AD #3284 – Agency Says No More Sunday Drives; Maserati Lays Out Its EV Plan; Top OEMs Ranked by Profit
March 18th, 2022 at 11:50am
Listen to “AD #3284 – Agency Says No More Sunday Drives; Maserati Lays Out Its EV Plan; Top OEMs Ranked by Profit” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 9:43
0:07 IEA’s 10 Pronged Plan to Reduce Oil & Gas Use
0:59 Maserati Lays Out Its EV Plan
1:38 Porsche Ramps Up Its EV Efforts
2:15 Hino Admits to Diesel Cheating
3:01 BMW Sticking With Ridiculous EV Claim
4:08 Kia Offers Free Mobile Charging
4:40 Manual Trans Dominates Integra Pre-Orders
5:03 Jeep Teases Blended Wrangler & Gladiator
6:08 NASCAR Going to Le Mans with a Camaro
6:57 RC Car Demonstrates Nissan’s e-4ORCE Technology
7:48 Top OEMs Ranked by Profit
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
AGENCY SAYS NO MORE SUNDAY DRIVES
Get ready for a global energy crisis unless we take action now. That’s the warning from the IEA, the International Energy Agency, which tracks global energy production and consumption. It says oil and gas production cannot ramp up fast enough and renewable energy can’t get installed fast enough, and so it lays out 10 steps people should take to reduce how much oil and gas they use. That includes things like driving slower, working from home, using public transportation, and not driving on Sunday. The IEA says that sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine is taking 2.5 million barrels a day out of the market. But if everybody followed its recommendations oil consumption would go down by 2.7 million barrels a day.
MASERATI LAYS OUT ITS EV PLANS
The EV train is leaving the station and more and more automakers are scrambling to jump on board. Now Maserati says it’s going all electric by 2030. It’s going to call its electric range of vehicles Folgore. The new GranTurismo, which launches next year, will be its first all-electric model and then comes an all-electric version of the Grecale SUV next year as well. By 2025, it will have an all-electric version of every model in its lineup and by 2030 Maserati will become 100% electric. It will develop, engineer and produce all of its EVs in Italy.
PORSCHE RAMPS UP ITS EV EFFORTS
Porsche was already on the EV bandwagon, but it’s ramping up its efforts. CEO Oliver Blume says that by 2030, 80% of Porsche sales will be all-electric. He says the mid-engine Boxster and Cayman will become electric only by mid decade. Last year, Porsche topped 300,000 sales for the first time in company history. It doubled sales of the Taycan, which also passed the 911 in sales. But remember there’s also 3 versions of the Taycan available, the sedan, the Cross Turismo and the Sport Turismo.
HINO ADMITS TO DIESEL CHEATING
Just when you thought that cheating on diesel emissions was over, Japanese authorities jumped all over Hino, which is Toyota’s truck company. The transport ministry is revoking certifications of four engines because Hino gave them false emissions and fuel economy data, and Hino admitted it did it. This ruling also affects Toyota and Isuzu, who also use the engines.
BMW STILL MAKING RIDICULOUS CLAIM
We chalked it up to marketing babble-talk 4 months ago, but BMW is sticking with its ridiculous claim that the EV version of the 7 Series, called the i7, is “the first all-electric luxury sedan in the world.” Hey BMW, what do you call the Mercedes EQS, the Lucid Air and Tesla Model S? It’s like BMW is operating with horse blinders on. And as you can see from these teaser pictures, it’s also sticking with that giant twin kidney grille. But we are getting some more details on the electric sedan before its official debut in a few weeks. BMW says it’s the most powerful 7 Series and will have a WLTP range of 580 to 610 kilometers and an EPA estimated range of up to 305 miles. The interior will feature an optional 31-inch display screen that rotates out of the headliner for rear seat passengers and LED lighting that can be individually adjusted.
KIA OFFERS FREE MOBILE CHARGING
And sticking with EVs for a moment, Kia is kicking off a pilot program in parts of California that will offer free mobile charging to customers. BEV owners in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose will first have to download the app of Kia’s partner for the trail, Currently, which will allow them to book the on-demand service. They’ll be able to do this up to 3 times a week every week for 2 months. Kia says if customers like it they could expand to other cities around the U.S.
INTEGRA PRE-ORDERS OVERWHELMINGLY MANUAL
But now let’s shift away from EVs. Acura says that pre-orders for the all-new Integra are overwhelmingly with the manual transmission. The vehicle comes standard with a custom tuned CVT, but over 70% of initial buyers want to shift their own gears. But that number will almost assuredly go down as sales go on.
WHAT IF YOU COMBINED A JEEP WRANGLER & GLADIATOR?
Jeep designers have another trick up their sleeves for this year’s Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah and are being rather coy with the details. Rather than providing info, it’s asking questions like, ever wonder what it would be like to blend the Wrangler and Gladiator and what if a truck dared to be more SUV-like to increase its departure angle? Whatever it shows off, Jeep says it “reinvents what the ultimate terrain tackler dares to be…”
NASCAR GOING TO LE MANS WITH CHEVY CAMARO
NASCAR is going to race at the 24 Hours of LeMans next year. Yeah, you heard that right, NASCAR. And it’s putting together an impressive list of companies that will be part of the effort: IMSA, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear. They’re going to race a Camaro ZL1, highly modified of course. And they’re going to enter it in Garage 56. That’s the slot that LeMans holds open for innovative race cars. So while the Camaro will be in the race, it’s not going to be classified in any of the racing categories. Chevrolet already races Corvettes at LeMans so we find it fascinating that it’s entering a Camaro. And we’re intrigued that NASCAR is leading this effort. Who knows what this will lead to in the future?
RC CAR DEMONSTRATES NISSAN’S e-4ORCE TECHNOLOGY
Nissan is coming up with unique ways to show-off its e-4ORCE all-wheel-drive technology. Last week, it put out a video of an electric food tray with the tech delivering bowls of ramen to customers in a restaurant. And now it has a new video showing off e-4ORCE in an RC car driving on a figure-eight course with different surfaces to showcase how it maintains its driving line and steerability. The RC car is controlled with an arcade-like setup that includes a racing seat, steering wheel and pedals. A camera equipped on the RC car is linked to a monitor to give the engineer a first-hand look at what is happening on the course. The Ariya will be the first model equipped with e-4ORCE, which manages power output and braking performance of the two electric motors to provide a smooth and stable ride.
TOP AUTOMAKERS RANKED BY PROFIT
Yesterday we gave you the ranking of global automakers by revenue. But then several of you in the comments section, including David Blatt, Mike Young, one nation under god, and Michael Allen suggested that we rank them by profits. We thought that was a pretty good idea, so we ran the numbers and here’s what we found. Mercedes-Benz was the most profitable car company last year putting nearly $26 billion on the bottom line. Then came Toyota, Ford and Volkswagen. One thing to keep in mind with that Ford number is that about $8 billion of that came from booking the value of the stock it has in Rivian. Then Stellantis and BMW came in around $14 billion in net profits, followed by GM at nearly $10 billion. Tesla made more money last year than either Honda or Hyundai even though they sold millions of more vehicles. We love providing you information like this because you’re not going to see it anywhere else. In fact, we’re going to run the numbers over the weekend, and next week we’ll rank the car companies by how much they spend on R&D.
| Top 10 OEMs by 2021 Net Profit | |
|---|---|
| 1. Mercedes | $25.7 Billion |
| 2. Toyota | $19.3 Billion |
| 3. Ford | $17.9 Billion |
| 4. VW Group | $17.0 Billion |
| 5. Stellantis | $14.5 Billion |
| 6. BMW | $13.7 Billion |
| 7. GM | $9.9 Billion |
| 8. Tesla | $5.5 Billion |
| 9. Honda | $4.9 Billion |
| 10. Hyundai | $4.6 Billion |
And that wraps up today’s show, and the whole week. Have a great weekend and we’ll see you on Monday.
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Comments (37)
March 18th, 2022 at 12:12 pm
I don’t think the IEA needs to be too worried. The global recession that is about to hit us in 2-3 months time will take care of people driving anywhere on any day.
March 18th, 2022 at 12:17 pm
Excellent After Hours with Sandy Munro. His ‘Dr Demming’ is worth everything else and the rest was pure gold.
March 18th, 2022 at 12:20 pm
Interesting data on car company profit. Selling only the expensive end of each vehicle class turns into good profit for a company like Mercedes.
March 18th, 2022 at 12:21 pm
It’s not the supply of oil that is the problem, it is the transportation. Hundreds of completed US ‘fracked’ oil wells are sitting completed but capped. Canadian oil is deeply discounted because of lack of pipelines to take it anywhere. In both cases, new pipelines were proposed but not built because “we’ll never need that oil.” That was incorrect then, is still incorrect now and will remain incorrect in the future. The improved national security from using ‘safe source’ oil does not result in extra pollution; it only displaces oil from less safe sources.
March 18th, 2022 at 12:31 pm
Dang shame Canadians are incapable of making their own refineries.
March 18th, 2022 at 1:02 pm
Tesla more profitable than other automakers that make more cars than they, that is news, and they said making BEVs was not going to be profitable and that Tesla was doomed and going to go BK, everyone said so,from Bob Putz to every Shortseller to Wall Street, Even Fossilheads here in AD.Oh, andnow everybody has a crash program on BEVs.
March 18th, 2022 at 1:09 pm
Sean, I saw an article that related to the entry of a NASCAR car in Lemans next year but it was pending an official invite; did that happen? I hope it did and think that racing the road-racing version for 24 hours should be entertaining and exciting.
March 18th, 2022 at 1:10 pm
6 Yep, selling only expensive cars is the way to make good profit relative to the number of units sold. That is the case with both Mercedes-Benz and Tesla.
It took Tesla a while to get there, starting from scratch with entirely new products, but they are now doing very well. Time will tell how that goes as the legacy car companies catch up, but as far as EV powertrains and batteries, Tesla still has a big lead over the others.
March 18th, 2022 at 1:16 pm
Based on practice 2, it looks like Red Bull and Ferrari are at the top of the heap in F1 with the new rules, at least for now. Haas are looking like mid-pack, but Williams remain at the bottom. This weekend’s qualifying and race will be very interesting.
https://racingnews365.com/2022-f1-bahrain-grand-prix-free-practice-2-results
March 18th, 2022 at 1:50 pm
Lots of oil in Canada for Americans to buy just that the green lobby and the Koch brothers stop pipelines from crossing the border it’s politics not technology
March 18th, 2022 at 2:08 pm
Imagine how embarrassing it will be for dedicated road race teams with dedicated road race cars if they get spanked by one of NASCAR’s taxi cabs as the Eurosnobs call them. What I’d like to see is NASCAR take the whole circus down to Australia and run them at Bathurst. Seeing how close the Next Gen of both cars are to each other , I’d be interested to see the lap times between the two. The next Gen V8 Supercars are Mustangs and Camaros just like the Cup series the biggest visual difference is the rear wing/spoiler on the cars. The V8s look more like the street cars than the Cup cars , but would cool to see them side by side .
March 18th, 2022 at 2:10 pm
9, F1 qualifying is on ESPN News @ 10:55 Saturday, ESPN1 @ 10:55 Sunday for the race. I’m excited for the new season.
March 18th, 2022 at 2:20 pm
6 Bob Lutz said that EV were not profitable in what year was that? Maybe back when they were NOT profitable. You guys crack me up when wait 20 years until so much has changed and then bring up an old comment.
Oh and just because I want to stick with an ICE for now I wouldn’t think makes me a fossilhead anymore than a BEV is a leadhead. Its a choice that has to make sense for the consumer. Just isn’t there for me yet. Certainly not saying I will never own a BEV just not this year.
March 18th, 2022 at 2:29 pm
11 Is a NASCAR car they will be running, or is it a modified ZL1 1LE or something like that?
March 18th, 2022 at 3:16 pm
@10: the Canadian-owned Keystone Pipelines have up-and-running Phases 1,2, and 3 which transport crude oil from Canada to Texas-based refineries. Two thirds of the refined products (gasoline, diesel oil, aviation fuel) are exported under long term agreements, mainly to the Caribbean and interestingly enough, Venezuela.
The benefits to the U.S. of the Keystone Pipelines are maintenance and repair, local leases and utilization of several Texas-based refineries and some supply of refined products. U.S. refinery capacity is locked up for exporting gasoline. But bear in mind, fortunately we have a capitalist economy so these decisions on selling in the U.S. or overseas are made by oil companies, not by politicians. Politicians could interfere through mandates, but we don’t like state-run economies, do we? I for sure do not like government-run businesses.
March 18th, 2022 at 3:22 pm
@15 as to the “two thirds of the refined products exported”: that is the overall figure. The percentage is zero for the heavy fractions (asphalt, heavy bunker oil) which are sold locally because it is not economically feasible to transport those long distance; and the percentage is therefore higher than 67% for the gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel. So really not much supply of those fuels to the U.S. market.
March 18th, 2022 at 3:44 pm
#8 kit Tesla Giga Shanghai will have 2millipn production installed soon Giga Berlin 500,000 minimum, Giaga Texas will have 1.5 to 2 million , Fremont already @ 600,000 units , you do the math, these are conservative estimates,target date by 2025-26, How many BEVs does GM dreams of making ? 26 like last qtr is an easy number LOL
March 18th, 2022 at 3:54 pm
#13 lambo, you should interview Bob Putz as AD has dropped the ball. GM dreams being #1 in BEVs @ 26 sold last qtr, in 2021 and less than what Tesla makes in one month worldwide Mary Barra really knows how to lie. LOL
March 18th, 2022 at 3:59 pm
17j VW Group are the ones increasing EV production at the fastest rate, but yeah, I don’t expect them, or anyone else to catch up with Tesla in EV production in the next few years. Does Tesla really plan to build 1.5-2M in Texas, though?
https://electrek.co/2021/10/15/volkswagen-group-bev-delivery-numbers-still-a-year-behind-tesla-but-gaining-fast-at-138-yoy/
March 18th, 2022 at 4:16 pm
19 As Tesla ramps up volumes and prices, is there sufficient market around the world for these similar looking expensive cars? They are no longer head turners or conversation starters. It will be interesting.
March 18th, 2022 at 4:17 pm
18 You really should do some research on Bob before continuing to just regurgitate one quote. A quote that maybe has been proven to be untrue today, but was most likely true at the time. You might be interested to know he also said, “the electrification of the automobile is inevitable”. in Jan 2008.=
You might also find it very easy to just be the Tesla cheerleader that you are without having to bring GM into it. You obviously dislike GM and that’s fine IDC but not really sure why you continue to make the comparison unless you feel GM is really a threat. I would think your comments would compare Tesla with other pure EV manufacturers like Rivian or Nio which would illustrate your point probably even more.
Just some food for thought.
March 18th, 2022 at 4:30 pm
20 It seems that Tesla are ramping up prices while they can, because for now, people are willing to pay $47K for a base model 3 and $63K for a base Model Y. I suspect my Corvette will be worth a lot more in 15 years than a Model Y that cost the same, and will need a new very expensive battery.
March 18th, 2022 at 5:41 pm
Ford’s expected profit with Rivian has been evaporating since their shares are locked for 6 months after the IPO.
March 18th, 2022 at 9:20 pm
#17&18.) I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, every individual OEM success with BEVs (be it one sell or thousands), is a success for the industry! Every automaker, be it yesterday or tomorrow, that builds an EV only helps that market grow and grow faster. There is no need to poop-poop companies, be they upstarts or legacy manufacturers, because we are not fans of them. The more companies that enter the market, the more choice the consumer has and the more incentive our favorite company has to innovate and rise to meet the new challenge! Rey you point at GM for only selling a few EV compared to Tesla. While that may be true, I would not be surprised if GM sell more vehicles in just North America, then Tesla does around the world! They are just not electric. Why does that make a difference? You kniw Rey! Because custbuy billions of more ICE vehicles, then they currently do EVs. Tesla is doing great things and making a-lot-of-money doing it, that goes without saying. Yet, when you compare the amount of products that GM puts out around the world and the level of quality that they do it in, what Tesla is doing with their excellent BEVs is just a drop in the bucket! If you can hold GM’s feet to the fire for the couple of EVs they’ve sold, turn about is far play, so one could ask how successful has Tesla been at making ICE vehicles? That’s crazy talk! Believe me, the leaders at GM have more important things to do then JUST BUILD EVs. While it maybe okay to critique their choices, since we are all members of the buying public that they are supposed to be marketing their produce to, to berate them because they’re not our favorite or that because they’re competing against our favorite brand is ridiculous!
Allow me to demonstrate the difference: As much as I love BMWs (my initials are BMW in reverse), to combat the Mercedes EQS (with its Hyperscreen) and Lucid Air (with its 400 to 500 miles of range [I'm not including the Tesla Model S and it's Plaid version, since they are not luxury cars, but are expensive because EV tech is expensive]), a windscreen TV and a little better then 300 miles of range?!?! If BMWs are suppose to be driver focused vehicles, why would they a television in their vehicle? To keep the couch potato entertained in the backseat?? Why put the tv in the i7? Wouldn’t that have been better to go in the iX? It seems that BMW is deviating from their brands mission statement on purpose, with their full size BEV sedan. As if to make their ICE version more attractive to their core audience.
March 18th, 2022 at 10:06 pm
24 It seems that the whole idea of luxury cars has been subverted to mean expensive, and/or fast. To me, a luxury car is quiet, comfortable, rides well, and has real wood, leather, maybe wool carpet, and is very attractive inside. It seems that “luxury” has come to mean quick quarter mile times, as with Tesla, and fast and very expensive, as with Lamborghini and Ferrari. By some people’s definition, my Corvette is a luxury car, because it cost almost $70K. The seats are comfortable, and the interior is attractive, in a sporty sort of way, but it is kind of noisy at highway speed. There is no way I would consider it a luxury car. Neither is a $100K+ Tesla Plaid a luxury car, with an interior no nicer than a top trim Camry or Accord. The S Plaid is a high performance large hatchback, not a luxury car.
March 18th, 2022 at 11:10 pm
I know there is this big push for electric car adoptions, but I wish the the governments would push other options especially when we have the infrastructure already in the US and in place for biodiesel, algae base fuels, high octane fuels, propane, methane from garbage dumps, switch grass vs corn ethanol. Diesels are perfect for hybrids with high energy fuel and low rpm, they are perfect for hybrids like trains have used for years. Thanks for updates everyday, I know this is hours of work for you. Could you talk about some of these options again?
March 18th, 2022 at 11:10 pm
I know there is this big push for electric car adoptions, but I wish the the governments would push other options especially when we have the infrastructure already in the US and in place for biodiesel, algae base fuels, high octane fuels, propane, methane from garbage dumps, switch grass vs corn ethanol. Diesels are perfect for hybrids with high energy fuel and low rpm, they are perfect for hybrids like trains have used for years. Thanks for updates everyday, I know this is hours of work for you. Could you talk about some of these options again?
March 19th, 2022 at 4:08 pm
It looks like the “pecking order” in F1 has really changed. Ferrari is back, Haas and Sauber are mid-pack, and Mercedes engines seem to be the weakest of the bunch. It will be an interesting season.
March 19th, 2022 at 9:57 pm
#25.) Kit, I appreciate your comments and I agree with your line of reasoning. And along those lines, their are full size pick-ups and SUVs from Ford, GM, Ram, Toyota, Nissan and some others, that cost north of $70K and have most of the appointments of luxury vehicles. No one would argue that these are not luxury brands, but, using the definition you described, to ride in one of these with your eyes closed and one might be hard pressed to distinguish whether or not you were riding in a true luxury vehicle!
With Tesla, though, nothing I have read or herd, has them claiming themselves to be luxury vehicles, Rivian either. Premium? Sure! Lucid on the other hand, bill themselves to be a luxury brand, like Mercedes, BMW and Audi. That is the standard that the Air should be held to and measured against its pers. That said, Tesla is still the tip of the BEV arrow. From product, production, innovation, marketing, range, efficiency, charging stations, etc., they are the leader.
Yet, here is the thing that bugs me when folks talk and put down the legacy OEMs, especially the US domestic, and load a superabundance of praise on Tesla. Don’t get me wrong, I love Tesla too and honestly believe that it deserves all the awards that it and it’s products have been given. They have put in the work and it has paid off in more ways then one! Yet, while Tesla has great and amazing products, they do have well telegraphed issues! One of the greatest things that Tesla has going for it, though, that the Detroit Three does not, is Perception! If the Model’s S, 3, X and Y, as great as they are to day, were sold with a Ford, Chevrolet or Dodge name and badge on them, but came with mix match paint on the exterior or interior,large panel gaps, weather striping that came loose, water that pooled on the inside of the vehicle, as well as mysterious rattles inside, and thought that they could charge between $45K to nearly $100K for them, they would be the laughing stock of the industry and their BEVs would be considered flops, no matter how well the EV tech worked!
I will never forget an article, where an auto journalist gave a scathing review of the new Lincoln Nautilus. The review came after a recent update and while the journalist felt that the refresh was for the most part good, they felt that the interior’s use of materials was the big let down for the entire vehicle! The writer came to that conclusion, not from the quality of luxury and other soft touch materials that one could immediately see and feel. No, it was when they accidently dropped their cell phone between the driver’s seat and council below the armrest. When they went to squeeze their hand between the seat in the council, the felt that the low quality leather and hard plastic used in that location was substandard! So, a small area of the car that only an worker at the assembly plant, a mechanic at an auto shop or dealership or some one who drops a phone in, doesn’t meet they’re standards and they trash the whole interior and subtract a gold star?! They reasoned that, ‘you would never find such things in that area in a Mercedes, BMW or and Audi. Also, if someone is spending about $50K and more for this vehicle, their should be quality materials in every place the customer might touch’! Tesla’s sell in that price range and those things are over looked, because their BEV tech is still class leading. Yet, I firmly believe if Tesla came with a Cadillac badge, it would be a flop and the individuals that now sing the praises of Tesla, would be among those calling the Cadillac Model S the biggest waste of money in GM’s history!
Perception is everything and right now Tesla can get away with things that other OEMs, especially the Detroit Three, would be called on the carpet on. I’m absolutely sure Tesla will address those issues in their on time, they make excellent products, but they are still a relatively small company with a bright future in front of them. More competition will only make them stronger, improving their products for the benefit of the customers and especially their hard-core fans. Their success will push others OEMs to work harder, with all consumers being the true winners!
March 20th, 2022 at 12:05 am
29 I suspect riding in a current high spec Ram pickup blindfolded would be a true “luxury car” experience. I haven’t been in one, but everything I read is that they are quiet, ride very well, and have comfortable seats. The big pickups, and SUVs have become much more luxurious over the years. I remember riding in an early 2000s Lincoln Navigator, and was not impressed with either its quietness or ride. I suspect the current ones are much better on both counts.
I now have two 2022 vehicles, a Corvette and a Highlander LE hybrid. Some differences are obvious, performance, gas mileage, and carrying capacity. In unrelated areas, GM has done a much better job than Toyota. The Corvette displays are more attractive and easy to see under all light conditions. Also, with the Corvette, the cruise control is always ready to set, while with the Toyota, you need to “turn on” the cruise control each trip. Basically, all of the displays in the Corvette are more attractive and legible than in the Toyota. Still, the Highlander is great, for what it is. It will carry my toys, and so far, I am getting near 40 mpg in mixed short trip and lowish speed steady speed driving. In about two months, I will see what it does at ~80 mph on the interstate, which will probably not be much over 30, but overall, the mpg will be great, for what it is. Still, it is very disappointing that there is no such thing as a Camry hybrid car-height wagon.
My friend with a Tesla S enjoys pointing out a paint imperfection that looks like a dent in the right rear fender. It looked like a dent to me, but feeling it, I found out otherwise. He enjoys having people feel for the dent, but some people wouldn’t like the substandard paint job on a 100K car.
March 20th, 2022 at 12:18 am
29 I find it interesting that car reviewers constantly talk about “soft touch” materials. I don’t touch anything in a car interior except the gear selector, steering wheel, radio and hvac controls, door pulls, etc. I have no desire to fondle the top of the dash, and other places that there is no reason to touch. If my hands aren’t clean, it could show, and there is no reason to check for “soft touch” surfaces.
March 20th, 2022 at 9:32 pm
It was an interesting F1 race. It appears that Red Bull seriously downgraded the reliability of the Honda powertrains when they took ownership from Honda.
March 21st, 2022 at 6:21 am
Kit @ 14 I get the impression it will the current NASCAR version of the Camaro with lights added to it.
March 21st, 2022 at 8:37 am
More race news: C8R took the 12 hrs. of Sebring (in class). Yeah, I’m a ‘Vette’ fan. And a Ferrari fans; kudo’s to Leclerc and Sainz.
March 21st, 2022 at 9:24 am
29 I agree and people tend to forget the size market we are talking about. No denying the EVs are growing and may be the future but currently still only account for 3-4% of the US market. Are you really missing out by not having a bunch of EVs in your line-up? Vehicles that have a high investment and are pricy to build (material wise).
My concern is the glass ceiling that EVs face. They can build thousands more EVs so you have every selection under the sun. It doesn’t mean they will sell. We are not there yet and as Ive said before. Thank goodness for early adaptors. Someone needs to take it on the chin to get the technology out there and moving. But for the general public the fact of the matter still remains you in every case so far. You are paying more (typically significantly more) for a vehicle that does less and is less convenient. So for the general public most are not going to be willing to do that. The Millions of buyers out there that will not spend $500 more (let alone thousands more)for a car just to say they are helping the environment.
I don’t say this because of my like or dislike for EVs. I truly believe EVs are the future I just question the timeline. I believe that 200 new models could hit showroom floors tomorrow, and be great quality and have an offering for every need and still not sell. The lack of offerings isn’t what is preventing EVs from selling. So to produce more models isn’t the solution. It still getting the general public to get on board. So for Rey and Larry that’s not me, just wanting to stick with ICE that’s most peoples view right now.
The biggest game changer is when an EV can be offered at a better value than an ICE. People will deal with some inconvenience or less range if the price is right. When an EV can be had for a few grand less than an equal ICE people will adopt quickly. We just are not there yet.
March 21st, 2022 at 9:41 am
31) I think it is a quirk of reviewers that don’t really know what they want. They know they don’t want to see textured plastic, but they don’t really know what material to otherwise suggest. So they use the overly broad term soft touch materials which implies a definition, but in reality has zero definition. Is it leather, fabric, vinyl, hemp, goose down feathers, yarn… nobody really knows including the reviewer. I doubt they expect people to go around feeling the IP though.
March 21st, 2022 at 9:47 am
35) Decades of articles and even mentioned here on Autoline over the years about how buyers are price sensitive. Somehow everyone seems to think that this price sensitivity is tossed out the window when it comes to BEVs. It is still there. It is not like everyone got a 20% raise in 2022. Didn’t get that in 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and on and on. With the CPI going out of control, there are even more people rapidly becoming price sensitive by the day. This does not favor any vehicle costing north of $47K BEV or otherwise.