Listen to “AD #2970 – VW Drops Out of Motorsports; U.S. Sales in November Drop; Hyundai Unveils EV Skateboard” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 11:24
0:39 U.S. Sales in November Drop
3:19 Hyundai Unveils EV Skateboard
5:13 Nissan Opens New Business Unit in Africa
5:56 Mercedes Offers Insurance for Electric Vans
7:14 VW Drops Out of Motorsports
7:45 Audi Shares Details on Skunkworks Program
9:20 Rolls-Royce Creates Expensive Portable Chair
10:08 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series Costs An Arm & A Leg
10:34 New Ram Heavy Duty Takes Back Towing Crown
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U.S. SALES IN NOVEMBER DROP
New car sales have been a bright spot in the U.S. during the pandemic. But last month they were down 4.4% on a daily selling rate basis, and came in at 1.1 million vehicles. The SAAR, or seasonally adjusted rate, came in at 15.5 million.
| U.S. Light Vehicle Sales November 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 1.1 Million | -4.4% |
| SAAR | 15.5 Million | |
| Source: Wards Intelligence | ||
Despite the drop, some automakers had a great month. Tesla saw its sales shoot up nearly 123% compared to a year ago. But there’s an asterisk with this number. Compared to October, Tesla’s sales plummeted 40%, with big drops across its lineup, including the Model 3 and Model Y. We’re also getting reports out of Europe of slow sales for Tesla. The company usually reports a huge surge at the end of every quarter, so we’ll have to wait and see if that happens in December.
Other automakers which had a great month also include Volvo, up 36% and Toyota, up 12%, Kia, up 7% and Volkswagen, up 4%. Hyundai, Mazda and Subaru all posted modest gains as well.
.tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-baqh{text-align:center;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-amwm{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top}| U.S. Light Vehicle Sales November 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Volvo | 11,600 | +36% |
| Toyota | 206,000 | +11.9 |
| Kia | 47,900 | +7.2 |
| Volkswagen | 27,000 | +4.2 |
| Source: Wards Intelligence | ||
Now for the bad news. Jaguar Land Rover, Audi, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz and Honda had a dismal month, with sales off by double digit numbers. While the Detroit Three–GM, Ford and FCA–only report their sales on a quarterly basis, we hear that they all saw sales drop, especially at FCA and Ford.
.tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;} .tg td{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg th{border-color:black;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px; font-weight:normal;overflow:hidden;padding:10px 5px;word-break:normal;} .tg .tg-baqh{text-align:center;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-amwm{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:top} .tg .tg-0lax{text-align:left;vertical-align:top}| U.S. Light Vehicle Sales November 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| JLR | 8,200 | -25.7% |
| Audi | 15,000 | -17.8 |
| Mitsubishi | 6,000 | -17.2 |
| Mercedes | 28,000 | -15.1 |
| Honda | 102,600 | -13.5 |
| Source: Wards Intelligence | ||
Now for some of our Autoline Insight: There’s actually some good news in these numbers. While November sales look terrible compared to a year ago before the pandemic hit, they actually look pretty good compared to October. Wards reports they were up 7%, month over month. That shows the market is continuing to recover. Even so, 2020 is a year that automakers will want to forget. Right now, it looks like the year will end with about 14 million new vehicles sold. That’s a lot of cars and trucks. But it’s 3 million less than automakers sold last year.
HYUNDAI UNVEILS EV SKATEBOARD
The Hyundai Group Is really ramping up its EV efforts. By 2025 it plans to introduce 23 fully electric models and sell a million BEVs worldwide. A number of those models will utilize the Group’s new E-GMP platform. It’s rear-wheel-drive based, with power sent through an integrated e-axle, which features the motor, a transmission and inverter in one unit. All-wheel drive will also be available with the addition of another motor at the front. The most powerful versions with this setup will be able to do 0-60 MPH in 3.5 seconds. Battery size wasn’t revealed but the modules will be made up of pouch cells and provide a range of up to 500 kilometers or 310 miles based on the WLTP test cycle. The electrical system offers both 400 volt and 800 volt charging capability, which the Group claims can add 100 kilometers or over 60 miles of range in 5 minutes. The first vehicle to come off this platform will be the IONIQ 5, which is a production version of the 45 Concept and should launch sometime next year. Kia will show its first dedicated BEV in 2021 as well.
Speaking of electric cars, we’ve got a great Autoline After Hours coming up tomorrow, when our special guest will be Henrik Fisker. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, Henrik has clawed his way back into the automotive business and just took his new company public. He has a fascinating business model this time around, very different from the first time he tried to launch a car company. So join John and Gary to learn more about Henrik Fisker’s new approach to making electric cars. And if you’ve got questions you’d like to submit, please feel free to send them our way.
NISSAN OPENS NEW BUSINESS UNIT IN AFRICA
Could Africa be the next big opportunity for automakers? Nissan is starting a new business unit for the African market. It currently has operations in several regions on the continent but is now reorganizing them under one roof. Africa only accounts for 1% of global new car sales, so why is Nissan expanding further into the continent? That’s because it’s the last, biggest untapped market in the world. By mid-century, Africa’s population is expected to be larger than China’s with 2.2 billion people. While incomes are low in Africa, that could change by mid-century and it looks like automakers believe there’s a lot of potential there.
MERCEDES OFFERS INSURANCE FOR ELECTRIC VANS
Last year, Tesla launched its own insurance service. Last month, General Motors announced it will offer car insurance through OnStar. And now the Mercedes-Benz Bank has partnered with an insurance company in Germany to offer insurance for its electric vans, the eSprinter and eVito. It’s available to private and business customers who will get a 15% discount. In addition to covering traditional things like breakdowns, the insurance covers EV specific components like the charging cable, wallbox and battery. Going forward, we’re likely to see more automakers offer their own insurance but only with connected cars. That’s because companies can measure exactly how the driver drives and charge them accordingly. Better still, from the automakers standpoint, they’ll own all that information. And this has to be making insurance companies very nervous.
VW DROPS OUT OF MOTORSPORTS
The Volkswagen Brand has been involved in motorsports for more than five decades but the automaker announced it’s ceasing all of its racing activities. Employees from its Motorsport unit will be integrated into the VW Group and will mainly focus on developing new models for its ID family of electric vehicles. Volkswagen has made a huge commitment to EVs, so it needs all hands-on deck to pitch in, plus it can shift savings from dropping out of racing to developing EVs.
AUDI SHARES DETAILS ON SKUNKWORKS PROGRAM
Earlier this year Audi set up a skunkworks program, called Artemis project, that is tasked with creating a blueprint for accelerating vehicle development at the VW Group. It’s been given the freedom to avoid the normal corporate channels when developing new concepts, but must do so without getting in the way of existing projects. Artemis is being led by Alex Hitzinger, who helped the automaker build its 919 Hybrid racecar and Apple with its autonomous vehicle development. He sat down with Reuters in a video interview and provided more insight about the current inner workings of the project. It wants a comprehensive software system, along the lines of what Tesla is doing. Instead of stitching vehicle systems together, it wants to integrate the distribution of electric power with autonomous and infotainment technology. It really sounds as if Artemis is trying to maximize the efficiency of its EVs and Hitzinger says this is a key challenge. The other area it’s focused on is setting “new standards for what a customer can do in a vehicle and how he/she interacts with the car.” This will for sure include functions and other services that can be unlocked via the infotainment system, like driver assistance technologies, even after the vehicle is purchased. The first vehicle to incorporate all this will be an Audi that is scheduled to go into production in 2024 and will use components from VW’s PPE architecture, which underpins the Porsche Taycan.
ROLLS-ROYCE CREATES EXPENSIVE PORTABLE CHAIR
I know things from Rolls-Royce are expensive, but this one shocked me a bit. I’m sure you’ve all seen these fold out seats, typically at kid’s little league games or soccer practices. They’re simple and you can plunk them down almost anywhere. Rolls-Royce has come out with a fine example that is made from carbon fiber, aluminum and fine leather and features extra amenities like a small pocket, a retractable spike on the bottom and even a flashlight hidden in the hinge of the seat. But each one costs over 6,500 pounds or over $8,750. I guess that’s why they say some people have stupid money. Oh, and don’t forget, you can also order them in a pair.
MERCEDES-AMG GT BLACK SERIES COSTS AN ARM & A LEG
Speaking of things that cost a lot of money, Mercedes set the price for its track-focused version of the AMG GT, called the Black Series, which boasts 720 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, at $326,000 for the U.S. market. If you’ve got the coin, they start arriving in dealerships early next year.
NEW RAM HEAVY DUTY TAKES BACK TOWING CROWN
And here’s a few more jaw-dropping numbers. Ram has claimed back the crown for highest towing capacity and diesel torque with the 2021 Ram Heavy Duty truck. It passed the 1,000 lb-ft of torque mark with its 6.7L inline 6-cylinder diesel with 1,075 available and Gooseneck towing capacity now comes in at 37,100 pounds. The updated Heavy Duty trucks start rolling off the assembly line this month.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching and we’ll see you back here 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.
