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Runtime: 8:49
0:08 GM Pledges to Boost Black-Owned Media Advertising
0:50 Senators Propose to Exempt More Self-Driving Cars
1:47 Electric School Bus Conversion Proposed
3:41 U.S. April Car Sales Expected to Be Strong
4:23 Ford Launches Mustang Mach-E GT & GT Performance
4:59 First Edition Mach-E Customers Get Free Gift
5:14 Porsche Plans to Open EV Battery Plant
6:19 Volvo S90 Plug-In Hybrid Impressions
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GM PLEDGES TO BOOST BLACK-OWNED MEDIA ADVERTISING
GM is holding true to its promise of spending more advertising dollars with Black-owned media. You may remember at the beginning of this month GM was called out for only spending about 1% of its roughly $3 billion a year advertising budget with diverse media outlets. So, GM met with some of these organizations to determine the best path forward, and says it will double spending to 2% this year, 4% next year and hopes to reach a goal of 8% by 2025. As we said earlier, GM is the first to be singled out, but Black-owned media companies promise it’s an issue they’ll raise with all major corporations.
SENATORS PROPOSE TO EXEMPT MORE SELF-DRIVING CARS
To help jump start the commercial use of self-driving vehicles in the U.S., two senators are proposing exemptions to allow more autonomous vehicles on public roads. The proposal would give NHTSA the power to exempt 15,000 self-driving vehicles per company from meeting safety standards meant for human drivers. The number would increase to 80,000 vehicles within three years. NHTSA currently is allowed to exempt 2,500 AVs per manufacturer. Automakers would be allowed to disable driving controls when the vehicles are operating fully autonomously. The senators argue the proposal will allow the U.S. to remain competitive in the global autonomous vehicle industry, and it will create jobs and billions in investment. The proposal would be an amendment of a $100 billion bill to boost funding for science and technology research and development.
ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUS CONVERSION PROPOSED
And speaking of proposals in the U.S. Senate, two Democrat senators introduced legislation to invest $25 billion to convert the entire school bus fleet to electric. The money will also be used to improve the charging infrastructure for the buses and provide workforce training. Not only would this help improve the environment but studies have found that diesel emissions from school buses may contribute to respiratory illness in children, which is linked to poor academic performance.
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U.S. APRIL CAR SALES EXPECTED TO BE STRONG
Even though a chip shortage is crippling production, automakers might set a sales record this month in the U.S. market. Wards Intelligence is forecasting that the SAAR, or seasonally adjusted annual rate, could come in at 17.9 million, and maybe even higher. It says some customers are buying now because they’re worried that dealers will run out of inventory later. And they’ll take almost anything the dealer has. They’re buying passenger sedans when a CUV or SUV isn’t available. Even so, Wards says that low inventory levels will probably hurt sales in the months to come.
FORD LAUNCHES MUSTANG MACH-E GT & GT PERFORMANCE
Ford has already seen good sales results with the all-electric Mustang Mach-E and they’re about to get even better. It’s going to start taking orders for the GT and GT Performance versions of the EV this Wednesday, April 28th. Those models get unique features like a light up pony badge and a performance driving mode that’s tuned for better traction and stability on the race track. The Mach-E GT starts at $60-grand and the GT Performance is $65-grand, not including destination and before incentives. Deliveries kick off in the fall.
FIRST EDITION MACH-E CUSTOMERS GET FREE GIFT
Speaking of the Mach-E, customers that ordered the First Edition version are also getting this 3D printed pony sculpture to go along with it. They’re dyed to match the color of their car and even features a baseplate with the VIN number.
PORSCHE PLANS TO OPEN EV BATTERY PLANT
Another bit of EV news here. Porsche says it will build its own battery cell manufacturing plant in Germany. While Porsche will buy batteries from parent company Volkswagen, the new facility is going to focus on high-performance cells, which it wants to be at the forefront of developing. But this is also a move we’ll see more European automakers make, like Volkswagen, which is opening a number of battery cell manufacturing sites across Europe, to reduce their dependence on Asian suppliers.
VOLVO S90 PLUG-IN HYBRID IMPRESSIONS
We recently slid into the driver’s seat of the plug-in hybrid version of the Volvo S90 sedan. It’s powered by a 2.0L super and turbocharged engine that’s mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain also includes an 87-horsepower electric motor and an 11.6 kWh battery, which provides 23 miles of all-electric range in optimum conditions. Combined, the setup cranks out 400 horsepower and 472 lb-ft. of torque. And when we finally got a chance to put our foot into it, we were surprised by how much get-up-and-go it has. But that’s in a straight line. Don’t try and put this thing through a corner with too much speed cause all that weight just wants to push you right out of the turn. While the electric range is not significant, it was enough for most of our everyday driving. Like the exterior design, the interior is elegantly done with leather wrapped seats and steering wheel and the wood trim along the doors enhances it even more. It’s also minimalistic thanks to its large 12.3-inch touchscreen, which controls most of the functions. It’s pretty easy to navigate and you can also use the steering wheel buttons or voice control to select functions. The S90 plug-in starts at just over $61,000, including destination charges but the one we drove included about another $10,000 in options.
And be sure to join us for Autoline After Hours later this week, when we’ll be learning about Arrival, the electric commercial vehicle startup based out of the UK. Hyundai and Kia invested more than $100 million into the company and will also develop vehicles off of its platform. So join us this Thursday for some of the best insider discussions in the industry.
But that’s it 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.