AD #2369 – FCA Has Big Plans for Jeep, All-New Audi Q8 Revealed, Musk Gets Emotional Talking Tesla

On today’s show… Jeep is going to get all kinds of plug-in and battery electric models… Tesla says the Gigafactory will make more batteries than everyone else put together… and Toyota teams up with 7-11 to sell hydrogen. All that and more coming right up on Autoline Daily.

This is Autoline Daily the show for enthusiasts of the automotive industry.

FCA HAS BIG PLANS FOR JEEP
Last week FCA revealed its latest 5-year plan and it has massive plans for Jeep. In the next five years it’s going to add enough manufacturing capacity to make one and a half million more Jeeps around the world, with plans to boost sales at least 80%. Jeep is going to get 6 additional models that go into both smaller and larger segments in the marketplace. And to protect itself from any rise in gasoline prices, Jeep will add 5 mild hybrids, 10 plug-in hybrids and 4 battery electrics to its lineup, though they will not be available in every market. The battery electrics, for example, will only be available in China. Jeep is also going to offer level 3 autonomy and full connectivity by 2021. Put it all together and Jeep will be one of the largest and most profitable brands in the business.

IS FCA DROPPING LANCIA?
And speaking of FCA’s 5-year plan, there’s no mention of Lancia. Yesterday, one of Autoline’s viewers RiveraNotario, sent us a link to a Twitter page, called Save Lancia. The top tweet claims that Lancia was cancelled in silence on June 1st. And it’s true. There is absolutely no mention of Lancia in any of the 5-year plans. Even Chrysler and Dodge get mentioned, but not Lancia, a brand that’s been around since 1906.

And we’ll be back with more right after this.

BMW REVEALS ALL-NEW X5
BMW just unveiled an all-new X5, with new styling, new engines and a new off-road package. Unlike many other SUVs, the X5 offers a two-section tailgate for easy loading. The wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer, and the vehicle is 2.6 inches wider. The suspension features a front double wishbone and rear multi-link design, and for the first time it gets an off-road package with underbody toughening, air suspension and a locking rear differential. The X5 boasts optional third row seating and pricing will be announced in November.

AUDI GETS FULL-SIZE SUV
Audi just unveiled its full size SUV, the Q8, in China. It has interior space for five passengers. It also gets an updated infotainment system which Audi says will be “as intuitive as a smartphone.” The exterior takes cues from the Ur Quattro concept. The Q8 will also be wider and lower than the Q7. It will come standard with an adaptive damping suspension and a mechanical central differential, which Audi says will make it a capable off-roader. The Q8 goes on sale in the 4th quarter of this year.

HYDROGEN-POWERED SLURPEES
Last year Toyota teamed up with Seven-Eleven Japan to look at ways to use fuel cell technology to help power stores. Fuel cell generators will be installed that generate electricity for the store, as will second-life hybrid batteries that are charged by a solar panel. An electric vehicle charger will be available for plug-in vehicles, which can double as a power supply to the store when a vehicle is plugged in. This might be useful during a blackout or some kind of disaster. And two fuel cell trucks used for deliveries, powered by Mirai fuel cell units, can take electric power generated by the fuel cell to power the refrigerator unit inside the truck. Toyota says one of these next-generation stores will start operating late next year.

Coming up next, a visibly emotional Elon Musk talks about the latest updates on Tesla.

MUSK GETS EMOTIONAL TALKING TESLA
Tesla held its shareholder meeting yesterday and we got an update on the Model 3. Elon Musk says they will likely hit their goal of making 5,000 Model 3’s a week by the end of the month. Musk also said Tesla has installed over 10,000 Superchargers worldwide and will bring out the third generation later this year. He also teased the Model Y, which looks like a crossover version of the Model 3. He says it will be out in two years. And he said that next quarter the Gigafactory will make more EV batteries than all others combined, including China. “This is really a crazy amount of batteries,” Musk said. In two years he says their costs will be at $100 at the pack level. Interestingly, Musk was visibly emotional at the beginning of his presentation. He really choked up and sounded like he was about to cry. That’s about 13 minutes into the video that Tesla posted and you can watch that by clicking on the headline in the show transcript that’s available on our website Autoline.tv.

TEXAS TAKES TEXAS-SIZED SWIPE AT TESLA
Meanwhile, Texas just took a backhanded slap at Tesla. The state just announced a $2,500 rebate to anyone that buys a plug-in, BEV or fuel cell vehicle. But the incentive is only available through franchise dealers, but since Tesla doesn’t use franchised dealers, Tesla customers won’t be able to cash in.

Don’t forget to join us for Autoline After Hours tomorrow. Our special guest for the show is Jason Ditman, the chief engineer for Cadillac’s Super Cruise. Here’s your chance to learn about how GM developed the technology for a new driving experience. So join Gary Vasilash and me for some of the best insight into what’s going on in the automotive industry.

And with that we wrap up today’s show, thanks for watching and we hope to see you again tomorrow.