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Runtime: 11:28
0:00 Drivers Not Sold on Hands-Free Driving
1:19 F-150 Lightning Outsells Cybertruck In Q1
2:11 BYD To Open New Hub in Hungary
3:01 Toyota Provides Longer Forecasts to Suppliers
4:24 Renault Reveals Off-Road EV Concept
5:23 GMC Upgrades Hummer EV
6:43 Bosch Testing Hydrogen Race Cars
7:27 Archer Aviation to Provide Air Taxi Rides During LA Olympics
8:19 Toyota Introduces Bold New Paint Color
8:50 What’s Your Thoughts on Stop/Start Tech?
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
DRIVERS NOT SOLD ON HANDS-FREE DRIVING
ADAS, or Advanced Driver Assist Systems, are one of the fastest growing technologies in the auto industry. That includes things like Level 2 automated driving, which helps steer a car, even though drivers still have to be ready to put their hands back on the wheel. Automakers say that car buyers love this feature, but a JD Power survey finds that drivers really don’t. And they’re not exactly sold on hands-free driving, either. The vast majority don’t see the value for what those systems cost. Ford charges about $2,500 or $50 a month for BlueCruise, but it also requires a connectivity package. GM charges about $2,500 up front for Super Cruise, but it also requires an OnStar subscription at $25 a month. Mercedes charges $2,500 a year for its Drive Pilot, while Tesla charges $8,000 or about $100 a month for FSD. Yet, JD Power found that drivers do like blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic warning, and automatic emergency braking, because they see real value in what those systems deliver.
F-150 LIGHTNING OUTSELLS CYBERTRUCK IN Q1
Tesla’s Cybertruck hit the market with some of the greatest fanfare we’ve ever seen for a new model. Sales grew at a steady rate all last year, but then that growth hit a plateau. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Tesla sold almost 13,000 Cybertrucks in the U.S. according to registration data collected by Cox Automotive. In the first quarter of this year, it only sold a little over 7,000. In fact, the Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck, and sales of the Lightning were down more than 7%. Tesla’s global deliveries were down 13% in the first quarter and much of the media is ready to write the company off, especially in Europe. We’re going to wait until we see second quarter sales to get a clearer picture of what’s going on at the company, and we won’t get those numbers until early July.
BYD TO OPEN NEW HUB IN HUNGARY
It looks like Hungary, where it already has a pretty decent presence, will become the home of BYD’s European operations. It opened its first plant in the country in 2016 to build electric buses. It’s currently building another plant there to produce passenger EVs. And now BYD’s CEO says it plans to establish a center in Hungary that will be a hub for sales, services, testing and to modify its vehicles for the European market. While the EU has pushed back against imported Chinese EVs for fear of them hurting the overall European auto industry, some countries in the region are more open to Chinese automakers establishing operations within their borders because of new employment opportunities. And BYD’s new center is expected to create 2,000 jobs.
TOYOTA PROVIDES LONGER FORECASTS TO SUPPLIERS
Automotive suppliers love to keep their production lines running smoothly. They don’t like rush orders from automakers. They don’t like slowdowns. They don’t like stops. And they want to know as far out in advance what they have to make, the quantities they have to make, and when it has to be delivered. Toyota is one of the best at this. It gives its suppliers a 3-month forecast, and it sticks to that schedule. Or at least, that’s how Toyota used to do it. Now it’s going to give its suppliers for North American production a 1-year forecast, something that’s unprecedented in the industry. Toyota is completely revamping and modernizing how it does its production forecasts and will start the 1-year forecast with its top 100 suppliers, then roll it out to the next 700 later this year. Toyota already has the best relationship with its suppliers compared to the other full-line manufacturers in North America, according to the latest Plante Moran supplier survey. And with a 1-year forecast, suppliers are going to love Toyota even more.
RENAULT REVEALS OFF-ROAD EV CONCEPT
Renault could be hinting at a future variant of the new Renault 4 with a concept it calls the Savane 4×4. Notable upgrades over the car it’s based on include an additional 15mm or about 0.6-inches of ground clearance, 18-inch all-terrain tires, a wider track and a second electric motor on the rear axle. Designers topped that off with a special paint color, called Jade Green and black accents around the lower fascias, fenders, roof and rocker panels that give it a more rugged look. They even threw in a few 3D printed components for a little something extra. The pixelated pattern on the roof is actually a printed fabric and the bump stops on the bumpers are made from 3D printed parts that have some shock-absorbing qualities to them. The Renault 4 Savane 4×4 Concept will make its public debut at the French Open tennis tournament, which starts this weekend.
GMC UPGRADES HUMMER EV
Speaking of EVs, GMC made a number of upgrades to the Hummer EV. One of those is a new driving mode it calls King Crab, which allows owners to tap into even more of the steer-by-wire system’s capability. When activated the rear wheels turn significantly faster than the front, so the back end of the vehicle rotates faster, making it easier to drive in tight spaces. Better still, the feature will be launched to all Hummer EV owners through an over-the-air update later this year. A new limited-production model is also coming to the lineup, called the Carbon Fiber Edition. It gets its name from carbon fiber inserts in the mirror caps and skid plates, but the real highlight to us is the improved 0-60 MPH time of 2.8 seconds. GMC didn’t provide a lot of detail on how it did that, but said it was “made possible through optimization of software and propulsion calibration, as well as developments in hardware and analysis work.” Other highlights include improved suspension tuning for a better overall ride, the ability to charge other EVs or send power to your home and the latest generation of GM’s SuperCruise hands-free driving system. Look for the new Hummer EV to start hitting showrooms later this year.
BOSCH TESTING HYDROGEN RACE CARS
Racing is one of the best ways to test and develop new technology. And to help make hydrogen powered cars more viable, Bosch created a liquid hydrogen storage control unit that’s being used in a Le Mans prototype. The unit can monitor and control the entire system from storage, to refueling to transferring the hydrogen to the fuel cell or IC engine. Bosch says the system can be used with liquid hydrogen in low-temperature tanks as well as pressurized hydrogen storage. Bosch’s prototype called the H24EVO will be on display at the H2 Village at Le Mans and the race car will also participate in the demo for hydrogen-powered cars at the event.
ARCHER AVIATION TO PROVIDE AIR TAXI RIDES DURING LA OLYMPICS
Los Angeles has notoriously bad traffic. So, to help ease that congestion when the city hosts the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games, organizers have partnered with Archer Aviation to provide air taxi rides. Archer’s Midnight eVTOL, which can hold up to four passengers, will transport VIPs, fans and stakeholders to venues around the city, which will only take about 10-20 minutes. Archer will install what it calls vertiports near venues where the aircraft can take-off and land. And they’ll also be installed in key areas like LAX, Hollywood, Orange County and Santa Monica. An estimated 15 million visitors are expected to travel to LA over the course of the games, so having this option could relieve a lot of headaches trying to get around town.
TOYOTA INTRODUCES BOLD NEW PAINT COLOR
Toyota is trying to add a splash of color to an otherwise mostly drab world of automotive paint finishes. Making its debut on the automaker’s TRD Pro models this year is a color developed by its CALTY design studio, called Wave Blue. It says the bright light blue color “tells a unique story of artistic vision and the relentless pursuit of innovation.” I don’t know about all of that, but it sure does grab your eye.
WHAT’S YOUR THOUGHTS ON STOP/START TECH?
We’ve got a new Autoline poll, and this week it’s open to everyone. The head of the EPA says that “everyone” hates the stop/start feature on their cars and promises to “fix it.” So, we’re winding, what feedback would you give automakers about stop/start?
1. I don’t mind it at all. It’s pretty seamless and efficient.
2. I hate it, don’t want it, and turn it off.
3. None of the above, see my comments below.
So here’s your chance to tell the industry what you think and we’ll post the results on Monday’s show. Vote on Patreon or our YouTube channel.
But that brings us to the end of today’s show and this week. Thanks for tuning in and I hope that you have a great weekend.
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I’m basically “1” with stop/start, but with caveats. There should be a conveniently located switch to turn in on and off, and it should stay the way it was when you last drove the vehicle.
I am fine with stop- start. It is a paradigm change.
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I bought my 2019 Tesla because I could buy Autopilot, $1,200. It save our lives within the first month. Six months later, I sold some TSLA stock to buy Full Self Driving, $6,000. It is why I have no interest in any other car. But then JD Powers finds it impossible to survey Tesla owners.
Toyota has had a similar color blue not too long ago. Not as fresh and bold as one would think, or at least anyone that follows Toyotas. Just fresh and bold because so many automakers are only selling drab colors like grey, black, and white.
On ADAS, I don’t like the way some of these ADAS vehicles drive. They take risks that I would not take. I guess it depends on if a more aggressive driver was tuning the ADAS responses or a more passive driver was doing the tuning of the system. The ADAS features that I do like is lane centering and adaptive cruise control. Those 2 features make long trips a breeze. I don’t really need those 2 things so I am not interested in paying a lot for them, but I would pay up to a certain amount. If those things required a subscription to operate, then there is zero amount including free that would make buy that feature. If they came standard with the car I would never even remotely activate them including the “free” trial periods that they offer. That is how little interest I have in subscription services
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The only ADAS I’ve had is adaptive cruise and lane centering. I never use the lane centering because you need your hand on the wheel most of the time, so what’s the point? I use constant speed CC a lot more than adaptive.
My first thought about stop/start is exactly Kits (some vehicles have it, my wife’s Mini for one but my Cadillac needs to be turned off after each ignition restart). It should be a one button ‘defeat’ setting if one so chooses.
I have a Toyota with Lane Centering and Adaptive Cruise. I don’t really care for either one as they make me a lazy driver. Too easy to let my mind wander rather than pay attention to driving.
The Cybertruck, of which Musk himself said it was developed as a joke, had a terrible intro, where Musk blundered the demo of its unbreakable windows by breaking one with his hammer.
It was never a mainstream vehicle, even tho its design has some intelligent features.
3. While we don’t have a vehicle with stop start, I had no issue with the SS system in our daughter’s Escape as it seemed to operate very smoothly. In essence I would go with #1 if it’s a good system, & 2 if it’s a rough operating SS system.
Bob Wilson, how did the Autopilot save your lives? How do you know that if you instead drove the car yourself, you would have killed yourselves?
I am not likely to get an EV soon, but if I did, while I like the Model 3 to a point, I would only consider the S and never the X or Y, and would get the S with the 402 EPA range, and in that bright blue metallic.
You (Bob should also make the “great leap forward” and graduate to a Model S. And, according to your new math, if you turn in your 3 and get a tradein value, you will only pay the diff for the S.
As for the pricey $6000 item you paid for by selling Tesla shares, did you get those as a gift? (another new Math question)
1 it doesn’t bother me at all.
Never had stop/start,so can’t really say yay or nay
I have adaptive cruise with lane centering. No fees. I like it because it allows me time to select the correct icon on the big vertical Subaru screen without wandering out of my lane. More a condemnation of big screens than an approbation of lane centering.
3. Don’t care if the car has it as long as it stays off or stays on when selected. The EPA gives more credit for it than it deserves.
The start stop on our 23 Buick Envision works well but the start stop on my 22 Silverado 3.0 diesel is a total waste! It should be able to turn off in set up menu.
1. Stop / start is fine, IF implemented well. I have a mild hybrid BMW, and stop / start is almost unnoticable.
I have stop/start on my Toyota Venza. Stop/start is not noticeable. Can’t tell when it comes on. Other ones may not be as good but I love it on my Venza.
Howard, is your Venza the new one? If so, iwith the hybrid powertrain t’s much different from with a regular ICE car, yep,very seamless.
A friend with a Model S got in on the last of the “free charging for life.” He’s driven it from Seattle to central Indiana 3 or 4 times, and doesn’t mind the extra time added to the trip.
SS #2
My wife’s 2019 Tourx has stop start with no on/off switch. I bought a device that plugs into the wiring under the hood that tells the computer that the hood is open so ss doesn’t function. The dollar I would save in fuel won’t make up for shutting off oil flow at every red light or a failed starter. It functioned pretty smoothly.
Hey Sean, it’s called Baby Blue and has been around since the ’60s, they even made a movie about it, Baby Blue Marine, featuring the colored coveralls the Marine Corp used to ship it’s washouts home in. Ask your dad about it, I’m sure he can tell you it’s nothing special.
I had a baby blue 1964 Dodge Dart, but they didn’t call it that. From a google search, it looks like they called it “light blue.”
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1. It works just fine and can be avoided with a lighter touch on the brake pedal.
We also love the adaptive cruise and lane centering on our Lincoln Corsair. It does not fight against me.
IMO, the best approach to start/stop systems would be to leave the regulations as they are, except remove the requirement for drivers to turn it off at the start of every drive. Instead, give them the option to turn it off until they turn it back on.
#3. Having lived in LA and in rural Ohio I can say stop stewart could be useful in the congestion of LA where the advantages are realized. However in Ohio where the stopping is typically just at traffic lights I ended up shutting it off. The fuel savings just isn’t there and I have to believe it’s reducing the longevity of the starter.
As for cyber truck sales being down. I’m not surprised at all as I’ve said many times here that the 1 million $100 reservations when they were refundable meant nothing. When Tesla asked for a non refundable $1000. The reservation number was never published. When asked it was crickets. There never was that much interest in any electric truck. It’s the vehicle that was built that no one asked for. Which is why Ram just postponed theirs again. The Silverado has been postponed like 2 years. And the Lightning even tho still far below expectations is out selling the cyber truck. Some will likely say the CT sales are down because of Elons political involvement but is be willing to bet most truck owners vote red anyway so I doubt it has much of anything to do with the sales drop. This was going to happen anyway.
IMHO, Tesla built the CT to give economies of scale to the motors used by Tesla semi. It also served to be among the first of their products to use a 48 volt electrical system, as well as a zonal architecture. Whether are not its exterior styling execution meant to be a ‘joke’ or not, the level of tech involved to design and build, along with the serious dollars it takes to own, would suggest that Tesla, at least, as very serious when they put it out to sell! The thing is, its hard to sell cars and trucks, with the best made plans and all the hard work from executives, designers, engineers and the employees that build them, does not mean that customers will respond the way you expect or hope the would! The lack of sells doesn’t mean everyone worked on it, didn’t do their best. The Pontica Aztec being a good example. Again, IMHO, if Tesla had built a pickup that much more closely resembled a standard truck, may have sold twice as many CT as they currently have. I mean look, most m8ght argue that those how bought a CT are either Tesla faithful/loyalists and those who want the next new-look-at-me product. While those who purchased or leased a Lightning were more than likely looking for an EV pickup to look like and do pickup type things and work. So, if that had a truck that looked like a classic truck, they would probably sold no fewer CT then they currently have and could have captured sells from the Lighting, Silverado EV and maybe even the R1T.
@Vic Maslanka, does your BMW use a belt driven motor/generator? That should be a great system, with no extra wear on a starter and ring gear.
The Cybertruck appears to have been a good thing for the wrap industry. About a third of the CTs I see on the road are colors other than kitchen sink brushed stainless. I see a few CTs when in Florida in SpaceX land, but I saw zero on my 1100 mile trip to Indiana I just made.
The CT time has come and gone. The styling simply limited the market size. Those who actually liked that styling have bought one and that is the end for CT. That is just the outside. The interior is about as bleak of a place as a car company can get. If it was a $30K truck, like that interior suggests, then they would find more success. At $80-100k, forget it.
I just completed an 1150 mile trip on the interstate in my 2024 Prius, going ~80 mph most of the time, except during slowdowns going into Atlanta, and a couple others. The car’s readout said 49.5 mpg, and the actual calculated mpg was 48.94. I’m impressed. That’s about 5 mpg better than my much slower gen 3 got for the same trip, going a little slower, if anything, in the gen 3. My 2024 is a low trim LE, which helps the mpg. I think the only thing affecting mileage between trims is different wheels and tires. Also, AWD, which I don’t have, hurts mpg a little.
The 2009 Gen 2 Prius I rented at LAX showed 51 around LA’s traffic and 47 on my highway trip to San Diego to visit an former colleague and friend. When I filled it up I put 6 gallons for over 300 miles driven.
Each new gen is supposed to be 10% more fuel efficient.
I don’t know if yours was a necessary trip or, like so many of Bob W’s, just a drive. Regardless, even the most fuel efficient car is wasteful if it is a 4 or 5 seater and only the driver’s seat is occupied.
For comparison, if one has an allegedly horribly wasteful Behemoth Ford Excursion Diesel, a vehicle that takes 9 passengers in great comfort, bigger than a Suburban EXT, According to AW’s long term test, it got 19 MPG diesel. But 19 MPG per NINE persons, so almost 200 MPG per person.
Yeah, mpg/passenger is much better with a full vehicle, but most of the pickup trucks, Navigators, Suburbans, etc. I saw going 85-90 while on my trip had no more than 2 people. I don’t know for sure, but I suspect most of them were carrying no more cargo than I had in my Prius for my 5 months up north. Of course, for carrying up to 8 people, not towing anything big, minivans are, by far, the most efficient vehicle in the US market, especially the current Sienna, which is a hybrid with 36/36 mpg ratings.
The gen 2 Prius was the big breakthrough, being an aerodynamic hatch, getting great mpg. I had a gen 3 which was a little roomier, and got a little better mpg. From some Prius groups, though, at sounds like the gen 2 was more reliable when at 250K miles or higher, as gen 3s have head gasket failures.
The gen 5 had the biggest gain in EPA mpg, and my experience over six months confirms that the case in real world driving. This is the case, even though the new one has a bigger engine and is much quicker. This chart is the highest mpg version of each generation, I think.
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=24882&id=31767&id=37163&id=47243
2024 Equinox Start/Stop is OK. No problem.