AD #4393 – Jaguar Debuts New Polarizing EV; NHTSA Rewriting Rules on Headlight Glare; Nissan Sales Near Quarter-Century Low

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

JAGUAR DEBUTS NEW POLARIZING EV
Without any new models, Jaguar dealers have been surviving on remaining inventory. They only sold 800 vehicles in the last 3 months. But Jaguar just pulled the wraps off the Type 01, its brand-new all-electric 4-door grand tourer. The model rides on an all-new 850-volt architecture developed by the company and comes with a 118-kWh battery pack that returns an EPA estimated 400 miles or about 645 kilometers of range. A tri-motor setup is available with up to 1,000 horsepower, which will launch the car from 0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds. The Type 01 is only a 4-seater with a long console, running from front to back, that splits the interior in half. Jaguar says it will start taking orders early next year with prices starting at 130,000 pounds in Britain.

PORSCHE OUTLINES PLAN TO TRIM COSTS
Last year Porsche delivered about 280,000 vehicles around the world, a decline of 10%, which also contributed to a fall in profits and revenue. But the company just laid out its new mid-term plan and it expects to sell even fewer vehicles, yet not lose money. Porsche says it wants to hit its break-even point at under 200,000 units, but it’s going to take a lot of trimming to get there. The company is cutting about 9,000 jobs. It sold its shares in Rimac and Bugatti Rimac. It sold its consulting subsidiary. It closed its battery and e-bike operations. It merged its Digital and Engineering divisions. Porsche also wants to reduce vehicle development costs by 20% with a more modular process and fewer model variants. It wants to cut production worker costs by 30%. It wants sales and distribution costs slashed by 20%. It wants material costs trimmed by 10%. And it wants warranty costs down by 45%. On top of this, the brand is going to push more upscale as well. Porsche hopes to increase the average selling price on its top-end models by 20%. So, it’s expanding its customization program and taking a bigger stake in aftermarket performance company Manthey. The company will also introduce new high-end models in the D- and E-segments. But there will be more affordable models too. In 2028, a new B-segment SUV will be sold alongside the all-electric Macan, but it will offer both gas and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Let us know in the comments what you think of Porsche’s mid-term plan.

NHTSA REWRITING RULES ON HEADLIGHT GLARE
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is planning to rewrite headlight rules to address glare. The agency will improve regulations for LEDs, dusk sensors, automatic high beams and replaceable lights. NHTSA will also evaluate headlamp height, aim, how they ​impact driver visibility and address headlight glare. The new rules are also expected to allow automakers to use new lighting technologies. While there are growing complaints about headlight glare, according to a study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, from 2015 to 2023, headlight glare was cited as a factor in only one or two out of every 1,000 nighttime crashes across 11 ​US states.

          

DODGE CHARGER DAYTONA EV SALES CRATER
Last year a little over 7,000 people bought the Dodge Charger Daytona, the world’s only electric muscle car, according to Dodge. But sales are down nearly 90% this year. Only 233 were sold in the third quarter and for the full year 767 units have moved from dealer lots. The gas-powered version is doing much better with over 8,000 units being sold this year. But those numbers are still low enough that I don’t think there’s any way Stellantis is turning a profit on them. 

EU PLANS CAP ON CHINESE HYBRIDS
The European Union is now planning to limit imports of Chinese-made hybrids as well. Sales of Chinese hybrids have surged this year in the EU because they aren’t slapped with the same high tariffs as Chinese EVs. In August, Chinese automakers accounted for a quarter of all hybrid sales in Europe. So the EU is considering a limit by placing a tariff on imports above a certain volume. But the EU is expected to keep the cap low to avoid retaliation from China. China has already warned the EU about imposing restrictions on hybrids and says it would violate World Trade Organization rules. But in addition to protecting its auto industry, the EU also wants to limit imports of Chinese hybrids to help reduce its trade deficit with China which exceeds $1 billion a day.

NISSAN SALES NEAR QUARTER-CENTURY LOW
Nissan’s struggles in China are putting it on pace for its worst global sales performance in nearly a quarter century. The automaker sold more than 1.9 million vehicles worldwide in the first eight months of the year, down 9% from last year. And China accounts for half of its decline, with sales plunging 27% this year. As a result, Nissan is on track to sell 2.9 million vehicles this year, which will be the first time since 2003 it sold less than 3 million units. Nissan would need to sell nearly 267,000 a month from September to hit the 3 million mark, which is 30% higher than its rate in August.

STELLANTIS ITALY VEHICLE OUTPUT REBOUNDS
Stellantis is starting to turn things around in Italy. After a two-year decline in production, the automaker’s union says it expects to build 450,000 vehicles this year in Italy, up from 380,000 last year. But this year’s expected output is below an earlier estimate of 500,000 vehicles. The boost in production is thanks to new models, like the Jeep Compass and Fiat 500 hybrid.

HONDA TESTS WIRELESS EV ROAD CHARGING
Honda says it’s going to start testing wireless in-road EV charging next year. It’s part of an effort to expand the freedom of mobility while also reducing the impact on the environment. I’ve always loved the idea of this technology, but I feel like it’s been talked about for the last decade with almost no real-world applications to speak of. I believe Honda would have to do what Tesla did with Superchargers and build the network itself.  

MINI DEBUTS OFF-ROAD COUNTRYMAN
We’ve seen MINI vehicles grow in size and gain more SUV-like styling, but like most automakers MINI is also getting into off-roading. The new Countryman Untamed Edition features a suspension lift, underbody protection, 19-inch wheels with rugged tires and a number of unique cosmetic enhancements. MINI says sales will kick off early next year.

But that’s a wrap for today’s show. Thanks for making Autoline a part of your day.