This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
BRIGHTDROP GETS ANOTHER CUSTOMER
GM made a big splash at CES with the Silverado EV, but that’s only one part of its EV strategy. Brightdrop, GM’s electric commercial vehicle brand, continues to expand. It just added Walmart to its list of customers. The retail giant plunked down a 5,000 unit reservation for Brightdrop’s EV600 and EV410 vans. Walmart says it wants to operate a zero-emissions fleet by 2040. FedEX, which was one of Brighdrop’s first hand raisers, announced it’s upping its reservations from 500 vans to 2,500 vans with the possibility of that reaching 20,000 in the years to follow. The delivery company will also expand its use of Brightdrop’s electrified container to 10 markets this year.
CHEVY REVEALS EQUINOX EV
Now let’s shift back to Chevy, who also previewed the Equinox EV. It’s based on GM’s Ultium platform, will come as both fleet and retail versions and will have a starting price around $30,000 in the U.S., which should be a little more palatable than the Silverado EV’s range topping $105,000 price tag. There were a lot of comments about that yesterday. But back to the Equinox EV, which we’d say has a pretty sporty appearance with a bit of a shark nose and a shark fin at the rear pillar. The sharp character lines carry over into the interior, which is dominated by two large, slightly overlapping display screens. Chevy announced the Equinox EV will launch in the fall of 2023, while the Blazer EV will come slightly before in the spring of that year.
CADILLAC SHOWS FUTURE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE
Cadillac’s first BEV, the Lyriq, starts hitting customer hands later this year, which will be followed by the Celestiq luxury sedan sometime in 2023. The brand also shared more about its Halo Concept Portfolio, which is a range of autonomous vehicles for the future that it first debuted with the PersonalSpace eVTOL and SocialSpace shuttle. Today it’s teasing the OpenSpace concept, which looks like it could be an autonomous off-roader, as well as the InnerSpace, a dramatic 2-seat luxury vehicle. This vehicle is meant to let passengers focus on the journey by using biometric data and AI to provide tailored experiences, including augmented reality.
GM CO-DEVELOPED ULTRACRUISE WITH QUALCOMM
While that’s the faroff technology, the here and now tech includes SuperCruise, GM’s hands free highway driving feature. It announced SuperCruise will expand to 22 models by 2023. That’s also the same year UltraCruise, which will be able to take users door-to-door hands-free, launches in the previously mentioned Cadillac Celestiq. That system was actually co-developed with Qualcomm and uses its Snapdragon Ride Platform that handles the processing for the system.
BMW CONCEPT HAS COLOR CHANGING WRAP
BMW is taking personalization to the next level. It revealed the iX Flow concept which features a specially designed body wrap that changes color when it’s exposed to electrical signals. Called electrophoretic coloring, the technology is based on displays used in eReaders. Once the color changes, it doesn’t need any more energy to keep it that color. BMW is also looking at bringing the technology to the interior of the vehicle, to help cut the amount of heating and cooling from the HVAC. In hot weather, the interior can turn white to reflect sunlight, while in cooler temperatures it can turn black to absorb heat. Sounds pretty cool.
STELLANTIS & AMAZON PARTNER
Stellantis and Amazon are teaming up to collaborate on software-based products for the automaker’s new digital cabin platform starting in 2024. Stellantis will also use Amazon Web Services as its preferred cloud provider on vehicle platforms. And Amazon will become the first commercial customer for the electric Ram ProMaster van in 2023. And that last bit of news spooked Wall Street, resulting in Rivian’s stock tumbling 11% yesterday. Amazon was one of Rivian’s early backers and has a contract to buy 100,000 vehicles from the EV startup by 2030. An Amazon spokesperson told CNBC that its new deal with Stellantis doesn’t change anything about its partnership with Rivian. But obviously investors weren’t happy with the news.
TOYOTA ABOUT TO RUN OUT OF EV CREDITS
General Motors and Tesla have already run out of federal tax credits for EVs and plug-in hybrids in the U.S. and now Toyota is about to join them. According to InsideEVs, Toyota has sold more than 190,000 plug-in hybrids, just 10,000 units shy of the 200,000-vehicle threshold. Once an automaker hits that mark, the tax credit is phased out. Toyota will hit that number sometime this quarter. That means customers interested in its all-electric bZ4X that comes out in the middle of the year will have a short period to qualify for the full incentive. Ford is also expected to hit the 200,000-vehicle mark sometime this year.
LG EYES AUTONOMOUS SHUTTLE TECH
Everyone seems to think we’ll be travelling in little mobility pods or shuttles in the future. We showed one from Cadillac earlier and even LG, the electronics and appliances company, has one to show off. Called the Vision OMNIPOD, it’s meant to be like another home. Some of the things you might normally find in a home, like a champagne chiller, have been standardized for vehicles. It also features a large moving screen that can help change the interior environment or interact with users through a virtual assistant. But is this how you expect to be getting around in the future? Let us know in the comments.
And if you’d like to see more from CES, we’ll be posting our coverage on our YouTube channel and website, autoline.tv throughout the week.
But that wraps up today’s show, thanks for tuning in.
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Comments (23)
January 6th, 2022 at 12:15 pm
I don’t really foresee me needing a virtual personal assistant for a short commute but for a trip I suppose it might be helpful like Siri. On road trips now if your not driving everyone else seems to watch stuff on their phone or sleep. I would expect the same in an autonomous vehicle. Not sure I could sleep though.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:19 pm
Sean, Does the EV tax credit relate to who manufactured the vehicle or who sold it? Also, is it affected by how companies are related? For example, Subaru is part-owned by Toyota. If Subaru starts selling Subaru branded Toyota’s (which is what the new Subaru EV appears to be) does it still qualify for credits, even if Toyota’s credits have expired?
January 6th, 2022 at 12:24 pm
I could see using a shuttle in any situation where driving is a chore. For me, that would only be in rush hour heavy traffic or long boring extended trips, like a vacation in Florida. The rest of the time I’d rather drive myself.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:24 pm
Nice to see the Chevy equinox at $30k. Clearly on Cadillac platform, sounds like there’s good potential. If available today it’d be a much more economical choice vs model Y. Question I have is whether Tesla will bring pricing down from stratosphere once Austin and Berlin are up later this year.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:32 pm
Yes yes riding around in an OMNIPOD whilst my champagne chills, that’s exactly how I see myself in the future.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:32 pm
The Equinoxes BEV looks great (and I know these images on AL were just high res pictures), but it only highlights how much better a design the Chrysler Airflow concept could/should have been, IMHO. From a clean sheet of paper stand point and the fact that it is only a concept, I don’t see how why Chrysler/Stellantis design staff didn’t put more creative effort. I’m sure the hardware and software will more then competitive, but style-wise they have got to more to make their vehicles attractively standout!
January 6th, 2022 at 12:35 pm
Remember when Cadillac “advertised” the streamline black car about 5 years ago — The Cadillac of the future ?? They needed that model a decade earlier, remember when a Cadillac had LEATHER SMELL, Remember — 20 years of lack of design, commitment, and falling behind the market ?? I can remember– When Cadillac was—- but I’m 70+ years old—
January 6th, 2022 at 12:42 pm
4 I suspect Tesla will bring prices down when forced to by competition, but probably not before.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:43 pm
For AV’s we have seen a number of these pod shapes, but people who would use their AV to go on freeways, you will want something more aerodynamic. So, I think more of a minivan shape would be better. Besides if everyone is in an AV, traveling speeds could be higher than what we have today.
Whoever comes up with the most useful interior for the widest range of uses will have an advantage over others. Almost everything a person can do at home could be done in the AV. That includes sex. Its already happening. Just go to a porn site and type “Tesla” in the search bar and you will see people having sex while the car is running in Autopilot mode.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:44 pm
With the UltraCruise being an upgrade from SuperCruise, I was very surprised to see on the graphic that GM is calling it a Level 2 system. If it can really take me door to door on paved roads and under most conditions, it seems like that would qualify it as Level 3.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:48 pm
For AV’s we have seen a number of these pod shapes, but people who would use their AV to go on freeways, you will want something more aerodynamic. So, I think more of a minivan shape would be better. Besides if everyone is in an AV, traveling speeds could be higher than what we have today.
Whoever comes up with the most useful interior for the widest range of uses will have an advantage over others. Almost everything a person can do at home could be done in the AV.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:51 pm
Tesla ran out of US Federal credits long time ago and has been selling its cars without that benefit and advantage over legacy auto, can legacy auto compete vs Tesla in EVs,as they slowly transition and eventually kill off ICE?, Did they wait too long and let Tesla run away with the thropy?It seems like with 4 huge factories producing nothing but BEVs and getting close to 1.8 million BEVs by years end Tesla will be taking marketshare from legacy auto, How will the current Biden work out on that Build Better program and the grants and subsidies. Interesting times ahead.
January 6th, 2022 at 1:35 pm
AV Seems to have a lot of interest here in the states, which to me makes sense. Cars rule in the US and everyone wants to travel from door to door. Yet it seems like a bunch of AV’s is just personal mass transit minus the mass. It will be like commuting by bus, train or even plane as you sit and let the driving be done for you.
So what do people do while on a bus, train or plane? They read, watch a movie or sleep and I would expect about the same in an AV.
What I really am curious about is if AV has as much interest in countries that have decent mass transit systems and will that increase the vehicles on the road as people choose personal transportation over a bus?
January 6th, 2022 at 1:42 pm
Looks like BrightDrop is the real EV success for GM. Their other new EVs are a long way off and they are still hard at work delivering Bolt batteries. No indication when Bolt EUV will resume production.
Be interesting to see how $70k+ EV pickups take the market away from the standard work pickup being sold today. How many million miles do you need to drive to cover the $40,000 difference in purchase price?
January 6th, 2022 at 3:03 pm
I like driving my car,as opposed to my car driving me. I still never use cruise control, I want to stay engaged as much as possible.
January 6th, 2022 at 3:16 pm
15 I use cruise control a lot, but adaptive cruise very rarely. As far as autonomous cars, I’m not interesting, until they are truly autonomous, and can drive me between Florida and Indiana while I sleep.
January 7th, 2022 at 4:10 am
10 Lambo – Salient points. I’ve been thinking along the same lines with my European perspective.
Local and regional mass transit is extremely convenient, and highly congested city streets simply couldn’t deal with extra peak throughput (even if pods were Smart-sized two-seaters).
Paris has some driverless metro lines. I suspect there could be a shift to decoupling both above and below ground, combined with far greater frequency. What’s essential is that standing room remain.
Off-peak is a different scenario.
Now, about those Venetian gondolas… fancy a rowbotiere?
GM – So in just the next couple of years, the Hummer, Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Blazer EV, Lyriq and Celestiq (?), never mind the Bolt are all supposed to be rolling off the lines.
While Ford has ditched some new EVs to concentrate on the Mach-E and Lightning.
January 7th, 2022 at 4:42 am
Regarding previous comments about towing with an EV, there’s just no good solution for longer stretches yet, and nothing on the horizon.
I keep going back to a hydrogen-fed Wankel range-extender. See also following interesting article:
http://www.sae.org/news/2021/09/hydrogen-fuels-wankel-range-extenders
Quote: “hydrogen … presents many difficulties when used in reciprocating engines. These issues are evaded in the rotary engine where the cool intake chamber is remote from the combustion zone.”
Simple. Compact. Smooth.
January 7th, 2022 at 8:24 am
18 Very interesting, re the hydrogen fueled Wankels. They are light, 53 pounds for one producing 46 hp. I didn’t realize that Wankels were used for drones, but the lightness would be an advantage over reciprocating engines.
January 7th, 2022 at 8:31 am
16 Just rented a Rave4 to take our son to Camp lajeune on Monday and returned Tuesday. Little over 1200 miles. It had Adaptive cruise and lane assist. I turned off the lane assist and found the Adaptive cruise pretty useful as long as traffic isn’t too heavy. It has three levels of gap it leaves from the car ahead of you and even on the closest setting when traffic gets heavy It leaves too much room and people just pass on the right and slip in front of you then the radar slows you down more and soon you become one of those irritating left laner’s that are not passing anyone.
Luckily traffic was mostly light and I was able to use the AC about 90% of the time.
I was also impressed that running around 75-80mph and going through the mountains I got 29.5 mpg. The 4cyl was impressive as it was not gutless but did require some RPMs to get to the power band. I would say its adequate not underpowered and certainly not over powered.
I would say I liked the AC as I could set it at 80 and if traffic was moving at 75 it just stayed with the flow. Then when things opened up it would get back up to 80. Also gave me a little more comfort if I happen to be looking at my phone for navigation. If traffic slowed the car would slow and bring my attention back to the road without creeping up on the cars ahead of me. Defiantly safer.
January 7th, 2022 at 10:22 am
20 I use adaptive cruise mainly on lightly traveled two lane roads, when other vehicle are going about the speed I want to go. I use the mid or long gap in that situation. I also use adaptive cruise in construction zones on multi-lane roads, when traffic is restricted to one lane. In that case, I normally use the short gap. On the interstates, I set the constant speed cruise at the speed I want to go, generally ~80 on the interstate, and use the right pedal to expedite passing if going barely faster than other traffic. The adaptive cruise refers to my Camry; the Corvette doesn’t have adaptive cruise.
The non-hybrid RAV4 has a differently tuned version of the same engine as my Camry hybrid. It gets very good highway mpg in both the RAV and Camry, but the hybrid version of both get much better city mileage, almost twice that of the non-hybrid in the Camry in CR’s city test.
January 7th, 2022 at 12:14 pm
I’m really liking the styling of Chevy’s Equinox EV. Let’s just hope they offer it in more than just the black-on-black-on-black interior package that the Blazer was limited to. My wife was REALLY looking forward to switching from her long-standing Infiniti lease loyalty to get an RS trim level Blazer (the sportiest one). But the fact that it was only offered with an all-black interior was an absolute deal-breaker. So she went back to Infiniti.
Are you listening, Chevy? Please offer a light interior option on this car – and I’m not talking about a boring gray either.
January 7th, 2022 at 12:30 pm
Regarding LG’s shuttle of the future, I think one of (if not THE biggest market) for autonomous shuttles will be those who can no longer shuttle themselves – the elderly. However, that’s also the segment least likely to trust autonomy.
For that reason, I really do wonder if a ‘throw-back approach’ may score better with some of them and help them warm up to it. Imagine an autonomous shuttle that looks futuristic on the outside, but the interior of which is reminiscent of a ’70′s Cadillac or Lincoln. Still with all the EV tech, but styled to mimic an era more familiar to those in their ’80s+
Just a thought…