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Runtime: 7:03
0:06 Global Car Sales Continue to Fall
0:47 Norway Going Gaga for EVs
1:21 NYC Adopting Congestion Toll
2:31 PSA & FCA in Talks to Share Platform
2:59 NHTSA Investigating Hyundai/Kia Fires
3:38 BMW Accelerates Smart Factory Development
4:19 Ford Reveals All-New 2020 Escape
5:48 Uruguay Barn Find Identified
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This is Autoline Daily reporting on the global automotive industry.
GLOBAL CAR SALES CONTINUE TO FALL
Car sales continue to drop around the world. According to WardsAuto, sales fell 5% to 6.5 million vehicles in February, the sixth straight month they’re down on a global basis. Europe and North America were both down 2.4% in February. Sales in China fell nearly 14%, which caused overall sales in Asia to drop 8.5%. But South America was the only region to see an increase, thanks to a big sales boost in Brazil. Through February, automakers have sold nearly 14 million vehicles worldwide, which is down 6.5% compared to last year.
| Feb. Global Car Sales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total | 6.54 Million | -5.1% |
| Europe | 1.49 Million | -2.4% |
| North America | 1.53 Million | -2.4% |
| China | 1.48 Million | -13.8% |
| Asia-Pacific | 2.84 Million | -8.5% |
| South America | 304,000 | +4.1% |
| Brazil | 199,000 | +26.7 |
NORWAY GOING GAGA FOR EVs
And speaking of sales, thanks to favorable incentives, sales of electric vehicles are soaring in Norway. EVs accounted for nearly 60% of new car sales in March and in the first quarter, EV sales were just below 50% of total sales. The Tesla Model 3 was the top EV model, accounting for 30% of new car sales. Norway, which now has the most EVs per capita, has set a goal of having all new cars in the country be electric by 2025.
NEW YORK CITY ADOPTING CONGESTION TOLL
And while Norway is turning to EVs to help reduce pollution, New York City has adopted congestion pricing. Drivers will have to pay a toll to enter certain areas of Manhattan as a way to raise money for public transportation and to get more people to ditch their vehicles. The details are still being worked out but the new rule is expected to begin in 2021. And it may not be just limited to the Big Apple. The New York Times reports that other cities around the country are keeping an eye on the policy, and could adopt it if it’s successful. Congestion is becoming an increasing problem in the country. A recent study from INRIX found that Americans wasted an average of 97 hours sitting in traffic jams last year, which is up from 82 hours in 2015.
PSA & FCA COULD SHARE PLATFORM
Last week we reported that Renault is interested in acquiring Fiat-Chrysler if it’s able to merge with Nissan. But it looks like FCA could partner with a different French automaker. Bloomberg reports that PSA, the parent company of Peugeot, Citroen and Opel, is in talks with FCA about building cars in Europe that would share a common platform. The two companies are looking to cut costs with the shift towards electrification and autonomy.
NHTSA INVESTIGATING HYUNDAI/KIA FIRES
NHTSA is launching a big investigation into engine fires involving Hyundai and Kia models. The agency has received over 3,000 complaints that vehicles are going up in flames even if they aren’t involved in an accident. NHTSA is investigating 1.3 million Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe’s from 2011 to 2014, and 1.7 million Kia Optima and Sorento’s from the same model year as well as Soul’s from 2010 to 2015. Both companies said they are cooperating with the investigation, which could lead to a recall.
BMW ACCELERATES SMART FACTORY DEVELOPMENT
Last week, Volkswagen and Amazon announced a partnership to create a cloud network for the automaker’s factories in order to improve production. And now BMW has teamed with Microsoft to create what they call the Open Manufacturing Platform to help accelerate the development of smart factories. The platform is open to other companies and BMW expects to have 4 to 6 partners by the end of the year.
FORD REVEALS ALL-NEW ESCAPE
The Escape is a very important vehicle for Ford. It’s the company’s second best selling vehicle in the U.S. and now it’s introducing the all-new 2020 model. In the styling department, it’s more shapely than the current model. The front end design seems less cluttered and the grille now sits lower in the fascia. At the rear, a black outline around the lighting assemblies make the taillights pop out and the ESCAPE lettering across the liftgate is reminiscent of the new Explorer. Both the 1.5L and 2.0L EcoBoost engines have been reworked and are estimated to make slightly more power. They get mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, which replaces 6-speed unit. And the Escape will once again be offered as a hybrid. Ford’s 4th-gen hybrid system includes an all-new 2.5L Atkinson cycle engine, eCVT and small lithium-ion battery, which is now tucked under the 2nd row seating. A plug-in hybrid will also be available and is aiming for a best in class electric range of at least 30-miles. Other highlights include a weight reduction of over 200-pounds, sliding 2nd row seats, optional 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and available head-up display, a first for Ford in North America. The all-new Escape will start hitting showrooms this fall, except for the plug-in version, which will go on sale next spring.
URUGUAY BARN FIND IDENTIFIED
Last week we asked if you guess this car that John spotted on the street while vacationing in a small town in Uruguay. And once again, we couldn’t stump all of you. Many correctly guessed it’s a Ford Taunus. We believe it’s from around 1951 and the car was made in Germany. John also happened to find this completely restored example at a car museum in Colonia, Uruguay.
And before we go, I want to tell you about another exciting Autoline After Hours coming this Thursday. We’ll have your favorite Tesla tearer-aparter back in the studio, Sandy Munro. This time he’ll be here to tell you all about his teardown of a China version of the Tesla Model 3. How does it differ from a U.S. version? What has improved since his last teardown? Tune in at 3PM Eastern Time on Thursday to find out.
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.
