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Runtime: 9:30
0:00 EV Chargers Outnumber Gas Pumps in California
1:09 Tesla Pauses Free FSD Trial in China
2:06 2025 Cybertruck Sales Down 32.5% In U.S.
3:02 No Plans for Next-Gen Cadillac CT4 & CT5
4:59 BYD Tops Tesla in Revenue In 2024
6:05 Stellantis Offers Buyouts to UAW Workers
6:49 Stellantis Loses Lawsuit Over Supplier Pricing Dispute
7:49 Autoline Used Car Poll Results
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
EV CHARGERS OUTNUMBER GAS PUMPS IN CALIFORNIA
While the U.S. Government has halted funding intended to build new EV charging stations nationwide, California has hit a major EV charger milestone. The California Energy Commission estimates there were about 178,000 public and shared private EV chargers in the state at the end of last year, compared to roughly 120,000 gas pumps. Or in other words, there’s 48% more EV chargers than gas pumps. And it’s possible that the inflection point came before 2024 because the Commission only started ramping up its efforts to more accurately track the number of places to charge last year. That’s one reason why you see such a big jump from 2023 to 2024, which includes over 73,500 new and recently identified EV chargers. And these numbers don’t even factor in the more than 700,000 Level 2 chargers at single-family homes in California.
TESLA PAUSES FREE FSD TRIAL IN CHINA
China implemented a new set of rules that requires automakers to submit detailed technical information on any OTA software updates, especially related to ADAS functions, that they send out to their vehicles. The move is supposed to allow officials to more closely regulate those updates, but it also forced Tesla to pause its FSD program in China. A spokesperson for the company said “the team is completing the approval of the 3.0 and 4.0 hardware corresponding to the intelligent assisted driving software… and once it is ready, it will be pushed to everyone as soon as possible.” While it’s unknown how long that process will take, it is nice to see that Tesla is also working on HW3 vehicles, because the newest FSD update in China was limited to HW4 vehicles, which only started rolling down the line in China last year.
2025 CYBERTRUCK SALES DOWN 32.5% IN U.S.
Speaking of Tesla, sales of the Cybertruck are down sharply in the U.S. in the first two months of the year. According to data from Cox Automotive, 2,619 units were delivered between January and February, a drop of 32.5% compared to last year. While the Cybertruck was the best-selling electric pickup in the U.S. in 2024 with just under 40,000 units delivered, at this year’s pace Tesla won’t even sell 16,000. The company is supposed to launch a new rear-drive model and, as we reported last week, its new dry cathode battery cell, which will both help bring down costs on the Cybertruck. So, that could boost sales. However, Tesla’s overall sales in the U.S. the first two months were also down 10% and the Model 3 itself dropped 17.5%.
NO PLANS FOR NEXT-GEN CADILLAC CT4 & CT5
The Cadillac CT4 and CT5 as we know them might be dead. According to GM Authority, there’s no next-gen version of either sedan planned after their current lifecycle. However, as Autoforecast Solutions told us a year ago, there will be at least one all-electric sedan in Cadillac’s future. It’s said to ride on a new platform, called BEV Prime, and go into production at GM’s Lansing Grand River plant in August of 2028. But instead of just one EV sedan, GM Authority says Cadillac will likely produce two and they’ll be closer in size to the CT5 and the previous CT6. As for the here and now, the company expects EVs to make up 30-35% of its sales this year, up from 18% last year.
BYD TOPS TESLA IN REVENUE IN 2024
Chinese automaker BYD had a really good year last year, especially compared to its rival Tesla. The automaker reported that its revenue came to $107 billion in 2024, the first time it’s ever topped $100 billion, which was better than Tesla’s $97.7 billion revenue last year. BYD also sold nearly as many BEVs, 1.76 million compared to 1.79 million for Tesla. And it really jumps ahead when you include plug-in hybrids, with BYD selling a total of 4.27 million vehicles in 2024. That gap will likely grow even bigger this year because BYD expects to sell between 5 and 6 million vehicles. But it didn’t beat Tesla everywhere. Tesla’s net profit hit $7.6 billion in 2024 compared to BYD’s $5.6 billion and it has a much larger market cap, $780 billion to BYD’s $157 billion.
STELLANTIS OFFERS BUYOUTS TO UAW WORKERS
After a rough 2024, Stellantis is offering voluntary buyouts to hourly workers in order to cut costs. UAW employees at more than 20 manufacturing sites in Detroit, Toledo, Ohio and Illinois have until May 8 to make a decision. Workers that have been on the job for at least a year but less than 15 years of experience can get $50,000, while workers with 25 years or more experience are being offered up to $72,000. Six months of medical benefits are also included. The UAW blamed the buyouts on former CEO Carlos Tavares and said that Stellantis is “still dealing with the mess left behind.”
STELLANTIS LOSES LAWSUIT OVER SUPPLIER PRICING DISPUTE
And speaking of Stellantis, it just lost a lawsuit over a pricing dispute it filed against one of its suppliers. The automaker filed the suit last year accusing MacLean-Fogg of withholding parts to get price increases which led to plant shutdowns that Stellantis claims cost it $3.7 million in damages. But a judge ruled that since the automaker didn’t commit to buying a certain amount of parts, MacLean-Fogg was not contractually bound to sell them. Stellantis ended up paying the price increase to keep production running and if the ruling stands, then Stellantis won’t be able to recoup the money. Stellantis has 30 days to file an amended complaint. The company actually sued several suppliers over similar pricing disputes last year. The suppliers were asking the automaker for price increases to cover inflation going up but Stellantis refused, so the suppliers withheld parts which led to the lawsuits.
AUTOLINE USED CAR POLL RESULTS
And now let’s go over the results to last week’s poll question. With Amazon announcing plans to sell used vehicles online, we wanted to know how you prefer buying a used car. We got 925 votes and 53% said you want to buy online, 27% preferred going with a dealer while just 20% like buying from a private owner. We got some good feedback too. Lukerinderknecht2982 wrote “I’d rather deal with a private seller directly. I don’t need Jeff Bezos taking more of my money.” fcv1967 disagreed saying “I want zero human interaction.” And isaacgarrison36 was more in the middle “Maybe a new car online but a used car? Heck no!”
But if the general public feels the same as our Autoline audience, then Amazon is making the right move. A we’d like to thank everyone that participated.
But that wraps up today’s show, thanks for watching and have a great day.
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Oh, the irony… In a state bent on electrification – to the point where chargers now outnumber gas pumps, the majority of folk have suddenly turn on the biggest and most American all-EV maker in the U.S.
I’m loving my CT5 and while Cadillac has no plans for next gen, I think they better hang on to the current one (at least for a while). While BEV is making gains, they are slowing down and ICE if far from dead. A little prudence in manufacture would make sense for Cadillac. They have Escalade IQ, Optiq, Lyriq, Vistiq (all good vehicles) but they certainly aren’t setting the world on fire as far as sales.
“The California Energy Commission estimates”
Why do they have to estimate? You have to pull a permit in CA just to fart, let alone construct an extremely high voltage EV charging station. They know the exact numbers. So I don’t have any more faith in this announcement than all the projections that said ICE engines wouldn’t exist by 2022 and the ice caps all melted back in 2010.
Cadillac should keep the CT4 and CT5 a few more years, but needs to update them a little. For a start, the CT5 with the base powertrain trails the direct competition from BMW and M-B, both in acceleration and mpg. I still think the Cadillacs look good, though, even after several years on the market.
A real shame Cadillac is abandoning its cars. The CT4 and particularly the CT5 was the only interesting thing that Cadillac had for me. Their SUVs just don’t bring excitement to me. Their SUVs are not particularly bad, just not interesting.
Daily, actually, the linked article says “Today, the California Energy Commission (CEC) announced the state has reached 178,549 public and shared private electric vehicle (EV) chargers installed statewide,” so the number is not estimated. Of course, that was the number on a certain day, so there are probably a few more now.
The CyberTruck is selling about as I expected it would. And that isn’t taking into account the Musk behavior factor. Its an expensive toy that doesn’t do very many things well. How many people have excess cash to fritter away on such a purchase? Fewer and fewer every day, which is the same thing I predict for CT sales.
I love the last line of the Cadillac story: EVs are expected to make up 30-35% of total Cadillac sales this year, up from 18% last year. However, if you are deleting ICE models from the lineup, that is bound to happen. A larger piece of a shrinking pie. And not necessarily a profitable one. I wish Cadillac the best of luck.
UAW members being offered buyouts, $50,000 for less than 15 years seniority those who choose to take it probably won’t find another job paying the kind of money they are used to making unless they already have a degree or skilled trade. After taxes these people will be lucky if they have $30,000 and something they don’t mention if you have a lease thru their financing arm the company changes it from a lease contract to a purchase and take the remaining balance out of the buyout money , probably so they get there money because lots of people would not have the money to pay for the vehicle once they burn thru the buyout money. I had a couple of friends whom did this at the old Chrysler when taking a buyout years ago.
Not just the biggest (by a mile) BEV maker in the US and 100% American, And led by the Greatest African American who ever lived, Elon Musk.
but also, especially if you believe Sandy Munro’s detailed accounts, the only one (with the possible exception of some heavily subsidized and protected Chinese EV makers)
who still can produce a BeV at a PROFIT,
which is the only way to produce them SUSTAINABLY,
while Ford loses $5 billion a year in its BEV segment, and GM does not disclose how many billions it loses, but we got Bob Lutz on the record admitting that they will finance their EV losses by their substantial SUV profits.
Kit, good point, there may be more chargers than the article says now, but there may also be fewer depending on how many have been set ablaze recently.
Side note: Avis stuck me with a Mustang Mach E in Florida a few weeks back because it was the only vehicle they had (despite my having a prepaid reservation.). The car rode great and had awesome acceleration and features. But damn is it hard as hell to find a public charger. I had to drive back and forth between Tampa, Gainesville, Orlando and Ocala and range anxiety totally ruins the experience and makes you hate the car. Ford’s own Blue Oval charger finder app sends you to incompatible Tesla charges. Every other charger requires you to download their own specific app and create an account with payment info just to unlock the connector to see if it will work, which in a couple cases did not. A couple times there were four charges but only one worked. It takes 59 minutes to charge the Mach E to 90% on a high speed charger. So I got to spend a lot of time at a Cadillac dealership in Ocala because there was no where to pass the time. And another morning in Orlando at 6 am I joined six other miserable people charging their various brands in some random parking lot. Never again!
I’d like to rent an EV for a day or two, if it was given to me fully charged, and my total use would be within range of one charge. There’s no way I’d want one if I had to find public charging in a place I wasn’t familiar with.
Up here in the Northeast I’m paying 35 cents / Kwh from National Grid at my home. I don’t know what the rate is for public charging.
I just fueled- up at $2.65 / gallon, so for me EV’s are off the radar screen.
Gary, you pay more for electricity, but less for gas than I do in Florida. Here, utility power is ~16 cents/kwh and gas is $2.899/gallon. My Prius has about the same fuel cost per mile as an efficient EV, like a Model 3 or Ioniq 6, using home charging (which I don’t have at my condo), but the Prius would cost about a third as much per mile as the EV using public charging. My “gas hog” Highlander Hybrid gets about 2/3 the mpg of the Prius.
CA has lots of EV chargers but also has half of the EVs of the Entire USA.
ALSO, just having lots of chargers does not even begin to solve the MANY problems and disadvantages they have over gas pumps: There are so many that I may even forget one or two.,
1.Charger reliability is still a big problem, broken down chargers are all over the place. THis almost NEVER happens with gas pumps.
2. charging speed, at best 5 times slower than gas, is a big problem for those whose time is VALUABLE (aka those who do have a life)
3. the cost of the dam electricity at a charger is not the bargain of charging at home.
4. popular destinations (not with me, but sure with millions of fools) like LA-Vegas ( I could care less for the phony sights of Vegas or its hot humid weather), there will still be LINES waiting to Start charging.
5. On top of these, you waste half an hour to fully charge your toaster, it has on average a lousy range of 200 miles or 300. COmpare that with me gassing (more accurately, dieseling) my E class. In five mins from empty to full, I see on the dash “RANGE, 710 MILES” (on long trips you can easily get 800 miles from one full tank)
If only my Prius had a tank with 15 gallon tank usable capacity, I’d have 700-900 miles of range, depending on the the type of driving.
@Kit, you’re probably right with the CT5 in four cylinder form (adequate but not inspiring). I have the 3 liter twin turbo; no lack of power.
From my experience with the rental Mach E, it cost about $21 to charge from 43% to 92%, so very similar to and about the same price as buying half a tank. But it takes an hour and the hassle of finding a compatible charger. So, much worse than a gas vehicle. Also, no charger would go to 100%. It would march to 80% at a good pace and then just slow to a trickle so that last segment to reach 90% takes up half the charge time. Must be some safety design so your car doesn’t overcharge and explode.
Chuck, yeah, the CT5 3.0 turbo would have lots of power. I don’t know how it compares with a 3 or 5 series with with the 3.0 turbo, but I’m sure it’s close enough to not matter. Somehow, though, the BMWs are less thirsty, and at least the four cyl versions, are faster. The only CT I’ve driven was a 4 cylinder CT4. It was nice, but not nice enough that I’d want to pay nearly $40K for the one I drove. If I bought a CT, it would be a CT5. It’s not a lot pricier, and you can get they 3.0 T, and with RWD.
FWIW, in my old(er) age, I’ve had my fun with Corvettes and Porsches and now have only a 2024 Prius and a 2022 Highlander Hybrid. The current Gen 5 Prius, while less utilitarian than Gen 2-4, is much quicker, and generally drives much better. With my driving, I get about the same mpg as with the slower ones. I guess the new one is Jekyll and Hyde, but it works for me. Also, people tell me it looks good, rather than bad.
Even with 4wd, the BMW is less thirsty. Is it the gearing, or something with the engine? I wish CR had tested those versions, to see if they saw the same thing. They tested only the 4 cylinder versions.
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=47931&id=48177
Regarding the “Greatest African American who ever lived, Elon Musk” according to Regulus, could it be a coincidence that he came to the US via Canada about the time apartheid ended, given his current politics?
Last year, I spent a weekend with a Tesla S Plaid. Super fast, with lots of crazy features. But for some reason, it still felt like driving a golf cart (a fast golf cart, but still…). Recently I bought a CT5-V, and I can say without any doubt, it is way more fun to drive! Something about the way the car feels, and the “bbbrrrrmm” of the engine when it starts up or the pop pop when I floor it…it’s just fun. Call me crazy or maybe I’m just old and indoctrinated…but I love my CT5.
I can attest to the CT5’s fuel rating; I ran pretty consistently 28 and above on the highway at 70-75 mph (Charleston to Orlando when on the interstate and even ‘tickled’ over 30 in the most favorable conditions). Maybe my in-city is more mixed than EPA as I’m seeing more mid 20’s around town (23-24 mpg). And this compares pretty favorably to the BMW you referenced (that was a hybrid, so I’d expect the better city numbers). I’m an old-guy too so I don’t keep my ‘foot in it’ like I used to so my mileage (without hyper-mileing) is biased somewhat. Staying out of the turbo makes the difference. lol
“If my Prius had a 15 gallon tank…”
Your MPG would lose a couple points due to the higher weight etc. It is an upward spiral, not just the larger tank, the whole car would be larger or lose cargo or passenger space.
But if we play this game, why doesn;t my tank become, from 20 gallons or so, the 42 gallons some Ford trucks have? I’d easily exceed 1,800 miles
And then, why not use Metric units (even the… Brits have used them for decades), and the above becomes 3,000 KM range. Not a typo, 3,000.
I guess I can change the units on the dash, and even the 710 miles I get when I fill the tank will become well over 1,100 km. Just to have four digits.
Well, a week from now we have a conference on EVs starting, appropriately, on April Fools Day (just a dinner and a keynote bu that former GM research VP Larry Burns, who always champions failed ideas, I remember him in the 90s and 00s touting fuel cells (with a straight face) and insisting they were “10 years away” every year, then “20 years away”, and finally quit it. THen we got a serious day on Apr 2. I may go, just out of curiosity. Our BEV center has got 120 or so millions of funding, and I am confident it will not produce diddly squat. Its head used to be a GM exec.
Putting a 15 gallon gas tank in a Prius would add about 35 pounds, insignificant. I don’t know if there would be room for a tank that size without intruding upward. The bottom line is that car companies seem to size tanks in “mainstream” vehicles for a range of ~400-500 highway miles. My Highlander hybrid has a smaller tank than the non-hybrid, but I’ve looked under mine and a non-hybrid, and I’m pretty sure the bigger tank would fit in the hybrid.
The only “longer range” exception I’ve had was a pre-cheat VW Jetta TDI wagon. It, like the E-Class, had the same size tank as the gas version. I had tanks of over 700 miles with it.
While the UK uses mostly metric units, miles are still used for road signs, including speed limit signs.
Chuck, you must stay out of the turbo pretty well to get 23-24 mpg around town. Yeah, the BMW is a 48 volt mild hybrid which would partly, or mostly account for its better city mileage. It uses a belt driven motor/generator, but still has a conventional starter used for cold starts.
This past weekend, I attended the Atlanta Auto Show and test drove several vehicles. We got there early, so there were no lines, but I would not have waited in the long lines that showed up later. Stellantis seemed to be the only manufacturer offering test drives. I drove the 710 horsepower Dodge Durango Hellcat. The acceleration was incredible for it’s size and it sounded great, but there was no slalom to test the handling. The road manners were ok. The Grand Wagoneer, also a similar six figure price tag, was 510 horsepower but very smooth and luxurious. It was a long RAM truck chassis and I’m sure it was heavier, but the acceleration seemed as good; I’m sure technically it was fractions of a second or maybe a second difference, but the feel was as good but much smoother and controllable. It was much quieter and handled more like a luxury vehicle much smaller than it was.
I really wanted to try the electric Dodge Charger, but there were none to drive, just the one in the display hall.
I drove an Alpha and a Fiat, but wasn’t really wowed by either.
Regarding the range and charging discussions, any of the current vehicles available would do fine for me as long as we keep a different vehicle for travel. I would do almost all my driving with home charging and just one or two long trips per year that may require one charge on the road If we didn’t have another vehicle. The reports of new EVs giving hundreds of miles of range in 5 minutes makes them close enough to on par with ICE, that for my infrequent open road travels, I would accept that. I wouldn’t want a Chinese EV though, so the domestics need to equal or top that range/charge time first.
Regarding Fuel Cells; I have debated them with friends since the 90s, and have always said they were just a stop-gap until the EVs were ready for prime-time, and they are getting really close now. I don’t see FC being useful long term for anything except long haul trucking, warehouses, and stationary energy storage.
I also agree we should use metrics here. We are the oddballs not using the metric system, and our arbitrary Imperial system doesn’t make nearly as much sense. People would get used to it.