AD #2862 – Tesla Wants New Plant ASAP; JLR Adapts Sign Recognition for Racing; Review of Hyundai’s Top-Line Kona

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

HELP JEEP COME UP WITH A NEW EASTER EGG
One of the coolest things about any new Jeep is finding the Easter Eggs hidden throughout the vehicle. And now the company is giving you the chance to create one for an upcoming Jeep model. If yours is picked, you’ll win a brand-new Jeep of your choice. The contest runs now through Thursday, July 2 and you must be 18 years or older and a resident of the U.S. to enter. The winner will be chosen by Jeep executives and designers. Head to TheNextJeepEasterEgg.com for more details and to submit your entry.

TESLA WANTS TO START BUILDING NEW PLANT ASAP
Tesla doesn’t want to waste any time before it starts building its new plant in the U.S. Documents made public this week show the EV maker wants to start construction as early as the third quarter of this year. Tesla says it will invest about $1 billion to build the 4- to 5-million square foot assembly plant that will make the Model Y and Cybertruck. Electrek reports that Tesla recently bought 2,100 acres worth of land just outside of Austin, Texas for $5 million and that it’s looking for up to $68 million in tax incentives. Looks like Giga-Texas will become a reality.

U.S. SALES INCREASE REAL OR JUST A BLIP?
Car sales in the U.S. market are going stronger than the experts expected. But are they really bouncing back, or was that just a blip? Anytime car sales slow down because of a natural disaster like a hurricane, or an economic downturn like the Great Recession, it starts to build pent up demand. That means people who want to buy a new car have to wait. And when they get back in the market, sales surge. We saw that happen after the Great Recession. Sales went from rock bottom lows to record highs. Right now new car sales look like they’re bouncing back from the pandemic. But that might just be a temporary blip caused by two to three months of pent up demand. We’re probably not going to know how healthy the market really is for another two or three months.

JLR ADAPTS SIGN RECOGNITION TECH FOR FORMULA E
We often talk about how auto racing helps automakers develop new technology for production cars. But Jaguar Land Rover is using technology from its I-PACE electric SUV to help its Formula E racing team. JLR’s Traffic Sign Recognition system, which detects and reads road signs to inform the driver of speed limits, is being modified to monitor the battery status of its racecar and competitors’ race cars. The info is then used to determine the optimum energy strategy for its drivers, so they can go as fast as possible using the least amount of electricity.

MUSTANG MACH-E WILL HELP REDUCE RANGE ANXIETY
And in related EV news, Ford is alleviating range anxiety for Mustang Mach-E owners. It comes with a new feature called Intelligent Range, which more accurately predicts how much range is left based on driving behavior, weather forecasts and crowdsourced data from other Mach-E owners. The system will be upgraded through OTA updates in the future, which will enable it to factor in real-time traffic conditions, terrain and elevation. But if a driver does run all the juice out of the batteries, Ford’s Road Side Assistance program will tow the vehicle to the owners home, nearest charging station or Ford dealership within 35 miles, for free.

VW LETS VISITORS ASSEMBLE CARS
Wouldn’t you like to make your own car? Well, Volkswagen is giving the public a chance to do a tiny bit of final assembly on the e-Golf at its Transparent Factory in Dresden, Germany. Under the supervision of VW employees, visitors can help attach the e-Golf logo, connect the powertrain to the body, install taillights on the tailgate and fit the radiator and radiator grille with the brand logo. But they charge you to help make your car: 215 euros or about $240. But you get a guided tour of the plant area and a free drink. Volkswagen will also offer the same experience for its ID.3 electric car when it goes into production at the same factory next year.

AUTONOMOUS PARTS ROBOTS SURPRISINGLY SOPHISTICATED
Speaking of production, I’m sure most of us have seen automated guided vehicles, or AGVs, like these that move parts around a factory. But the new ones are surprisingly sophisticated, with navigation recognition, 4G connectivity and inductive battery charging. That allows the robots to go from operating inside buildings to outside. Spanish automaker SEAT uses 8 of the autonomous robots at its plant in Martorell, which transport over 2,000 parts and cover 240 kilometers or 149 miles a day. They memorize the path that they’re supposed to travel and if it’s cameras detect anything in the way, the robot will stop until the obstacle is gone. They also talk to each other. When one robot leaves the loading area, it notifies the next one to take its place or if the robots cross paths, they’ll slow down for safety. They even have the right-of-way over other drivers and will automatically change the traffic lights so they don’t have to stop. Due to increases in delivery efficiency, SEAT says the system reduces CO2 emissions by 1.5 tons per year.

NEW CITROEN C4 MORE CROSSOVER-LIKE
Citroen revealed the all-new C4, which will replace the old C4 and C4 Cactus. As you can see, styling is much more crossover-like and features a sleeker roof-line. We also notice inspiration from the CXPERIENCE concept in the front end treatment of the grille and headlamps and from the AMI concept in the rear taillight design. The interior looks very modern with very few buttons, two large digital screens, a head-up display and of course a wireless mat to charge your phone. Citroen says the all-new C4 will be offered as a pure-electric as well as with gasoline and diesel engines, but it didn’t provide any information about the setups. That will likely come during its world premiere on June 30th.

EPA RATES THE POLESTAR 1 AT 52 ELECTRIC MILES
The EPA finally got its hands on the Polestar 1. For a quick refresher, the plug-in hybrid pairs a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder engine with three electric motors, which combines for a total system output of 619 horsepower. Add in a 34 kWh of battery capacity and the EPA says the Polestar 1 can go 52 miles on single charge or return fuel economy of 58 MPGe. But all that technology comes at a price. The Polestar 1 starts at about $156,000.

2021 ACURA TLX FIRST TO GET NEWLY DEVELOPED AIRBAG
Late last year we reported about a new airbag that Honda and airbag supplier Autoliv developed. It uses a three-chamber design to reduce the potential for injuries in a wider variety of frontal accidents. And now we know the all-new 2021 Acura TLX will be the first vehicle to get the new airbag. But Honda is not the only manufacturer that will use the airbag. Autoliv will supply it to other automakers as well.

NEW ONLINE PLATFORM FOR CLASSIC CAR DEALERS
If a buyer wants a particular vehicle that isn’t on their dealer’s lot, that dealer may buy or trade with another dealer to get that vehicle. And now dealers who trade in classic, modern collectable and performance cars can do the same. Classic Trade is an online platform based out of the UK that allows dealers to list their inventory, using pictures and descriptions, which can then be viewed by other classic car dealers. They use the platform to show potential buyers what’s available and if they find something they like, the two dealers can work out a deal. Classic Trade says this will be a great alternative to auctions.

NASH DOESN’T TRAVEL FAR TO FINAL RESTING PLACE
Thanks to everyone that helped us figure out what that old car is from yesterday’s show. We believe it’s a 1951 Nash Ambassador sedan, which had models that spanned from 1932 until 1957. And as tiny b pointed out in the comments section, this Nash was very likely made in Kenosha, Wisconsin, so it probably didn’t have to travel far too its final resting place.

HYUNDAI KONA ULTIMATE IMPRESSIONS
We just had a Hyundai Kona in the Autoline Garage. In this case, the top of the line Ultimate model. Ward’s classifies it as a small crossover, competing against the likes of the Honda HRV, the Nissan Kicks and Toyota CH-R. While there is an electric version of the car, this one came equipped with a 1.6 liter turbo, a 7-speed dual clutch transmissions and all wheel drive. It’s a solid powertrain package. While the engine only develops 175 horsepower, it also delivers a decent 195 pound feet of torque. More importantly, it develops peak torque at only 1,500 rpm, so the Kona feels particularly responsive. One interesting tidbit about the engine is that the cooling system prioritizes cooling of the upper half of the block. That keeps the combustion chamber cooler and that allows for a learner air-fuel mixture. It’s rated at 27 miles per gallon, which is less than its competitors, but the Nissan Kicks and Toyota CH-R don’t offer all wheel drive, and the Honda HRV does not offer a turbo. It’s a perky little car to drive, accelerating crisply and with relatively quick steering. The interior is well laid out and while the materials used throughout the car are budget priced, it doesn’t look cheap. Best of all is that interior packaging. You sit in an upright position with plenty of headroom, both up front and in the rear, with decent luggage space behind the back seats. The Ultimate trim line offers every conceivable option, including LED headlamps and taillights, a sunroof, adaptive cruise control, 8-way drive seat, a head up display, Infinity premium sound system, and all the safety equipment that you can think of. All that brought the price to $30,380 with destination charges, which sounds a touch pricey to me. But Hyundai manages to do a decent job of selling them. Last year over 73,000 customers bought one in the US market and it’s now the 4th best selling model in Hyundai’s lineup. So here’s my bottom line, if I knew someone shopping for a car this size I would definitely recommend they take a look at the Hyundai Kona.

And that wrap up this week’s worth of reports, we’ll be back here again on Monday.