Listen to “AD #3486 – Corvette Reveals E-Ray; EV Drivers Need to Pay More Road Fees; Tesla Staged Self-Driving Promotion Video” on Spreaker.
Follow us on social media:
Runtime: 11:12
0:08 Tesla Engineer: Company Staged Self-Driving Promotion Video
1:15 GM Appeals Racketeering Case Against FCA To Supreme Court
2:11 Virginia Governor Scraps Ford & CATL Battery Plant
3:37 Corvette Reveals E-Ray Hybrid
5:04 New Hyundai Kona Powertrain Details
6:02 German BMW Owners Can Watch Soccer in Their Car
7:22 U.S. Insurance Rates See Biggest Jump in Six Years
8:35 Automakers Commit to Invest $210 Billion In EVs In the U.S.
9:30 Tesla Orders Spike in China After Price Cuts
10:06 Study Says EV Drivers Need to Pay More Road Fees
Visit our sponsors to thank them for their support of Autoline Daily: Bridgestone, Intrepid Control Systems, and Schaeffler.
This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
TESLA ENGINEER: COMPANY STAGED SELF-DRIVING PROMOTION VIDEO
Uh-oh, this isn’t good for Tesla. A Tesla engineer testified that a video the company released in 2016 promoting self-driving of a Model X was actually staged. His testimony is part of a lawsuit against Tesla involving an accident that killed an engineer from Apple. The video supposedly showed a Model X driving without any driver intervention, but Tesla’s engineer testified that they used a predetermined route and took several days to teach the car how to drive that route. During those tests, drivers had to intervene on several occasions. And the car hit a fence when trying to teach it how to park on its own. When the video came out Elon Musk tweeted that it was proof that “Tesla drives itself.” Tesla tells drivers they have to pay attention when using Autopilot or Full Self Driving, but the fact it said the person in the video “is only there for legal reasons… not doing anything… the car is driving itself” is misleading and could hurt the company in court.
GM APPEALS RACKETEERING CASE AGAINST FCA TO SUPREME COURT
Speaking of court cases, General Motors just won’t let go of its racketeering case against Fiat Chrysler, which is now Stellantis. GM originally filed a lawsuit back in 2019, accusing the former CEO of FCA, the late Sergio Marchionne, of intentionally trying to harm GM, by bribing UAW officials during collective bargaining negotiations, to make GM’s labor costs higher. It was thrown out by a federal judge. GM appealed that decision to the U.S. 6th Circuit Court, which also threw it out. So now GM is appealing to the Supreme Court. GM claims it lost billions of dollars because of this but FCA/Stellantis says the lawsuit has no merit and so far, the courts agree with FCA. But let’s see what the Supreme Court has to say.
VIRGINIA GOVERNOR SCRAPS FORD & CATL BATTERY PLANT
The state of Virginia just slammed the door on a battery plant that was going to be built with Chinese battery company CATL and the Ford Motor Company. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin says the proposal would “serve as a front for the Chinese Communist party, which could compromise our economic security and Virginians’ personal privacy.” CATL is the largest battery producer in the world, and Ford wants it to make LFP, or lithium iron phosphate, batteries in the United States because they’re cheaper than NMC batteries, or nickel, manganese cobalt. The Detroit News reports the plant could now be built in Michigan. The plant is slated to generate 2,500 jobs and likely involves a multi-billion-dollar investment.
CORVETTE REVEALS E-RAY HYBRID
The first electrified, all-wheel drive Corvette is here! Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the iconic American sports car in New York, Chevrolet unveiled the all-new E-Ray. Sending power to the rear wheels is the same naturally aspirated 6.2L LT2 V8 as the Stingray, but it also features a 160-horsepower electric motor to drive the front wheels and 1.9 kWh battery pack, which is mounted between the seats. Combined the setup produces 655 horsepower and provides an estimated 0-60 time of 2.5 seconds. In some cases, it’s going to give the Corvette Z06 a run for its money, which features a 5.5L flat-plane crank V8 that redlines at 8,600 RPM and produces 670 horsepower. Other highlights of the E-Ray include Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, standard magnetic ride control, staggered 20- and 21-inch wheels and a Stealth Mode that allows all electric driving of up to 45 MPH. The all-new Corvette E-Ray goes on sale this year with a starting price of a little over $104,000 for the coupe and just over $111,000 for the convertible.
NEW HYUNDAI KONA POWERTRAIN DETAILS
We got our first look at the all-new Hyundai Kona about a month ago and now we’re getting some details about what will power the compact crossover. In Korea ICE versions will be offered with either a 1.6L turbo or a 2.0L Atkinson cycle engine, which is the same as the current model. The 1.6L turbo makes 195 horsepower, while the 2.0L makes 145 horsepower and is mated to a CVT. The new hybrid Kona features a naturally aspirated 1.6L with direct injection that is paired to an electric motor for a combined output of 140 horsepower. There’s also a pure electric version but we won’t learn about that until March. A couple other highlights for the new Kona include a new 12.3 inch integrated dual screen and upgraded ADAS technology.
GERMAN BMW OWNERS CAN WATCH SOCCER IN THEIR CAR
The World Cup is over but BMW doesn’t think its customers are done watching soccer yet. In Germany, 7 Series owners can download a new app that will let them watch a match from Germany’s top football league right from the infotainment screen. Not only can they watch live content, but also get highlights and other game stats. And while the video will only play if the vehicle is parked, audio streams are available while it’s in motion. It’s only a pilot that’s being rolled out for a couple of months, but similar projects will launch in other parts of Europe, the Americas and Asia. If successful, BMW says the feature could be added to future models.
U.S. INSURANCE RATES SEE BIGGEST JUMP IN SIX YEARS
Get ready to pay more for car insurance this year. According to a study from insurance research company ValuePenguin, which is part of LendingTree, insurance rates in the U.S. are expected to increase 8.4% this year, the biggest jump in six years. On average, U.S. drivers will pay $1,780 for full coverage insurance for the year. Michigan residents by far and away pay the highest costs at $4,788 a year, which is 168% above the national average. And that’s nearly $2,000 more than Florida, which has the second highest costs. And be sure to drive carefully, drivers with a traffic violation this year will see rates rise by 52% on average. And if you plan to buy an EV, expect to pay more for insurance. EVs insurance will be 28% higher than gas-powered vehicles and the two most expensive vehicles to insure are EVs, the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model Y.
AUTOMAKERS COMMIT TO INVEST $210 BILLION IN EVs IN THE U.S.
Ever since the U.S. passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which hands out subsidies for producing EVs and batteries in the U.S., there has been a flood of new EV investment in the country. According to a new report from Atlas EV Hub, the auto industry has committed to invest $860 billion globally by 2030 to transition to EVs. And $210 billion of that will be invested in the U.S., more than any other country. And 72% of those companies are headquartered in the U.S. Europe, as a whole, leads with $238 billion EV investment commitments, followed by the U.S. and Asia, excluding China, at $210 billion and China is at $199 billion.
TESLA ORDERS SPIKE IN CHINA AFTER PRICE CUTS
Looks like Tesla’s price cuts in China are paying off in significantly higher sales. Tesla cut the price of the Model 3 and Model Y by around $5,000 and $4,000, respectively, and sales shot up by 500% in some Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities just between January 6 and 9. We’ll have to see how sales come in for the full month, but if this keeps up, Tesla is probably going to trigger an all-out price war in China as other automakers will have cut their prices to stay competitive.
STUDY SAYS EV DRIVERS NEED TO PAY MORE ROAD FEES
A study from the Anderson Economic Group says that states and the U.S. federal government will lose road funding because EVs don’t pay any fuel taxes. Most states have increased their annual registration fees on EVs to offset the loss in fuel taxes, but the Anderson Group says that’s not enough. It says states are still going to lose money. The Anderson Group assumes drivers drive 14,300 miles a year. But with more people working from home these days, is that really the case? So we’d love to hear from you. How many miles do you drive a year?
But that brings us to the end of today’s show. Thanks for making Autoline a part of your day.
Thanks to our partner for embedding Autoline Daily on its website: WardsAuto.com
Seamus and Sean McElroy cover the latest news in the automotive industry for Autoline Daily.