AD #3180 – China Has Most Vehicles in the World; Ford Reveals All-New Tourneo Connect; GM Settles with LG Chem
October 12th, 2021 at 11:43am
Listen to “AD #3180 – China Has Most Vehicles in the World; Ford Reveals All-New Tourneo Connect; GM Settles with LG Chem” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 9:22
0:07 China Has Most Vehicles in the World
0:47 China’s Electrified Sales Soar
1:39 Toyota to Use Solar Panels in Cars
2:51 Get to Know the Latest Automotive Vocabulary
4:11 Ford Reveals All-New Tourneo Connect Van
5:18 Honda Takes New Civic Si to the Track
5:38 Mopar Teases SEMA Concepts
6:38 GM Settles with LG Over Bolt Batteries
7:16 More Ultra Cruise Details
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
CHINA HAS THE MOST VEHICLES IN THE WORLD
We start out today in China which just passed a historical milestone. It now has the most vehicles on the planet. According to the Ministry of Public Security there are 390 million vehicles registered in China, of which 297 million are passenger vehicles. According to Wards Intelligence, there are 289 million vehicles in the United States and 269 million in Western Europe. But it was only a matter of time before China had the most vehicles. It has four times the population of the U.S. or Western Europe.
CHINA’S ELECTRIFIED SALES SOAR
But the most recent sales story in China is the same as anywhere else in the world. Sales are plunging because of the chip shortage. They fell 20% last month. But sales of New Energy Vehicles, which includes BEVs and hybrids, were up more than 200% and captured 17% of the total Chinese market. Tesla led the way. It sold a stunning 52,000 cars in China last month, including 33,000 Model Ys. Tesla also exported 3,800 cars, so in total it sold over 56,000 Chinese-made cars. And that means it’s now running at a production rate of 600,000 vehicles a year at its plan in Shanghai.
TOYOTA TO TEST SOLAR PANELS IN CARS
Hey, maybe solar panels on cars make sense after all. Toyota, like most automakers, is forming partnerships to improve its environmental impact. So it teamed up with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science in Japan to develop carbon neutral technologies. One thing that caught our eye, is that they plan to develop cars with solar panels. Unfortunately, Toyota didn’t provide any other details but it’s not the first automaker to equip vehicles with solar panels. Hyundai and Kia offered them on their hybrids to help charge the battery.
GET TO KNOW THE LATEST AUTOMOTIVE VOCABULARY
To know what’s going on in the auto industry you need to be up to speed on the latest vocabulary. So here are some new terms to learn: digital twin, as well as SIL, HIL, MIL and DIL. Engineers now develop new cars in the virtual world, where they make a virtual model, what’s called a digital twin, which can do exactly what a car does in the real world. They can test out everything before they ever have to build a prototype, which saves a ton of time and money. And there are various components that go into making a digital twin. Hardware in the loop, or HIL. That refers to the parts and components that are developed in simulation. Then there’s software in the loop, or SIL. Same thing, only it applies to software. And then there’s MIL, model in the loop. That includes the entire car, both software and hardware. And then there’s DIL–driver in the loop, where drivers can drive the car in simulation to see how it performs. All these inputs–HIL, SIL, MIL and DIL–are used to make the digital twin more accurate. And it can reduce the time it takes to develop a new model by nearly a year.
FORD REVEALS ALL-NEW TOURNEO CONNECT VAN
Ford has a van for practically every occasion in Europe and it’s showing off its newest people mover, the Tourneo Connect. The all-new version of the van gets styling inspiration from it’s passenger cars, but you’ll notice some nuance between the different trims, like the Active model, which features extra black cladding, a honeycomb grille pattern and unique 17-inch wheels. There’s both a short- and long-wheelbase version available and seating for up to seven with three rows of seats. Sticking with the interior, an 8 and a quarter inch center display screen is standard, but there’s a 10-incher available that can combine with an optional 10 and quarter inch digital instrument cluster. Under the hood will be a range of gas and diesel engines, which can be mated to either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is also available for the first time on the model. Orders for the new Tourneo Connect open early next year with deliveries to customers kicking off in the spring.
HONDA TESTING NEW CIVIC SI ON-TRACK
Honda says the new Civic Si will be revealed “soon,” but in the meantime it’s showing how some of its engineers are developing a version of the car for on-track competition. We think that strongly suggests the new Civic Si will be doing some racing, but we should know more “soon.”
MOPAR TEASES SEMA CONCEPTS
Mopar always has something fun in store for SEMA and this year is no different. It’s showing off a number of design sketches of the vehicles it will have on display, which hints at some pretty cool stuff. One looks like a modified version of the Wrangler 4xe or it could also be a Gladiator. Another looks like a 4xe version of the Ram pickup and possibly even a version of the TRX. It will also have a military-syle off-roader and we’re guessing it has a modified Wagoneer or Grand Wagoneer as well. But we’ll learn more around the time SEMA kicks off on November 2nd.
GM REACHES SETTLEMENT W/ LG OVER BOLT BATTERIES
General Motors reached a settlement with LG Chem over faulty batteries in Chevy Bolt EVs that could lead to fires. And LG is going to pay for $1.9 billion of the $2 billion that the recall cost. GM was forced to recall more than 140,000 Bolt EVs and EUVs because a manufacturing defect in the battery could cause it to catch fire. Last month, GM and LG came out with a fix for the batteries. Prior to that, GM told owners to park their cars outside and not charge them overnight.
MORE ULTRACRUISE DETAILS
We’ve got more info on GM’s UltraCruise, which will make its debut in an unnamed 2023 Cadillac. It will provide hands-free driving in 95% of all situations, including on highways and surface streets. It will make left and right hand turns, handle stop-and-go situations like traffic lights, and will even park in your driveway. About the only thing it can’t handle right now are roundabouts. It uses Lidar, radar and cameras. It also uses maps that GM generated, not bought from 3rd parties. When GM launched SuperCruise it had 130,000 miles of roads mapped in the US and Canada that the system could use. It now has 200,000 miles of mapped roads. But UltraCruise will launch with over 2 million miles of mapped roads, and will go to 3.4 million miles after that. GM’s vision is for drivers to be able to drive from Michigan to Florida, a 21 hour trip, and have 20 hours of that be hands-free.
If you’d like to learn more about the design of the new Ford Maverick, be sure to tune in to Autoline After Hours on Thursday afternoon. Our guest will be Scott Anderson, who led the interior design team. That truck has a lot of clever design features, including door trim that uses plastic regrind, yet looks pretty good. That’s Autoline After Hours this Thursday, starting at 2 pm eastern time.
But that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for tuning in and we’ll be right back here again tomorrow.
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Comments (23)
October 12th, 2021 at 12:12 pm
That Ford van looks pretty nice. With the 1.5 turbo and 6-speed manual, it would be great “modern” replacement for my 1989 Caravan. Sadly, it will not be sold in the US.
October 12th, 2021 at 12:46 pm
Ahhh Honda do love dem rubber band tires. Thought: perhaps a future AL After Hours can delve into the burgeoning subscription world and find out how soon us drivers will be required to pay monthly fees for various car “features”?
October 12th, 2021 at 1:35 pm
I noticed Ram and Jeep renderings for SEMA, but no Dodge, Chrysler or Fiat. I’ll be quite surprised if there is no Dodge representation. However, its become a three-vehicle lineup, while Chrysler is technically two until the 300 is finally discontinued, and Fiat is a one-vehicle brand here in the States. Stellantis in the US is becoming a three-brand vehicle company. (I’m not counting Maserati or Alfa Romeo – just volume brands.)
I think that they will come to regret the shrinking of Dodge from a full line brand. It used to compete for 3rd, 4th or 5th place in our market. Now its much further down the list. The billions they spent trying to revive Alfa would have been much better spent on creating some attractive crossovers for Dodge. Jeep has done well, but not everyone wants one. They could be doing much better in vehicle sales and profits if they had just let Alfa go. I think it may eventually follow Lancia into the history books.
October 12th, 2021 at 1:38 pm
China along with Tesla will lead the world into BEVs, along with helping transforming the Electric Energy Storage thru Batteries , BYD and CATL and Tesla Inc. will be amoung the biggest players with Teslas 4680 battery cells in the Terawatts range of production, each Giga factory going forward will have its own Tesla 4680 cells in production, on top of buying from LG and CATL for cars and Semis and Stationary Storage, each Tesla SuperCharging station will have a few MegaPacks eventually for demand charge and grid stabilization and give the charge to cars, equivalent to the gas tanks burried in the ground @ all gas stations.
October 12th, 2021 at 1:54 pm
There is an interesting interview of Tesla cofounder JB Straubels of startup Investor Jason Calanus about ONE EV focus , he says “They haven’t done the math fully”. Something about the supply chains, all the way to the mines, Tesla is probably in negotiations now on that, as Tesla is amoung the most vertically integrated, whatever it is building.
October 12th, 2021 at 1:56 pm
Solar panels on cars, great idea !! BUT don’t park under trees !! small branch falling on them will crack them. small parking lot dents !!
Repair cost and insurance ratr will be HIGH !!
Short wheelbase Tourneo would be perfect for me and US-Canada market so would other lengths !
October 12th, 2021 at 2:16 pm
So if they are doing solar panels , when will they use integrated windmills? The cars in motion would spin the windmill(s) to generate power back into the battery like the solar would. The solar would be good when the vehicle is stationary or in daylight and the wind mill would work whenever in motion. They could mount them behind the grilles and ducted to the brakes and make them a dual function.
October 12th, 2021 at 3:00 pm
Dashboards have sure come a long way,and changed a lot. Its fun watching whats all available.
October 12th, 2021 at 3:08 pm
Solar panels produce about 20 watts per square foot in bright sunlight. If you cover the roof of a Tesla S with panels, you’d get maybe a mile of free driving per hour parked in the sun. The cost, and durability of the panels would determine if it makes sense to put panels on cars. A lot of people could do their commuting without plugging in often, if they live in a sunny climate.
October 12th, 2021 at 3:41 pm
#7 xa I know you’re being sarcastic, but it is a good idea , the perpetual machine! What not to like, speaking of Solar owners in a car it is usually not worth it as the miles added is minimal but there is a zero peanut startup doing a EV with this feature, but probably in the $80,000 range , claim is w/ added miles owner might not even to plug in except a few times a year, Sonos is the Company I believe.
October 12th, 2021 at 3:43 pm
oops, EV Startup, not zero peanut.
October 12th, 2021 at 3:58 pm
10 If you live where it’s usually sunny and don’t drive much, like 10 miles a day, you wouldn’t need to plug in much, or ever. Still, based on some “lots of guessing” calculations, at $.12/kWh, you’d get about $175 worth of power a year. You’d need to park your car outside all the time when it’s sunny, which you might not want to do. Unless solar panels and electronics to go with them are cheaper than I realize, and the panels are very durable, I’m not sure it makes sense.
October 12th, 2021 at 4:47 pm
Rey @ 310 not really being sarcastic . I don’t know how much power could be gained , but anything is a plus ,no? I have often wondered why the wheel that are in motion couldn’t power some type of generator to recharge . Like you said perpetual motion . It would act like regen braking in reverse. If it could be done it would possibly replace the need to plug in.
October 12th, 2021 at 5:11 pm
7,10,13 Windmills on moving vehicles would add drag, probably more than eating up anything you’d get from them.
October 12th, 2021 at 11:20 pm
In the RV arena the use of solar panels has been around a while. Basically to help maintain a battery bank for boondocking. They can get some serious SQFT on a large RV but its still like a trickle charger. One of the biggest problems is people typically permanently mount them on the roof of their RV. Then they go camping, eye up a perfect spot in the shade to help out the AC units and get basically nothing from the solar panels.
So how many EV owners recharge at home in the garage. Even if not recharging they’ll park in the garage. So they’ll get nothing from solar panels at home and a miniscule amount while out.
Seems like a nice idea with minimal return.
October 13th, 2021 at 6:37 am
15 Lambo – “A nice idea with minimal return.” Yup.
BYD has also been doing very well lately. Not only are EVs taking off in China, but some nice ones keep getting introduced. The BYD Dolphin, the bigger Wuling (maxi?), and then there are names I can’t recall but should become more familiar.
I hope gm and LG can put the Bolt battery fiasco behind them soon and get cracking. It’s getting late even for joining the second wave, especially regarding international sales.
October 13th, 2021 at 9:30 am
15,16 A guy in a local model airplane club built an RV out of a Promaster van, the long, tall version, and completely covered the roof with solar panels. I think he said they produce about 1.5 kw in strong sun. He has a lot of batteries and electronics for charging them, along with an inverter to run the a/c, etc. He has a lot of money in it, and probably did the panels/batteries “for fun” more than to save money, compared to a generator, but starting with full batteries, along with the power from the panels, he can run the A/C all day without plugging in or a generator. Then, when it’s not in use, the batteries can be charged to full. His use is ideal for that setup, going to a one-day event, and parking outside, not in the shade.
October 13th, 2021 at 9:33 am
16 Yep, GM needs to get the battery fiasco behind them, or serious damage will carry over to the Lyric, Hummer, and other future GM EVs. There will be damage no matter what, at this point, even if all of the Bolts were properly fixed tomorrow.
October 13th, 2021 at 10:41 am
Bezos “tourism” rocket launch in about 17 minutes, featuring Rivian trucks.
October 13th, 2021 at 11:10 am
19,……………and Captain Kirk (William Shatner).
October 13th, 2021 at 11:14 am
19,20 and completely autonomous. Autonomous space ships are much easier to do than autonomous road vehicles.
October 13th, 2021 at 11:27 am
#13 xa351, when i was 12yr old 6 grader i was interested in batteries and motors, I en visioned a simple generator, and a motor with a single pulley,and a battery for storage, once started and running it should run forever, a perpetual generator, free electrical energy,
October 13th, 2021 at 11:37 am
#21 kit , if it was that easy , what is taking Boeing so long to get to the ISS, after all they are veterans in Aerospace,and Space X has been @ it just over 10 years, if that. And yes true that space should be easier than roads as there isn’t much traffic up there, other than Space is littered with satellites, compared to Terra firma with crazies all over the place.