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Runtime: 10:27
0:00 OMG! A 4-Door Mustang?
1:16 EV Sales Growing Strong in Brazil
2:05 SAE J2954 Sets Wireless EV Charging Standard
3:07 Acura EV Concept Signals New Design Direction
4:15 Leapmotor Revenue Leaps 52%
5:09 Rivian Pauses Amazon Van Production
5:49 Natron Energy Builds Sodium-Ion Battery Plant
6:41 Lincoln Navigator Gets Needed Refresh
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OMG! A 4-DOOR MUSTANG?
Mustang purists will be horrified, but Ford is looking at bringing out a 4-door version of the fabled pony car, which could be called the Mach 4. It’s also considering a V8 convertible, and it’s even thinking of bringing out an off-road, all-wheel drive version, too. Automotive News reports that Ford showed these future concepts to its U.S. dealers at a meeting in Las Vegas, and that the dealers loved what they saw. These are IC engine concepts, not EVs. It’s a time-honored tradition in the auto industry that when you have a successful product, extending the product line with additional models can be very profitable. The trick is to not dilute the appeal of the original. But the meeting wasn’t all about ICE vehicles. Ford also showed 3 different top hats for the low-cost EV platform it’s developing, including a sedan, crossover and a pickup truck. That platform is supposed to be Ford’s answer for how to compete on cost with Chinese automakers.
EV SALES GROWING STRONG IN BRAZIL
Legacy automakers pretty much ignored South America as a potential EV market. But then BYD and some other Chinese automakers started selling EVs in Brazil, and the sales numbers made everyone sit up and pay attention. Last year almost 94,000 BEVs were sold in Brazil and the segment is just getting going. They could hit 150,000 this year according to the Brazilian Electrical Vehicles Association. As many as 2.8 million EVs could be on Brazilian roads by 2032. As we reported last month, GM is going to start shipping Chevrolet Blazer EVs to Brazil to test the waters. And we think it’s likely that other legacy automakers will be right behind it.
SAE J2954 SETS WIRELESS EV CHARGING STANDARD
Speaking of EVs, the SAE, or Society of Automotive Engineers, just came out with its standard for wireless EV charging for light vehicles. The new standard is called J2954, and the SAE says it could be a game changer because it will allow for the commercialization of wireless charging, where you just park a car in a specific spot and it starts charging without having to plug it in. The SAE says it allows for up to 11 kilowatt transfers of power with 93% efficiency. The standard is based on what they called DIPS, or Differential Inductive Pos System, and it could even charge an EV while it’s in motion. That’s one of the dreams for future EVs–having a road system with inductive charging so EVs could be equipped with smaller batteries to cut weight and slash cost without sacrificing range.
ACURA EV CONCEPT SIGNALS NEW DESIGN DIRECTION
Acura pulled the wraps off a performance EV concept that shows the brand will be embracing an all new form language with its future designs. Acura calls it an SUV, even though it looks like a 2-door fastback. A production version, which will be built in Ohio, will hit the market late next year. It’s built on a platform that Honda developed in-house, not the GM Ultium platform that the current Acura ZDX EV uses. The styling, which was done at Acura’s design studio in Los Angeles, is a dramatic departure from what the brand has now. Acura points to its long wheelbase and short overhangs and says the front-end design was inspired by hydrofoil superyachts.
LEAPMOTOR REVENUE LEAPS 52%
Chinese EV maker Leapmotor posted a big jump in revenue in the first half of the year. It was up 52% to $1.2 billion due to a surge in sales. It delivered 86,700 vehicles in the first six months of the year, up 95% from a year ago. And things are looking better for the second half. Leap averaged 14,450 deliveries a month in the first half but in July its deliveries jumped to 22,100 vehicles and it also reported a net order increase of 28,000 vehicles. And we think that has to do with its partnership with Stellantis. Leapmotor started building vehicles at Stellantis’ plant in Poland in June and last month they began shipping vehicles jointly produced in China to Europe.
RIVIAN PAUSES AMAZON VAN PRODUCTION
Just when we thought all those problems with parts shortages were over, Rivian suspended production of Amazon’s electric van because of a parts shortage. Bloomberg reports the company halted production earlier this month at its plant in Normal, Illinois. Rivian won’t say which parts are involved but says it expects to make-up for any lost production. In the meantime, its R1 pickup and SUV aren’t affected and remain in full production. Rivian has a deal to supply Amazon with 100,000 vans. So far it’s delivered 15,000 of them.
NATRON ENERGY BUILDS SODIUM-ION BATTERY PLANT
Sodium batteries could be a great alternative to NMC batteries. And Natron Energy is investing $1.4 billion to produce 24-GW of sodium-ion batteries annually in North Carolina. That’s 40 times higher than the current production capacity at its plant in Holland, Michigan. While sodium-ion batteries are only half as energy dense as lithium batteries, they don’t require minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel or copper and they’re non-flammable. Despite some of their advantages, the International Energy Agency forecasts that sodium-ion batteries will be equipped in less than 10% of EVs globally by 2030. They’re expected to be used more for power, industrial and grid energy storage.
LINCOLN NAVIGATOR GETS NEEDED REFRESH
The Navigator SUV, which is the flagship for the Lincoln brand just got a mid-cycle refresh. While the exterior styling gets some updates, the real story is inside, where a 48” display that stretches from pillar to pillar dominates the interior. The display is set far back on the instrument panel, creating a large shelf in front of it, which really adds to a feeling of spaciousness. Lincoln says it wants the Navigator to be something of a personal spa for its owners. When in Park, you can put it in what they call Rejuvenate mode, which moves the driver’s seat back, reclines, starts warming and begins massaging. The steering wheel moves away, the ambient lighting comes on and soothing sounds emanate from the 28 speakers of the Revel sound system. Or, you can put it in Waterfall Meditation mode or Aurora Borealis mode, where waterfalls or Northern lights play on the giant video screen. One other notable design change is that the rear liftgate is now split in two. The top half can open like a liftgate, while the bottom half opens like a tailgate. Lincoln needs the refresh to give the Navigator a shot in the arm. So far this year sales are down 20% in the U.S. market, even though Lincoln’s overall sales are up by more than 23%.
And that wraps up this week in the automotive industry. Have a great weekend and we hope to see you back here again on Monday.
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A ‘ThunderStang’, personally, I don’t think so……………….but I’ve been wrong before. ;-D
And a rolling charge system would be so expensive and extensive, I’m going to go with, I don’t think so……………and I don’t think I’m wrong on this one.
If Ford goes with a 4D Stang hopefully they name, it the Capri or something else to not dilute the original as you state in the segment. The Capri was always Mercury’s version of the Mustang but they likely still own the name. Offering a 4 door might appeal to a larger segment of buyers for sure. Worked well for the Dodge Charger.
my father had an early Mercury Cougar. The Capri here in Canada was an import from Ford Germany.
If they want to make another version of Mustang, how about a two door hatchback? The did that in the past, and it still looked like a Mustang.
I guess I am another example of why anyone should actually check out a car before buying it online. I just sat in, and played with the controls of a Mach-E, the car MURKUR DRIVER hated on a day or two ago. He found it hard to get in and out of, and found the roof to block side vision. I found the car to be easier to get in and out of than anything I’ve had in years. My Highlander is a little too high, the Mini, a little too low, and the Cayman, a lot too low for the ultimate in entry/exit ease. As far as seeing out the side, as the seat was adjusted when I got in, I could see out ok, but I’m a little shorter than MERKUR. The seat had a lot of downward adjust left, though, and reclining the seat more always lowers your sight line. I found the operator interface decent, for something that is mostly touch screen. I also checked out an Equinox EV. The screen function in the Mach-E seemed a little more intuitive, but I suspect either would have a learning curve no steeper than the iDrive variant in my Mini. Since I’m not actually in the market, I didn’t drive either the Ford or Chevy.
Albemarle, they sold the European Capri for a few years in the US, and then recycled the name a couple times. There was a Mercury Capri in the ’80s, which was mostly a rebadged Mustang. Then, there was a Mercury Capri in the ’90s which was a front drive roadster from Australia.
Hmmm…a four door Mustang….I don’t know. I think they should do like the did with the Mach and exact copy of the two door, but give a different name, that is not Mustang! While they’re at it, rename the Mustang Mach-E to just Mach-E. I would be even interested in seeing a EV version too, like the Charger, maybe as a concept.
Speaking of the Mach-E, I know that hind sight is 20/20, but Ford may have been better off doing an EV Lincoln, instead of the Mach-E. While Ford gets to use the Mustang’s name recognition and styling on the Mach-E, but it’s price point may have worked better for the model. I don’t believe Ford is having any trouble moving them, but it seems, at least to my eye, that Mach-E is stretching the valve idea of the Mustang brand. I know that Mustang’s can get pretty pricey, but Mustang’s have always stood for ‘bang for your buck’. Which a base Stang starting about in the mid to low $30K, the Mach-E’s hovering around $50K, is a big jump! That price point would be okay for a Lincoln, but it would never have be as exciting as something styled after the Mustang!
Regarding the energized streets, not only are we forgetting the cost of building them, then in 5 to 10 years, you have to replace them! What happens if the road is flooded out and when it drys, the road is okay but the electrical is damaged?! How protected will the road be during snow and ice season? Will they be able to use salt on those roads? I guess trolleys and “L” trains work in the winter and they make it work in winter, so I may be just another “the sky is falling” noise maker!
The Qcura concept is nice but would look better to my eye if the wheels were smaller and the front-end was tone down in size. The exposed lights in the front remind me of those used on recent Buicks, the front ends do not impress me (as is they were thinking about me). Th erest is pretty nice, but I wonder just how much of the concept will make it to production, though.
There are apparently some very good lease deals on Mach-E, according to the guy who showed me the car today.
The images of the Acura EV show rear door cut lines. So, I wouldn’t call it a 2-door fastback… but a 4-door fastback. Sorry about this minor nit.
As a multiple traditional Mustang owner I initially hated the Mustang Mach E idea but quickly realized that the electric version allows for future ICE versions to remain (like the beloved 21-23 Mach1). I would be fine with a four door Mustang.
@EV sales in Brazil. Brazil is a great market for EVs: 1 most people live in large cities, many in apartment buildings with a parking structure underneath; 2 few people drive longer distances; 3 Brazil has, like Canada, the best improvement of the environment: 85% of electrical power is generated through hydro, wind, solar, bio and nuclear.
Wim, does Brazil still produce a lot of ethanol from sugar cane for fuel?
If they want to make a four door Mustang, they should call it Falcon, or something like that. There is a reason there is a Porsche Macan, not a 911 Macan.
Maybe LTD Crown Victoria would be a good name for a four door Mustang.
Kit — If the vehicle is going to be a four vehicle with heavy Mustang styling, then the Falcon name would be cool, but if the follow what they did with the Mach-E (which IMHO they shouldn’t) then maybe something that is horse related (like steed, stallion, colt, etc.) or has some relevance to the Ford Mustang itself. My question is: Will it use the Mustang’s platform or be build using something else? Will it fit in the compact or midsize vehicle category? Will it be a four coupe, or have AWD? Just as importantly, with most legacy OEMs always concerned with economies of scale, will of have a Lincoln version (I won’t be surprised if it did!)?
Both Capri and Cougar names were used for Mercury Mustangs. Cougar was used for Mercury Mustangs, Thunderbirds, and a few others. A friend had a Thunderbird Mercury Cougar, I think mid-’90s. It had a 4.6 V8.
With a version of the Mustang having been built from the platform of the Lincoln LS of a couple generations ago, should Ford follow though on a four Mustang, a Lincoln version would not be out of the question. Yet, they should build a Mustang sedan (boy, did it feel weird saying and typing that out loud!), would it be a compact and line up with the 3 Series, or a midsize and go head to head with the 5 Series? Obviously, when I say compete I mean with regard to driving dynamics and not luxury. Here is a thought, maybe Ford could do both a Mustang sedan to compete with the 3 Series and a midsize Lincoln to compete with the 5? Would have been nice the if the Pontiac G8 and the Chevy Caprice of a few years ago and that Kia RWD sedan would be still on sell should this four Mustang came to market! It looks like the only real, direct competition will come from the four door Charger and maybe the Cadillac CT4 and CT5, indirectly!
Speaking of the new Charger, over the past few weeks, I have seen several of them in the metro Detroit area! They are all without camouflage and are usually in packs of four. To my eye, the pictures of the actual version verses the pictures of original concept seems to have lost some of its excitement. But, let me tell you, seeing them in the metal is a sight to behold! They. Look. Incredible! Personally, I don’t think Dodge/Stellantis will have any trouble selling any of them, ICE or EV. Here is the thing, one morning I saw one of them by itself and when it went by me, I heard what I thought was the sound of a V8! I know they are being built with them, so that’s what surprised me. I can’t imagine Dodge’s fake engine noise will be that good, or maybe they are planing a surprise down the line for Hemi V8 lovers?! I’ve also seen several Wagoneer S models too, all without camouflage and they look better then their pictures give them credit. Here is the thing, one would imagine that sightings of them would be all over Auburn Hills, outside of Stellantis’ North American headquarters. Yet these sightings I’ve had have all been in GM and Ford’s headquarters play ground! Strange!
The last Thunderbird, not a Mustang, was based on the Lincoln LS/Jaguar S-type platform.
I’m in Kokomo, IN where former Chrysler Group makes their transmissions. I haven’t seen any new Chargers, but if they are running around the Detroit area, maybe I’ll see one here. I’d like to see them.
I think Stellantis is rethinking the ICE only Challenger/Charger. I keep seeing articles touting a twin turbo straight 6 and the other day saw one that indicated a V8 might still be an option. I think they realized an EV only version will lead to devastating sales. So at a minimum looks like they are going to offer a selection of powertrains.
Kit- I like the idea of Falcon better than Capri. The Capri name just always seemed a bit feminine for a muscle car. Maybe due to women’s capri pants or the popular kids drinks Capri Sun. But the name just doesn’t have the aggressive feel that goes with the Mustang look. Actually, I wouldn’t mind seeing Ford really expand the Mustang lineup to include a 2-door, 4 door, Hatch, sedan, and wagon hatchback. While maintaining the convertible option for the sedan versions. It’s an attractive design and would fulfill almost all car buyer’s needs. especially if they offered it with 2.0L turbo, a decent V6 and still the Coyote V8 with a hybrid option for those engine combinations. Get back to the roots of Mustang and offer interior color selections like turquoise green, Red, white and Blue other than the 3 shades of grey and black. Since Ford has basically cut all other car production might as well offer something to fill the needs for everyone in the one car you still make.
Leave the Mach-e for full EV and get the Mustang some hybrid options. IMO
I meant to say above: Stellantis is rethinking the EV only Challenger/Charger.
Kit — Yes the Thunderbird was built from the same bones as the LS and S-Type, but toward the end of the LS’s product cycle, Ford was in the process of a major reworking of the Mustang. The question was to either a major update/redesign of it’s old platform of the time, or do a completely new one. The old one was too old and require more money then the cash strapped automaker could spend and a new platform was out of the question! So the used the RWD of the out going LS. Some at the time thought this would mean new life for the LS, but that was not the case.
While a family of Mustang vehicles sounds interesting, I just wonder how sustainable that might be, with the SUV/CUV craze? Then, would that mean that Ford stands for trucks and Mustang is their sedan, coupe and convertible line? Then again, with most other local legacy OEMs having dispatched sedans in most segments, perhaps that may be room for one more RWD sedan with pony car aspirations, then just the Charger?!