AD #3486 – Corvette Reveals E-Ray; EV Drivers Need to Pay More Road Fees; Tesla Staged Self-Driving Promotion Video
January 18th, 2023 at 11:50am
Listen to “AD #3486 – Corvette Reveals E-Ray; EV Drivers Need to Pay More Road Fees; Tesla Staged Self-Driving Promotion Video” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 11:12
0:08 Tesla Engineer: Company Staged Self-Driving Promotion Video
1:15 GM Appeals Racketeering Case Against FCA To Supreme Court
2:11 Virginia Governor Scraps Ford & CATL Battery Plant
3:37 Corvette Reveals E-Ray Hybrid
5:04 New Hyundai Kona Powertrain Details
6:02 German BMW Owners Can Watch Soccer in Their Car
7:22 U.S. Insurance Rates See Biggest Jump in Six Years
8:35 Automakers Commit to Invest $210 Billion In EVs In the U.S.
9:30 Tesla Orders Spike in China After Price Cuts
10:06 Study Says EV Drivers Need to Pay More Road Fees
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TESLA ENGINEER: COMPANY STAGED SELF-DRIVING PROMOTION VIDEO
Uh-oh, this isn’t good for Tesla. A Tesla engineer testified that a video the company released in 2016 promoting self-driving of a Model X was actually staged. His testimony is part of a lawsuit against Tesla involving an accident that killed an engineer from Apple. The video supposedly showed a Model X driving without any driver intervention, but Tesla’s engineer testified that they used a predetermined route and took several days to teach the car how to drive that route. During those tests, drivers had to intervene on several occasions. And the car hit a fence when trying to teach it how to park on its own. When the video came out Elon Musk tweeted that it was proof that “Tesla drives itself.” Tesla tells drivers they have to pay attention when using Autopilot or Full Self Driving, but the fact it said the person in the video “is only there for legal reasons… not doing anything… the car is driving itself” is misleading and could hurt the company in court.
GM APPEALS RACKETEERING CASE AGAINST FCA TO SUPREME COURT
Speaking of court cases, General Motors just won’t let go of its racketeering case against Fiat Chrysler, which is now Stellantis. GM originally filed a lawsuit back in 2019, accusing the former CEO of FCA, the late Sergio Marchionne, of intentionally trying to harm GM, by bribing UAW officials during collective bargaining negotiations, to make GM’s labor costs higher. It was thrown out by a federal judge. GM appealed that decision to the U.S. 6th Circuit Court, which also threw it out. So now GM is appealing to the Supreme Court. GM claims it lost billions of dollars because of this but FCA/Stellantis says the lawsuit has no merit and so far, the courts agree with FCA. But let’s see what the Supreme Court has to say.
VIRGINIA GOVERNOR SCRAPS FORD & CATL BATTERY PLANT
The state of Virginia just slammed the door on a battery plant that was going to be built with Chinese battery company CATL and the Ford Motor Company. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin says the proposal would “serve as a front for the Chinese Communist party, which could compromise our economic security and Virginians’ personal privacy.” CATL is the largest battery producer in the world, and Ford wants it to make LFP, or lithium iron phosphate, batteries in the United States because they’re cheaper than NMC batteries, or nickel, manganese cobalt. The Detroit News reports the plant could now be built in Michigan. The plant is slated to generate 2,500 jobs and likely involves a multi-billion-dollar investment.
CORVETTE REVEALS E-RAY HYBRID
The first electrified, all-wheel drive Corvette is here! Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the iconic American sports car in New York, Chevrolet unveiled the all-new E-Ray. Sending power to the rear wheels is the same naturally aspirated 6.2L LT2 V8 as the Stingray, but it also features a 160-horsepower electric motor to drive the front wheels and 1.9 kWh battery pack, which is mounted between the seats. Combined the setup produces 655 horsepower and provides an estimated 0-60 time of 2.5 seconds. In some cases, it’s going to give the Corvette Z06 a run for its money, which features a 5.5L flat-plane crank V8 that redlines at 8,600 RPM and produces 670 horsepower. Other highlights of the E-Ray include Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, standard magnetic ride control, staggered 20- and 21-inch wheels and a Stealth Mode that allows all electric driving of up to 45 MPH. The all-new Corvette E-Ray goes on sale this year with a starting price of a little over $104,000 for the coupe and just over $111,000 for the convertible.
NEW HYUNDAI KONA POWERTRAIN DETAILS
We got our first look at the all-new Hyundai Kona about a month ago and now we’re getting some details about what will power the compact crossover. In Korea ICE versions will be offered with either a 1.6L turbo or a 2.0L Atkinson cycle engine, which is the same as the current model. The 1.6L turbo makes 195 horsepower, while the 2.0L makes 145 horsepower and is mated to a CVT. The new hybrid Kona features a naturally aspirated 1.6L with direct injection that is paired to an electric motor for a combined output of 140 horsepower. There’s also a pure electric version but we won’t learn about that until March. A couple other highlights for the new Kona include a new 12.3 inch integrated dual screen and upgraded ADAS technology.
GERMAN BMW OWNERS CAN WATCH SOCCER IN THEIR CAR
The World Cup is over but BMW doesn’t think its customers are done watching soccer yet. In Germany, 7 Series owners can download a new app that will let them watch a match from Germany’s top football league right from the infotainment screen. Not only can they watch live content, but also get highlights and other game stats. And while the video will only play if the vehicle is parked, audio streams are available while it’s in motion. It’s only a pilot that’s being rolled out for a couple of months, but similar projects will launch in other parts of Europe, the Americas and Asia. If successful, BMW says the feature could be added to future models.
U.S. INSURANCE RATES SEE BIGGEST JUMP IN SIX YEARS
Get ready to pay more for car insurance this year. According to a study from insurance research company ValuePenguin, which is part of LendingTree, insurance rates in the U.S. are expected to increase 8.4% this year, the biggest jump in six years. On average, U.S. drivers will pay $1,780 for full coverage insurance for the year. Michigan residents by far and away pay the highest costs at $4,788 a year, which is 168% above the national average. And that’s nearly $2,000 more than Florida, which has the second highest costs. And be sure to drive carefully, drivers with a traffic violation this year will see rates rise by 52% on average. And if you plan to buy an EV, expect to pay more for insurance. EVs insurance will be 28% higher than gas-powered vehicles and the two most expensive vehicles to insure are EVs, the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model Y.
AUTOMAKERS COMMIT TO INVEST $210 BILLION IN EVs IN THE U.S.
Ever since the U.S. passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which hands out subsidies for producing EVs and batteries in the U.S., there has been a flood of new EV investment in the country. According to a new report from Atlas EV Hub, the auto industry has committed to invest $860 billion globally by 2030 to transition to EVs. And $210 billion of that will be invested in the U.S., more than any other country. And 72% of those companies are headquartered in the U.S. Europe, as a whole, leads with $238 billion EV investment commitments, followed by the U.S. and Asia, excluding China, at $210 billion and China is at $199 billion.
TESLA ORDERS SPIKE IN CHINA AFTER PRICE CUTS
Looks like Tesla’s price cuts in China are paying off in significantly higher sales. Tesla cut the price of the Model 3 and Model Y by around $5,000 and $4,000, respectively, and sales shot up by 500% in some Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities just between January 6 and 9. We’ll have to see how sales come in for the full month, but if this keeps up, Tesla is probably going to trigger an all-out price war in China as other automakers will have cut their prices to stay competitive.
STUDY SAYS EV DRIVERS NEED TO PAY MORE ROAD FEES
A study from the Anderson Economic Group says that states and the U.S. federal government will lose road funding because EVs don’t pay any fuel taxes. Most states have increased their annual registration fees on EVs to offset the loss in fuel taxes, but the Anderson Group says that’s not enough. It says states are still going to lose money. The Anderson Group assumes drivers drive 14,300 miles a year. But with more people working from home these days, is that really the case? So we’d love to hear from you. How many miles do you drive a year?
But that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for making Autoline a part of your day.
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Comments (34)
January 18th, 2023 at 12:06 pm
I drive about 12,000 miles a year, spread over multiple vehicles. Insurance is a real ripoff for me, because I pay almost as much per car for the “driving” part of insurance, as if I drove the same number of miles with one vehicle. I’ve shopped around, and while I get a multi-car discount, the discount isn’t nearly as much as it should be.
January 18th, 2023 at 12:10 pm
So Virginia’s governor is anti-job, because a Chinese company is involved. Will states want to run shut down GE appliance factories, because Haier now owns the business? Virginia’s loss will be another state’s gain.
January 18th, 2023 at 12:25 pm
Virginia governor “which could compromise our economic security and Virginians’ personal privacy.” huhhhh? A battery plant will could do that? Sounds like partisan politics as usual.
My wife and I put about 12,000kms a year on both vehicles. Could we not put a ” gas tax” at charging stations? Would not affect home charging but it would be a start.
January 18th, 2023 at 12:33 pm
Got my mazda 3 June 1 st. 2020. As of today i have 12,600 miles on it.
January 18th, 2023 at 12:34 pm
Got my mazda 3 June 1 st. 2020. As of today i have 12,600 miles on it.
January 18th, 2023 at 12:34 pm
we have 3 vehicle that we split our every day driving on and average about 25,000 miles per year total. I also have several classic cars that i drive about 3,000 miles a year total.
January 18th, 2023 at 12:36 pm
If you drive 12,000 miles a year in a car that gets 30 mpg, you buy 400 gallons of gas a year. The federal tax is 18.4 cents a gallon or $73.60 federal tax a year. Other taxes on top. So it’s not an enormous loss currently with so few EVs on the road. Of course for those who oppose change it gives them yet another option to get their girdles in a knot.
January 18th, 2023 at 12:41 pm
I work from home, so my yearly mileage should be under 3,000. But since my two boys are now involved in multiple sports (2X daily practices + tournaments and games each weekend + the occasional out-of-state competition) I’m right back up to about 14,000+
January 18th, 2023 at 12:46 pm
I have no interest in Full Self Driving (FSD)!
I enjoy driving my vehicle myself. The only reason I can see of having access to FSD is in the case of an medical emergency and there is no one else who is able to get you to the nearest hospital. FSD is a $15K luxury item which might never be accomplished due to the extreme number of variables on today’s roads.
January 18th, 2023 at 12:48 pm
Auto rates going up- if average transaction prices have steadily gone up I suppose insurance rates will also go up.
January 18th, 2023 at 12:54 pm
Based upon today’s episode the additional registration, insurance and tire costs associated with the operation of an EV seem to mitigate any perceived savings. The environmental benefits are also minimal considering that the electricity needed to power an EV must come from somewhere, mostly fossil fuels at the present time.
January 18th, 2023 at 1:34 pm
As with Kit #1 drive multiple cars with required insurance on all of them but one of them is BEV which I pay less tax on. With comments on savings and the environment Well some manufacturers particularly one in particular you get a race car out of the box, what else can I say!
January 18th, 2023 at 1:53 pm
I work from home, drive one vehicle year-round and two seasonal pleasure vehicles. Total driven mileage is approx 8,000 miles a year, including two 1,000 mile trips to visit relatives.
I am in the same boat with Kit. Even though my two pleasure vehicles help a little, my insurance is pretty outrageous since I am the only driver and still have not found a way to drive more than one car at a time.
January 18th, 2023 at 2:15 pm
In Michigan, EV owners pay an extra $100 state fee each year while hybrid owners pay an extra $30. On average, EV owners pay higher levels of fees now than ICE drivers.
There is a hidden bonus to these fees. Michigan charges the fee and collects it. The federal gas tax is collected by the federal government and then doled out to states as it sees fit. Michigan may get less funding than its drivers paid in federal gas taxes. But, with EVs, Michigan gets to keep it all.
January 18th, 2023 at 2:24 pm
I’m about 15000 miles per year on average . my wife drives much less her 7 year old Crosstrek only has 37000 miles total so she’s a hair over 5 K a year. Unless States dump the gas tax for a mileage tax instead there will never be fair application of who is paying for road repairs. A mileage tax would be a more fair way of taxing , but who wants to get hit with a big tax bill ? Paying it a little at a time is almost unnoticed. makes no sense to give EV buyers a incentive only to take back through a tax.
January 18th, 2023 at 2:35 pm
14 This is too old to show the Michigan EV tax, but there are a number of states with a higher EV surcharge than would be paid in gas tax for an average vehicle driven an average number of miles.
https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Consumer-Reports-EV-Fee-analysis.pdf
15 Taxing by miles driven, bracketed by weight of the vehicle would be best, but how should it be done? GPS transponder? Annual odometer check by the BMV? Over-the-air transmission of data to a government agency? However it would be done needs to be hard to “hack.”
January 18th, 2023 at 2:51 pm
Odds very good that USSC will decline to hear this case. Not sexy enough -
January 18th, 2023 at 3:07 pm
From the Chevrolet Press release:
“E-Ray is also the only sports car pairing two separate propulsion systems to provide naturally aspirated V-8 power with electrified responsiveness powered by eAWD, making it one like none.”
Did Chevrolet forget that the Porsche 918 existed well before the E-Ray? Or maybe the Porsche is a supercar and the E-Ray is merely a sports car according to Chevrolet?
January 18th, 2023 at 3:17 pm
18 Maybe $800K+ cars don’t count?
January 18th, 2023 at 3:41 pm
15k miles @30MPG =500 gallons
Fed tax is 0.184 per gallon $92 a year
Michigan is 0.286 per gallon $143 a year
Ohio is 0.385 per gallon $192 a year
So between the Fed and state tax around here we pay $235 in Michigan and $284 in Ohio a year in gas tax.
16 I agree that miles driven seems like a fair way to assess road tax but I wouldn’t include weight for non-commercial passenger vehicles. The difference of a 4000 lb car and a 6000 lb truck likely has little if any difference on road wear. Its the HD commercial trucks 12,000lb and above that really beat up the roads. Most states have a max weight limit of 80,000lbs without a permit and a max 17K per axle. But their weights vary all the time so that could be difficult to use for them too.
January 18th, 2023 at 4:00 pm
18, I have to agree with you; the only differences I can see are that the Porsche 918 is limited production and is a PHEV, the E-Ray is not plug-in, and is more of in-line with the KERS you see in Formula 1. Kinetic Energy Recovery System (though the E-Ray can run independently of the ICE for a short time).
January 18th, 2023 at 4:39 pm
@ 20 Here in PA we get hammered 59 cents a gallon by the state and we also have the pleasure of the most expensive toll road in world the PA turnpike . Which when it was conceived was supposed to revert back to a toll free road once it was paid for. Here we 83 years later and it increases 5% a year and the construction never ends.
January 18th, 2023 at 5:07 pm
#18, 19 & 21.) Doesn’t/didn’t Ferrari also have a hybrid V8 and it’s portfolio, too?! I don’t think it costed any where near $800K, but certainly more than the E-Ray. Yet, that has always been the appeal of the Corvette, right? From its base model and its numerous different versions, it’s performance levels ranged from sports car, super car, hyper car and all the way up to exotic and all for a fraction of what others were models for!
The Virginia governor‘s rejection to the CATL battery plant being built in his state, sounds like not enough palms were greased to make that deal go through! I wonder if the voters in his state will have have anything to said, on his decision run of that type of investment? It certainly seems that he is giving his political rivals enough ammunition, that could impact him if he should seek re-election in the future.
#3.) I could see a “gas tax” (road tax?) on charging stations and I don’t see how such taxation could be collected by including tech on at home EV charging hardware. It could be tech could be already included in the charger. When the charger is in use charging the vehicle, your charged per watt, or some such. Then, when you pay the bill, you pay the tax. Then the state or fed deals with the utility company.
The thing about FSD and auto pilot, all these revelations that highlights the behind the scenes shenanigans that Tesla has been doing, is only making bystanders doubt if their claims will ever come true. The reality is, it only demonstrates just how much of a real challenge and the level of skill needed to operate a motor vehicle! AD will one day be a reality, but IMHO, it’s best case use will be, as Toyota’s approach indicates, assisting the driver and correcting errors a driver may make. Or, as Lex and others have said in the past, if someone experiences a medical emergency while driving, the vehicle takes over to get the operator/occupant to the nearest hospital, police or fire station, or, at the very least, to the side of the road and out of traffic!
January 18th, 2023 at 5:33 pm
21 I’m surprised at how small the E-Ray battery is, about the same as a Highlander hybrid. It will be only for one quick 0-150 run, and then you’ll have only the power of the ICE. I suspect the battery will be kept nearly full in normal driving, so it will be available for a quick burst of acceleration. They probably would have used a bigger battery, but there would be no place to put it without giving up some of the already small cargo space.
January 18th, 2023 at 7:13 pm
23 Ferrari has, or had AWD hybrids, but they may have mechanical connection to the front wheels. The Stradale has a turbo V8, and costs over half a million dollars.
I see that Corvette is adding driver aids for 2024, lane keep, auto emwrgency braking, etc. My 2022 has none of that.
January 18th, 2023 at 8:32 pm
About 10k miles per each of two cars in my house. Used to be 10+20k before pandemic, as I used to commute everyday while now I commute some days only.
If half the commuter population experienced what I experienced, then total gas revenues went down by 15% for this group.
January 18th, 2023 at 9:16 pm
22 The toll for the PA turnpike is 2-3 times as much as for Florida toll roads, but I’d think it could easily cost ten times as much to maintain, with all of those tunnels, and having to deal with winter freeze and thaw.
January 19th, 2023 at 9:11 am
22) I had the pleasure of driving on the PA turnpike. Went from Ohio to Carlisle and back, so not the entire length. I didn’t find it better maintained than any other road that I have driven on around the USA. There were no signs at any point on the PA turnpike to state how much it would cost me to be on the PA turnpike. Just a sign that said if you do not have the electronic transponder the fee is TBD. Turns out that trip was $150. The problem was the toll by plate which took them 6 months to send me the first invoice(it even stated it was the first invoice). Of course being Pennsylvania, they applied late fees because the invoice, that they did not send, was not paid one month after my trip. So I got late fees on top of late fees by the time they sent me the very first invoice. PA is off my list of states I will visit now. No reason to put up with the stupidity of the PA government.
On the other hand, I had a toll by plate experience in Florida. It stated on the road sign that I would be billed $3. Sure enough, after 5 months, the bill arrived for $3. No late fees applied. I paid it online and went about my day. In contrast to PA, I will visit Florida numerous times in the future. They obviously know how to do things properly in Florida.
January 19th, 2023 at 9:37 am
28 I have also driven out to Carlisle for the Import and kit car national car show. Haven’t done it in years but back then the toll road was twice what the Ohio TP was.
I think GM has really stepped up the Corvette to give the exotics a real run for their money. I mean you can buy even a base Corvette and take it to a speed shop dump another 20-40K in goodies into the car and be faster for less money than most exotics. Thats exotic performance @ 100K. Plus with the new mid-engine it just looks amazing and has as good a design as anything out there IMO.
January 19th, 2023 at 10:05 am
The last time I drove the PA turnpike, I think they still used “IBM cards” showing when you got on the road. I’ve been to Chryslers at Carlisle a couple times.
January 19th, 2023 at 10:08 am
29 Yeah, you can spend $40K in “goodies” on a base Corvette, and still spend a lot less than half the price of the cheapest Ferrari.
January 19th, 2023 at 10:43 am
31 Yeah the base model is the 6.2L 495HP naturally aspirated and that same motor used in the Cadillac V-series is 680hp with a supercharger added. That gets you over the E-ray HP and probably for less money but it’s not AWD. Add that and a shot of NOS and you could easily be around 900HP and be under 100K. The car has lots of potential. Not sure what the rest of the powertrain can handle but getting the engine close to the 1000 HP wouldnt take that much. Imagine if you start with the ZO6.
January 19th, 2023 at 11:21 am
31 I suspect the main thing the E-Ray will offer is slightly better low speed acceleration, helped by the front wheels being driven. I suspect the powertrain can stand quite a bit of extra power, with the torque through the powertrain being limited by tire traction up to fairly high speed.
January 19th, 2023 at 11:44 am
Hey Sean does the Anderson Group work for the oil companies? Sounds like they are touting more fees on EVs so that fewer are sold and the oil companies keep their monopoly.