AD #3365 – Chevy Launching Blazer EV Next Summer; Kia Planning EV Pickup for U.S.; Porsche Wants to Go More Upscale

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

AFTERMARKET BUSINESS EXPLODING
The price of new and used vehicles continue to soar. So a lot of people are just fixing up the cars they already own because they can’t afford to get a new one. And that’s helping out the aftermarket business. The German supplier Mahle announced that its Aftermarket unit increased its sales last year by 18.5% to just over one billion euros, which is a record for the company. And as long as prices remain high, the aftermarket business should continue to thrive.

KIA PLANNING ELECTRIC PICKUP FOR THE U.S.
Is Kia planning on coming out with an electric pickup? It sure looks that way. AutoForecast Solutions reports that Kia will produce a pickup at Hyundai’s recently announced EV plant in Georgia starting in early 2026. The pickup will be built on Hyundai’s E-GMP electric vehicle platform. But that’s all the details we know for now. AutoForecast also says that the electric version of the G70 will be built at the same plant starting in 2026. It too will be based on the E-GMP platform.

CATL EYES NORTH AMERICAN EXPANSION
The largest supplier of batteries in the world for EVs is looking to expand its presence in North America. Reports say CATL is eyeing Mexico for its next facilities, so it can supply batteries to Tesla and Ford. The battery maker will build at least 2 new plants in North America – there’s still a possibility it could produce batteries in the U.S. as well – and would spend up to $5 billion on the projects. By setting up shop in North America it not only puts CATL in close proximity to its buyers but it’s a hedge against any geopolitical tensions, or trade sanctions between the U.S. and China and against any kind of political problems that could arise within China itself.

HYUNDAI PARTNERS WITH ROLLS-ROYCE ON FUEL CELL VTOL
Hyundai is serious about developing VTOLs or passenger drones. Yesterday, it showed off a cabin concept for eVTOLs and now Hyundai is partnering with Rolls-Royce to collaborate on fuel-cell powered passenger drones. That’s Rolls-Royce the aviation company, not the car maker. The two are separate. Hyundai and Rolls will work on bringing hydrogen fuel cells, storage systems and infrastructure to the aerospace market. And they plan to show off a fuel-cell aircraft prototype in 2025.

PORSCHE WANTS TO GO MORE UPSCALE
Porsche is sharing more about its future electric plans. CEO Oliver Blume revealed that it is planning to come out with a new, all-electric, high-end SUV that will likely be positioned above the Cayenne. The model will be manufactured at the company’s plant in Leipzig, Germany, which is where the electric version of the Macan will be built as well. Porsche also revealed that its 718 cars, meaning the Boxster and Cayman, will be electric only by the middle of the decade.

FULLY ASSEMBLED BMW’s TO PARK THEMSELVES
Once a vehicle is built it has to be moved around to various stations before being loaded up and shipped off. But up till now this required a worker behind the wheel. BMW is testing a pilot project at one of its plants where 7 Series vehicles will move themselves through the assembly area and then on to logistics. Now you might think it’s just tapping into the car’s autonomous sensors, but that’s not the case. Stationary lidar units in the plant make digital rendering of the environment, including objects and vehicle location, which is then sent to real-time planning software that accelerates, steers, brakes and parks the car. The project is scheduled to last for several months, before being adapted to other models at the same plant and then on to other facilities after that.

CHEVY BLAZER EV LAUNCHES NEXT SUMMER
Chevy revealed way more details about the all-electric Blazer EV and let’s dive right into it. We’re seeing a couple of firsts for the Ultium platform with this vehicle. It’s the first to feature front-wheel drive. It’s the first to be used as a police vehicle. And, based on the range estimates, I believe it’s the first to use a 10-module battery pack, which should roughly be 85 kWh. It will also likely have a 12-module pack, like the Cadillac Lyriq, which is roughly 102 kWh and in the Blazer EV it will return an estimated range of up to 320 miles. The FWD version is estimated to have 247 miles of range. A performance SS version will be available as well and it comes standard with all-wheel drive. A 255 kW electric motor in the rear and a 180 kW motor in the front combine for 557 horsepower and 648 lb-ft of torque. In WOW or Wide Open Watts mode, which is like GMCs WTF or Watts to Freedom mode, this EV will do 0-60 MPH in under 4-seconds. The Blazer EV SS also comes standard with Brembo front brakes, a sport-tuned chassis and Super Cruise. Pricing for the Blazer EV starts at about $45,000 and ranges up to roughly $66,000 for the SS version. It will be built in Mexico and the first examples go on sale in about a year from now.

TOYOTA CONTINUES PUSH INTO FUEL CELLS
Toyota is continuing its push into fuel cells. It’s teaming up with Isuzu and Hino to develop light-duty electric commercial trucks that run on hydrogen in Japan in early 2023. But as Toyota has said it will not commit fully to all-electric yet. It wants to give customers a choice of what they want, so it’s also working with Daihatsu and Suzuki to develop a mini commercial van BEV for Japan that will be launched in 2023 as well. Toyota will also help build the hydrogen and charging infrastructure in the areas where the vehicles will be offered.

HONDA CIVIC TURNS 50
The Honda Civic is turning 50 years old. The model was launched in 1972 in Japan and went on sale in the U.S. the following year. Since then, Honda has sold nearly 30 million Civics worldwide, which is now in its 11th generation. Not surprisingly, it’s the longest running nameplate in Honda’s history and its best-selling vehicle ever. And the model is still going strong. Nearly 264,000 were sold last year in the U.S. and the new model won the 2022 North American Car of the Year award.

But that wraps up today’s show, thanks for tuning in.