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Runtime: 9:46
0:07 Musk Hints at Model Y Redesign
0:52 Nissan Teases New Z Car
1:17 Vehicle Inventory Levels Very Low
1:55 Daimler & Torc Expand Autonomous Truck Testing
3:10 Are Big Grilles on The Way Out?
3:57 Bosch Creates New Spark Plug for Turbo GDI Engines
4:52 Volkswagen ID.4 Interior Revealed
5:33 Ford Shares Electric Cobra Jet Performance Numbers
6:29 Chinese Tariffs Force Volvo To Change Production Plans
8:26 Should the U.S. Increase Tariffs on Chinese Made Cars?
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MUSK HINTS AT MODEL Y REDESIGN
Elon Musk dropped a few nuggets of detail during a visit to the site where Tesla is building its new factory in Germany. He says the Model Y will undergo a radical redesign, which includes a “transformation in the core structural design of the vehicle” and in how it’s built. We’ve reported how Tesla filed patents for a casting machine that greatly cuts down on the number of parts required to build a vehicle. And it sounds like it might be implementing some of that in Germany. Musk also shared that Tesla will make battery cells at the facility that will be used for stationary storage, but it’s not known if Tesla will partner up with another company to do this. We should find out more details at Tesla’s Battery Day.
NISSAN TEASES NEW Z CAR
The new Nissan Z car debuts in less than two weeks and we’re getting a slightly better idea of what it will look like. Alfonso Albaisa, who is the senior VP of global design at Nissan, put a sketch of the new car’s rear end on Instagram. It looks super sleek, but we also notice a nod to the Z car that ran from ‘89 til 2000 with the four thin taillights.
VEHICLE INVENTORY LEVELS VERY LOW
Automakers in the U.S. are running their assembly plants flat out to try and build up inventory. But they’re not making a lot of progress. There are 940,000 fewer vehicles in inventory than there were a year ago. And despite running flat out, they only added 23,000 vehicles over the last month. Subaru, Lexus and Mazda have some of the lowest levels on dealers’ lots, while Buick, Mitsubishi and Lincoln have some of the highest. Wards Intelligence reports that overall, automakers have 52 days’ of inventory, well below what they want at this time of year.
DAIMLER & TORC EXPAND AUTONOMOUS TRUCK TESTING
A year ago, Daimler and Torc Robotics partnered to test Level 4 autonomous trucks on public highways near Blacksburg, Virginia. And now the companies are giving an update on the collaboration. Testing had to be shut down earlier this year due to the pandemic. So, engineers turned to simulated testing to continue their research. But on-road testing resumed in June and will continue with their next-gen autonomous driving software. The companies are also developing safety systems at Daimler Trucks proving grounds in Oregon. The next phase is to build a new test center in Albuquerque, New Mexico and start performing public road tests in that area this fall.
ARE BIG GRILLES ON THE WAY OUT?
Over the last decade, we’ve seen the front-end grilles on cars grow to gargantuan proportions. But for trucks we think this design trend has hit its peak and is now on a downward slope. The first to back away were the very ones who started it all. We credit Dodge with kicking off the big grille movement with the 1994 Ram pickup. But it toned down the grille on the 2019 Ram. And now take a look at the grilles on the Jeep Wagoneer and Hummer EV. Both are much shallower and incorporate the headlamps on the ends. As more electric vehicles come out, grilles are going to do a disappearing act. And we believe that any EV that has a traditional-looking grille is going to look hopelessly out of date in just a few years.
BOSCH CREATES NEW SPARK PLUG FOR TURBO GDI ENGINES
While we’ve shown more efficient ways of lighting off the air/fuel mixture inside an engine, like plasma ignition, spark plugs still hold a monopoly on that task. Bosch introduced its first spark plug in 1902 and today is showing off a brand-new plug that’s made specifically for turbocharged gasoline direct-injection engines. They’re made to withstand the increases in pressure that can sometimes occur in these types of engines. Bosch improved its isolator design, which is the white ceramic part, and also increased its strength. To improve service life and wear resistance, the plugs feature a laser welded iridium pin on the center electrode and a platinum plate on the ground electrode, which is the little arm that bends over to the center electrode. The Bosch EVO spark plug will first be available in October for Volkswagen and Mercedes vehicles.
VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 INTERIOR REVEALED
Volkswagen revealed the interior of its new electric compact crossover, the ID.4. The company claims it has as much interior space as a non-electric SUV in the segment above it. Like most electrics, the interior is minimalistic with the infotainment screen plopped right on top of the dash. Like all ID models, the ID.4 is available with a feature called ID Light, which is a light strip below the windshield. It helps relay information to the driver by using different color lights. The ID.4 makes its world debut at the end of the month and deliveries in Europe begin at the end of the year.
FORD SHARES ELECTRIC COBRA JET PERFORMANCE NUMBERS
Earlier this year, Ford unveiled an electric version of its Mustang Cobra Jet. And now the company is sharing some of its performance numbers. It ran a quarter-mile in just 8.27 seconds at 168 MPH and reached 1,502 peak wheel horsepower in private testing. Ford teamed with Cascadia Motion to power the Cobra Jet, which features four motors, with a maximum power output of 350 kW per motor. If you want to see the electric Mustang Cobra Jet in action, it’s making its debut at the NHRA U.S. Nationals this weekend.
CHINESE TARIFFS FORCE VOLVO TO CHANGE PRODUCTION PLANS
When Volvo opened its plant in Charleston, South Carolina a few years back, the automaker’s plan was to have 100% of the S60’s global production come from that plant. But all that changed when China slapped a 50% import tariff on any vehicle made in the USA. On Autoline This Week, Anders Gustafsson, the head of Volvo in the U.S., explained how they had to change their plans.
Anders Gustafsson, President and CEO, Volvo Cars USA
“It’s two answers. First divided into tariffs. When the tariffs were implemented, it was painful months because that was (the) XC60 that we imported to the U.S. And we were supposed to export (the) S60. So, it should be 1-for-1, that was the kind of strategy with the plant. The tariffs messed up with that, so now we cannot export S60 to China, we export it from U.S. to Europe. So, all American slash European S60’s are coming from our plant in Charleston. In China, they build their own S60 in their operation. And of course, if you ask me or Hakan (Samuelsson), our global CEO, about the decision on the sedan, we didn’t know about tariffs when we took that decision. The sedan segment is down 20% but we are delivering 8(%) and also the plant is kind of into practice and preparation for the launch of the XC90 that is our flagship. And that car will totally turn around the volumes in Charleston to one of our bigger plants in the world. And also, one of the more advanced plants in the world. So, give us two more years, then you’re going to see even more XC90’s coming from Charleston.”
SHOULD THE U.S. INCREASE TARIFFS ON CHINESE MADE CARS?
OK, time for an editorial opinion. If China is going to single out American-made cars and trucks with a 50% import tax, shouldn’t the United States return the favor? The U.S. import tax on cars is only 2.5%, and it’s 25% on trucks. So why not tax Chinese cars with the same 50% tariff they charge the U.S.? And if China wants to lower its tariffs, then the U.S. would do the same. It’s called reciprocity. So what do you think? We’d love to hear your opinions.
And just a reminder before I sign off, there will not be a new Autoline Daily on Monday because of the Labor Day holiday. But we’ll see you right back here again on Tuesday with the latest news in the global automotive industry.
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John McElroy is an influential thought leader in the automotive industry. He is a journalist, lecturer, commentator and entrepreneur. He created “Autoline Daily,” the first industry webcast of industry news and analysis.