AD #2179 – Aston Martin to Electrify Entire Lineup, EV Programs Impacting Low Volume Vehicles, Robo Cars Deliver Pizza
August 29th, 2017 at 11:46am
Runtime: 6:42
To watch this episode on YouTube click here.
- Renault-Nissan Partners w/ Dongfeng on EVs
- China to Set New EV Quotas
- Aston Martin Going Electric
- BMW i3 Refreshed, Gets Sport Model
- EV Programs Impacting Low Volume Vehicles
- Ford Robo Cars Delivering Domino’s Pizza
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On today’s show… Ford thinks that pizza delivery could be perfect for autonomous cars… Aston Martin says it’s going to electrify its entire lineup… while Audi and Mercedes cancel models to help pay for electrification. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.
RENAULT-NISSAN PARTNER WITH DONGFENG ON EVs
Last week Ford, announced it’s forming a partnership with a company called Zotye Auto, to produce and sell electric vehicles in China. And now Renault-Nissan is forming a partnership with Dongfeng Motor to do the same. The companies have created a new joint venture called eGT New Energy Automotive. They will jointly develop an EV, that will be built on an A-segment SUV platform from Renault-Nissan. The companies are targeting 2019 to begin production of the new EV.
CHINA TO SET NEW EV QUOTAS
And this could be why we’re seeing Ford and Renault-Nissan forming partnerships to build EVs in China. German newspaper FAZ is reporting that China will announce final plans for EV and plug-in hybrid quotas in the coming days. Earlier in the year, China said those vehicles should make up one-fifth of all sales by 2025. The original proposal called for harsh penalties if automakers did not comply but those are expected to be softened in the final version. A staggered system of quotas will begin next year and credits will be issued to help some automakers meet the targets.
Still to come, BMW gives a bit more pizzaz and oomph to the i3 electric.
ASTON MARTIN GOING ELECTRIC
Volvo made headlines around the world when it announced it’s going to electrify its entire lineup, and now Aston Martin is making the same claim. Andy Palmer, the CEO of Aston, says 100% of their cars will be hybrids by the mid-2020s. However, the hybrid powertrains will be an option, and customers could still select V-8s and V-12s. Aston will introduce is first pure electric, the RapidE in 2019 and Palmer says about one out of four Astons will be purely electric around 2030. It’s first cross-over, the DBX, which debuts in 2019 will offer a hybrid option later in its life. Interestingly, though it will import battery cells, Aston plans to make its own battery packs and motors. That’s quite ambitious for such a low volume manufacturer.
BMW i3 REFRESHED
The BMW i3 has been out for about 3 years now, so in automotive design cycle terms, the EV is due for an update. The 2018 model will come with a mild design refresh and a new sportier model, called the i3s. In the design department, the track has been widened, there’s new wheel arch moldings, horizontal accent lines and reworked fascias. The standard i3 uses the same electric motor and battery pack as the outgoing model. But let’s get to the s model, which features an electric motor with more horsepower and torque than the standard model and a whole bunch of model-specific design elements. The improved power is good enough to improve its 0-60 time by 4-tenths of a second. The suspension of the i3s is sport tuned, which lowers it by nearly half an inch and it comes with unique and wider 20-inch wheels. The new i3 will debut at the Frankfurt show in September, but I question whether it’s enough to help sales of the EV. They are down 17.5% so far this year in the U.S.
Coming up next, Ford teams up with Domino’s to deliver pizza’s with autonomous cars..
EV PROGRAMS IMPACTING LOW VOLUME VEHICLES
We have a lot of EV coverage in today’ show, and the race to electrification is starting to have an impact on other parts of the business. We’re starting to see some low volume car programs get cancelled. And here’s our Autoline Insight. We think this is to pay for EV programs. For example, Autoforecast Solutions reports that Mercedes-Benz just cancelled the next generation S-class convertible. Audi is cancelling the next-gen A5 sportback and cabrio, and the A8 will be replaced by the eA8. Sportbacks and convertibles require significant tooling costs and by getting rid of those models Mercedes and Audi are freeing up capital to invest in electric cars.
FORD ROBO CARS DELIVER PIZZA
Ford is teaming up with Domino’s to explore delivering pizza’s to customers using autonomous cars. The experimental program will start in Ann Arbor, Michigan which is home to Domino’s headquarters. The pizza’s will be delivered using a Ford Fusion. Customers will get a text when the car arrives at their residence, and they’ll unlock an oven in the car using the last four digits of their phone number. Over the next few weeks customers who order a pizza will be asked if they’d like it delivered autonomously. Even so, just to be on the safe side there will be a Ford engineer in the car. But the windows of the car will be blacked out so that customers cannot see the driver. Both Ford and Domino’s hope to learn about how people react and interact with autonomous vehicles delivering goods to their homes.
And that brings us to the end of today’s report. Thanks for watching and tune in again tomorrow.
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Comments (13)
August 29th, 2017 at 12:36 pm
I hope Domino’s makes more than one delivery with that autonomous car, it would be a waste of resources and energy if they didn’t.
August 29th, 2017 at 12:44 pm
The pizza experiment seems more like a publicity stunt than actual research. The article says the vehicle is actually “manually” driven, rather than autonomous driven while on the road. It also suggest the primary focus on the experiment is to judge if customers are okay with having to go outside to pick up their pizza, rather than delivered to the door. This has nothing to do with autonomy. So basically, Domino is seeing if they can get away with inconveniencing their customers to eliminate a driver.
August 29th, 2017 at 12:48 pm
Sean, Is Ford and Renault-Nissan partnering with the likes of Zotye and Dongfeng because those companies offer some advantage in the electrification of vehicles, or is this to satisfy Chinese government requirements for doing business there?
My guess is they (anyone outside China) needs a Chinese partner and will teach, train and share technology with these companies until they are capable of going it alone. At which point we will be pushed out and undercut. Which at that point we should require Chinese cars to have a US partner and certain percentage of labor content to be sold here in the states but we all know that wont happen.
August 29th, 2017 at 12:59 pm
I think its great that Dominos is working with Ford to gage the acceptance/interest in autonomous pizza delivery. Even if its not really fully autonomous.
It will be one of those crazy trivia questions in 2030 when Autonomy is a reality and they ask, “When was the first autonomous pizza delivered”? and the answer will be, way back in 2017 but not really.
Domino’s should just skip right to using Drone delivery.
August 29th, 2017 at 1:08 pm
If the Domino’s store has to purchase these autonomous cars, they probably won’t be able to get away with just one (in a busy location), so I wonder how much more that pizza is going to cost when the price of a pizza delivery specific vehicle is added to the equation.
August 29th, 2017 at 1:11 pm
Unless you already own an i3 I think you are going to be hard-pressed to be able to see/know the difference between current and refreshed. And I don’t think that the refresh is going to boost sales any either.
August 29th, 2017 at 1:22 pm
So, does this mean we no longer need to tip the delivery guy?
August 29th, 2017 at 1:35 pm
What keeps the first pizza customer from taking more pizza than he/she ordered? Does the vehicle have individual compartments for each phone number?
August 29th, 2017 at 1:39 pm
BMW has can’t fooled me! The car looks just like the old one to me!
August 29th, 2017 at 2:07 pm
@Lambo2015 – I don’t think Ford and Renault-Nissan are partnering with Chinese companies on EVs because they “offer some advantage in the electrification of vehicles.” Nor do I think it’s solely to satisfy the Chinese government. I think it’s got to do with grabbing more market share in the fastest growing market in the world. Foreign OEMs need to form a joint venture with a Chinese OEM to sell vehicles in the country. They are limited to two joint ventures. But with the push to electrification in China, the government is allowing a third joint venture as long as it has a new name and only produces electric and plug-in (I think plug-ins are included) vehicles. So, now we’re seeing automakers, like Ford and Renault-Nissan forming new companies to make EVs.
August 29th, 2017 at 2:39 pm
Thanks Sean, However if the foreign manufacturers have nothing to gain (technology wise) by partnering I doubt they would do it simply for market share either. Each manufacturer is jockeying for position that will allow them to conduct business within the constraints laid out by the Chinese Government. If those requirements were not part of doing business there, foreign manufacturers would just set up shop and dominate the automotive market. No one seems to see the big picture or long term effects of being forced to partner.
August 29th, 2017 at 3:06 pm
Car companies want to sell in China, whatever it takes, because the Chinese market is growing, while the north American, and most European markets will be shrinking.
As far as technology for electric cars, it is basically “mature,” except that batteries will keep getting cheaper. If anyone comes up with a real breakthrough in batteries, they will sell to everyone, if they can produce enough.
August 29th, 2017 at 3:22 pm
9 The i3 will continue to be a niche car, even more than most EV’s, because of the price, about $44K for the base car, with a little over 100 mile range. The range extender adds 80 miles or so. Maybe more than most cars, the way to buy an i3 is pre-owned, as our contributor Bob Wilson did with his off-lease i3.
Probably the biggest improvement BMW could make to the i3, would be to give the range extender version a bigger gas tank. Bob mentioned working on that, for his car.