AD #3221 – Ford Caps F-150 Lightning Orders; Barra Shares More GM EV Details; Tesla Plans Two Cheaper Model 3’s in China

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

MARY BARRA SHARES MORE GM EV DETAILS
GM CEO Mary Barra had a lot of interesting things to say at an Automotive Press Association event in Detroit yesterday. She called its decision to build ventilators during the height of the pandemic a “game changer” that created a culture shift in the company. The passion that was put into the project, plus the speed at which it was pulled off, gave GM the confidence to accelerate in other areas, especially EVs. As we’ve reported, it slashed its vehicle development time and moved up a number of launches. Barra says the first Hummer EVs will be in customer hands in “weeks not months.” She also talked about the Silverado E that will be shown off at CES, as well as a $30,000 Equinox-like electric vehicle and an eBlazer. And the CEO says she’s in favor of incentives for EVs because she believes they make electrics accessible to more people and will help speed up adoption. Lastly, she touched on the chip shortage, reiterating what GM President Mark Reuss said about reducing the number of chips in its vehicles and building a family of chips with its suppliers that fit a wider range of its vehicles. But Barra also noted the issue has caused GM to look at the entire supply chain for its future vehicles to make sure it doesn’t run into similar problems.

GM PARTNERS WITH TWO RARE EARTH COMPANIES
And rare earth magnets just might be another one. GM announced partnerships with two companies. First is with MP Materials to develop a U.S. supply chain for rare earth magnets. Mined material from California will be sent to a new facility in Texas where it will be converted into metal, alloy and magnets. Production is scheduled to ramp up slowly starting in 2023 and the magnets will be used in electric motors for models that ride on the Ultium platform. GM’s other partnership, with German company VAC, will do the same thing; build magnets for electric motors in the U.S. that go into Ultium platform vehicles. The only difference is we don’t know where this facility will be located yet and production is expected to start in 2024. 

NEW FORD SERVICE HELPS FLEET OPERATORS MAXIMIZE PRODUCTIVITY
Ford is helping fleet operators and small business owners to maximize productivity. It just launched a new service called VIIZR, which allows tradespeople to schedule appointments, send invoices and manage customer requests from anywhere. The cloud-based platform costs $39 per month and is part of Ford Pro, the automaker’s commercial vehicle and service business. Ford says businesses with less than 20 employees, VIIZR can reduce back office work by more than 40% or about 25 hours a week. The market for this type of service is estimated at $3 billion annually and is expected to double in the next six years, so that’s why Ford is jumping into it.

FORD NO LONGER TAKING F-150 LIGHTNING RESERVATIONS
And speaking of Ford, if you were interested in getting a F-150 Lightning, you’re out of luck. In an interview on CNBC, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company has stopped taking reservations for the electric truck and capped the number of orders at 200,000. That means the waiting list is about three years long. Ford originally set the production capacity at 70,000 to 80,000 a year but Farley says the company is aiming to double that over the next two years. The first F-150 Lightning’s are expected to arrive in the spring of next year.

GM PLANS TO START BUILDING THE ELECTRIC SILVERADO IN 2023
But you’re going to have to wait a bit longer for the electric Chevy Silverado. As part of a virtual chat with Deutsche Bank yesterday, GM executive vice president Doug Parks said it will start building the truck in early 2023.

CRUISE AIMS TO LAUNCH ROBOTAXI SERVICE NEXT YEAR
He also revealed that GM’s autonomous unit, Cruise, is aiming for commercial deployment of its self-driving fleet sometime next year. The robotaxi service will first launch in San Francisco. Last year, Cruise received permission to operate its fleet without a backup driver on board and this year applied to start charging customers for rides. However, last week San Francisco’s public transit operator said it wants to delay Cruise from receiving the permit it needs to charge for rides over safety concerns. Cruise disputed those concerns and the decision will ultimately be up to the California Public Utilities Commission whether or not Cruise gets the permit.

DAIMLER TRUCKS MAKES FRANKFURT STOCK EXCHANGE DEBUT
Daimler Trucks made its debut on the Frankfurt stock exchange earlier today and its shares were trading up from its debut price of 28 euros. Daimler spun off its truck unit from Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and vans, in order to unlock more value in each brand. Daimler still owns a 35% stake in its truck business. Daimler Trucks is now the largest commercial vehicle maker in the world by revenue but its profit margin is behind competitors Scania and Volvo Trucks.

TESLA TO LAUNCH TWO CHEAPER MODEL 3 VERSIONS IN CHINA
Looks like Tesla is getting ready to come out with two cheaper versions of the Model 3 in China. Gasgoo reports that Tesla filed for patents on a rear drive Model 3 with a 180-kilowatt motor, and another with a 194-kilowatt motor. The current Model 3 RWD uses a 202-kilowatt motor. Each model will also use cheaper LFP batteries, or lithium iron phosphate. Last month, Tesla raised the price of the Model 3 in China by more than $3,000. The base price is now $40,140 including subsidies. So the new models, with less range and power, are likely a move to offset the price increases.

PEUGEOT & WHIRLPOOL PARTNER TO MAKE UPSCALE FOOD TRUCK
Peugeot and appliance maker Whirlpool have taken the world of food trucks a little more upscale. They created this demonstration vehicle out of a Peugeot Expert van, which also gets its own matching trailer. The sides of the van open and two large countertops fold out. It features a stove top, two steam ovens, sink, refrigerator, generator and a big screen TV for good measure. Whirlpool says it will travel throughout France with the vehicle so customers can experience its products.

But that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for joining us and I hope you have a great weekend.