AD #3184 – New EV Startup Is a Bit of a Mystery; Ford F-150 Tremor Impressions; Foxconn Reveals Three New EVs

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

STELLANTIS & LG PARTNER TO BUILD BATTERY PLANT IN U.S.
Stellantis is forming a partnership with LG Energy Solutions to open a battery manufacturing plant in North America. The facility will produce lithium-ion batteries for BEVs and plug-in hybrids starting in 2024 with an annual production capacity of 40 gigawatt hours. The companies didn’t announce where the plant will be located but they plan to break ground in the second quarter of 2022.

TOYOTA PLANS BATTERY PLANT IN U.S.
And in related news, Toyota announced its investing $3.4 billion over the next ten years to develop and produce batteries in the U.S. At first, the batteries will be used in hybrids but it will eventually produce batteries for BEVs. The plant will open in 2025 and create 1,750 new jobs but Toyota did not reveal where the facility will be located.

VW CEO INVITES ELON MUSK TO ADDRESS MANAGEMENT
Well, this is rather different. Car company CEOs are always correct and proper when they meet each other in public. But they never invite another CEO to speak to their management team. But that’s exactly what Herbert Diess from Volkswagen did. He invited Elon Musk to address the top 200 executives at VW. Diess wants his execs to pick up the pace and work at Silicon Valley speed. Reuters reports that Musk called in by phone and showered the VW execs with compliments, saying VW is an icon, and Tesla’s greatest competitor. But did he give them any insights on how to slash bureaucracy and cut red tape? Well, that remains to be seen. 

NEW EV STARTUP IS A BIT OF A MYSTERY
Another new week, another new startup. Meet the Indi EV. It’s a great looking car, but the company is a bit of a mystery. We talked to several people in the company when it was unveiled virtually in Los Angeles last week. But no one would say who started the company, who runs it, or how it’s being funded. That’s a secret. Indi says it will start selling cars at the end of next year. But it does not have anyone lined up to manufacture it, and will not say where it’s getting its batteries. Indi claims the car will have a 95-kilowatt hour pack that delivers 275 miles of range, and this all-wheel-drive 5-seater will do 0 to 60 in 5.5 seconds. Prices will range from $45,000 to $60,000 not including any incentives. That’s all pretty good and the design execution suggests the company knows what it’s doing, but until we know more…..well, let’s just say we’re skeptical. 

FOXCONN REVEALS THREE NEW EVs
Foxconn has massive plans to expand into the auto industry and revealed some of those plans at a recent tech event. The big splash was the three EVs it showed off. The first, called the Model C, is an SUV built off its dedicated EV platform that will have up to 700 kilometers or 434 miles of range and do 0-100 km/h in as fast as 3.8 seconds.

The next is the Model E, an electric sedan developed with Pininfarina, that will have up to 750 kilometers or 466 miles of range, 750 horsepower and do 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds.

Last is a large bus, called Model T, that’s estimated to get more than 400 kilometers or about 250 miles of range.

But Foxconn wants to do more than make EVs. It also plans to launch an open software platform and other solutions that allow for increased computing power, data sharing and OTA updates. To reach that goal Foxconn is establishing a new software R&D center, which will require it to hire more than 1,000 engineers over the next three years. No timetable was given for all this to happen, but says it will share more on its progress soon.

FORD NOW BUILDING MUSTANG MACH-E IN CHINA
Last week KBB named the Mustang GT as the most American car because it has the highest amount of U.S. content. Today, the first Mustang Mach-E rolled off the assembly line in China. So why is Ford making Mach-Es in China? Here’s our Autoline Insight. We were always puzzled why Ford decided to make the Mach-E in China. After all, the other Mach-Es are made in Mexico, and Mexico has a free trade agreement with China. That means Ford could have shipped Mexican Mach-Es to China and avoid an import tax. But it probably would not have qualified for EV subsidies to Chinese consumers. When you include those incentives, the base Mach-E starts at $41,200 in China. In the U.S., a Mach-E starts around $36,000 including the federal tax credit. 

GM STARTS BUILDING ULTIUM BATTERIES IN CHINA
In a related move, General Motors started building its Ultium batteries in China. It’s part of a joint venture GM has with SAIC. The Cadillac Lyriq, which goes on sale next year, will be the first GM EV to use those batteries. GM is going to make 10 EVs in China by 2025.

Speaking of the Lyriq, we’re going to have Brian Smith, the head of Cadillac design, and Tristan Murphy, the head of interior design at Cadillac, on Autoline After Hours this Thursday. The Lyriq is practically the first clean-sheet Cadillac since Henry Leland made the first one. So join us as we dive into how the design team took advantage of doing exactly what they wanted without having to reach into any parts bin.

FORD F-150 TREMOR IMPRESSIONS
The average person would be pretty surprised at how capable a standard 4X4 vehicle is off road. For the Ford F-150, its FX4 trim fits that description. But we know customers love the extreme off-road stuff. That’s where the F-150 Raptor comes in. But what if you need something more capable than an FX4, but not as extreme as the Raptor? That’s why Ford is now offering the F-150 Tremor. Like the Super Duty Tremor and Ranger Tremor that have come before, the F-150 Tremor is an upgrade over your standard 4-wheel drive truck. You could think of it like Raptor-lite. But unlike the other trucks, Tremor is its own series in the F-150 lineup, like XLT. That means there will be low-, mid- and high-grade versions to choose from with increasing levels of content and prices. All models come in the SuperCrew configuration with a 5.5-foot bed, 3.5L EcoBoost V6 and a 10-speed automatic trans. As for the off-road stuff, it gets retuned springs, specific shocks, revised front knuckles, front bash plate, locking front and rear differentials and 33-inch tires. Optional equipment includes limited-slip front diff, torque-on-demand transfer case, Trail Turn Assist and expanded off-road drive modes. And it’s amazing how capable some of these features, like Trail Turn Assist, make the F-150 Tremor off-road. With Trail Turn Assist on it locks the inside rear tire to shorten the turning radius on tight corners, which is extremely useful for a big truck like the F-150. It’s a great asset to have the size and capability of a truck but the turning radius of a compact car. We also liked using the One Pedal Drive mode over a rock crawling obstacle. This allows the driver to press the accelerator pedal to move forward and release it to brake, rather than having to modulate the brake and accelerator pedals. The F-150 Tremor also looks the off-roading part. It has its own unique hood with what looks like air extractors, unique grille, Tremor badging and orange accents. I am a little surprised there’s not more that ties all the Tremor trucks together. For example, why not use the same accent color? But that’s a minor thing that most customers probably don’t even care about. What they will care about is price. And the F-150 Tremor starts at just over $51,000 and goes up to over $64,500, including destination.

But that’s a wrap for today. Thanks for joining us.