AD #2967 – Didi & BYD Unveil 1st Ride Hailing EV; Musk Claims Huge Range for Semi Truck; Tire Buying Tips

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

DIDI & BYD UNVEIL 1ST PURPOSE BUILT RIDE HAILING EV
As we’ve said before, automakers see a chance to make big money with mobility services. And now Chinese ride-hailing company Didi introduced what it says is the world’s first purpose built electric vehicle for ride hailing. Called the D1, it was co-developed with Chinese automaker BYD and is equipped with a Level 2 assisted driving system. Other safety features include, a driver monitoring system, a steering wheel with safety alerts, and an AI voice and video monitoring system that uses Didi’s facial and object detection technology. It has a range of 418 kilometers or 260 miles based on the NEDC test. It features sliding rear doors for easy access and more seating space than a conventional vehicle. Didi will launch the service in a pilot program in the city of Changsha next month before rolling it out to other cities in the country. It wants 1 million D1’s in operation by 2025.

TESLA ISSUES TWO RECALLS
Tesla has issued two safety recalls. The first involves more than 9,100 Model X crossovers from 2016. NHTSA says the roof trim may have been adhered without first using a primer, which may result in the trim being separated from the vehicle while being driven. Tesla will inspect the vehicles and perform a retention test. If the vehicle fails, the company will apply a primer to fix it. The other recall involves 400 Model Y vehicles built this year. NHTSA says the bolts connecting the front upper control arm and the steering knuckle may not have been tightened properly which could result in them detaching from each other.

MUSK CLAIMS HUGE RANGE FOR SEMI TRUCK
And in other Tesla news, its 4680 battery cells are not only going to help out its passenger vehicles but also its Semi. Elon Musk says the Class 8 truck will easily get 800 kilometers or nearly 500 miles of range and they see a path to 1,000 kilometers or 620 miles. Musk says the Semi will use its new structural battery design as well.

EPA RATES VW ID.4 AT 250 MILES OF RANGE
Speaking of EV range, the U.S. EPA says the Volkswagen ID.4 can go 250 miles on a single charge. It does that with a battery with 77-kWh of usable power. That seems a little low. The Tesla Model Y is rated at 326 miles with a 75-kWh battery and all-wheel drive. And the Ford Mustang Mach-E was just rated at up to 300 miles of range with a nearly 100-kWh pack. Volume sales of the ID.4, which starts just under 40-grand before incentives, kick off early next year.

FORD BRONCO SPORT FUEL ECONOMY REVEALED
And while we’re on the subject of efficiency, the Ford Bronco Sport with the entry-level 1.5L 3-cylinder engine is rated at 25 MPG combined. With the larger and more powerful 2.0L power plant that dips slightly to 23 MPG combined. 

WHY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS AREN’T PRE-HEATED
Yesterday we told you how 80% of the emissions from a car come during the first 2 to 3 minutes after you start the engine. That’s how long it takes for the catalytic converter to heat up and start working properly. That prompted a number of you to post comments saying that the cat should be pre-heated. And you’re right, that is the solution. But keep in mind, you’re not the first to think of this. Many companies have tried and so far, nothing has caught on. None of them came up with a small, affordable system that will instantly generate 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit and last for 15 years. So if you think you have the solution, it’s time to build a prototype. If it works, you’ll have the global auto industry beating a path to your door. And then you can retire and buy your own island.

WILL SOME OEMs BECOME SUPPLIERS?
Should automakers buy EV components or make them in-house? Should they license their technology to other OEMs? And if they do, does this mean some automakers become suppliers? On Autoline After Hours, we asked Don Walker, the soon-to-be retired CEO of Magna, and here’s what he had to say.

“I don’t see the OEMs being effective suppliers. They may have good technologies and we’ve done partnerships with them as well but they really need to focus on making the product they want in a competitive way and having and attracting the right people. I think everybody has to do what they believe is the right thing because they have a lot of good employees and they want to look after the employees. If they’re too vertically integrated where they have defined benefit pension plans, they have all of these benefits, they’re not going to be able to succeed. It’s not going to be able to in my opinion unless you have products that have these huge margins. So I think the trend towards globalization will continue but it won’t be like the be all and end all. I think the trend towards continuing to go outside for suppliers to have the best product at the best price will continue. They will in-source some things especially if they’re trying to utilize the employees they have there. I think they do care about their employees but they may be running the attrition curve down, I can’t comment on it, they’re all going to have their own strategy but if they don’t go to where they get the best product at the lowest price with the best quality, they will not sustain their profit margins and they won’t sustain themselves long term. It’s a difficult question for everybody to wrestle with but as a supplier I think we’re going to continue to have more opportunity and the big suppliers will get bigger. We’ll have to have strong balance sheets, we’ll have to do deep R&D, be software companies as well as hardware. So I think there will be a lot of changes coming up but they don’t happen overnight.”

TIRE BUYING TIPS
Lots of people buy new tires this time of year. And one thing you’re likely to hear is, buy the best possible tire because it’s the only thing between your vehicle and the road. So, how do you do that? Here’s a few tips and tricks I think might help out. First, make sure you know the right tire size. What’s on the vehicle is not always what left the factory. You’ll find the right info on the B-pillar by the driver’s door. Next, it’s good to know the exact trim level of your vehicle and engine size. You’ll need that to start your search. Also have an idea of your budget. But after searching for a while many people will narrow their list only to get stuck between a few choices. If you find yourself here, it’s time to check the specs on the tires. Specifically, look at the tread depth and weight. Obviously, you probably want the most tread possible and you’d be surprised how much it can vary between brands. Weight information can be used several ways. A heavier tire might actually be better when it’s for a truck. It could indicate a more robust construction. Or if you’ve got a sporty car, you might want the tire that weighs less. Even the tire manufacturer sites have this information, but it can also be helpful to check out a site like Tire Rack because you can find customer reviews. And it’s possible to find someone with the same vehicle as you that has left a comment. That information can be very useful. And I hope you have found my tips useful too. 

LEXUS LS & MAZDA CX-9 IMPRESSIONS
The latest test cars to come through the Autoline Garage include the updated 2021 Lexus LS and the Mazda CX-9. From the outside the easiest way you can spot the new LS is with its triple projector headlamps. Inside, you might notice a bigger, optional 12.3-inch touch screen. There are also some new switches located on the console so you don’t have to select everything through the screen, such as turning on the heated seats. You’ll also notice a digital rear view mirror. Lexus tuned the LS for a softer ride with lighter control arms, different spring and damping rates and different sway bars. It also revised the hybrid for better acceleration.  

   

The 2021 Mazda CX-9 also gets a number of updates, starting with a standard 10.25-inch center screen. Owners are also offered a 3-year trial to monitor and control their car via a phone app, and a 3-month or 2 gigabyte trial of in-car Wi-Fi connectivity. There are several seat upgrades with new patterns. That’s not a lot of change for the 2021 model year, but the CX-9 is the flagship of Mazda’s lineup, so it was already very well equipped. And sales are solidly up this year. 

FORD OF EUROPE HELPS BUSINESSES SAVE CASH
Ford of Europe says it’s unlocking more potential for its fleet customers with the launch of Marketplace services on the FordPass Pro app. Marketplace will give fleet owners, of up to five vehicles with connected technology, access to other 3rd party companies that have already signed up. There they’ll be able to take advantage of exclusive offers on fuel, road tolls or even credit card payments from customers. Ford estimates small businesses could save more than 500 euros per vehicle per year. While use of the app is free, users will still have to pay for connected services and a wi-fi hotspot when needed. 

A programming note here. The Autoline crew will be taking a break for the next two days to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. For our American audience, we hope you get to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family even if it’s through a Zoom call. For those of you outside of the United States, we hope you and your families can find things to be thankful for, even though we’re living in the middle of a pandemic.

And before you go, we need your help. We’re starting to put a list together of all the publicly traded automotive companies in the world. OEMs, suppliers, retailers and startups. But we want to make sure we don’t miss any. So if you’ve got suggestions, give us the name of the company, its trading symbol and what stock exchange it’s on. You can leave them in the comments section or email them to viewermail@autoline.tv 

And that officially wraps up the show, we’ll see you again on Monday.