AD #3082 – Stellantis & Foxconn Form Technology JV; Canoo Reveals SEC Investigation; Unique Hydrogen Engine

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

STELLANTIS & FOXCONN FORM TECHNOLOGY JV
We now have details about the Stellantis and Foxconn partnership. The companies announced they’re forming a 50/50 joint venture called Mobile Drive to develop next-gen infotainment, telematics and cloud service platforms. They’ll feature AI-based applications, 5G communication, OTA services and smart cockpits. Stellantis will not only equip its vehicles with the technology but Mobile Drive will act as an automotive supplier and offer its software and hardware to other automakers.

CANOO REVEALS SEC INVESTIGATION
Another EV startup is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission in the U.S. During an earnings conference call with analysts, Canoo’s CEO, Tony Aquila, revealed that it’s under investigation but he didn’t offer many details. But it sounds like it could be related to its SPAC merger last year. Aquila said “EV SPACs are now facing some near-term headwinds, including the SEC’s determination on how warrants are treated.” Canoo has struggled since its SPAC merger, with its shares falling two-thirds since December. EV startups Nikola and Lordstown that went the SPAC route as well have also faced SEC probes in the last year.

FORD TAKING MACH-E COAST-TO-COAST
Ford is paying tribute to a transcontinental race the company participated in over 100 years ago. On June 1, 1909 Henry Ford entered two Model Ts in the first coast-to-coast road race in the U.S. Starting in New York City, it took 23 days and 4,106 miles before one of them crossed the finish line at the Seattle World’s Fair. And now Ford is performing another coast-to-coast drive with two Mustang Mach-E’s to show off its capabilities. They will be led by a re-creation of a Model T from the original race. The cars started yesterday in New York City and will travel 6,500 miles through 20 states in 50 days.

LAMBORGHINI LAYS OUT ITS ELECTRIFICATION ROADMAP
Lamborghini laid out its roadmap towards electrification and as you might guess with a small, performance company like Lambo, it’s going to take longer to get there. In fact, it says two new V12 cars will be announced this year. But after that is when the transition starts. At the end of 2023 is when its first hybrid series production car will come out and by 2024 all of its models will be offered as a hybrid. When we’ll see Lambo’s first BEV is a little unclear. It would only say that it’s coming in the second half of the decade. But one thing is for sure, it says any technology or solutions it adapts will provide top performance and driving dynamics. In order to reach its goals, Lambo is going to invest over 1.5 billion euros over the next 4 years, the largest in the company’s history.

HONDA CONFIRMS MANUAL TRANSMISSION FOR NEW CIVIC
While Honda wasn’t able to justify keeping a manual transmission in the Accord, a good number of Civic owners will still be able to row through the gears. It confirmed the 5-door Hatchback will have the option for a manual and that it’ll be the only option for Si and Type R models. It won’t be available in standard Civic sedans and Honda dropped the coupe entirely for this new generation.

MERCEDES-MAYBACH S-CLASS GOES ON SALE
Sales of the Maybach version of the Mercedes S-Class are kicking off. For a quick refresher, the vehicle features a wheelbase that’s 18 cm or about 7 inches longer than the long wheelbase version of the S-Class. And all that extra space goes to the rear seat passengers. It’s powered by either a V8 or a V12, both of which are mated to AWD. And you get crazy luxurious features like electrically powered doors that can open and close even on a hill. But of course those features are going to cost a lot. The electric doors will set a customer back 1,600 euros or about $2,000. That sweet two-tone paint job is over $18-grand or nearly 15,000 euros and even the silver-plated champagne goblets are 3,800 euros or over $4,600. But that’s to be expected when the V8 Maybach starts at roughly 164,500 euros or over $200,000 and the V12 starts at $265,500 or a bit more than 217,000 euros.

ISRAELI STARTUP DEVELOPS UNIQUE HYDROGEN ENGINE
We keep reporting on hydrogen engines and here’s yet another one. But bear with us a minute, because this one is completely different. It’s not a fuel cell, it’s an engine that can run on gasoline or diesel, or can use hydrogen as fuel. And it’s not a normal piston engine. Instead, it’s called a single-piston, linear engine that can run on hydrogen to generate electricity with ultra low emissions. It only has one moving part and the whole thing only has 20 components. It’s simple, low cost and it’s small, weighing only 10 kilos, or about 22 pounds. Yet it generates 16 kilowatts or over 21 horsepower. It could be used for a lot of purposes, including as a range extender for BEVs, which would allow for a smaller battery pack. It was invented by an Israeli startup called Aquarius Engines and it’s undergoing field tests as a portable generator in various locations around the world.

HOW FORD APPEALED TO TRUCK BUYERS WITH A HYBRID
When Ford announced it was coming out with a hybrid version of the F-150 pickup we were a little bit skeptical of how it would sell. Pickup owners by and large don’t seem to be types to go running out to buy a truck just to save the environment. And with a rating of 24 miles to the gallon, the hybrid version is only a couple of miles per gallon better than the non hybrid. But Ford really understands truck customers and it didn’t try to sell the hybrid F-150 based on fuel efficiency. Instead, it marketed this as the ultimate tool that any pickup buyer could hope to have. It comes with a 2.4 kilowatt built-in generator, which is enough to run to run jack hammers and air compressors. And if that’s not enough there’s an optional 7.2 kilowatt generator that can run a plasma cutter. And then there’s the power under the hood. The hybrid comes with the 3.5 liter V6 turbo, which together with the hybrid motor, cranks out 430 horsepower and 570 lb.-ft. of torque. That’s the most power you can get in any F-150, and gives you a 700 mile cruising range, with up to 12,700 pounds of towing. It also comes with all the latest connectivity and is the first pickup with over-the-air update capability. We just had one come through the Autoline Garage and it was appointed with the kind of materials and features you’d expect to find in a limousine. It was priced accordingly, too–just over $79,000 for the 4×4 Supercrew version we drove. Most impressively, Ford sold 10,500 of them for the first four months of the year despite tight inventory because of the chip shortage. That means the hybrid has probably generated over $700 million in revenue, and will probably generate a couple of billion before the year is out. And we fully expect Ford to take the lessons learned from the hybrid and apply them to the electric F-150 Lightning when it hits the market.

But with that we wrap up today’s report, thanks for watching.