, Audi demonstrated how technology embedded into speed limit signs could send a warning to the driver that they’re speeding in a school zone. Or how alerts can be sent when a school bus stops to pick up children. Demonstrations like these show how technology like this could be used in different public vehicles, such as emergency vehicles or other service equipment. And one last bit of information we find interesting is that Audi says C-V2X could be used in the future to supplement the cameras and sensors of an AV, taking some of the burden off of the autonomous system.
This is a big year for Jeep, with all-new versions of the Grand Cherokee and the Wagoneer coming out. And we’ve got Mark Allen, the head of Jeep design coming on Autoline After Hours this Thursday. So join John and Gary for insights into where Jeep is going with its future designs.
TESLA FACES BIG FINE IN NORWAY
Tesla potentially faces a big fine in Norway. A court ruled that the EV maker is guilty of artificially limiting or throttling its charging speed and battery capacity with a software update. Tesla is going to have to pay $16,000 to each of the thousands of affected owners, unless it appeals. A few years back, Tesla owners complained about reduced range and DC fast-charging rates at Supercharger stations after a software update. At the time, Tesla told Electrek that the update was intended to “protect the battery and improve battery longevity” and that issue only affected “a small percentage of owners.” However owners weren’t satisfied which led to lawsuits in a number of countries including Norway. There could be more than 10,000 affected owners in the country and Tesla will have to pay all of them unless it appeals in the next few weeks. This could also set a precedent for lawsuits in other countries, including the U.S.
DAIMLER TRUCKS WARNS ABOUT EV TRANSITION JOB LOSS
We knew that the transition to electric and hydrogen vehicles will eliminate a lot of jobs in the automotive industry. The CEO of Daimler Trucks, Martin Daum, says Europe will lose half the jobs involved in making diesel truck engines. He says it will take about 15 years to happen but he warns the European Union it needs to start preparing for that now.
DIXON TAKES POLE POSITION AT INDY 500
The Greatest Spectacle in Racing is coming up on Sunday. Scott Dixon nailed down the pole position with a speed of over 231 miles an hour for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. Honda-powered cars captured 7 of the top 9 starting positions.
But that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for watching and we’ll be right back here again tomorrow.
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Seamus and Sean McElroy cover the latest news in the automotive industry for Autoline Daily.