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Runtime: 6:05
0:07 Tesla Simplifies Its Lineup
0:53 Toyota to Help Develop Lunar Rover
1:52 Small Van Sales Outpace Market
2:35 Ford to Make Bronco Pickup
3:59 AI Taking Over BMW Plants
4:57 Nissan Reveals Updated Skyline
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This is Autoline Daily reporting on the global automotive industry.
TESLA SIMPLIFIES ITS LINEUP
Tesla beat analyst expectations with its global sales in the second quarter. And now its under pressure from Wall Street to prove this wasn’t a fluke. So to keep the sales momentum rolling, it’s simplifying its lineup and cutting some prices. It dropped the standard range versions of the Model S and X. That means the starting price for those EVs are a bit higher, but Tesla lowered the starting price of the Model 3 to $39,000. And in China it cut the price of the Model 3 by 5.5% and the S and X by 4%. By reducing the number of trim lines it offers Tesla will simplify its assembly process and can probably get a bit more production out of its plant.
TOYOTA TO HELP DEVELOP LUNAR ROVER
Elon Musk is not the only car guy going into outer space. Toyota and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency or JAXA for short, announced a three-year deal to jointly develop a manned, pressurized lunar rover. Toyota and JAXA will manufacture, test and evaluate prototypes over the three-year period with the goal of using the rover on the moon by 2029. The vehicle is about the size of two microbuses, is powered by fuel cell technology and will have a range of 10,000 kilometers or 6,200 miles.
SMALL VANS OUTPACE MARKET
Even though the overall U.S. market is down 2% for the year, the small van segment is up 5%. Four automakers sold almost 37,000 of these vans in the first half of the year and the Ford Transit Connect is the runaway winner in the segment. It’s up over 28%, and sells more than all the other small vans put together. The Nissan NV 200 is the next best selling small van followed by the Ram Promaster City. Chevrolet used to compete in this segment with the City Express. It was a rebadged version of the Nissan NV 200 but sales were the worst of the group and GM stopped buying the vans from Nissan a year ago.
| U.S. Small Van Sales YTD | ||
|---|---|---|
| Transit Connect | 19,853 | +28% |
| NV 200 | 9,952 | +1.2% |
| ProMaster City | 6,976 | +8.3% |
| City Express | 135 | -95% |
FORD TO MAKE BRONCO PICKUP
The Jeep Gladiator fills a unique niche in the pickup segment that really doesn’t have any direct competitors–for now. But Autoforecast Solutions reports that there will be a pickup version of the Ford Bronco that goes into production in 2024. It will be built at the Michigan assembly plant that will make the regular Bronco. We applaud Ford for figuring out how to compete with Jeep. But we also wonder why in the world it will take 5 years to come out with a pickup version of the Bronco.
All automakers have their own design departments, but did you know some suppliers also have a design department? We’re going to get to the bottom of why Magna has a design department because our special guest for Autoline After Hours this Thursday is Larry Erickson, who runs the design department of the giant supplier. Magna now has the capability to fully design, engineer and manufacture vehicles and probably no other supplier can do that. So join us this Thursday to learn how Magna plans to use its capabilities.
AI TAKING OVER BMW PLANTS
Artificial intelligence is starting to play a big role in the auto industry and BMW is showing off how it can improve its stamping process. Dust and oil residue left over from stamping metal parts were occasionally confused as very fine cracks by the previous inspection process. But AI can compare newly manufactured parts to the master part so that false defects aren’t flagged. That cuts down on complex manual inspections. And these AI inspections aren’t limited to one part of the vehicle. An AI application in the final inspection area compares the vehicle order data with a live image of a newly produced car and if anything is off, like the xDrive badge is missing, a notification is sent to the final inspection team. BMW says it uses AI to maintain high quality standards and relieve workers of repetitive tasks.
NISSAN REVEALS UPDATED SKYLINE
Nissan revealed a new, updated version of the Skyline, which is also sold in some markets as the Infiniti Q50. The front end gets inspiration from other Nissan’s, including the GT-R and enthusiasts will appreciate the reintroduction of the Skyline’s iconic four-circle combination lamps. Under the hood is a 3.0L twin-turbo V6 that offers up to 400-horsepower. Since its introduction in 1957, the Skyline has always had the most advanced technologies of the time. And the new version will feature the latest generation of Nissan’s ProPilot system, which allows for single-lane, hands-free driving on the highway. The new Skyline goes on sale in Japan this fall.
And that’s our report for today, thanks for watching.
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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.
