Listen to “AD #3329 – U.S. Buyers Want EVs From Legacy OEMs, Not Startups; VW Converts “Stranded Asset”; Nissan’s Electric Kei Car” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 11:13
0:08 Americans Want EVs From Traditional OEMs, Not Startups
1:14 VW Converts Another “Stranded Asset”
1:54 2-Year Wait for Tesla Model X
3:09 BMW Locks Up Green Lithium
3:40 Mercedes High Performance BEV
5:04 Lightweight BMW M4 CSL
5:49 Barn Find Identified
7:26 Nissan Intros Electric Kei Car
8:54 The Most Valuable Car in The World
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
AMERICANS WANT EVs FROM TRADITIONAL OEMs, NOT STARTUPS
The critics say that traditional automakers don’t stand a chance against all the EV startups. But a study from Escalent, the market research company, found that more new car buyers in the U.S. prefer to buy an EV from a traditional car company instead of an EV startup. And that even includes Tesla. 35% of respondents said they want an EV from an established OEM, compared to 24% that prefer an EV from a startup. But 41% are undecided, which means there’s a lot of consumers that both sides can try to win over. The top five attributes consumers want from an EV are dependability, good value, the latest safety technologies, innovative features and they want them to be easy to maintain. But only 5% to 31% of respondents said current EVs meet their expectations, which means both traditional automakers and startups have a lot of ground to cover to bring in those buyers.
VW CONVERTS ANOTHER “STRANDED ASSET”
Critics of traditional automakers also say they’ll be financially crippled by “stranded assets,” that is, plants that make ICE vehicles and powertrains. But many of those so-called stranded assets are getting converted to EV production. And Volkswagen is the latest. Its assembly plant in Emden, Germany is getting converted from ICE production to building the ID.4. Next year, it will build an electric sedan called the Aero B but there aren’t many details about that model. By the end of the year, VW says the site will produce 800 ID.4s a day.
2-YEAR WAIT FOR TESLA MODEL X
Tesla is cranking out new Model 3s and Ys in high volume but it’s a different story when it comes to the Model X. The refreshed version of the large SUV was launched in 2021 and while Tesla is making them, some customers have to wait two years until they can get one. Tesla blames supplier issues and production changes to build the new model that took longer than expected.
BMW LOCKS UP GREEN LITHIUM
Automakers are scrambling to lock up the raw materials they need to transition to electric vehicles. So BMW invested in Mangrove Lithium, which developed a process for sustainable and scalable production of lithium. It’s a modular solution that can be scaled to any capacity and at the point of extraction, manufacturing or recycling. Sites that use renewable energy could nearly eliminate the entire carbon footprint of getting this lithium.
MERCEDES HIGH PERFORMANCE BEV
Here’s our first look at what all-electric performance might look like from Mercedes-AMG in the near future. As we’ve reported previously, Mercedes-AMG was getting its own dedicated BEV platform, which is called the AMG.EA architecture, developed with the help of its Formula 1 team. And you can see some of their influence in the final styling of the vehicle, called the Vision AMG. We’d say most notably in the large 22-inch aerodynamic wheels that kind of look like its F1 car. Designers say the car’s spectacular proportions are defined by its long wheelbase and emphasized by short overhangs, powerful shoulders, distinctive rear spoiler and star-shaped lighting. But we’d also note it shares a strong resemblance to the EQXX concept that just did a 1,000 kilometer or 621-mile drive on a single charge. There’s no specs at the moment, but all drivetrain components were made from scratch, including the battery and electric motors, which it says deliver “substantially more power than a conventional electric motor.” Mercedes-AMG’s first production BEV is scheduled to come out sometime in 2025.
LIGHTWEIGHT BMW M4 CSL
Speaking of performance cars, BMW is coming out with a more track-focused version of the M4. Building on CSL models of the past, which stands for Competition, Sport, Lightweight, the new M4 CSL has no back seat, the fronts were swapped out with carbon buckets, soundproofing was removed, carbon fiber components were added and it features lightweight brakes, wheels, springs and struts. With all of that weight is down by over 110 kilograms or roughly 250 pounds, compared to a regular M4. Only 1,000 will be made and production kicks off in July.
BARN FIND IDENTIFIED
Thank you to everyone that allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief yesterday by correctly identifying our Barn Find as a 1941 Oldsmobile. I believe a special thanks should also go to angelo, DanChester and Michael Lamm, a guy who has published several books about cars and a person we consider a real classic car aficionado. They were all quick on the trigger with an answer. For a little backstory on the ‘41 Olds, it was offered in two models, Series 66 or Series 68, which signified whether it had a six- or 8-cylinder engine. But despite only two models it was offered in many body styles, including a coupe with a rear seat, a coupe without a rear seat, 2-door sedan, a 2-door convertible, a 4-door sedan and a 4-door woody wagon, which originally cost just under $1,200.
NISSAN INTROS ELECTRIC KEI CAR
Roughly half of all the cars sold in Japan are kei cars–those dinky little econoboxes that are jam packed with technology but relatively affordable. Well Nissan just launched this electric kei car called the Sakura. It’s powered by an electric motor generating 47 kilowatts and 195 Newton meters of torque. That’s 63 horsepower and 143 foot pounds. A 20-kilowatt hour battery gives it a driving range of about 112 miles based on the Japanese test cycle. An EPA rating would probably be more like 100 miles, but even so, that means it delivers 5 miles per kilowatt hour, which is very good. That’s because, at around 2,400 pounds, it’s relatively lightweight. The little 4-door is surprisingly spacious inside thanks to its upright, boxy design. The interior is simple and sparse, and highlighted with display screens, and electronic touch controls. The base price is $18,200 and runs up to $23,000. Mitsubishi will also have a version of the kei car, called the eK X EV. But unless you travel to Japan you’re unlikely to see the Sakura or eK X EV. Kei cars are pretty much illegal to drive on the road in most other markets.
THE MOST VALUABLE CAR IN THE WORLD
There’s something about hot cars and charity auctions that gets the super wealthy to dig deep into their pockets. For example, Rick Hendrick, the car dealer and Nascar team owner, has spent millions buying a couple of first edition Corvettes at charity auctions. His record is $3.6 million for a Z06. But that’s nothing compared to a guy who just spent 135 million euros for a 1955 Mercedes 300SL. But this isn’t just any 300SL. It’s only one of two prototypes that were built called the Uhlenhaut Coupe, named after the engineer who built it, Rudolf Uhlenhaut. The car actually comes from Mercedes-Benz Classics own private collection, and the money will go to a fund for scholarships for environmental studies. The auction actually took place two weeks ago at the Mercedes Benz museum in Stuttgart and the invitees in attendance were selected Mercedes-Benz customers and international collectors of cars and art. When auctions benefit charities, bidders tend to spend more since they can typically write off part of the purchase price. Even so, 135 million euros for a car is a record, and Mercedes calls this the most valuable car in the world.
And that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for making Autoline a part of your day and I hope you have a great weekend.
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Seamus and Sean McElroy cover the latest news in the automotive industry for Autoline Daily.