AD #3393 – Hottest EVs Are School Buses?!; More States Joining California’s ICE Ban; The Best Cars for Dogs

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

HONDA WANTS EV CREDIT CHANGES
Honda is on board with California’s ICE ban by 2035… with certain conditions. While it supports the mandate, it says it will be hard to go all EV without more inclusive federal tax credits. Here’s the important part of its statement, which says, “the reality is that very few to no electric vehicles will be eligible for this critical incentive in the near term. Today’s action by California makes it more important than ever for policymakers to enact complementary policies that will accelerate – not decelerate – the adoption of electric vehicles.”

MORE STATES JOINING CALIFORNIA’S ICE BAN
At the same time, we’re seeing more states jump on board with California. Washington’s governor announced it will also mandate 100% EV by 2035, but the specific regulations have not been created yet and the public will have a chance to weigh in. There are 17 other states, including Washington, that have adopted similar or the same zero emission targets as California in the past, so we’re likely to see more make the move to pure electric.

FORD RAISES MACH-E PRICE
Well, you just knew this was coming. Earlier this month Ford raised the price of the F-150 Lightning. And now it’s the Mustang Mach-E’s turn. Prices are going up anywhere from $4,000 to $7,775 depending on the model, with the bigger increases going on the higher priced, higher performance versions. Ford had stopped taking orders for the Mach-E because it couldn’t keep up with them. But with these new price increases, it has re-opened the order books.

KIA TEASES PICS OF EV9
Kia revealed camouflaged images of its upcoming EV9 electric SUV. While it’s not as bold and muscular looking as the concept, the styling remains pretty faithful. Kia is positioning the EV9 as its flagship model and it’s said to have 540 kilometers or 335 miles of range. The electric SUV is built on the Hyundai Group’s Electric Global Modular Platform and is undergoing its final testing in Korea. The EV9 makes its global debut in the first quarter of 2023.

AUDI JOINING F1 IN ‘26
Audi made it official, it’s getting into Formula One in 2026, which is when a new rules change takes place that requires F1 cars to run on synthetic fuels and have up to 50% of their power come from electricity. Audi is expected to buy the Sauber team, which is currently running under Alfa Romeo’s banner. In a way we could say that Audi is getting back into grand prix racing. In the 1930s Auto Union ran its famous rear-engine V-16 cars that were based on a design from Ferdinand Porsche. And Auto Union was the precursor to Audi. In fact, the four rings Audi’s uses in its logo are the same used by Auto Union. Those rings represented the four companies that formed Auto Union including Horch, Wanderer, DKW and Audi.

MERCEDES EQS SUV STARTS U.S. PRODUCTION
Mercedes launched production of the electric EQS SUV at its plant in Alabama, the only site where the model will be produced. The big deal for Mercedes is that it will qualify for the $4,000 federal tax credit for EVs, since it’s built in the U.S. The battery systems for the EQS SUV will also be assembled at a nearby battery factory in Alabama. Starting in 2024, automakers will receive another $3,750 credit for batteries produced in the U.S. as long as 50% of the value of its components are made in America. But it’s not clear yet if Mercedes’ battery factory meets that requirement.

TOYOTA TUNES AEB FOR TOWING, LIFT KITS
Whether it’s boats, dirt bikes, horses, or campers, towing is becoming more and more popular. So automakers are putting more effort into making towing easier and safer. Toyota is calibrating the AEB or automated emergency braking on the Tundra pickup so it will perform properly even if the owner installed a lift kit and even if the truck is towing a heavy load. The AEB system will trigger automatically at speeds up to 40 miles an hour.

USPS HONORS PONY CARS
Are you a philatelist? That’s a stamp collector, by the way. Well, whether you are or not, we figured you’d be interested to see that the US Post Office just issued a new series of stamps that honor the muscle car. Specifically there are stamps for the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302, the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T, the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, the 1967 Mercury Cougar XR-7 GT and the 1969 AMC Javelin SST. These are not photos of the cars, they’re oil paintings on canvas that were done by the well-known, car-culture artist Tom Fritz.

HOTTEST COMMERCIAL EVS? SCHOOL BUSES!
Electric cars get all the media attention but commercial EVs are where we’re seeing faster adoption. That was the topic on Autoline After Hours. Tony Sutton and Jason Gies from Navistar explain why school buses are one of the hottest EV applications in the commercial sector.

There’s a lot of great info in that show about the commercial and heavy duty truck market going electric and you can catch it on our website or YouTube channel.

BEST CARS FOR DOGS
Today is National Dog Day in the U.S. And to celebrate, Autotrader released its annual Best Cars for Dog Lovers list. It picked vehicles based on how many pet friendly features and accessories are offered, including a low floor, pet screens, durable seats, cargo tie-downs, and rear heating and AC vents. So without further ado, here are the 10 best vehicles in alphabetical order by brand. The Chrysler Pacifica, Ford Bronco Sport, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Wrangler, Kia Soul, Ram ProMaster City, Subaru Outback, Tesla Model 3, Toyota Sienna and the Volvo XC60. Dogs play a big role when buying a new vehicle, Autotrader says 85% of owners consider their dog when deciding what vehicle to purchase.

And that wraps up this week of Autoline Daily’s. Enjoy your weekend and join us again on Monday.