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Runtime: 8:50
0:08 GM Recalling Chevy Bolts Over Battery Fires
1:14 U.S. July Car Sales Expected to Drop
1:43 Top Foreign Brands in China
3:07 General Motors Sues Ford Over “BlueCruise” Name
3:57 Mercedes Claims EQS Is Most Aerodynamic Production Car
5:02 BMW Reveals Bike & Scooter Concept
6:32 Rivian Raises Another $2.5 Billion
7:05 Rivian To Open Charging Stations in Tennessee State Parks
7:30 Concours At St. John’s
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GM RECALLING CHEVY BOLTS OVER BATTERY FIRES
General Motors is recalling all the Chevrolet Bolt EVs it built in 2017, 18 and 19 because of potential battery fires. Many of those vehicles were already recalled for a software update to eliminate potential fires. But that fix did not work. GM and LG Chem, which makes the batteries, say they found some batteries have two manufacturing defects in the same cell which are the root cause of the problem. It’s going to replace battery modules as part of the new recall. In the meantime, GM says anyone with a Bolt should not charge it over 90% and should not run it below 70 miles of range, or about 30% of charge. And they should not park it indoors. The Detroit Free Press reports that so far only 5 cars have caught fire on their own. Even though over 100 ICE vehicles catch fire every day in the United States alone, every time an electric car catches fire it makes headlines. And that could hurt adoption.
U.S. JULY CAR SALES EXPECTED TO DROP
Car sales in the American market will be down in July and probably August, too. That’s according to Wards Intelligence, which blames the drop on tight inventory due to the chip shortage. The SAAR hit an astounding 18.6 million in April, but fell to 17 million in May, then dropped to 15.4 million in June. Wards expects the seasonally adjusted annual rate to drop to 14.8 million in July.
| 2021 U.S. Seasonally Adjusted Sales Rate | |
|---|---|
| April | 18.6 Million |
| May | 17.9 Million |
| June | 15.4 Million |
| July | 14.8 Million |
| Source: Wards Intelligence | |
TOP FOREIGN BRANDS IN CHINA
Foreign automakers are seeing their sales recover in China. But as a group they lost market share in the first half of the year to domestic Chinese brands. Even so, foreign automakers represent 52% of the Chinese market. Volkswagen Group tops the sales charts followed by General Motors, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Ford.
| Top Foreign Brands in China, H1 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen | 1.8 Million |
| GM | 1.5 Million |
| Toyota | 970,000 |
| Honda | 786,000 |
| Nissan | 706,000 |
| BMW | 467,000 |
| Mercedes | 441,000 |
| Ford | 306,000 |
| Source: Gasgoo | |
GENERAL MOTORS SUES FORD OVER “BLUECRUISE” NAME
General Motors is suing Ford. It accuses Ford of trademark infringement because it used the word “Cruise” as part of its hands-free driving system. Ford calls it BlueCruise. GM says that infringes on its use of Super Cruise for its hands-free system and it infringes on GM Cruise, the name of the GM subsidiary which is developing AVs. Ford calls the lawsuit frivolous and meritless. It seems odd that GM filed the lawsuit. The term “cruise control” has been part of the automotive vocabulary for over half a century. But what do you think? Is Ford infringing on GM’s use of the word “cruise” or is this a frivolous lawsuit?
MERCEDES CLAIMS EQS IS MOST AERODYNAMIC PRODUCTION CAR
Mercedes claims the new EQS is the most aerodynamic production car with a coefficient of drag of 0.20. This being an EV, the car already starts off with a smooth underbody and closed off radiator grille, but the basic shape of the EQS also plays a role in slicing through the air. Further improvements required several thousand runs in a virtual wind tunnel. Those include continuous sealing around the front area, wheel spoilers at the front and rear, additional underbody paneling, a rear spoiler and aerodynamic wheels that come in 19, 20 and 21 inches. And one last particularly interesting innovation is a specially shaped trim piece that smooths out the transition between the windshield and A-pillar. Not only does it help keep the windows free of dirt, but like most of these tweaks, it improves aero, which increases range and cuts down noise inside the cabin.
BMW REVEALS BIKE & SCOOTER CONCEPT
BMW is looking into the future of electric mobility with two concepts; one a three-wheel bike and the other an e-Scooter. The bike features a loading platform at the back that can accommodate several cargo options as well as a hookup for a child’s seat. An electric motor drives the rear wheels and is activated as soon as the rider starts pedaling. There’s even a number of solutions to keep riders protected from the weather. The e-Scooter on the other hand is a last mile solution that can fold up to fit in a car or be carried on public transportation. Both models feature a removable battery pack, which provides a range of over 20 kilometers or 12 miles. BMW says it will not manufacture either concept, but is in discussions with companies that could potentially license the technology.
RIVIAN RAISES ANOTHER $2.5 BILLION
Despite having to delay production of its first vehicle due to the chip shortage, things are going well for EV startup Rivian. Last week, it announced it’s looking for a second location to open a plant in the U.S. And now the company says it raised $2.5 billion in its latest funding round, led by investors including Amazon, Ford and T. Rowe Price. Rivian has now raised $10.5 billion since 2019 and will start producing its R1T pickup in September.
RIVIAN TO OPEN CHARGING STATIONS IN TENNESSEE STATE PARKS
And speaking of Rivian, it struck a deal with the state of Tennessee to open charging points at all of its 56 state parks. The EV maker will begin installing them this fall through March of next year. They’ll be Level 2 chargers and free at first to use. Rivian expects its customers to take its EVs off-roading, so it’s building a charging network in remote locations.
CONCOURS AT ST. JOHN’S
The Concours at St. John’s, in Plymouth, Michigan took place this past weekend. Torrential rains the night before prevented the cars from parking on the tree lined golf course, so they were moved to the parking lots around the facility. But that did not prevent crowds of people from showing up or dampen their enthusiasm. We liked this juxtaposition of a 1936 Stout Scarab and a 1963 Chrysler turbine car. Two visions of the future that represent very different eras. The Scarab was kind of a forerunner to the minivan. It had a tubular frame, aluminum body, and a Ford V8 mounted in the rear. It was styled by John Tjaarda, whose son Tom designed the DeTomaso Pantera.
But that’s it for today, thanks for watching.
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Seamus and Sean McElroy cover the latest news in the automotive industry for Autoline Daily.
