AD #3223 – U.S. Announces EV Charging Network; Toyota Ramps Up Its EV Plans; Harley Taking EV Division Public
December 14th, 2021 at 11:53am
Listen to “AD #3223 – U.S. Announces EV Charging Network; Toyota Ramps Up Its EV Plans; Harley Taking EV Division Public” on Spreaker.
Follow us on social media:
Runtime: 10:41
0:07 Canada Wants to Settle EV Tax Incentive Dispute
0:56 U.S. Announces EV Charging Network
1:32 Toyota Ramps Up Its EV Plans
4:50 How GM Plans to Double Revenue
5:43 Genesis Reveals More G90 Details
7:37 Wild EV Motorcycle Looks to Break Speed Record
8:21 Harley Taking EV Division Public
9:16 Preferred Tire Tread for Snow
Visit our sponsors to thank them for their support of Autoline Daily: Bridgestone, Intrepid Control Systems and Schaeffler.
This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
CANADA WANTS TO SETTLE EV TAX INCENTIVE DISPUTE
As we’ve reported, Canada is opposed to the Biden Administration’s proposal to give an extra $4,500 tax credit to electric vehicles assembled in the U.S. by union labor. Canada says it violates the USMCA, would harm its auto industry and is the equivalent of slapping a 34% tariff on EVs made in Canada. So in response, Canada threatened to impose tariffs on a number of American products last week. But now Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is proposing to settle the dispute by aligning incentives in the U.S. and Canada, so vehicles in both countries qualify for the credits. There’s no indication yet if the U.S. would accept that but the two sides are continuing to negotiate.
U.S. ANNOUNCES EV CHARGING NETWORK
And speaking of the Biden Administration, yesterday it rolled out plans for a $7.5 billion EV charging network in the U.S. In February, the White House will issue guidance for states and cities to deploy the network and rules for charger standards will come in May of next year. And it will create an advisory committee next year that will get input from local government, industry and advocacy groups. The goal is to install 500,000 chargers across the country, which is seen as necessary to jump start EV sales in the U.S.
TOYOTA RAMPS UP ITS EV PLANS
Looks like Toyota finally gave up and threw in the towel. Instead of putting most of its emphasis on hybrids, now it’s doubling down on battery electrics. This morning CEO Akio Toyoda announced they’re coming out with 30 BEVs by 2030 and expect to sell 3.5 million BEVs a year globally by then, which is up from a previous target of 2 million. Toyota will spend 4 trillion yen to develop these BEVs. That’s about $32 billion, and includes 2 trillion, up from 1.5 trillion in September, for R&D spending on batteries. Akio unveiled a number of electrics including the bZ4X, which the company showed publicly a month ago. Then there’s the BZ Compact SUV, a sleek, couple-like 4-door; the BZ Small Crossover, which is a 4-door coupe for the EU and Japanese markets. He said it would be rated at 125 Wh/km, or 5 miles per kilowatt hour, which is world class efficiency by today’s standards. There’s the BZ sedan that is aimed at first time customers, and the BZ Large SUV, a 3-row sport ute.
Lexus is actually going to lead the EV charge at the company. There’s the RZ CUV which is Lexus’ version of the bZ4X and looks like it could be a replacement for the RX. Then there’s a Lexus sports car, which kind of looks like an electric LFA. It’s said to go from 0-60 in the low 2 seconds, and will deliver 700 kilometers of range possibly with solid state batteries. That’s about 436 miles. Lexus also looks like it will get a version of the electric sedan and Large SUV. It will become a 100% BEV brand in the U.S., EU and China by 2030 with sales of 1 million a year. By 2035 it will be 100% electric, globally. Toyota also has plans for electric versions of what look like the Tundra or Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, CH-R or Corolla Cross, the RAV4, Supra and even small mobility solutions. So why the change of heart from hybrids to BEVs? Toyota says one reason is the Biden Administration’s push for EVs. But maybe more tellingly, it says there’s been a rapid mind-set change by Lexus customers. They want electric cars.
HOW GM PLANS TO DOUBLE REVENUE
As we reported a couple of months ago, Mary Barra says General Motors is going to double its revenue by the end of the decade. Now we’ve got more info on how she wants to do it. Barra says Cruise LLC, which makes autonomous ride hailing cars, will add $50 billion a year in revenue. Data monetization and subscription services through OnStar will add $20 to $25 billion. Brightdrop, the electric commercial van business, will add $10 billion. And GM Defense will add a billion. Put it all together and you’re talking about $86 billion. Those businesses will be growing at 50% a year, compared to GM’s traditional business that grows at about 3% a year. GM’s stock is trading at its highest level in over 10 years and it’s numbers like these that are getting investors interested.
GENESIS REVEALS MORE G90 DETAILS
A few weeks back, Genesis revealed the new exterior styling of the G90. Now, it’s sharing more details about its flagship sedan. It’s powered by a 3.5L turbo gasoline engine that’s mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Its fuel economy is 9.3 kilometers per liter or about 22 MPG but Genesis didn’t reveal what test cycle that’s based on. To help improve the ride, it’s equipped with a multi-chamber air suspension system which automatically adjusts air pressure depending on the road conditions. And it also features rear-wheel steering. The interior is very upscale with plenty of luxurious materials throughout. We especially like the leather blade that cuts through the dash and the HVAC controls, which kind of look like an old radio. And thanks to the long-wheel base version, it’s also been designed for people to be chauffeured in. The new G90 first launches in Korea before heading to other markets.
We kind of pride ourselves on showing you technology and topics that you haven’t seen anywhere else. That’s why Autoline After Hours this Thursday will feature this revolutionary engine. It’s extremely compact, very powerful and relatively cheap to manufacture. It’s so intriguing that Chris Theodore, the father of the Ford GT, the Dodge Viper, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and a bunch of other vehicles, joined the company that’s going to manufacture it. So join John and Gary this Thursday to find out more about it.
WILD MOTORCYCLE WANTS TO BREAK ELECTRIC SPEED RECORD
A wild new motorcycle is going to attempt to break the land speed record for an electric bike next summer. It doesn’t look all too special from this side view. It’s not till you look at it head on that you see designers from White Motorcycle Concepts bored a hole right through the center section to create a Venturi tunnel, which helps reduce drag. They’re taking things slow in the testing phase with an underpowered 60-volt system that produces 100 kW or 134 horsepower. For the official run, the bike is expected to feature an 800-volt system and they’ll be looking to break 250 MPH or 402 km/h.
HARLEY TAKING LIVEWIRE PUBLIC THROUGH SPAC
In other motorcycle news, EV investors aren’t just interested in automotive startups. Harley-Davidson spun off its electric motorcycle division, called LiveWire, earlier this year and now it’s taking the company public through a reverse merger or SPAC. The expected combined value is a little over $1.75 billion and would pump about $545 million in fresh assets into LiveWire, of which Harley still owns a 75% stake. LiveWire says it will use that money to fund its future plans until it’s profitable in 2026. By that time it expects to sell 100,000 electric motorcycles a year, which will bring in $1.8 billion in revenue. In case you were wondering, LiveWire has sold 387 motorcycles this year.
THE RIGHT KIND OF TIRE TREAD FOR SNOW
Winter season is on us and we just did a couple of interviews that help highlight why snow tires are better than all-season tires this time of year and ways to pick out the right set of tires for you. You might think a big set of knobby tires with deep tread is what you want in the snow, but as Daniel Kelly of Bridgestone points out, that’s not necessarily the case.
(Clip from interview with Daniel Kelly of Bridgestone can only be viewed in the video version of today’s show.)
If you’d like to see more you can catch those interviews in the Autoline Exclusives section of our website as well as our YouTube channel.
But that’s it for today, thanks for tuning in.
Thanks to our partner for embedding Autoline Daily on its website: WardsAuto.com
Share
Permalink
Comments (35)
December 14th, 2021 at 12:36 pm
Re the snows, I suppose this is why they can be seen ejecting compacted flat snow chunks when they spin in snow. Now I know.
December 14th, 2021 at 12:57 pm
Man talk about government inefficiency. Seems this advisory committee could contact the US manufacturers have them prepare proposals for a charging standard. Hold a few meeting for debate and within a month or two determine a standard for charging. Somehow this is going to take until May of next year. Wow. Actually by then the technology will have changed enough and they’ll likely be issuing an obsolete standard. Typical.
December 14th, 2021 at 12:59 pm
Who is going to be the big winner in the Biden Administration $7.5 Bilion selection to build the EV Charging Stations Network across the US?
How where will these charging stations be built and monitored to prevent criminals from mugging EV owners and stealing their vehicles?
December 14th, 2021 at 12:59 pm
Harley distancing itself from the soon to be huge loss that will be live wire. 30k for an electric bike. 387 in sales a year is more than I thought they would sell.
December 14th, 2021 at 1:00 pm
We should have a EV plug standard here in the US like they have in the EU.
December 14th, 2021 at 1:05 pm
Does anyone else believe that these ridiculous 0-60 mph speeds might cause increased automotive fatalities especially among junior and senior drivers? A slip of the foot off the brake and on to the accelerator might be disastrous.
December 14th, 2021 at 1:18 pm
2) I suspect the standard will be CCS, but the committee will take comments from a variety of stake holders from across the industry before finally settling on CCS. There will obviously be some self serving interests out there that would want to control the standard so that they can be the sole supplier of charge points. With CCS though, those voices will be silenced pretty quickly.
December 14th, 2021 at 1:21 pm
That sounds like quite a reach, to think Live Wire will sell 100K bikes a year in 5 years, when they sell essentially none now.
December 14th, 2021 at 1:27 pm
6 I’d think young, inexperienced drivers would be most likely to do crazy stuff with these extremely quick cars. I’m a “senior,” with my fairly quick Corvette that will do 0-60 in ~3 seconds, but I haven’t checked out that capability, and probably won’t. Using that launch control sounds very abusive to the machinery.
Yeah, a slip from the brake to flooring the right pedal of a really quick car could cause some bad results.
December 14th, 2021 at 1:29 pm
I hope some of these charging stations are built where they are needed, at apartment and condo complexes, where EVs would be perfect for tens of millions of people with short commutes, if they could charge at home.
December 14th, 2021 at 2:00 pm
It’s only the 14th of December, and perhaps I missed it somehow, but I haven’t seen any reference in *Autoline Daily* to the Formula 1 2021 Championship results and the final race at Yas Marina Circuit at Abu Dhabi on December 12th. This is not auto-manufacturing or engineering news, of course, but it is of great interested to automobile enthusiasts, and this final race was very significant with Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) winning (in the last half of the final lap) his first F1 World Championship, denying Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes-Benz an 8th championship, though M-B did win the constructor’s championship.
December 14th, 2021 at 2:20 pm
Lex, most of us charge at home for peanuts in our garages.
December 14th, 2021 at 2:28 pm
Regarding winter tires, I’d be interested in learning about tire types/designs that better handle low mu conditions, like slick and icy roads. Black ice is the bane of most winter drivers.
December 14th, 2021 at 2:30 pm
11 There will probably be law suits going on for a while from Mercedes, about how the race director, basically, gifted the championship to Max. Maybe that was to make up for the questionable call on the first lap. Anyway, I doubt that law suits will change anything.
December 14th, 2021 at 2:46 pm
We’ll be returning to those golden days of yesteryear when there were lots of tiny motels and roadside attractions for travelers who had to top off their radiators after chugging up a mountain, except now the motels and attractions will be built next to charging stations. Billions will be spent, raw material shortages will arise, and it will all end suddenly when someone invents a clean fuel and brings back the internal combustion engine.
December 14th, 2021 at 2:57 pm
The winter tire video with the Bridgestone guy was interesting. It makes me wonder how I survived 45 Indiana winters without snow tires.
It looks like winter tires must have horrible tread life, because they have a UTQG tread life rating of “none.”
13 See this, which might partly answer your questions.
https://youtu.be/wqeP6i38sUM
Bridgestone uses trick hydrophilic rubber on some of their winter tires, which supposedly helps on ice.
December 14th, 2021 at 3:00 pm
15 If you make it up the mountain, you should recover half to 2/3 of your charge going back down the mountain.
December 14th, 2021 at 3:00 pm
6,9, I would certainly expect some collisions due to these EVs being so quick and essentially silent. Simply because if you look at many of the motorcycle crashes specifically involving Sports-bikes which have similarly quick 0-60 times. Drivers will look left look right and maybe even see a motorcycle 1/4 mile down the road. They pull out or turn left in front of them no realizing how quick they covered that 1/4 mile. Bam they get side swiped and often blame the car from pulling out in front of them when the real problem was the bike went from 0-60 in 2.8 sec. I would expect similar problems with these EV’s and to compound the problem. Most of the motorcycles are loud and even if not seen they are heard and might prevent a driver from pulling out. They can hear they are winding it out.. An EV they wont hear it and it will be there in seconds.
December 14th, 2021 at 3:21 pm
4 winter tires/rims/tps packages are offered with a lot of new cars purchases this time of year where I live.
December 14th, 2021 at 3:28 pm
These days, it is so easy to announce the millions of EV vehicles you will be producing (and hopefully selling).
Where are the investigative journalists to push back on these leaders and force them to explain and justify their predictions.
It’s stock manipulation at its most blatant. There are laws that cover this. Let’s get some real integrity into the system before people saving for their future get taken with yet another scam. Mary Barra and the others should be ashamed of themselves.
December 14th, 2021 at 3:36 pm
16 – Kit, I did watch the video and have Blizzaks on my RWD vehicles. Actually, I am happy to learn other tire manufacturers may soon have winter tires with equivalent performance to Blizzaks… as I don’t like to support the ‘Stones for falsely blaming Ford for the poor quality of the Firestone Wilderness AT tires (Ford spent $billions replacing those tires while the ‘Stones tried every trick to dodge responsibility). I recognize today’s ‘Stones are a different management team and may have learned their lesson, but that company never did a mea culpa.
Black ice is stressful with or without winter tires. I think information technology exists to warn drivers about black ice. V2X has the potential to inform other motorists of a black ice location that was experienced by a preceding motorist. But the entertainment and other sales revenue dogs are eating away at the wireless communication spectrum that was earmarked for V2X.
December 14th, 2021 at 3:38 pm
Many of us in the electrical industry feel that building charging stations is the easy part; where is all the power for them going to be generated? Wind and solar?. . .I don’t think so!
December 14th, 2021 at 3:38 pm
#14. Yes, Mercedes’ Toto Wolff lodged a protest (actually two) with the FIA about allowing lapped cars to unlap and proceed with the final lap of the race, but both protests were rejected. Of course, Mercedes says it will appeal the decision. In the first stages of the race, Hamilton appeared to have the luck but in the final stage, Verstappen appeared to have the luck and a new champion was made. This definitely took the wind out of the sails for Hamilton and Mercedes, and the question might be if an 8th championship is viable. The race was very exciting down to the finish, and in the beginning stages, one could never think that Max would win it!
December 14th, 2021 at 3:52 pm
3 I don’t believe people will be concerned with their car being stolen while charging. They can be locked up during a charge. Having them located in a safe secure area will be as important as a location with something to do rather than some open parking lot with chargers. The main advantage to an EV is charging at home because it takes a while. So hopefully they consider a program that encourages and helps people install home charging stations.. Down side to that is it only helps typically one user unless in an apartment complex where it could be used by multiple owners. For anyone that has lived in an apartment and delt with community washing machines. Cant wait for the arguments to start over people leaving their fully charged car at the charging station.
December 14th, 2021 at 3:57 pm
#16 – Michelin winter tires on our 2004 Volvo V70R have about 22,000 miles on them (over 18 years) and when I installed them about 2 weeks ago have significantly more tread than the Continental Summer tires with 21,900 miles (over 9 years) so I’m pleasantly surprised at their life. The Summer tires are probably good for 1 more summer depending on how many miles we drive.
While I got where I wanted to go with my 1970 Corvette in the winter (Southeast Michigan) as it was my only vehicle, I really enjoy the added traction of winter tires. I laugh because a number of years ago I had to change 4 vehicles to winter tires & back to summer in the spring. Now it’s down to 1 vehicle. Sorry for so many electrons.
December 14th, 2021 at 3:58 pm
21 Do the TPMS need to be programmed when you switch wheels/tires, or can you switch back and forth once both sets are programmed? Maybe it varies by car brand.
December 14th, 2021 at 4:18 pm
The Toyota bz Compact SUV looks like the EV I imagined the C-HR could be. Ideal for metropolitan areas in Europe, and (bizarrely) a style I like, especially in light-green metallic.
This plan is far more fleshed out than previous announcements, and I’m confident that headline number will increase significantly in the not too distant future.
December 14th, 2021 at 4:20 pm
23 I think Mercedes argued that the rules allowed for the lapped cars to unlap, but all of them, not just the ones between the two leaders. I’ll be surprised if their appeals get anywhere, but I suspect the FIA people will be discussing things a lot during the off season. Anyway, I’ve been following F1 since 2000, when I went to the first race at IMS, and this years title race was the most interesting I’ve seen.
Next year should be interesting, with the new rules, and it’s anyone’s guess which teams might be best. If Mercedes happen to dominate, things might not be as clear cut who has the best championship chances between Lewis and his team mate.
December 14th, 2021 at 4:21 pm
@26. Newer cars seem to learn the TPMS automatically. Stuff a little older like my 2014 need the programming tool. It’s cheap though, and only takes a minute to program.
December 14th, 2021 at 4:21 pm
26 – I have the Blizzaks mounted on a different set of wheels with their own TPMS sensors. I chose this approach because the original wheels are bright-finished and are “plus 1” in size. So I bought a set of wheels and Blizzaks that give me the same sidewall height as the OEM standard size… for better survival on pot-holed winter roads.
When I seasonally change wheels/tires, there is a procedure for the vehicle to learn the new TPMS sensor… spring and fall.
December 14th, 2021 at 6:53 pm
Some of the BEVs that Toyota/Lexus will be offering look pretty exciting. That is if they make it to production the they appear in concept form. That is saying a lot, since many Toyota’s are pretty dull when compared to some of their competitors.
Not getting on any political soap box or taking a political stand in any way, but the complaint from Canada has about the US tax incentives on UAW built BEVs, makes no since to me. If a government wants to give incentives to those who buy products made in their home market, what right does the leader of another country have to protest? If country “A” wants to incentivize the sell of products made in their country, to people who purchase and live in that country, what right does country “B” have to say that this is unfair to products that come from their country? Nothing is stopping country “B” from doing the same thing in their country with products made their. I can’t see how they view this as a breach of any free trade, for they can still sell their wares made in country “B”, without tariffs. It also does not seem (or it wouldn’t make any since if it did) that any trade agreement couldn’t /wouldn’t prevent government “A” from adding inducements to make their home made products more appealing it’s it’s own citizens. I mean, the Big Three put financial incentives on their vehicle’s all the time, but there are still buyers who go and purchase the more expensive vehicle built in another country anyway! It is apparent that the current administration is doing this, as a show of support for the UAW members that supported them. It’s just doesn’t seem right, when other world leaders feel that they should have something to say (and look to take action against), at how another country spends IT’S OWN MONEY to support products made within its borders, to those who live in their country. That just doesn’t sit well, IMHO.
December 14th, 2021 at 7:33 pm
31 I suspect some of the proposed EV incentives violate provisions of NAFTA 2.0, or whatever it’s called.
December 14th, 2021 at 10:12 pm
22 Will the installation of more step up transformers help supply enough electricity?
I can visualize a lot of charging posts at townhouses and apartments.
December 14th, 2021 at 10:21 pm
A while back, I calculated that it would take about 7% more electricity to add 100M EVs to the US fleet. If most are charged off-peak, power availability should not be the issue. Charging availability for those without home charging is the issue.
December 15th, 2021 at 3:54 am
31 wmb – What Kit said: previous agreements. Which also usually define how arbitration should proceed.
Take the EU’s internal market: countries cannot privilege one set of manufacturers based on nationality, and ultimate adjudication lies with the European Court of Justice, which countries agree to upon accession.
Incidentally, and this is not the same thing, I know that German EV incentives are equally available to all buyers regardless of a car’s provenance, so for example Chinese Teslas qualify too.
I must say that even though I’m biased towards sensibly speeding up general (though not blanket) electrification, I’m not in favor of the proposed incentives’ size and character.