AD #4318 – EU OEMs Prepare For War; AMG Aims For 200,000 Cars A Year; EU Safety Experts Say FSD Data Misleading

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

RENAULT 4 TROOP DESIGNED TO DEPLOY DRONES
Europe is suddenly ramping up its military preparedness as President Trump cuts American support for NATO and experts worry that Russia’s Putin could expand the war in Ukraine by attacking the eastern flank of the EU. France says it’s preparing for high intensity combat by 2030, and Renault announced its working with two military contractors to make drones and a vehicle it calls the 4 Troop. It’s a 4×4 hybrid that looks to us like a modified version of the Rafale, but it also showed a modified electric Trafic van. Renault says it’s a mobile command center that can deploy land-based and aerial drones.    

DAIMLER TRUCK FORMS DEFENSE UNIT
Meanwhile, Daimler Truck established a new business unit called Daimler Truck Defence that will make military vehicles all the way from light duty to what it calls large tactical logistics platforms. It’s investing several hundred million euros in the business unit and expects to hit €1 billion in revenue by 2028. It’s already got an order for 1,500 trucks from the Canadian military and 7,000 trucks for the French armed forces.  

MERCEDES SHOWS MILITARY VERSIONS OF SUV & VANS
And Mercedes-Benz is showing military versions of its G-Class and its commercial vans, the Sprinter and Vito. It says they can be used as troop carriers, ambulances and equipment platforms that can also deploy drones.

EU SAFETY EXPERTS SAY FSD DATA MISLEADING
Sticking with Europe for a moment, but moving back to the civilian world, Reuters reports that several independent safety researchers accuse Tesla of submitting misleading data about the safety of FSD. When Tesla applied for approval of Supervised Full Self Driving, it claimed the system was 10 times safer than human drivers and could have saved 32,000 lives. The researchers say Tesla’s data is misleading because it assumed every vehicle on the road in the United States, including heavy trucks and motorcycles would be using FSD to show those kinds of improvements. We think it’s unlikely this report will derail Tesla. Five European countries have already approved Supervised Full Self Driving, and RDW, the agency that approved it in the Netherlands, said it conducted and validated its own testing and did not rely on Tesla’s data. 

UAW SETTLES AXLE STRIKE
The UAW has ended its strike against the former American Axle, now called Dauch. Workers at the Michigan plant just ratified a new contract, including a 36% increase in wages over four years, no healthcare premium increases, new paid holidays, more vacation days and a $2,000 ratification bonus. The factory makes axles for General Motors, Stellantis and others and the automakers say the strike ultimately did not hurt production. The union went after the supplier because workers at the plant cut their wages in half a decade ago to help get the company through bankruptcy.

HONDA GENERATORS FEATURE SWAPPABLE BATTERIES
Honda is using technology from its electric motorcycles and scooters to help power construction and industrial equipment. It’s launching a new series of generators that use motor components that were originally developed for electric motorcycles and its new battery boxes have been built to accommodate its swappable battery pack. Honda says it will start supplying the new units this fall, first in Japan, but then rolling out to the U.S. and Europe.

BMW READIES M-VERSION NEUE KLASSE
BMW is gearing up to launch the first performance electric car off its Neue Klasse architecture. It just debuted the M Concept Neue Klasse, which is meant to be a preview of the new i3 M that’s supposed to go on sale about a year from now. While it’s not providing any specs yet, the EV is powered by four electric motors that can be controlled independently, along with the brakes at each wheel, by software that will be unique to M vehicles. To enhance the look, the fascias and lighting are specific to the model and the fenders are wider. There’s also specific aero elements, like the side mirrors that are meant to cut through the wind easier. 

AMG AIMS FOR 200,000 CARS A YEAR
And speaking of performance brands, the AMG division of Mercedes-Benz wants to increase sales to 200,000 units by 2030. To get there it plans to introduce 27 models over the next 3 years, in different sizes, segments and vehicle types. AMG will also reduce complexity, going from 10 engine variants down to 4, but that does include a new six cylinder and V8 for the lineup. While that 200,000 figure would represent a nearly 40% increase in sales compared to last year when it sold 145,000 units, the brand has already proved that it has room to grow. In 2015 AMG sold just under 70,000 vehicles. 

           

LAND ROVER’S $44,000 CHINA-DESIGNED FREELANDER
Freelander, a joint venture between Jaguar Land Rover and Chinese automaker Chery, officially unveiled its first SUV called the Freelander 8. It features an electric range extended powertrain, that includes a 1.5L turbo engine, producing 154 horsepower, along with a 60-kWh battery pack, that has a pure-electric range of 221 kilometers or 137 miles. The model starts at $44,100 and goes on sale in the second half of the year in China. Freelander plans to launch six models over the next five years and will sell vehicles in the Middle East and Europe, in addition to China. And you may remember a report from the start of the month that Indian automaker Tata will use the Freelander platform for a new premium brand, called Avinya. 

BAIC & CHANGAN FORM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
Here’s something we likely see more of in China. BAIC and Changan announced they’re forming a strategic partnership. They’ll collaborate on developing new technology and vehicles, strengthening supply chains and cooperating in overseas markets. There’s too many car companies with too much capacity in China, so more automakers will make partnerships like this to help boost their competitiveness.  
And that’s a wrap for today’s show. Thanks for tuning in.