AD #3409 – Dodge EV Muscle Cars Delayed; Tesla Cranks Shanghai Up to 1 Million+/Year; Will Ram EV Use Range Extender?
September 20th, 2022 at 11:52am
Listen to “AD #3409 – Dodge EV Muscle Cars Delayed; Tesla Cranks Shanghai Up to 1 Million+/Year; Will Ram EV Use Range Extender?” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 11:07
0:00 Will Ram EV Use Range Extender?
0:59 Ford Can’t Get Enough Parts
1:41 Tesla Cranks Shanghai Up to 1 Million+/Year
2:11 Tesla Adds 60,000 Customers to FSD Beta
2:41 Tesla EU Superchargers Cost 0.60/kWh
3:57 GM BrightDrop Targets Grocery Industry
4:53 Alpina Unveils BMW X7 SUV
6:02 Dodge EV Muscle Cars Delayed Until 2025
7:59 NIO Ships Battery Swapper to Germany
8:30 U.S. Traffic Deaths Fall
9:29 “Painting” Cars with Film
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Happy last day of summer to those of you who are watching north of the equator, and welcome to spring for everyone else!
WILL RAM EV USE RANGE EXTENDER?
Ram is going to be late to the party when it finally comes out with its electric pickup in 2024. But it keeps insisting that its electric truck will surpass all the others when it comes to towing and hauling. About a year ago there were rumors coming through the grapevine that Ram would use a range extender in its electric pickup. That could give it a 300 mile range, even when towing. But then those rumors dried up. So now we want to crowdsource the answer through the Autoline audience. Can anyone out there tell us how Ram is going to get long range towing with its electric pickup?
FORD CAN’T GET ENOUGH PARTS
Ford still can’t get enough parts to finish the cars and trucks rolling off its assembly lines. It’s going to end up this quarter with about 45,000 unfinished vehicles sitting around waiting for parts, and it won’t be able to sell them until next quarter. Moreover, Ford says it had to pay suppliers an extra billion dollars for parts this quarter due to inflation. Bloomberg reports all that is going to cut Ford’s EBIT profit in half for the third quarter. Even so, Ford says it still expects to post a profit of about $12 billion for the year.
TESLA CRANKS SHANGHAI UP TO +1 MILLION/YEAR
Tesla will soon start cranking out more vehicles at its plant in Shanghai. According to Chinese government officials, Tesla has completed upgrades to expand production and will test the updated lines between now and the end of November. Reuters reports that Tesla wants to produce 22,000 Model 3s and Ys a week at the plant, which works out to more than 1.1 million vehicles annually.
TESLA ADDS 60,000 CUSTOMERS TO FSD BETA
But that’s not the only thing Tesla is expanding. Elon Musk tweeted that it’s adding 60,000 more owners to its Full Self-Driving Beta program, bringing the total to more than 160,000 people. The FSD beta software is able to drive to a destination autonomously by entering the location in the vehicle’s navigation system. However, drivers must pay attention at all times and be ready to take control if needed.
TESLA EU SUPERCHARGERS COST .60/KWH
And in one last bit of Tesla news, the EV maker is hiking Supercharger prices in Europe. The rates vary across countries but Electrek reports most stations are now charging around €0.60 per kWh, which is up about €0.12 per kWh on average. Tesla blames the energy crisis in Europe for the price hike but it sure makes electricity pretty expensive. For a base Model 3 that’s like paying over $4.50 a gallon compared to a car that gets 30 miles to the gallon. That’s still cheaper than gasoline in Europe, but all we can say is yikes!
GM BRIGHTDROP TARGETS GROCERY INDUSTRY
No doubt if you’ve been to the grocery store lately you’ve seen those big carts being filled for people that made their purchase online. By 2025 the market of this business is expected to reach $240 billion. That’s one of the reasons BrightDrop, GM’s commercial delivery and logistics company, is expanding into making e-Grocery carts. Called the Trace Grocery, the electrified cart is temperature controlled and can hold up to 350 pounds. Since it can keep food safe for up to four hours and customers perform a quick verification to get access, there’s no need to have an employee waiting around for pickup, freeing them up to do something else. Kroger will be the first to start using Trace Grocery later this year, but full availability won’t be until 2024.
ALPINA UNVEILS BMW X7 SUV
Alpina made a name for itself building high-performance BMWs and most recently worked its magic on the X7 SUV, which will soon hit American shores. Under the hood is a reworked 4.4L twin-turbo V8 that now features a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, which helps boost output to 630 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Fed through an 8-speed automatic and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system, that’s enough power to move this big SUV from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. Bigger brakes with Brembo calipers in the front and performance tires are meant to help harness all that power, while air suspension, Alpina-specific struts, active anti roll bars and stiffer bushings help improve driving dynamics. Orders for the nearly $146,000 performance SUV just kicked off in the U.S. and deliveries are expected to start early next year.
DODGE EV MUSCLE CARS DELAYED TO 2025
Dodge is pushing back the start of production for the electric versions of the Charger and Challenger. According to Autoforecast Solutions, the vehicles, which are being built on the STLA Large platform, were originally supposed to go into production in August of 2024 in Windsor in Canada. But now those plans have been pushed back until February of 2025. The Charger and Challenger are currently built at Stellantis’ Brampton assembly plant in Ontario, Canada, so the move to Windsor will free up space for something else to be built there.
TIM KUNISKIS ON AAH
What do you think will happen with these cars? Will hard-core gearheads really go for electric muscle cars? We’ve got Tim Kuniskis, the head of Dodge coming on Autoline After Hours on Thursday, to talk all about the electric Dodge Charger and Challenger. What would you like to ask him? You can post your question in the comment section, or send an email to [email protected]
NIO SHIPS BATTERY SWAPPER TO GERMANY
Chinese EV maker Nio is trying to popularize EV battery swapping stations outside of China. It built its first battery swapping station in Hungary which will be installed in Germany. Nio plans to open 1,000 swapping stations outside of China by 2025. The facility in Hungary is Nio’s first overseas plant, which will not only produce battery swapping stations but also serve as its European R&D center.
U.S. TRAFFIC DEATHS FALL
When Covid hit, people in the US just seemed to start driving with reckless abandon. Traffic deaths reversed a decades-long trend and started going up again. But in the second quarter of this year they declined after seven consecutive quarters of increases. According to NHTSA, an estimated 10,590 people died between April and June. That’s 5% down from a year ago. The traffic death rate per 100 million miles driven also dipped from 1.34 in the second quarter of 2021 to 1.27 this year. But traffic deaths are still up a half a percent for the first half of the year. These are preliminary numbers so NHTSA doesn’t have specific reasons for the drop in deaths but hopefully it’s a sign that people are starting to get back to normal.
“PAINTING” CARS WITH FILM
Paint shops are the most complicated and expensive parts of any assembly plant. A large paint shop in a big plant can cost $300 million. They’re also a big source of V-O-C pollution, volatile organic compounds. But a company called Aero Sustainable Materials has a solution that is far cheaper and has zero emissions. No CO2, no PVC, no VOC, and it doesn’t use any water for installation. And no bake ovens. Instead of spraying on paint, Aero uses a film with four layers. It has an adhesive layer, a color coat, a clear coat and a self-healing urethane that is built right into the film. It’s lighter than paint, fully recyclable, and can even have electronics embedded into it. And it’s already in production. Land Rover uses it for the satin paint finishes on the Defender. Aero says the film is also perfect for aircraft and boats.
But that’s a wrap for today. Thanks for joining us.
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Comments (33)
September 20th, 2022 at 12:07 pm
Does the plan to build the electric Charger and Challenger in Windsor mean the Pacifica will be discontinued, or would they move it somewhere else?
September 20th, 2022 at 12:08 pm
Sean; Any word on if Dodge will extend the manufacturing of the ICE Challenger to coincide with the pushed back EV version?
I would imagine many people had plans for buying the last model year and maybe that could be 2025 now?
September 20th, 2022 at 12:14 pm
My guess for how Ram will provide the longest range for towing. They will offer a removeable battery that can be placed in the bed. Wont be cheap but should provide the best range.
September 20th, 2022 at 12:26 pm
3 They should be able to get an extra ~200 kWh if they fill the bed with batteries. You wouldn’t be able to haul anything, and unless there were charge stations where you could use 3 chargers at once, it might take a few hours to recharge.
September 20th, 2022 at 12:38 pm
Would the wraps be as durable as paint? Thats a key concern in hot weather locations, wraps become a sticky mess after a couple of years
September 20th, 2022 at 12:49 pm
“Yikes” is right; there goes an EV advantage. Electricity is beginning to escalate in other venues as well, and maybe not as drastically as in Europe, but advantages may shrink all over.
Also, with the RAM, best range towing, more batteries almost any claim is attainable but the solution has to make sense; let’s see what transpires.
September 20th, 2022 at 12:51 pm
Given even a Tesla 100 kWh battery weighs 1377 lbs, you’d be hauling around almost 2700 lb in the bed. A solid excuse to not carry the mother-in-law.
September 20th, 2022 at 12:53 pm
5 From what I’ve seen, wraps start to fade, crack, and generally look “tacky” after about 5 years, at least if they spend a lot of time in the sun. Paint lasts much longer, but a complex custom paint job costs a few times as much as a complex wrap, like for a business.
September 20th, 2022 at 1:00 pm
You would want the surface to be totally protected from the elements before applying the wrap. Rust is insidious and not everyone of us is a car washing nutter.
September 20th, 2022 at 1:13 pm
Range extender (DIY)– small diesel generator 5000W continuous 0.4 gallons per hour at full load, 228 lb less the diesel fuel, charge while driving. https://www.perdanatech.com/products/All-Power-6%2C500%252dWatt-10-HP-Diesel-Generator-with-Electric-Start-Battery.html
September 20th, 2022 at 1:13 pm
Did anyone really not see the price of electricity going up with the increase in demand?
I suspect the increase in traffic deaths was mostly due to people not working, yet the government still gave them the income to go out and drive around during the time they’d normally be working. It stands to reason the rate would go down as more people return to work and don’t have time to just “drive around.”
September 20th, 2022 at 1:27 pm
because of the high gas prices and high prices on other items people are driving less so you have less accidents, just like the late 70′s which i lived through, was not fun.
September 20th, 2022 at 1:37 pm
Maybe Ram will start selling Ram-branded trailers that have their own electric motor(s) and or batteries?
September 20th, 2022 at 1:49 pm
Paint what can I say “Cybertruck” for imagination add a wrap, hot pink? maybe matte black stainless add an accessory factory next door like the Promaster one in Mexico
September 20th, 2022 at 1:56 pm
Maybe Ram will offer another version of the RamBox option where those boxes contain batteries for the extra range.
Because of their reliance on Russian gas, all of Europe’s manufacturing, business and consumers will experience high energy prices for the next several years while they establish alternate sources and methods to transport it.
1 – They have two lines in the Windsor plant and they can likely produce the new cars and the Pacifica using both lines and 2-3 shifts.
September 20th, 2022 at 2:00 pm
I am only familiar with my local Kroger store, but they don’t have employees standing around waiting for customers to arrive to claim their grocery order. They keep the carts in a refrigerated room and take orders out to a customer car when they text that they are waiting in a designated parking spot. It seems to work well and I don’t see an advantage to the GM system. They may be able to eliminate the refrigerated room, but will still need a cart corral where they can charge them for their next 4 hour shift.
September 20th, 2022 at 2:03 pm
I am going to open a business selling versions of those wraps that will make the Cybertruck look attractive. I need to go find the most talented designers available to help me pull that one off!
September 20th, 2022 at 2:19 pm
Stainless steel sounds like a good idea but with pedestrian safety regulations ramping up, stainless, being as hard as it is, may be very difficult to meet standards.
Of course Tesla has a long history of bafflegabbing safety concerns with their fsd so if anyone can shine the regulators, they can.
September 20th, 2022 at 2:40 pm
16 My guess is that Kroger is looking beyond the current grocery store model. I would assume they will plan to operate like a warehouse. Similar to Amazon and not even place items on shelves. They can fill orders using a lots of pick-n-place robots placing the items into a Brightdrop Pod. That will automatically show up at the designated parking spot. I could see the store only have a small lobby with a single counter to resolve customer concerns.
Also would prepare Kroger for the next step which will be automated home delivery, where the Pod will just show up at your house.
We already use the home delivery service for Kroger and Meijer and its very convenient when both parties work and struggle to find the time to go shopping.
The only downside is personal choice of fruits vegetables and meats. Getting hamburger or chicken is fine but cuts of meat can be a coin toss. Overall we like it.
September 20th, 2022 at 3:01 pm
12 Miles driven is at record levels in the US for most months of 2022. Also, fatalities are higher than any recent years.
19 I use Walmart curbside pickup, which works about like Kroger, except that it is free if you have more than $35 in your order. It’s convenient, and you don’t have to go inside the Walmart, which is rarely fun.
10 You’d need about a 50-75 kW generator to keep going, if you are towing a big trailer. The 5 kW would slow down the draining of the battery a little.
13 Maybe Chrysler needs to work out a deal with some travel trailer and utility trailer companies to make compatible motorized trailers with batteries. Just having batteries in the trailer with the proper electrical interface, and no motors in the trailer, would work for most applications.
September 20th, 2022 at 3:03 pm
Maybe Tesla is cancelling the Cybertruck, because of the cost of all that nickel and chromium for the stainless steel.
September 20th, 2022 at 3:20 pm
6- As demand for BEVs increases will the price of electricity continue to rise. As I have stated before, where will the gas tax revenue (state and federal) be made up with less ICE vehicles on the road in the future. If demand for gas falls off with more BEVs will the gas prices come back down.
Much speculation and prices are also affected by things other than supply and demand, but this is indeed an interesting time in automotive history.
September 20th, 2022 at 3:39 pm
22 – hard to say if and when price of electricity will rise in the US, but the story today was only about price increases in Europe.
Many states have already enacted increased registration fees for EVs to prevent a decrease in overall road repair budgets as less gasoline is sold over time. I expect all states will have something similar in place within the next year or two. Politicians don’t like budget reductions!
September 20th, 2022 at 3:54 pm
22 Some states already have registration “surcharges” for EVs, to make up for the gas tax. Some of these charges are actually punitive taxes on EVs, costing more than the gas tax for a similar size vehicle driven an average number of miles. The states and feds could have metered tax on public chargers, but I don’t know if they do. That would be more difficult for home charging.
The fair thing would be to tax EVs based on vehicle weight and miles driven. There would be ways to do that electronically, but it might be too easy for tech savvy crooks to cheat.
Supply and demand certainly had an effect on gas prices, when gas usage was down about about 40% in spring 2020, but yeah, a number of other things can affect prices. At some point, demand for gas will permanently decrease as EVs replace gas vehicles, but that hasn’t happened much yet. More driving with bigger vehicles has kept demand nearly steady, so far.
September 20th, 2022 at 3:59 pm
On line groceries has been a pretty big deal where I live,you can get pick them up curbside or have them delivered to your door. They don’t have people standing around waiting for orders,it’s a separate in store entity.
September 20th, 2022 at 6:47 pm
A trailer with a battery pack sounds good, but what if that trailer had regenerative braking that was some how added back into the battery, or stored energy, that the Ram BEV could later tap into? That way the weight or the bigger the vehicle hauled and the amount of force used to stop it during braking, could be added to the range of the tow vehicle! If this were possible, it would definitely create a rethink in how one goes about hauling! With an ICE vehicle, depending on the vehicle size and type, coasting and engine braking are used to gradually being a load to a stop. With no engine in a BEV, if regenerative braking from the hauled vehicle/trailer could play a part in extending the range of tow vehicle, that would help recoup what the tow vehicle loses during hauling!
On the question of “real” gear hears getting into BEVs, I doubt it, but I think a different “e” gear head may emerge from the transition. Individuals are already tinkering around with the EV’s Electric system and increasing rains and adding power to what’s already on tap. I think the ‘gearhead’ will give way to ‘techhead’ and instead of having greasy tools in hand, they’ll be behind laptops and keyboards, dialing up the performance from the vehicles electronically and digitally!
September 20th, 2022 at 10:03 pm
Nuclear reactors. New ones are smaller, safer, more efficient and produce less spent fuel waste disposal problem. Ask Canada. Use them to generate electricity. Unfortunately, one will not be able to convince the green warriors.
September 20th, 2022 at 10:37 pm
27 Nuclear reactors are needed to produce the steam to extract the tar sands oil from Alberta. Now, ridiculous amounts of natural gas are used for that.
September 21st, 2022 at 7:53 am
26 I really dont think developing a trailer with its own battery is the answer for BEV trucks. There are a few key reasons. 1)In most cases trailer weight is always a concern. Camping trailers are already made as flimsy and light as possible with paneling for walls and extensive use of foam core panels. Adding a 1,200 lb battery is just counterintuitive. 2) Not to mention it only helps for that specific trailer. If you also have a boat your back to really short range towing the boat and you paid for this $12,000 battery in your other trailer. 3) BTW camping trailers depreciate horribly and adding an expensive battery, well it better be removable. 4)For most people with trailers its a leisurely thing. They go camping, boating, 4-wheeling a couple weekends a year. It would be difficult to justify a $12,000 battery to sit most of the time and only available those few weekends a year. Full-time retired travelers or for business being the exceptions.
So to me the only way to offer the longest range is either offering the biggest battery bank or a hybrid version generator to extend range.
For the weight savings I could see the generator being the better option. Especially if its diesel. Those are high torque low RPM and ideal for a constant RPM uses. I had a 7500W genny on my motorhome that would consume about a 1/2 gallon an hour.
A set-up similar to the Chevy Volt may be a nice compromise but if they are banning any ICE sales I’m guessing even a hybrid is out.
Maybe installing the generator in the trailer which many have already might be a way to get around that. I just dont see adding batteries to a trailer making much sense unless its attached almost all the time.
September 21st, 2022 at 9:21 am
12) I actually think it is everyone returning to work and thusly more traffic congestion on the roads slowing things down. That and the police have returned to patrolling as they had disappeared during the pandemic. Around here the overall volume of traffic has increased despite high gas prices. Not to pre-pandemic levels, but significantly higher than during the pandemic.
September 21st, 2022 at 10:05 am
30 The data says that driving is at pre-pandemic levels, at least for some months.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/american-driving-topped-pre-pandemic-levels-march-2022-05-19/
September 21st, 2022 at 10:37 am
30-31 Someone has to have conducted a study of the social and behavioral changes that Covid created. Was it just being at home for 6-12 weeks? I have noticed that people dont seem to have much patience with others anymore. Everyone’s behavior seems to be more aggressive including their driving. Did they become worse drivers from just not doing it on a daily basis? Spent too much time playing video games where you dont die in a horrible crash but still think you can drive the same on the street? Or does it have anything to do with new drivers and did they get the proper training or was it another “covid side-stepped” and just class time and here is your license? Could be a lot of things but in my mind there is no doubt that the shut-downs had a very real interpersonal social affect. Not to mention that many realized how important life with family and friends is. Many have had a much different approach to work after the shut downs. Not so many are willing to work the OT and make work their life. It really put stuff into perspective for many people.
September 21st, 2022 at 9:33 pm
Is the prototype we are seeing a Challenger or a Charger? Will you continue to build a two door Challenger and a four door Charger on this new platform? Will there also be an electric Chrysler 300 replacement built on this platform as well?