AD #3183 – Ford Updates the Focus; Taycan Now #3 In Porsche’s Lineup; Cruise to Offer AV System to GM EV Customers

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

TAYCAN NOW #3 IN PORSCHE’S LINEUP
Porsche purists cringed when the company announced it was coming out with an electric car. But the Taycan turned out to be a hit. Through the first nine-months of the year, it outsold the 911 on a global basis. In fact, it’s Porsche’s third most popular model, only trailing the Cayenne and Macan.

VW GROUP EV SALES UP BIG IN 2021
The success of the Taycan is helping the Volkswagen Group post some decent EV sales numbers. Through the first nine months of the year, the Group delivered 293,100 BEVs globally, up 138% compared to a year ago. In the third quarter alone, the Group delivered 122,100 BEVs, a 109% gain. The vast majority of those vehicles, nearly three-quarters, were in Europe. The top five were the VW ID.4 and ID.3, the Audi e-Tron, Porsche Taycan and the Skoda Enyaq iV.

STELLANTIS DEALERS WILL NO LONGER SELL NEW CARS IN EUROPE
Stellantis is going to keep its dealers in Europe, but they’re no longer going to sell new cars. Instead, Stellantis is going to handle all sales and financing, while dealers will be the point where customers pick up their cars and get them serviced. In industry jargon, it’s called an agency model. Europe does not have the kind of strict franchise laws that protects new car dealers like in the U.S. Even more, in 2023 the EU will give automakers even more discretion to run their own dealerships. Here’s our Autoline Insight. This is going to give Stellantis the opportunity to do a lot more on-line sales and create a consistent sales experience for its customers, instead of each dealership doing it differently. And it’s going to make automakers in the U.S. mighty jealous of what they could do in Europe.

VINFAST TO START SELLING EVs IN U.S. NEXT YEAR
If you don’t count Canada and Mexico, the U.S. imports cars that are made in 16 different countries. And now we can add another to the list. Vietnam. Yesterday, VinFast, which is Vietnam’s only automaker, announced it will start selling electric CUVs in the U.S. starting next March. In fact, it’s going to make its debut at the LA Auto Show, which is held in November. Its small CUV, the e35, packs a big punch. It puts out 402 horsepower. It also has about 250 miles of range from a 106-kilowatt hour battery pack, probably with lithium iron phosphate batteries. We don’t have info on the larger e36 CUV. VinFast is still a very small company. It only sold 30,000 ICE vehicles in Vietnam last year. But it has ambitious plans to grow fast.

PORSCHE OFFERING 3D PRINTED BUCKET SEATS
8-way power seats are fine, but wouldn’t it be cool to have a car seat that’s custom fitted for you? Well, Porsche is doing it and it’s all thanks to 3D printing. The seats can be retro-fitted to Boxsters, Caymans and 911s. And starting next February, the seat can be ordered on new cars. Parts of the cushion and backrest are 3D printed and the different sections are clipped together so no adhesives are needed. It’s available in three rigidity grades and Porsche says it’s 8% lighter than a conventional bucket seat. But they’re not exactly cheap. Be prepared to plunk down roughly 2,700 euros or a little over $3,100.

FORD UPDATES THE FOCUS FOR EUROPE
Ford is giving the Focus a facelift in Europe. While each model will have its own, slightly different design cues, every Focus sees a new hood, LED headlights, relocated Ford badge and a completely new lower fascia. Power comes from a range of gas and diesel engines and, for the first time, a 7-speed automatic trans is available with EcoBoost Hybrid engines, which are integrated with a 48-volt starter/generator. If you’re wondering, there is still an ST model, but other than the aforementioned design changes and new wheels and seats, there’s not much else to talk about. However, every model will benefit from Ford’s latest SYNC 4 infotainment system, which includes a large 13.2-inch center display screen mounted in a landscape layout. Look for the refreshed Focus to start launching across Europe soon.

ACURA TEASES MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN NEW INTEGRA
Acura recently revealed that the Integra is making a comeback and if that wasn’t good enough news, it also revealed customers will be able to row through their own gears. This video shows the manual transmission of a Gen 1, Gen 2, Gen 3, Gen 4 and all-new Gen 5 Integra. Better still it gives a little preview of the exhaust note. I’m sure we’ll keep getting little teasers like these until the Integra’s full reveal sometime next year.

HYUNDAI MAKING CLOTHES FROM LEFTOVER MATERIALS
Whether it be off-cuts or trimmings, there’s a lot of leftover materials in the manufacturing process. Rather than toss those in the trash, for the last three years, the Hyundai Group has partnered with fashion companies to repurpose the materials into a clothing line. Using airbags, seatbelts and other recycled materials 12 different items, including jackets, sweatshirts and pants, will be sold in stores and online. Prices range from about 65-160 euros or $75-185.

NISSAN TO PRODUCE E-POWER HYBRID SYSTEM IN CHINA
Nissan and its Chinese joint venture partner Dongfeng are going to make Nissan’s e-Power hybrid system in China. That e-Power system is a different type of hybrid. The car is only powered by an electric motor. An ICE engine charges the battery, but is not connected to the wheels. So, from a driving experience, the car feels like a BEV, even though it’s technically not. It’ll be fascinating to see if this kind of system catches on with Chinese customers. We’ll know soon enough. It goes on sale in the Nissan Sylphy later this month and that’s the Sentra.

RENAULT UNVEILS FUEL CELL VAN PROTOTYPE
A few months back, Renault created a joint venture with a company called Plug Power to develop fuel cell versions of the Renault Master van. And now it’s unveiling the first prototype called the Master Van H2-Tech. It features a 30kW fuel cell, a 33-kWh battery and four tanks that hold a total of 6 kilograms of hydrogen, which provide 500 kilometers or 310 miles of range. The van will be available next year.

CRUISE TO OFFER AV SYSTEM TO GM EV CUSTOMERS
Fully autonomous cars are right around the corner. That’s according to Dan Ammann, who runs Cruise, the AV subsidiary of General Motors. He says that in 1 to 2 years, in several U.S. cities, you’ll be able to order an AV that will arrive within minutes. In 3 to 4 years you’ll be able to do that in multiple cities in the U.S. In 5 to 6 years you’ll be able to do that almost everywhere in the U.S. and in major global cities. And now comes the bombshell. Cruise is going to offer its AV package to retail customers of GM electric cars. And it can be retrofitted. That’s right. You’ll be able to take your GM EV to your local dealer, upgrade it to full autonomy, and let your car drive you home.

But that’s all we’ve got for this week. Thanks for tuning in and I hope you have a great weekend.