Runtime: 6:16
0:29 April Car Sales Better Than Expected
1:07 Passenger Cars Continue to Tumble
1:38 Incentives on the Rise
2:28 Lexus Launches New Hybrid Ad Campaign
3:02 Porsche Reveals New Cayenne Plug-In
3:47 Challenger Hellcat Gets a New Hood
4:47 Nikola Motors Sues Tesla
5:16 17 States Sue EPA
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On today’s show…Tesla is being sued over the design of its semi-truck…automakers had a better month in April than most expected…and Lexus thinks it has cracked the code on how to sell more hybrids. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.
This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.
APRIL CAR SALES BETTER THAN EXPECTED
Automakers in the American market reported their sales for April and the numbers look good. There were two fewer selling days this April compared to a year ago, so we’re using WardsAuto numbers which adjust for that. Wards reports that 1.3 million vehicles were sold, up nearly 3% which resulted in a 17.1 million SAAR. All automakers saw an increase in sales, except for Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Tesla. In fact, Nissan’s sales fell off a cliff, down 22%.
PASSENGER CARS CONTINUE TO TUMBLE
Once again, sales of CUVs, SUVs and pickups led the way. Sales of passenger cars fell 21%. In fact, customers bought 114,000 fewer passenger cars last month compared to a year ago. Even sales of the new Toyota Camry, which had been running red hot, fell by 1%. At some point sales of passenger cars have got to bottom out. But so far, the bottom is nowhere in sight.
INCENTIVES ON THE RISE
One reason why sales were up was that automakers increased incentives more than 8%. But Wards points out they’re facing stronger headwinds, including higher interest rates, rising gasoline prices and more competition from late-model used vehicles coming off lease.
Lexus thinks it has figured out how to sell more hybrids and it has nothing to do with selling them as green cars.
LEXUS LAUNCHES NEW HYBRID AD CAMPAIGN
Hybrids only account for a small fraction of the overall car market. Part of the reason is they’re perceived as slow and boring. So Lexus is launching a new marketing campaign called “Fast as h,” that sells the idea its hybrids are fun to drive. As we reported earlier in the week, the company is offering less expensive versions of its hybrids, and even though the numbers are not large, sales of the hybrid RX jumped by 23% while the NX soared by 233%.
PORSCHE REVEALS NEW CAYENNE PLUG-IN
Speaking of performance hybrids, Porsche just announced the new plug-in version of the Cayenne and here are the highlights. A 3.0L turbo V6 and an electric motor combine for over 450-horsepower and 500-lb-ft of torque. 0-60 can be hit in 4.7-seconds, which is nearly ¾’s of a second faster than the outgoing model. A larger 14.1 kWh battery pack provides 44-kilometers or 27-miles of range based on the NEDC test. The Cayenne E-Hybrid will also be the first Porsche to come with 22-inch wheels and it goes on sale early next year with a starting price just under $80,000.
CHALLENGER HELLCAT GETS A NEW HOOD
With all its unique parts and pieces, it was really easy to spot a Hellcat from any other Dodge Charger or Challenger, even an SRT. But some of those Hellcat pieces made their way down the lineups. So Dodge just announced this new hood for the 2019 Challenger Hellcat that is said to take inspiration from Mopar muscle cars of the mid-60’s and early-70’s. We think Dodge looked at the Challenger R/T from the early 70’s, but to be honest, the first thing we thought of was classic Pontiac Firebirds.
Coming up next, Nikola Motors accuses Tesla of stealing part of its design for an electric semi.
NIKOLA MOTORS SUES TESLA
Nikola Motors, which makes hydrogen-powered semi-trucks, is suing Tesla, accusing it of ripping off the design of its truck. Specifically, Nikola says Tesla infringed on its patents for its wraparound windshield, mid-entry door, fuselage, fender and side cladding. Nikola estimates the damage at $2 billion. While the designs do look similar, Tesla’s semi- doesn’t appear to be a direct copy of Nikola’s truck.
17 STATES SUE EPA
The Trump Administration says it’s going to back off on fuel economy and emission regulations, but so far no official announcement has been made. But California and 16 other states are not waiting for the official word. They’re suing the EPA in a preemptive move to keep the current regulations in place.
Be sure to join us for Autoline After Hours tomorrow with Steve Miller, the CEO of the International Automotive Components Group or IAC. He has great insight as to what’s going on in the auto industry. So, tune in when the show goes live at 3PM eastern time on our website or YouTube channel.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and please join us again tomorrow.
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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.