AD #3458 – Honda To Make Fuel Cell CR-V in U.S. In 2024; VW Delays Major EV Project; UAW Rank & File Ignore Election
November 30th, 2022 at 11:56am
Listen to “AD #3458 – Honda To Make Fuel Cell CR-V in U.S. In 2024; VW Delays Major EV Project; UAW Rank and File Ignore Election” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 9:27
0:08 Honda To Make Fuel Cell CR-V in U.S. In 2024
0:47 UAW Rank & File Ignore Election
1:36 NEVs Hit 31% Market Share in China
2:21 Scout Talking to Foxconn & Magna for Assembly
3:27 Opel’s First BEV Wagon
4:23 VW Delays Major EV Project
5:17 Hyundai & CATL Become Battery Partners
6:02 Hyundai Names Top Designer as President
6:55 U.S. November Sales Could Be Good
7:54 Corvette to Become Standalone Brand
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HONDA TO MAKE FUEL CELL CR-V IN U.S. IN 2024
Honda is forging ahead with fuel cell cars. In fact, it’s going to start making a fuel-cell CR-V in 2024 at the same assembly plant in Marysville, Ohio where it made the Acura NSX. In addition to the fuel cell, it will even have a big enough battery for plug-in driving. That’s so drivers don’t have to rely solely on hydrogen fuel. The assembly plant, called the Performance Manufacturing Center, is a very low-volume facility. So Honda is making sure it doesn’t overcommit to making fuel cell cars until they establish themselves in the marketplace.
UAW RANK & FILE IGNORE ELECTION
Well this is totally shocking. Federal prosecutors forced the UAW to change the way it elects officers because of rampant corruption in the union. Union members used to elect delegates who would then select the officers. But the Feds forced the union to go to direct election of offices. You’d think that would energize the rank and file, but just the opposite happened. Only 11% of UAW members voted for their new officers. Nearly 90% didn’t even bother. One union member said that’s because they don’t see any value in voting because they don’t think anything is going to change.
NEVs HIT 31% MARKET SHARE IN CHINA
China is running into problems with Covid lockdowns and nationwide protests against the government’s policies. But sales of New Energy Vehicles continue to grow at a rapid pace. LMC Automotive says that last month, sales of BEVs and PHEVs were up 67% and 150%, respectively. BEVs accounted for 22% of total car sales while PHEVs accounted for 9%. The top three BEVs by production were the BYD Song, the Wuling Hongguang Mini BEV and the Tesla Model Y. Through October Chinese customers bought almost 5.3 million BEVs and PHEVs.
SCOUT TALKING TO FOXCONN & MAGNA FOR ASSEMBLY
Reports out of Germany say Volkswagen is in talks with Foxconn to possibly make the electric Scout pickup and SUV at its plant in Lordstown, Ohio. No surprise there. We reported two months ago that Scout was considering using a contract assembler, or even building its own greenfield plant. We’re also pretty sure that Scout is talking to Magna because our sources tell us that Magna is soon going to announce that it will build an assembly plant somewhere in North America.
OPEL’S FIRST BEV WAGON
For the first time ever, the Opel Astra will be available with an all-electric powertrain. One reason for that is that Opel is now part of Stellantis after being sold off by GM. And the Astra was transferred to Stellantis’ modular EMP2 platform, which can accommodate multiple propulsion types and is also used for vehicles like the Peugeot 408 and Citroen C5 X. The Astra Electric is driven by a single electric motor that puts out 115 kW or 156 horsepower. The battery pack has 54 kWh of space and provides up to 416 kilometers or roughly 260 miles of range according to the WLTP cycle. However, that underbody mounted battery pack does chop down on luggage space a bit. Look for the new Astra Electric to start reaching dealers in the spring of next year.
VW DELAYS MAJOR EV PROJECT
Volkswagen is delaying Project Trinity. This was meant to completely transform the way it manufactures EVs and slash the time it takes to build them. And it was going to spawn a new premium electric vehicle. A new factory near its main plant in Wolfsburg was going to be built next year and vehicles were supposed to start rolling off the line in 2026. But that’s now getting pushed back until at least 2028. Now under new management, VW says that by waiting, ICE production will decline at the main plant, clearing up room for Trinity. So it won’t have to spend $200 million for a new plant. Another reason for the delay is that VW’s moon-shot software program called Cariad, which is going to be used by Trinity, ran into monumental problems and wasn’t going to be ready.
HYUNDAI & CATL BECOME BATTERY PARTNERS
Hyundai is making a flurry of moves to source more EV batteries. Earlier this week, it signed a deal with SK On to open a battery factory in the U.S. and it’s also reportedly in talks with LG Energy to build two more battery plants in the U.S. And now over in China, Hyundai has signed a deal with battery maker CATL to use its cell-to-pack batteries. CATL could start supplying the batteries as early as next year, which is expected to be enough to power 70,000 EVs. CATL’s cell-to-pack batteries integrate the cells into packs without modules. The design improves energy density and simplifies manufacturing, which ultimately reduces cost.
HYUNDAI NAMES TOP DESIGNER AS PRESIDENT
And in other Hyundai news, the head of Group design, Luc Donckerwolke, has been promoted to a president from an executive vice president. He will still hold his other title as Chief Creative Officer and continue to oversee design for the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands.
U.S. NOVEMBER SALES COULD BE GOOD
Since today is the last day of the month, automakers will be in a mad scramble to close as many sales as they can by the end of the day. Tomorrow, they’ll count up everything they sold, and on Friday they’ll report what they counted up. Wards Intelligence is forecasting that sales in the US market will be up 9% compared to a year ago. General Motors is expected to post the biggest gain, up a whopping 39%. Remember, GM came into the quarter with 95,000 fully-assembled unsold trucks because of the chip shortage. But late in the summer it got the chips it needed. Ward’s also predicts that Hyundai-Kia will see a 25% increase in sales, with Nissan and Toyota both up 10%. But Stellantis is expected to see a 16% drop, with Honda down 7% and Ford down 5%. And on Friday we’ll be able to compare notes and see if that’s how the sales turned out.
CORVETTE TO BECOME STANDALONE BRAND
It was just over a month ago that we reported the electric Corvette was going to go into production in 2026, but not at the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Rather at GM’s Grand River plant in Lansing, Michigan alongside an electric Buick SUV and an electric Cadillac sedan. So, we speculated that the electric Corvette would be an SUV. But Car and Driver reports that GM is scheduled to announce Corvette as its own sub-brand for 2025 and it will not only offer an SUV but also a 4-door coupe. This is a bit shocking to think of, but let us know how you feel in the comments.
Don’t miss Autoline After Hours tomorrow. Our guest is Jim Morrison, the head of Jeep in North America. How is he going to fight off suitors to the throne, like Bronco and Scout? And how’s he going to handle the transition to electric Jeeps? Maybe the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe are a sign of what Jeep can do. Tune in tomorrow when John and Gary go live at 3 pm eastern time, right here on the Autoline channel.
But that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for tuning in.
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Comments (37)
November 30th, 2022 at 12:07 pm
It looks like GM wants Corvette to go the way of Saturn.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:16 pm
1) They certainly are trying to follow the Ferrari business model. I suspect what’s next will be stand alone dealers or direct sales of Corvette models. Now that it is a sub brand they will not want to be associated with Chevrolet. They are already separate in other countries as Chevrolet doesn’t exist in those countries.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:23 pm
Magna will one day do a JV / merger or be bought out by a Chinese Automotive OEM.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:32 pm
Corvette it’s own brand? Seems like a logical thing to do.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:32 pm
Corvette becoming a sub-brand will not be good. First, there will be a “performance” SUV and sedan that will be unique, but then, after a year or two, there will be a badge engineered Corvette Equinox, Corvette Traverse, and Corvette Malibu, if Malibu is still around by then.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:39 pm
RE: Corvette – it sounds to me like GM is looking at Porsche and thinking they can challenge them in the other segments, not just sports cars. Time will tell, but a lot will depend on what those future models look like and their capabilities.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:40 pm
@5 I don’t see that happening as that’s why they have the other brands. Time will tell.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:47 pm
6 I’ve said here times before, but there is not a 911 Cayenne. It’s a Porsche Cayenne. If GM sells a Corvette SUV, they are destroying 70 years of history. Corvette should remain a model, not a brand, just as 911 has remained a model.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:49 pm
3 Seriously doubt Magna will be bought out by a Chinese OEM. They are the third largest global manufacturer in revenue, and Largest automotive supplier in sales. They have over 40 billion in annual sales. They wont risk all those sales by going OEM and becoming a competitor. They currently supply to almost every OEM.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:49 pm
Fortunately, there are 537 shark species out there so they should not run out of names for their products. I really hope they don’t do the stupid thing and use Alpha Numeric numbering like they are Audi or BMW.
5) Lets hope they don’t do tarted up Chevrolets. I assume it will be vehicles built on the Cadillac Lyriq. Change the styling on the front/rear and the interior and voilla, you have an Electric Corvette SUV. Then lower that and change the rear end a bit and you have an Electric Corvette Sedan.
November 30th, 2022 at 12:58 pm
I think the only way GM can pull off a Corvette brand is if they have extremely sportscar inspired designs and avoid sharing anything with other GM brands.
November 30th, 2022 at 1:01 pm
Corvette should remain a model – & should always be a 2-door sports car. IMO it would be too much dilution of what a Corvette is.
I refer to Ford Mach E & do not consider it a Mustang.
November 30th, 2022 at 1:03 pm
Corvette – if Porsche, Maserati, Ferrari and Lambo can make healthy profits with performance SUVs and sedans, then GM can do the same using the Corvette sub-brand. It would automatically convene performance and exclusivity, compared to any other existing GM brand.
November 30th, 2022 at 1:03 pm
12 I agree 1000 percent.
November 30th, 2022 at 1:23 pm
I’m sure GM could come up with a suitable franchise name, and then sell the Corvette and the EV SUV and sedan under that franchise with their own model names. (And hopefully not copy the idiotic Buick plan to call all of their EV models Electra, with only a couple of differentiating numbers after the name).
It will be interesting to see how GM and Chevy handle this. Each dealer agreement is good for five years and specifically lists the models that the dealer agrees to sell. Each Chevy model is listed, including Corvette. So, they will have to wait until the current contracts are about to expire and offer new ones that do not include the Corvette model in that list. This will create a firestorm of criticism from the Chevy dealers.
I predict GM will create a new franchise (hopefully not called Corvette) and offer it to their biggest and best dealers. In some markets, that may mean a Buick-GMC dealer may get it instead of a Chevy dealer. Certainly, some Cadillac dealers would be able to make a strong pitch to get this new franchise. GM will want to have the customers for these new vehicles handled in a fashion befitting six figure vehicles. They have long been frustrated that most Chevy dealers treat Corvette customers the same way they do Malibu buyers.
November 30th, 2022 at 1:31 pm
The onslaught of BEV transition can really rewrite the book for many of the legacy auto companies, some good, some bad. Look to Corvette brand to focus in as a cheap Porsche as will many neer EV names like Polestar.
November 30th, 2022 at 2:06 pm
How many products and manufacturers have been linked to that Lordstown Plant ? Has anything been made there at all since GM closed it ?
November 30th, 2022 at 2:10 pm
Maybe they should give that Electric Vette a new name , You have the ICE Corvette Sting Ray why not call it the Corvette (electric) Eel ? They could call the SUV a Corvette Beluga (whale) and the sedan The Corvette Sturgeon. Cause it all sounds fishy and may take the name plate down to Davey Jones’ locker. LOL
November 30th, 2022 at 2:16 pm
They just copied Ford direction on the Mustang having its own brand with SUV too.
November 30th, 2022 at 2:16 pm
They just copied Ford direction on the Mustang having its own brand with SUV too.
November 30th, 2022 at 2:23 pm
18 – You get the chuckle of the day award!
November 30th, 2022 at 2:25 pm
17 – Lots of talk, tentative plans, no volume production of anything yet. A handful of the Lordstown Endurance pickups have been built, mostly for federal certification, crash testing, etc. Maybe a few units for customer evaluation by fleet companies. I’m hopeful for the Lordstown, OH area, but not holding my breath.
November 30th, 2022 at 2:36 pm
13 The Porsche SUVs are not called 911. The Ferrari SUV is not called Monza or Enzo, and the Lamborghini SUV is not called Huracan.
November 30th, 2022 at 2:43 pm
20 Maybe Foxconn should make iPhones in Lordstown.
November 30th, 2022 at 2:52 pm
… so if we did play a game with Corvette model names, what would you choose? I like Stingray for the foundation 2 dr sports car. Random letters for the performance models (ZR1, S, GT8 etc), Shredder for the serious off-road model, Ninja for the electric model, Penthouse for the 4 person coupe and ‘GMW’ for the SUV. Not likely to get away with that last one.
November 30th, 2022 at 3:19 pm
I like the Corvette idea of expansion. As long as the 2 door variety remains faithful. I think GM will hit a home run with this program.
November 30th, 2022 at 3:30 pm
22 Yeah I would have rather seen GM Develop a Performance brand to transfer the Corvette over to along with a new SUV and sedan, or even bring back Pontiac. Take the iconic hood emblem of the Corvette’s checkered flags and put in on all the models but not share the Corvette name. Then they could bring back the GTO, the Firebird and Trans AM. Just seriously need to avoid the anchor models that drove PontiaTrans Sport, Montana or Aztek.
November 30th, 2022 at 6:56 pm
Chevy/GM should design an electric sedan and SUV/CUV/Crossover, BEVs, heavily influenced by the styling of the Corvette, yet, as a number have already said, give them different names. Names like Impala, Volt, Monte Carlo, Corsica Beretta or Z28 Or, as Lambo2015 said, bring back certain Pontiac vehicles as EVs through Buick, like they did with Hummer through GMC. Then, they could have used the names Grand Prix, Grand Am, Trans Am or even Firebird. While Ford has had much success with the Mustang Mach-E, having named it the Mach-E and leaving it with the Mustang styling influence, IMHO, wouldn’t have changed things on the sells front and may not have upset loyalists as much! For GM/Chevy to just walk into this and do the same thing, knowing the heartburn that Ford experienced, yet STILL be doing did the same thing, is just silly!
November 30th, 2022 at 9:28 pm
A corvette is a small warship, so maybe any additions to the theme should be warship classes. A sedan could be Frigate, a mid-size CUV Destroyer, and a large SUV Battleship. Cruiser is also a mid-large option, but doesn’t fit the performance theme. All of them should be Chevrolet brand. Corvette as a brand is seriously stupid.
December 1st, 2022 at 6:57 am
Corvette SUV awesome, when can I place my order!
December 1st, 2022 at 7:33 am
According to the Wall Street Journal,
“GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said Tuesday that a slower-than-expected start to battery-cell operations at a new factory in Ohio will delay some EV sales. GM had expected to sell 400,000 EVs from early 2022 through the end of next year but has pushed out the time frame until mid-2024.”
However; She said GM’s longer-range goal of selling 1 million EVs in North America in 2025 is intact. So she expects 400,000 between now and 2024 but to sell 1 million in 2025. I’m guessing she will change that verbiage to say she meant GM will sell their 1 millionth EV by 2025. But for now her wording is GM will sell 1 Million in 2025 alone. I have my doubts.
December 1st, 2022 at 7:54 am
29 Dreadnought, another term for Battleship, would be a better name for a large SUV.
December 1st, 2022 at 8:18 am
31 If you include Volt, GM has already sold ~300,000 EVs, so it should be easy for them to sell a million by 2025. A million a year in 2025? I also have my doubts about that.
December 1st, 2022 at 9:41 am
I prefer Stingray for the 2 door sports coupe. Mantaray for the Sedan. And one of the largest of the ray fish…Devilray for the SUV.
Sadly I think it will be a combination of Z’s O’s and Numbers to name the corvette sub brands.
December 1st, 2022 at 10:55 am
Chevy’s last sub-brand used names like Metro, Tracker, Spectrum, and Storm. Maybe they could revive those.
December 1st, 2022 at 11:41 am
@3
Doesn’t the Stronach family hold enough voting stock in Magna to prevent a hostile takeover? That family is VERY protective, so would not likely be interested in a merger.
December 1st, 2022 at 9:33 pm
GM has enough brands to sell 4 door sedans, SUVs, and crossovers, they don’t need to ruin the Corvette image by adding additional body styles.