Listen to “AD #3513 – IIHS Makes Crash Tests More Challenging; Scout, Audi Eye U.S. Plants; Nissan Using Nikola Trucks” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 12:12
0:08 EU Says IRA Not That Bad
0:51 Audi Looking at U.S. Plant
1:13 Scout to Build U.S. Plant
2:45 Lordstown Searching for Electric Gremlin
3:30 Fisker Signs Up with ChargePoint
4:16 Peugeot Shows Off New 508
6:08 IIHS Makes Crash Tests More Challenging
7:10 Nikola 1st With Hands-Free Semis in U.S.
8:07 Nissan Using Nikola Trucks
9:05 Firestone Uses Racing to Test Sustainable Tires
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EU SAYS IRA NOT THAT BAD
When the inflation Reduction Act offered massive subsidies to build electric cars and batteries and other green technologies in the U.S., officials in the European Union hit the roof. They said this would hurt Europe’s competitiveness. But now the EU is saying, ‘Oh never mind, maybe it’s not going to be that bad.’ The head of the EU’s antitrust efforts says that any damage from the IRA subsidies would be very limited, for a number of reasons, including the fact that the EU already has many green subsidies of its own in place. And besides, European companies can qualify for those IRA subsidies as long as they make EVs and batteries in North America.
AUDI LOOKING AT U.S. PLANT
As if on cue, the CEO of Audi, Markus Duesmann, said the IRA makes it highly attractive for Audi to build an assembly plant in the U.S. He says Audi may go it alone and build the plant itself, or what we think is more likely, Audi will build the plant together with the Volkswagen Group.
SCOUT TO BUILD U.S. PLANT
Here’s why we say that. Scout, which is part of the Volkswagen Group, is going to build its own assembly plant for electric pickups and SUVs rather than go with a contract manufacturer like Magna Steyr or Foxconn. That’s according to the German trade publication Automobilwoche. So, we have to ask ourselves, does the VW Group really want to build two assembly plants in the U.S., one for Scout and one for Audi? Or would it rather build one plant that they both could share? Remember, the Group’s new CEO, Oliver Blume just axed a new plant in Germany to build EVs because he wants to hold down spending. Those EVs will be built at VW’s existing plant in Wolfsburg, instead. So we sure think that VW would rather build one plant in the U.S., rather than let Audi and Scout build two of them.
LORDSTOWN SEARCHING FOR ELECTRIC GREMLIN
There’s more trouble in EV Startup Land. It sounds like Lordstown has a pretty significant problem with its Endurance pickup, so it’s issuing a voluntary recall and will pause production. With the help of its suppliers it’s working to find the cause of the problem, which it says involves “a specific electrical connection issue that could result in loss of propulsion while driving.” The fix could be anything from design modifications to retrofits and even software updates. So, it sounds like Lordstown doesn’t have it nailed down completely. While the recall only affects 19 models that were delivered to customers or are used by Lordstown, there’s still no timetable to restart production.
FISKER SIGNS UP WITH CHARGEPOINT
But while one EV startup is falling behind, another is shuffling ahead. Fisker announced that ChargePoint is its public charging provider for North America. Owners will get access to ChargePoint’s 210,000 charging ports, which can be located on the Fisker Ocean’s navigation screen and also get turn-by-turn directions on how to get there. Production of the electric SUV has already started at Magna’s plant in Austria and most versions are already sold out, but it is taking orders for its top-line Extreme model, which offers AWD, 350 miles of range and starts at just under $70,000.
PEUGEOT SHOWS OFF NEW 508
We’ve got the latest details on Peugeot’s new 508. The front end bears a new grille and a 3-claw lighting design, which is also picked up in the rear tail lights. There’s a number of powertrain choices, including 3 plug-in hybrids and 2 ICEs. The 2WD PHEV versions come with either a 150 or 180 horsepower gas engine that are mated to an 81 kW or 108 horsepower electric motor and an 8-speed automatic transmission. The AWD version has a 200-horsepower engine, the same 81 kW motor and 8-speed trans, but also an 83-kW motor on the rear. All are paired with a 12.4 kWh battery pack, however no range estimates are given. The ICE options include a 130 horsepower 3-cylinder gas engine and 130 horsepower 4-cylinder diesel. The interior of the new 508 has been updated as well, highlighted by a center screen that looks like it slides into its own docking station and a digital cluster, set high, and integrated into the dashboard. The car goes on sale in Europe this summer.
IIHS MAKES CRASH TESTS MORE CHALLENGING
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety keeps raising the bar for automakers to earn its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick Plus. Last year, 101 models earned the awards, including 65 that qualified for the Top Safety Pick Plus award. This year only 48 models earned the awards, with just 28 getting the Top Safety Pick Plus. To earn the awards now, vehicles need better side-crash protection, better pedestrian protection and better headlights. The IIHS says it wants to challenge automakers “to build on the safety gains they already achieved.” But the industry is making progress in several areas. The roof strength, head restraint and vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention tests are no longer part of the evaluation because pretty much all new vehicles get good ratings, so the IIHS tossed those tests because they’re no longer relevant.
NIKOLA 1ST WITH HANDS-FREE SEMIS IN U.S.
Advanced driver assistance systems are nothing new in passenger vehicles and now Nikola will be the first U.S. truck maker to equip the technology in its electric and hydrogen powered Class 8 semi-trucks. The system uses cameras, radar and lidar, for lane keeping, automatic emergency braking, lane centering, lane changes and merges, and to drive the vehicle in stop and go traffic. And new features can be added with over-the-air updates. And when not on the road, like at loading docks, the system monitors and highlights pedestrians around the truck, since there are lots blind spots in a big truck. Multiple fleets will begin pilot tests of the system by the end of this year and Nikola plans to make the technology available in its trucks by the end of 2024. But it’s still running into delivery and money problems that could put these plans at risk.
NISSAN USING NIKOLA TRUCKS
And speaking of Class 8 electric semi-trucks, Nissan is using them to deliver imported cars from the Port of Los Angeles to dealerships in the area. It’s using four semis from Nikola and Kenworth and it partnered with Avant-Garde Auto Logistics, a woman-owned transportation company headquartered in Tennessee to deliver the vehicles. After this initial trial, Nissan plans to deploy more electric trucks in LA and says it could begin using BEV trucks for a number of logistics uses. Nissan says it’s doing this trial to learn more about using electric trucks for vehicle delivery and to achieve its goal of becoming carbon neutral across its entire operations by 2050. Interestingly, Nissan used to have its own heavy truck division called Nissan Diesel, but it sold that off to Volvo Truck around 2007.
FIRESTONE USES RACING TO TEST SUSTAINABLE TIRES
Bridgestone-Firestone is using motor racing to develop more sustainable tires. Firestone is the exclusive tire supplier to IndyCar and will provide tires made in the U.S. with natural rubber for the street races this season. That’s up from 1 race last year. The rubber comes from the guayule shrub, which is a natural source for the material and is more environmentally sustainable than rubber trees. It’s used in the sidewalls of the Firehawk race tires, which will be used as the alternate tire at street races, starting on March 5th. And here’s a fun stat. Firestone says it will make more than 1900 tires for the races, which is a total of 380 tires for each race. It will also provide tires that use synthetic rubber made with recycled plastic at the Indy 500 this year.
And while that brings us to the end of today’s show. Instead of my usual sendoff, I’m going to leave you with a highlight from yesterday’s Autoline After Hours. If you enjoy what you hear I encourage you to go watch the entire show.
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Seamus and Sean McElroy cover the latest news in the automotive industry for Autoline Daily.