AD #3527 – BMW Expects Big Boost from EVs; Distracted Driving Underestimated; VW Reveals Sub 25,000 Euro EV Concept
March 16th, 2023 at 12:06pm
Listen to “AD #3527 – BMW Expects Big Boost from EVs; Distracted Driving Underestimated; VW Reveals Sub 25,000 Euro EV Concept” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 10:16
0:00 BMW Expects Big Boost from EVs
1:17 Germany in Danger of Missing Climate Targets
2:46 VW Reveals Sub 25,000 Euro EV Concept
3:58 Audi Tests 1st PPE EV
4:49 Audi Offers Exclusive EV in the U.S.
6:24 IAM Union Goes After Nissan U.S. Workers
7:16 Impact of Distracted Driving Underestimated
8:36 Tesla Installing Next-Gen Chargers
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BMW EXPECTS BIG BOOST FROM EVs
BMW expects to bring in more cash by selling more EVs and high-end models. By the end of this year it will have launched the new i5 and iX2, sales of the convertible version of the electric Mini Cooper will start and Rolls-Royce will kick off deliveries of the all-electric Spectre. Combined with all its current electric models, BMW thinks BEVs could make up 15% of its total sales in 2023. This will pave the way for its next generation of EVs, what BMW calls its NEUE KLASSE of vehicles. For them it developed a new wiring harness that allows for a new user interface, they get new motors that are more powerful and efficient and it gave them more sustainable materials. Production of the NEUE KLASSE of vehicles will start in the second half of 2025 and the first models will be an SUV and sedan that fit in today’s 3 Series segment. By the middle of 2026 BMW expects to be producing 6 NEUE KLASSE models.
GERMANY IN DANGER OF MISSING CLIMATE TARGETS
Despite higher fuel prices and record EV sales, CO2 emissions from Germany’s transport sector increased last year. Emissions from cars, trucks, ships and planes were up 0.7% to 148 million tons in 2022. Germany’s Federal Environment Agency says the country must reduce its emissions by 6% per year or it is at risk of missing its 2030 climate targets. It also wants Germany to cut subsidies for combustion engines and the aviation sector while increasing investments in public transportation. But Germany doesn’t want to give up on the IC engine and it’s currently working with other EU nations to block the region’s total ban of ICEs in 2035.
VW REVEALS SUB 25,000 EURO EV CONCEPT
While there’s been a lot of anticipation over Tesla’s $25,000 model, Volkswagen sort of beat Tesla to the punch and just revealed an EV concept about the size of a Golf that it thinks it can sell for under 25,000 euros. Called the ID. 2all, it’s built on an “enhanced” version of VW’s MEB platform, what it calls MEB Entry. It’s front-wheel-drive-based and comes with an updated drive motor, battery and charging system. It has a range up to 450 kilometers or about 280 miles based on the WLTP cycle but VW didn’t reveal the size of the battery. The ID. 2all concept also showcases VW’s new design language, but that’s about all the details it shared. VW’s aiming to launch the production vehicle in Europe in 2025. But this isn’t the only affordable EV it’s working on. It’s also developing an electric that costs below 20,000 euros but didn’t reveal any details.
AUDI TESTS 1ST PPE EV
Audi is gearing up to launch the all-new version of its e-tron SUV. But you may remember this model is undergoing a name change from e-tron to Q6 e-tron. And it will no longer use the VW Group’s MEB platform. It will be the first Audi model to ride on the PPE or Premium Platform Electric, which is based on an 800-volt architecture and like the BMW NEUE KLASSE of vehicles, it will feature more powerful and efficient motors and an improved charging system. The “close-to-production” model is undergoing winter tests right now and should be on sale as a 2025 model year vehicle. And like the current e-tron SUV, there will also be a sportback version.
AUDI OFFERS EXCLUSIVE EV IN THE U.S.
Speaking of Audi EVs, it’s launching a special-edition of the e-tron GT in the U.S. Limited to just 75 examples, the project_513/2 is made to look more like the prototype version of the car. It comes in an exclusive wrap, a first for Audi from a factory car, as well as a number of red painted accents. That red is also picked up on the interior air vents, steering wheel, seats and floor mats. The dashboard even features a carbon fiber inlay that matches the exterior wrap. The car goes on sale this spring and each of those 75 initial customers will shell out over $180,000 at least. Oh, in case you were wondering about that name; project_513/2. It’s internal Audi code for the product segment, generation and body style.
IAM UNION GOES AFTER NISSAN U.S. WORKERS
The UAW has struggled to organize workers at plants of foreign automakers but perhaps another union will have luck. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union or the IAM is trying to organize technicians at Nissan’s Smyrna plant in Tennessee. The 86 tool and die workers are voting today on whether to join the union. Nissan tried to prevent the effort because it said the vote should apply to all workers at the plant since they share working conditions but the National Labor Relations Board rejected the claim. Line workers have twice rejected efforts by the UAW to organize the plant. But if the techs do decide to join the IAM union, it could pave the way to unionizing the whole plant.
IMPACT OF DISTRACTED DRIVING UNDERESTIMATED
Safety advocates say the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration needs to improve the way it measures distracted driving because they claim the agency is underestimating just how many deaths and injuries are caused by it. According to NHTSA’s most recent data, of the nearly 39,000 people killed in traffic accidents in the U.S. in 2020, a little more than 3,000 were caused by distracted driving, less than 10% of all accidents. And another 324,000 were injured by distracted driving. But the National Distracted Driving Coalition says the actual number is closer to 25% to 30% of all accidents. It says NHTSA’s numbers are low because the car crash data system created decades ago is out of date and hasn’t kept up with advancements in technology. Also different states and different police departments collect data differently and it’s also hard to prove a driver was distracted. By improving data collection, the safety advocates say it will be easier to come up with solutions to combat injuries and deaths from distracted driving.
TESLA INSTALLING NEXT-GEN CHARGERS
Everybody knows Tesla has the best chargers and now they’re getting even better. The EV maker opened the first station to feature its newest generation Supercharger, the V4. Located in the Netherlands, it boasts a longer charging cable, which it says will provide easy access for all EVs. It didn’t reveal specs, but Electrek compiled reports from local owners who show the stations could be capable of 600 kW of output. V3 stations are capped at 250 kW. However, Tesla’s cars currently aren’t able to handle 600 kW, but it could be an indicator of what future cars are capable of.
And make sure to tune into Autoline After Hours today. Sandy Munro and Corey Steuben from Munro Live will be on the show. Some of the topics they’ll dive into is Tesla’s new assembly process and what they think it will take for Tesla to come out with a $25,000 car and still make a profit. So join John and Gary this afternoon at 3PM eastern time for what should be a fun show.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching.
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Comments (17)
March 16th, 2023 at 12:40 pm
On distracted driving I really hate when groups challenge the data with comments like, “the data collected is out of date and hasn’t kept up with advancements in technology”. Thats not very specific and explains nothing. However, I would agree that distracted driving has to be closer to 25% if not more. Like anyone who is involved in an accident is going to tell an officer they were on their phone. Like go ahead and write me another ticket officer. So of course, the data is skewed.
March 16th, 2023 at 12:59 pm
Good to see the Audi performing cold weather testing with snow packed into the grill. They drive like I do; no damage no foul. Let her rip (assuming the Audi self identifies as a female, of course).
March 16th, 2023 at 1:18 pm
I’ll be bold and say that distracted driving accounts for over 95 percent of accidents. Other than mechanical failure, unavoidable objects in the road and some of what I can’t think of, it’s driver error, as in, distraction.
March 16th, 2023 at 1:49 pm
I saw a headline this morning that said “dozens” of workers at the Nissan plant would be voting to unionize, or not. Now I understand what that meant. Thanks Autoline!
March 16th, 2023 at 1:52 pm
I would not be surprised if the new generation of Tesla charger is meant to be capable of recharging their Semi. It would be compelling for companies to know that if they buy a Tesla Semi, they can recharge it in numerous locations spread around Europe, once more of this generation of stations are installed that is.
March 16th, 2023 at 2:06 pm
So how many millions did they spend on a study to tell us what we already know ? Which is distracted driving is a major problem. The more connected everything gets the worse it’ll be . Does anyone with even 1/2 a brain think that these massive screen glued to the dashboard won’t be a even bigger problem ?Is it really that hard to figure that out?
March 16th, 2023 at 2:10 pm
5 The Semi and Cybertruck could both benefit by the new charger. I wonder if Tesla has a flatnose cab over Semi for Europe. That seems to be more popular there and would make sense.
March 16th, 2023 at 2:39 pm
The VW model starts at $25,000 euro which is currently $26,500 USD. The 2023 Chevrolet Bolt starts at $26,500 USD and goes 259 miles instead of 280 of the VW. Seems to me that Chevrolet has already beaten both Tesla and VW to the affordable new EV category.
March 16th, 2023 at 3:28 pm
#8 – Agreed. The VW looks really nice, too. I think it’s be great to have such offerings in the US, although I wouldn’t feel safe driving a car the size of Bolt or the VW here in TX, where every other car is bigger than a church van, or about the size of a Tokyo apartment.
March 16th, 2023 at 3:35 pm
some very nice scenery in that Germany segment
March 16th, 2023 at 4:03 pm
I just listened to AAH. It was interesting, with talk about efficiency of Tesla, etc. An unbelievable thing, though, was that Sandy Munro thought cars always had 12v electrical systems, and didn’t know they had 6v systems until the early-mid 1950s. The guy is 74 years old and didn’t know that. He must not have been into cars as a kid.
March 16th, 2023 at 4:08 pm
#3, #6, Agreed! Though I’d say it might be closer to 70%.
The question is, what is the definition of ‘distracted’?
Would a crash resulting from someone looking away from the road long enough to check their rearview mirror fall under ‘distraction’? How about someone being so deep in thought that they almost miss a freeway exit, then in a last-ditch effort to make it cause a collision? I don’t think any law officer would classify these as ‘distracted’, even though they probably qualify.
What it all boils down to is being able to manage the distractions. There is no one-size fits all approach to this simply because some people can walk and chew gum better than others. That’s why there are tons of folk who’ve been using their phones while driving and never had so much as a single close call on the road in 25 years worth of driving. Yet others get to be part of these dodgy statistics we are discussing today.
March 16th, 2023 at 4:46 pm
In the 1960′s, a driver was distracted by the act of lighting a cigarette, and tore up the underside of his almost new Tbunderbird when he ran off the road and hit the neighbor’s mail box on a 4 inch steel pipe set in concrete.
March 16th, 2023 at 4:49 pm
13 Tore up the front and the underside.
March 17th, 2023 at 7:22 am
I agree that distracted driving can range from looking at the floor for that lost French fry to the obvious cell phone text. I would bet that the majority of distracted driving accidents result in a rear end collision followed by swerving off road or into oncoming traffic. So the auto braking and lane assist features should really help with that. But that’s a band aid to reduce the results, this does not solve the problem. The problem is the distractions and I’m not sure its the manufacturers problem to solve.
I remember in drivers ed being told that as the operator you are responsible for everyone in your vehicle, and you cannot let a group of friends distract you from the task of driving the car safely. I believe the law agrees and will charge negligent drivers accordingly. It really comes down to having personal responsibility and that’s more of a cultural thing. Much more difficult to fix so in the meantime we will add more band aids to assist those not too concerned with their safety or with the others around them. IMO
March 17th, 2023 at 8:38 am
Driving involves personal responsibly, but I think there should be some minimal standards for control uniformity in cars. They have managed to standardize on having the throttle pedal on the right, the brake to its left, and the clutch, if any, to the left of the brake. Then, for years, automatic transmission shifters were standardized with PRNDL. Something happened to that.
Now, it seems that we need some regulations about windshield wiper controls. Most cars use a stalk on the right side of the steering column, but no uniformity on which way they work. Then, there is Tesla, with no switch at all, expect that you can get a single wipe by pushing the end of the turn signal lever. Beyond that, you need to look to the right and use the touch screen, when you probably should be looking ahead at the road. Why does DOT allow this?
March 17th, 2023 at 9:45 am
16 That does sound like a horrible design, and I just watched the AAH and Sandy emphasized the cost savings of removing switches. I’m sure Tesla thought they were super innovative to place almost all the controls on the touch screen. Sounds great in theory but yea something like switching on the wipers honking the horn, Radio volume and switching on the high beams needs to be a simple quickly accessible switch and shouldnt be on a touch screen only. Personally I like a dial for HVAC fan too but at least thats not a safety item or something that needs adjustment quickly like the others I mentioned. Maybe Tesla should offer voice activated options to reduce cost.