AD #3355 – Germany & Japan Resist ICE Bans; Cadillac Lyriq Road Test; Ford Taking Bronco Brand To Europe
June 28th, 2022 at 11:52am
Listen to “AD #3355 – Germany and Japan Resist ICE Bans; Cadillac Lyriq Road Test; Ford Taking Bronco Brand To Europe” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 10:18
0:20 Germany, Japan Resist ICE Bans
0:58 VW Sells Part of Electrify America
1:47 Chip Shortage Starts to Ease
3:03 Ford Taking Bronco Brand to Europe
3:48 China Still Stuck in Copy Cat Mode
4:37 Hyundai Group Investigated for Defeat Devices
5:35 Cadillac Lyriq Road Test
9:21 Fuel Cells for EV Charging
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GERMANY, JAPAN RESIST ICE BANS
We’re starting to see some countries push back against bans on the internal combustion engine. Yesterday we reported that Japan is trying to eliminate any ZEV mandates with the major G7 countries. And now Germany says it will only back Europe’s ICE ban if it includes a provision to allow for CO2 neutral fuels, i.e., synthetic fuels. The EU wants to end ICE sales by 2035, and while German automakers are spending big to transition to EVs, they are still heavily reliant on the sales and profits from piston powered cars.
VW SELLS PART OF ELECTRIFY AMERICA
Volkswagen is selling off part of Electrify America to Siemens. That’s the EV charging network that VW was forced to build as part of its settlement with the US government over its diesel emissions cheating. VW will take the money it gets from Siemens to invest another $450 million into the network. The plan is to more than double Electrify America’s network in the U.S. and Canada to 1,800 locations and 10,000 chargers by 2026. And it’s easy to see why VW is selling a stake in the charging company. According to a study by AlixPartners, it will take 20 to 25 years for the average fast charging station to pay off its initial investment if it charges market prices for electricity.
CHIP SHORTAGE STARTS TO EASE
Could we finally be at the beginning of the end of the chip shortage? Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess says the chip shortage will ease up for the automaker and he expects production will ramp up quickly in the second half of the year. He said it will help VW close the gap with Tesla and put it on track to become the number one EV maker in the world by 2025.
FORD TAKING BRONCO BRAND TO EUROPE
Ford is taking the Bronco brand to Europe and it’s going electric. Autoforecast Solutions reports that a BEV version of the Bronco Sport will start rolling down the production line in Spain in January of 2026. It looks like it’s going to be made on a modified version of its current platform, which is also used as the basis for the Mustang Mach-E. But Ford’s electric offensive in Europe doesn’t stop there. A medium-sized CUV based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform goes into production in Germany late next year. And it will start making all-electric versions of the Puma and Transit Courier, its small commercial van, in Romania about 2 years from now.
CHINA STILL STUCK IN COPY CAT MODE
China continues to make copycat versions of some of the most popular vehicles in the history of the industry. The first are a direct rip off of the VW Beetle. Called the Punk Cat and Ballet Cat, they’re EVs that are marketed under the ORA brand, which is part of Great Wall. They look a little goofy with 4-doors and the Ballet Cat, which is marketed toward women, has a slightly different headlight shape, there’s no mistaking these from their inspiration. The other vehicle copies the classic MINI. The Beijing Estech Technology company filed patents for a new EV that clearly has ties to the original MINI. As you would expect, both VW and BMW are considering legal action over these rip offs.
HYUNDAI GROUP INVESTIGATED FOR DEFEAT DEVICES
Like Volkswagen, the Hyundai Group could be in trouble for using defeat devices in diesel engines. Reuters reports that German authorities raided Hyundai and Kia over suspicions they installed illegal software in over 210,000 diesel vehicles. The software is said to come from Bosch and Delphi and companies say they’re working with authorities.
CADILLAC LYRIQ ROAD TEST
Cadillac says it will go all electric by 2030 and the Lyriq is the first EV in its lineup to kick off the transformation. Last week at the media launch we got to drive it extensively, and here’s our driving impressions. Right now you can only get the rear-drive version. It comes with a 102 kilowatt hour battery that delivers 312 miles of driving range. It also has 340 horsepower and 324 pound-feet of torque. That delivers a sub-six second 0 to 60 run, which is more than adequate. But it doesn’t deliver that oh-my-gosh! kind of EV acceleration we’ve come to expect. When the all-wheel-drive version comes out early next year, it will provide 500 horsepower and 442 pound-feet, and does 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds.
The cabin of the Lyriq is impressively quiet. It may be the quietest EV we’ve driven so far. One reason is that Cadillac placed accelerometers at each corner of the vehicle. They measure road inputs and send a signal to the noise cancellation system to eliminate high frequency noise via the superb AKG sound system.
The interior is extremely well crafted and dominated by its giant 33-inch screen with 9K resolution. It’s one big giant screen, not two separate ones that are made to look like one, which is what most other automakers are doing. In fact, there is not one carry-over part on this SUV. All the switchgear, controls and components are brand new. And it shows. The attention to detail is impressive.
But there are a few things we didn’t like about the Lyriq. There’s a lot of brightwork under the display screen on the center of the dash, and while it’s beautiful to look at, in a lot of driving situations the sunshine reflecting off it can be blinding.
We also ran into a lot of connectivity problems trying to pair a couple of phones to the Lyriq, and the nav system proved remarkably unreliable, even when trying to use Android Auto. Cadillac says there’s a software fix coming, but it sure is late in the game to have connectivity problems.
One feature we did like and we’ll probably see this spread to other EVs is using the left hand steering wheel paddle to activate regen braking. Other automakers do this too, but they typically have two or three settings or detents, while on the Lyriq it’s continuous and pressure sensitive: the more you pull on the paddle, the more aggressive the regen becomes–all the way to a 3.5 g complete stop. It’s a simple nuance that gives drivers more control on the amount of regen they want.
Out on the road, the Lyriq rides and handles well, thanks to a near 50-50 weight distribution, a double wishbone front suspension and a 5-link rear, as well as smart frequency dampers. It rides firmly, though the instant you hit rough pavement or corner hard, it stiffens up noticeably.
The Lyriq is on sale now for just under $60,000. But good luck trying to get one. It’s completely sold out until the 2024 model year. But Cadillac is taking orders for the 2024 model, which is priced at $60,000 for the rear drive model and $64,000 for all wheel drive, and it is confident it can hold that price even while others are raising the prices of their EVs.
FUEL CELLS FOR EV CHARGING
One cool thing we want to point out is that Cadillac used hydrogen fuel cells from GM Hydrotec to recharge the Lyriqs for the media launch. The fuel cells powered Level III DC fast chargers with 60 kilowatts of continuous power. No noisy diesel generators. No fumes. And since the byproduct of fuel cells is water, the Hydrotec engineers ran a hose off back to water the garden.
But that’s a wrap for today. Thanks for joining us.
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Comments (32)
June 28th, 2022 at 12:11 pm
Like the new set.
June 28th, 2022 at 12:12 pm
Love the new set.
I think the Lyriq is 62,995 for the RWD and the upcoming AWD will be 64,995.
June 28th, 2022 at 12:16 pm
Do manufacturers have much success with copy right fights in China? Is it a bit of a waste of time other than getting the products pulled?
June 28th, 2022 at 12:25 pm
It makes sense to use Hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity and water. However what is the cost per kW to produce this electricity?
June 28th, 2022 at 12:34 pm
who did the DS art? V. nice!
June 28th, 2022 at 12:34 pm
who did the DS art? V. nice!
June 28th, 2022 at 12:46 pm
The new set looks great, and it looks like the background decor could easily be switched up from time to time.
Anyone else notice the holdover from old Cadillac in the Lyric report? Watch it again at 5:54 to see the Cadillac logo embossed on the outside edge of the instrument panel. Next to that are the three merlets (ducks) from past versions of the Cadillac crest. Are they trying to say that this Caddy can really zig?
June 28th, 2022 at 12:48 pm
Sean: very nice set!
@4 generating the electricity at the press event through fuel cell is marketing and what it cost is GM’s business. It is not meant to be cheap per kWh.
Please note there is no cost per kW but there is cost per kWh. Just like there is gasoline cost per distance traveled and not per travel speed.
June 28th, 2022 at 12:50 pm
4 – Not sure of the cost, but I read recently that GM is getting a lot of interest in these portable generator units. Several movie production firms have purchased them to generate electricity on remote shoots instead of using diesel units. I’m sure many more companies that need remote power supplies will purchase these in place of gasoline or diesel powered generators going forward. They are very quiet and don’t produce nasty exhaust fumes.
June 28th, 2022 at 12:50 pm
I believe I saw a Cadillac Lyric in traffic last weekend in the Detroit Metro Area. Could that be? If it was a Lyric, I have to say it looked very nice.
June 28th, 2022 at 12:59 pm
#5. The water color Citroen DS paintings on the set were done by Christos Roustemis, formerly of GM Design, and now a professor at the College For Creative Studies as well as the owner of his own design firm.
June 28th, 2022 at 12:59 pm
10) It probably was. I have seen a couple myself. All of them have been silver, or maybe I just keep seeing the same one. It looks amazing on the road. Well worth 60K versus the oddly shaped/proportioned TESLA model Y bar of soap looking vehicle for more money.
June 28th, 2022 at 1:10 pm
Hum, Who didn’t see the back-peddling coming on ICE bans? I believe when it was announced many here thought it was a bit aggressive. Like the typical fuel economy mandates that get proposed and then reality sets in to a more reasonable goal. Which is also why we are now finding that so many automakers cheated on diesel emissions.
So I also wonder what this means to the claim that no new ICE engines were in development for GM and Ford.
And less shocking is the fact that a Chinese company is creating knock-off vehicles which are blatant copies of existing vehicles. However I do like the 4 door bug.
June 28th, 2022 at 1:24 pm
The Cadillac Lyriq has been reported many times by reviewers as being the quietest car they ever tested!
I think the ball is in Lincoln’s court now.
June 28th, 2022 at 1:33 pm
GM Veteran: Not the ducks again. The ducks drove Jerry (Flint) up a tree!
June 28th, 2022 at 2:43 pm
@12, 14: yes, the one I saw was silver, too. Quite a stunning vehicle, GM seems to have done a great job with it. I wish them success with it.
June 28th, 2022 at 3:34 pm
like the new set,like the new caddy,great show
June 28th, 2022 at 3:37 pm
no way is the regen decel in the Cad Lyriq 3.5g!!! that would splatter occupants’ heads on the windshield.
June 28th, 2022 at 4:36 pm
18 …and the tires would have traction for barely over one G.
June 28th, 2022 at 4:39 pm
Maybe I should order a Lyriq. I could use it as a summer car in Indiana, even if they never get charging at my Florida condo.
June 28th, 2022 at 6:09 pm
I like the change of set, especially the Citroen drawing. I also like the change from a head shot to an upper torso shot. One word of caution though. In my part of the world I watch your show while eating breakfast while sitting at my computer. Mixing a green shirt with a crumpet and vegemite may cause unpredictable results!!!
Seriously though, I watch the 2 Automotive News videos each day as well as your own. Your show is streets ahead due to the quality of the content and the fact that Sean and John obviously know what you are talking about, unlike the attractive ladies at AutoNews.
Oh, and one last thing. Welcome to the 4 eyes club Sean.
June 29th, 2022 at 2:41 am
Regarding Ford of Europe, it’s notable that the Kuga PHEV (hybrid) was the second-best-selling electrified vehicle overall there in May. Such a pity that production of Mach-E’s has ground to a halt.
The Citroen DS is one of those cars that transcends time.
One thing that hardly gets mentioned about the Lyriq is the total absence of a frunk. Not a game-changer, though. And the car’s clearly garnering a lot of attention even among people who have been completely ignorant of Cadillac’s more recent efforts like the ‘V lineup.
June 29th, 2022 at 6:30 am
I don’t know if this link will work but it is the announcement of the Buick Wildcat concept (perhaps they should have use Riviera, but whatever). If the link isn’t good, I’m thinking Autoline will be featuring this in one of their shows. https://news.gm.com/newsroom.detail.html/Pages/news/us/en/2022/jun/0601-wildcat.html
June 29th, 2022 at 6:42 am
23 The link works. I agree that Riviera might be a better name, but I hope they actually build something like that. Buick need more than a few me-too crossovers to have a reason to exist in the US market.
June 29th, 2022 at 8:22 am
23,24 That Wildcat concept is cool however I have to question the rear seat headroom with those heavily tapered rooflines.
I think most manufacturers are going to avoid the use of historical model names like Riviera. The EV movement is their opportunity to separate from the old OEM and why keep using names that remind customers of some of the old way things were done? Although Ford doesn’t seem to be going this route with the Lightning and Mach-e but I guess if you build a good EV few will really care what the name is.
June 29th, 2022 at 9:47 am
Only the older among us would remember, but Wildcat was, basically, a trim level of big Buicks for a few years in the 1960s. I think it more-or-less replaced Invicta, between LeSabre and Electra. It’s probably a good car name, with or without the history of Buick using it.
June 29th, 2022 at 9:49 am
The tragedy of the commons: “. . . selling off part of Electrify America to Siemens.” Electrify America was not created to sell VW or anyone else’s EVs. If was a penalty for diesel cheating. In contrast the Tesla SuperCharger network was and is critical to selling Tesla EVs.
The continued SuperCharger growth exceeds the rate of my battery degradation. The first year, I had to spend 4-5 hours at a slow 7 kW charger to drive to Mom’s home. But last night, I used SuperChargers, over 170 kW, all the way in 15-25 minute bathroom/snack/coffee breaks.
Until the other EV makers realize that fast DC charging, any charging, is critical to their EV sales, they will neglect a critical resource their customers need. Tesla knows charging is critical to EV sales and success.
June 29th, 2022 at 10:26 am
27 Tesla superchargers are great, for those who use EVs for highway travel, but what percentage of EV owners do that? I know a few EV drivers, and only one ever uses the EV for road trips. The others use them entirely, or almost entirely within range of home charging. The one who uses the EV for road trips has a Model S, and got in on the last of free supercharger use “for life.”
Bob, what is the cost per kWh of power from superchargers for users who don’t have special status, as my friend with the MS?
June 29th, 2022 at 11:25 am
We have beat this dead horse to death. EVs are great commuter cars and fast DC charging or not few people are going to be interested in 25 minute recharge times when traveling.
Which is why Hybrids make sense and the ICE will still be around a while. There are just applications where a EV isn’t going to be ideal.
Just saw a post from a new Ford Lighting owner and he was traveling with his 7K lb camping trailer. Said he could go almost 100 miles before needing a recharge but then a charge took 2 hours. I don’t know the details of his battery size or charger used. But most people in the comments section provided an overwhelming PASS..
Most folks when traveling are on a mission to get to the destination and usually ASAP. So the thought of adding a few hours to the trip sounds horrific.
I just drove to Florida (Pensacola) from Toledo OH. for vacation and it was a strait through 13.5 hour 922 miles drive stopping twice for about 15 min each time. (added 30 min)
Had that been that lightning your talking 9 stops for an extra 18 hours. making it a 32 hours trip. The $153 in gas is nothing to me in comparison to an additional 18 hours of travel time. Even if the electricity was free. And that’s only one way! So taking my one week vacation and spending 5 days in Florida opposed to only getting 3 days there yea I’ll buy gas.
So just saying EVs are great as long as you use them for local commuting.
June 29th, 2022 at 11:35 am
29 Pensacola is closer to Toledo than I would have guessed. It’s about 1100 miles between Cape Canaveral, FL and Kokomo, IN.
June 29th, 2022 at 12:01 pm
30 Yeah it was closer then I thought too. Defiantly doable in a day drive.
To be fair in the above comparison our rental got 30mpg and we wernt towing a trailer. But even with an EV with 200 miles of range your talking at least 4 stops and stopping every 2.5 hours making it a long day.
June 29th, 2022 at 12:49 pm
Hope that regen paddle never gets confused for a high beam flash or washer squirt.
I’m a big fan of one pedal driving in a car.